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It starts as a simple inconvenience.
Sometimes, when Tessa finds herself awake in the middle of the night from a terrible dream, she finds the comfort of Jem and Will the only thing able to calm her. Neither one of them hesitates to break all of the rules of what is ‘proper’ and ‘expected’ and drag their pillows into her room to lay down beside her, and she’s grateful for the immediate release of tension she feels over their presence.
It isn’t just Tessa, though. There are nights spent suffering from his illness when Jem feels impossibly cold, down to his bones. Those nights the only thing that seems to warm him is finding himself sandwiched between the bodies of the two souls who would willingly give him every last drop of their own warmth if they could.
And even Will, who simply finds himself too restless to sleep some nights, will insist he’s fine but never turn away the company of the two of them long into the night. Sometimes Jem will play the violin softly, sitting at the edge of his bed, other times Tessa comes in to read him to sleep, and though he’ll insist he’s fine he never turns away their company.
The constant retrieving and relocating of their pillows, though a minor annoyance, is still an annoyance. Tessa, always bold and straight to the point, goes to Sophie to ask for two more for her room.
“Two?” Sophie questions, eyebrow raised, and Tessa can feel herself freeze at the question.
“Yes. Two. I’ve taken to using them to prop myself up while reading at night. Two more should do quite nicely if you have any to spare,” Tessa covers quickly.
Sophie smiles and nods. “Of course, Miss-- Tessa,” Sophie says, still breaking herself of the habit of calling Tessa ‘Miss’.
Satisfied with the two extra pillows she places carefully under the bed until needed, she quietly informs Will and Jem that they no longer need to bring their own over.
“Well then... two down, four to go,” his eyes gleam as they dart towards Jem with the statement.
“Do you really think they’re going to give us six extra pillows without growing suspicious?” Jem asks.
“Spoken by someone who doesn’t think he’ll be able to get his two,” Will says in a good-natured challenge.
“I told Sophie mine were to prop myself up while reading in bed at night,” she offers helpfully, in case it might give the boys any ideas.
Jem only sighs and returns quickly to the food on his plate as Charlotte and Henry enter the dining room.
---
Will, in an impressive show of restraint, waits two days before attempting to get the extra pillows for his room. That isn’t because it takes him two days to think of a plan - he’s using the impulsive idea that popped into his head almost immediately after the discussion in the dining room with Tessa - only because he feels it may look less suspicious to wait.
He also decides at the last moment to ask Charlotte directly. He could wait a month and Sophie would still distrust him, he’s certain of it - that girl is too clever for her own good sometimes.
“Miss Charlotte,” Will asks, catching her in the office writing out a letter.
“What have you done?” Charlotte asks, not looking up.
“I haven’t done anything!” Will protests, his words dripping with exaggerated, mock hurt. “Why would you think I’ve done something?”
“You never seek me out first unless you’re trying to mitigate damages,” she says, finally placing her pen down and looking up at him.
“I simply wish to ask if there were extra pillows in storage somewhere I could have. I need two of them,” he asks, innocently enough.
“And what’s wrong with the pillows already in your room?” Charlotte questions warily.
“I… may have spilled drink on it,” he admits, a lie he knows will be easily believed. He made sure to stumble in extra late last night and make noise as he did so just as he passed Charlotte’s room.
“Oh, if that’s all, we can simply clean them and-”
“And then threw them into the fireplace,” Will adds quickly. All of which isn’t true at all - his own pillows currently hide safely in the back of his wardrobe, tucked behind jackets and obscured from view.
“Of course you did,” Charlotte sighs, resigned. “Alright. I’ll bring some around to your room once I’ve finished here.”
“Wonderful. Sorry about, you know, setting the first ones ablaze. Won’t happen again,” He adds with a rueful grin before hastily making his retreat.
---
At dinner that night he greets Jem and Tessa with a victorious, “Four down, two to go.”
“Actually, that makes six. I’ve already got mine,” Jem says, reveling in the look of astonishment that crosses their faces.
“How?” Will demands.
“I took one each from two of the spare rooms,” he says simply. “No one will miss them. We almost never have actual guests here, and if we do they’ll be too focused readying the room for company to question where a single pillow went.”
“Why didn’t you just suggest that from the start?” Will asks.
Jem grins. “It’s more fun to leave you to your theatrics sometimes. And, in case you forgot, you’re the one who turned it into a game,” Jem points out.
Will sighs. “I suppose I only have myself to blame.”
“Usually,” Tessa agrees, taking a quick sip of water to hide her smile behind her cup.
“Now there’s only one problem left to solve,” Jem says.
“Which is…” Tessa prompts.
“Who is going to steal us more blankets for when our dear William hogs them all in the middle of the night,” Jem finishes with a smirk.
Will huffs. “Keep this up and it won’t matter, because I’ll stay in my own room, thank you very much.”
It’s an empty threat, and all of them know it.