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The first time Nahyuta falls asleep around Simon, it's an accident. Curled up on Simon's couch, case file dripping over their lap and threatening to fall on the floor. For a second, Simon is tempted to wake them up. The moment passes quickly- even a child could tell that Nahyuta doesn’t sleep nearly as much as they should. If they're able to catch a nap within the confines of his office, that's a win for their health.
Their case file is gently confiscated, closed, and placed on the side table. Taka ruffles his feathers as he stares the pair down.
“Quiet down, let the monk sleep,” Simon scolds.
Taka opens his mouth. There is the quietest, most enunciated screech in response. A clear no.
“I’ll send you to Gavin and let you turn into the man’s next fashion statement.”
If looks could kill.
The second time, Simon chalks it up to the same reason. He's sitting on a couch in the chief prosecutor's office, waiting for Gavin and Debeste to show up so that this meeting can take place. Nahyuta is tucked into the opposite side of the couch, jacket pulled around their shoulders to combat the chill in the office. Simon goes to offer tea- he knows where it is in the office, knows Edgeworth won't mind him brewing some and that it might just help take the edge off- and catches their head leaning a bit too far onto the cushion behind them, eyes closed and breaths even. There are circles under their eyes, unhidden by makeup. He knows they've been staying overnight, has encountered them at odd times of morning. Athena’s concerned, but it's because Apollo is concerned, and she's friends with the man and therefore knows a bit more about Nahyuta’s personal life than she probably should.
The third time…well, Simon can blame himself. An attempt at being friendly turned into a chat after work, turned into dinner, turned into Nahyuta being brought along to watch a movie Simon doesn’t care about but knows that someone will throw a tantrum about if they find out the monk prosecutor hasn't seen it yet. At first, he's convinced that Nahyuta is leaning on him because they do that. Similarly to Gavin, Nahyuta tends to be a bit touchier than the rest of the office. Simon has grown used to it, despite the fact that Aura has never been one for affection and he could probably count the number of warm hugs one one hand that he's received from her. Athena’s helped in that comfort, because she's always been huggy. Regardless, he's convinced it's a normal lean, and then their head droops onto his shoulder, and oh, they're asleep. Woops.
He notices it more, after that. Granted, he's making more of an effort to befriend Nahyuta, because they are fun to talk to, but their friendship comes with the knowledge that they fall asleep a lot.
They apologize, of course. Every time they catch themself, there's genuine guilt in their expression and voice. Simon figures they can't control it.
There's a particular moment that catches him off guard.
Nahyuta’s fallen asleep, of course. Simon’s unsurprised. He's maneuvered them onto the couch a bit easier, which turned into them holding onto him, and now he's in an awkward half-cuddle with his coworker-slash-kinda-friend. Athena sent him a pity frown earlier when he sighed- he likes talking to Nahyuta, but there's still a lingering frustration that so much of the time he spends trying to extend that proverbial olive branch of friendship is met with them falling asleep.
"Must've gotten lucky today," Apollo comments as he looks over. Simon raises an eyebrow.
"Lucky?" Athena questions.
"Well, yeah," the attorney says as he turns to face Athena, ready to elaborate on his word choice. "Nahyuta doesn’t sleep much."
"Justice-dono next plans on informing us that rain comes from the sky," Simon snarks. He’s seen them in far too many states of insomnia to be surprised by that.
"Shut up, I'm being serious."
"As am I."
Apollo rolls his eyes.
"Why's it lucky?" Athena asks again.
"Nahyuta has a… thing, I guess you could say, about sleeping. Has to be somewhere safe, and if people are there, it's gotta be someone they trust."
Simon raises an eyebrow as he looks down at them. Their arm is looped around his, his shoulder a makeshift pillow.
Apollo sighs. "If they can't get that? No sleep."
"At all?" Athena asks.
"Nah. Believe me, Athena, I've seen them go ridiculous amounts of time between sleeping. Datz and I have tried more or less everything, and they'll just fight it."
Huh. Interesting.
"Not really, actually. Their anxiety has anxiety, which makes them kinda paranoid about their environment, and I'm pretty sure they have nightmares, so that's two strikes against any level of comfort while sleeping."
Simon looks over to Apollo, realizes he's spoken out loud. Woops.
"At any rate," he continues, "I'm just glad they're sleeping. Yeah, sucks they aren't being social, but hopefully it's good sleep. I was wondering when they'd crack."
The idea of Nahyuta trusting him… well, that’s one way to know that he’s doing friendship right.
It changes his outlook on it entirely.
Nahyuta falling asleep in his office? Guess he’s covering them with a blanket.
A casual outting at the park? At least he can move them into the shade of a nearby tree so they don’t get burnt.
When the weather turns bad and they retreat to Simon’s apartment and they fall asleep on the couch? He’s got blankets there too, and the neighborhood tomcat who comes and goes from his apartment is more than content to cuddle up to them.
When things take a turn for the romantic? Well, there’s something particularly nice about realizing that they’ve curled into his side halfway through a movie, one hand held against their chest and the other still holding onto his shirt.
Moving them to his bed isn’t difficult at all. He’s had enough time to learn that they’re quick to wake when they’re moved suddenly, when something changes, but this wake is minimal. Enough for them to hold onto him just a bit tighter, mumble something about needing “just a few minutes”.
Just how much trust do they have in him? That he can move them like this, when they’re so quick to startle elsewhere? That they don’t even react to being carried? That when he places them in bed and lays down himself, they scoot right next to him once more, like a magnet seeking its other half.
Simon knows just how many people have tried to win them over. He’s seen some of them try.
So how…
“Why are you so comfortable with me?” he muses aloud.
“ ‘s cause you’re beguiling,” they mumble back.
“You’re up?”
“Just enough to cuddle and sleep again.” They throw an arm around his chest to prove a point.
“So the usual, then.”
“Yep.”
Simon chuckles.
“...mean it, though.”
“Hm?”
“You look intimidating, and you try to keep up a facade, but you’re charming.”
“Charming.”
“Very much so. That, and you’re quick to come to the aid of your family. I’ve always admired that.”
“You haven’t always known it, though.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t still appreciate it, Simon.”
“That’s true.”
“Go to sleep. Stop thinking so hard. If you wish, we can delve into psychoanalysis in the morning.”
Simon has to laugh at the demand.
“Of course. Sleep well.”