Work Text:
"Parvis I'm gonna pass out now." Was what the guitarist heard before a heavy weight fell onto him.
"What? Oh Jesus Christ-- Strife--" Was how he reacted. "Oh my god-- what-- how-- Strife!"
Parvis promptly moved his roommate to his own bed and sat down next to him.
"William Strife I swear to god if you overworked yourself again--" Was what he stammered, staring nervously down at Will's pale face. He couldn't just leave him, but he didn't really have any provisions, either.
This had happened a few times before, during finals in their first year or when he worked so much he forgot basic necessities like food and rest, but this time Will had just stumbled into the room and collapsed. He wasn't drunk or injured, and Parvis was honestly worried.
"Silly Strife, overworking yourself again..." He considered calling Lomadia, as she was the resident animal healer. Strife was no animal, but he wondered if aliens counted.
He hurried over to the bathroom and grabbed a wet paper towel to put on his forehead. He didn't really know what to do.
Will had begun to stir a few minutes later, but didn't wake up. Instead, he curled into Parvis' side, which made the latter a bit uncomfortable. After rooming with him for a year, Parvis had learned that Will needed warmth to sleep, as it apparently got really cold at night for him. Xephos still had the same issue. It was something about their planet never having a winter season or something.
Parvis heard a groan before he saw anything, and looked down at his friend nervously.
"Wh-- Parvis--"
"Will?" Parvis sounded more worried than he would've liked, but right now he didn't care. "Are you alright?"
Will seemed to realize he was curled into the other's side and hurriedly looked away, glowing that embarrassed green, but he didn't move. He didn't really want to at the moment.
"What...?" Was all he managed.
"You, uh, sort of, passed out." Parvis quickly stammered. "You just came in here, announced you were gonna pass out, and then you did." The pause he got in response was worrying, so he shakily continued on. "And, uh, this didn't seem like the other times where you overworked yourself, so I didn't know what to do, and I didn't want to leave you, but I wanted to get food or something so I--"
He was cut off by Will nuzzling his head into his leg.
"I'm tired." Will announced weakly.
"Oh! Oh, right, yes." Parvis hoped he wasn't blushing. "Yeah, I guess you would be. I haven't passed out, but I bet it's a real tiring experience. So I guess I'll let you sleep. Are you hungry? Like, do you need some food? You probably want some food. I'll go get some for you, if you like..." Will was already back asleep. "Right. Strife, I'm going to get you some food. And some orange juice. They have that down at the mess hall, probably."
Parvis made the quickest supply run since the night he snuck in contraband for a party. When he came back, Strife was just waking up, still groggy and ill.
He propped his roommate up with his pillows and covered him in the warm blankets, handing him a carton of orange juice and a few granola bars. Parvis sat next to him and didn't say a word as he drained the juice.
"So... What happened?" He asked gently as Strife finished the drink.
Will gently shook his head. "I don't..."
"Ah. Right." He nodded, and the two lapsed into silence only broken by granola bar wrappers crinkling.
"Winter holidays are coming up soon." Parvis tried again, still softly. "I'm not gonna be around. I'm going back home with my friends."
"Your band," Will commented quietly.
"Yeah, them, so I won't be around. I don't know where you go over school holidays, but I want to to take care of yourself. No dying whilst I'm not around, go it? I don't wanna come back to school without someone to do my homework for me." He grinned a little, and grinned even more at the small smile Will cracked.
"I won't die, Parvis." Will insisted. "I can take care of myself."
"Well..." Parvis felt a little bad for gesturing at Strife's current state. He rarely saw his friend as vulnerable as he was now. With his blond hair disheveled, the hair product working against it, his clothes crumpled, and his skin too pale for the tiredly glowing freckles dusted over it.
Will leaned his head against Parv's shoulder and yawned. "I'll be fine." Parvis blushed this, as he always did when Strife was too worn out to care about physical boundaries.
Parvis chuckled as his friend was asleep again, and gently fixed some of his hair.
"I'm sure you'll be."