Work Text:
Chip rested his head on Gillion’s chest, his ear pressed over his heart so that he could hear the rhythmic thumping from behind his ribs. Gillion’s heartbeat was slow as it calmly beat in its calm rhythm. His lungs rattled with every breath, which was much louder now that Chip was laying so close, but he didn’t mind. It was a soothing melody.
A pair of clawed hands were wrapped around his lower back, lightly dragging against his skin and tracing patterns against his flesh in a way that sent shivers running down Chip’s spine. He swallowed thickly, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing himself closer. Gillion only paused to let Chip take a moment to adjust before he resumed absently running his fingers over his back.
Gillion’s skin was slightly rough, smooth in places but the patches of scales that dotted across his form occasionally broke it up. They glistened in the dimming lantern light like Gillion was gilded in tiny gemstones and riches. Chip sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. Gillion sighed as well, his breath suddenly ruffling Chip’s hair.
Even though there was a chill that always seemed to surround Gillion wherever he went, the room was warm, and there was no shortage of warmth within Chip’s arms. He curled his hand close to his face, pawing at the front of Gillion’s shirt as he absently fidgeted with the fabric. Neither of them tried to sleep like they technically were supposed to be doing and Chip was sure that Gillion was just as focused on the embrace as he was.
A small croak bubbled up from the back of Gillion’s throat as he gave another heavy exhale. Chip could feel the vocalization rumble in his chest before settling back into the comfortable rhythm that Chip had almost been counting in his head unintentionally.
Chip traced the patterns of scales on Gillion’s arm with his other hand, his fingers feeling the different ridges of the iridescent markings. Gillion didn’t seem to mind, but he would occasionally shiver when Chip’s fingers dragged up his arm.
They both were a shivering mess beneath the other's fingertips, tremors spilling from Chip’s relaxed form as Gillion held him with a type of gentleness he wasn’t aware the other possessed. Gillion’s claws were sharp and so were his teeth. He was all muscle and energy, always moving too fast for Chip to assume that he could be soft like this.
And Chip practically melted from it. Who knew how long it had been since Chip had been treated with this type of kindness. How long it had been since someone had held him like this? Like they truly meant the gentleness that was being shown. And if the way that Gillion trembled slightly was anything to go by, Chip figured he was thinking the same thing.
Chip’s heart pounded against his ribcage, fluttering with a feeling that he had begun to grow accustomed to when it came to his crewmates. They meant everything to him, and his heart sure liked to ache with that feeling, just to remind him how whipped he was.
Their legs were tangled together and Chip could feel Gillion’s foot pressing against his ankle, a gentle pressure that almost seemed to increase when Gillion shifted. His tail thumped against the mattress and Gillion’s arms wrapped tighter around Chip, holding him in place securely.
Normally, Chip might’ve even been freaked out by the contact and even how tightly Gillion held him. But this was Gillion. He didn’t have to fear what would happen if he let himself linger in this embrace for too long because it was Gillion. There was no risk of attack or someone unsavory walking in to ruin the night.
It was just Gillion. And Chip trusted him with his life.
Soon, Jay would come down from her watch and they could cuddle together for a bit as well. Then Chip would have to begrudgingly get out of the embrace to take his watch. Something that he really hated doing on nights like this since he was so comfortable pressed against Gillion’s chest, feeling the Triton’s arms around him.
Gillion’s arms were strong, rooting Chip in place when his mind tried to wander farther than he wanted it to go. His claws lightly raked against the exposed skin of Chip’s lower back from where Gillion had pushed his shirt up slightly. His tail splayed over the back of his legs, the sudden jolt of cold surprising but not unwelcome.
That was something that was both a blessing and a curse. Gillion ran colder than humans, so his skin was always pretty cool to the touch. It was nice in some situations, but after a while, he would heat up. Especially if he had been laying out in the sun, or laying super close to someone.
Gillion’s skin wasn’t cold at the moment. The warmth from Chip’s palms rubbed off as he ran his hand up and down Gillion’s arm, just feeling the texture of his skin beneath his fingers. Gillion’s breath had evened out some, the rattle still filling his chest, but it was much lighter than it was before.
The first time they had properly touched, skin to skin, it was a jarring moment for both of them. Gillion was surprised at the dryness of Chip’s arm when he gripped it tightly just to stay balanced over the raging sea. And Chip had no idea how to process the chill that surrounded the Triton.
For a horrible moment, it reminded Chip of the coldness of a corpse. But he soon learned that the comparison he had drawn up was pretty far-fetched. Gillion ran colder than normal, but not that cold.
Chip could still hear his heartbeat as he lay on his chest, focusing on the rhythm of it. It was nice. Relaxing even.
If Chip wasn’t so enamored by Gillion’s entire presence, he was sure that he would be asleep in seconds. But his thoughts were spinning around in his head, always seeming to circle back to Gillion’s arms wrapped around his torso and the way that Gillion traced his nails over Chip’s skin. It was as if he was trying to be gentle, softly pressing the tips of his claws into his flesh, not enough to hurt, but just enough that Chip could feel the slight tickle from the sensation.
The movements had slowed down over the minutes that they had been lying there, his fingers occasionally twitching and curling.
“Gillion,” Chip whispered, peeling his eyes open. He didn’t want to break the quiet spell that had settled between the two, but he needed to just hear Gillion’s voice.
“Hmm?” Gillion responded, the sound reverberating against Chip’s ear, which was still pressed against the Triton’s chest. He sounded groggy like he might have been on the verge of sleep but Chip had woken him up. His grip tightened ever so slightly and Gillion shifted.
“You’re wonderful.” The words spilled out of Chip’s mouth before he even had the chance to think them over. His eyes widened minutely, surprised at his own statement. He must have been more tired than he thought.
Gillion was silent for a long time, long enough that Chip might’ve even thought he had fallen asleep.
“Thank you,” Gillion finally whispered, voice cracking from lack of use and his attempts to be quiet, “you are as well.”
Chip didn’t know if that was just Gillion being polite, or if he really had meant it. But Chip could feel his cheeks heating up and he buried his face further into Gillion’s chest, a small sigh dripping from his lips.
“I have not experienced this before,” Gillion continued after a few seconds' pause, “it’s nice.”
Chip just hummed in agreement, smiling softly to himself, “it is.”
They didn’t need to say anything else. The quietness once again seeped into the air, settling over the two of them like a warm blanket. They didn’t need to say goodnight, those unshed words lingering from hours ago when they had first gone to bed. Before Chip had slipped into Gillion’s cot, resting his head on the Triton’s chest and allowing himself to be pulled in a comfortable embrace. The words still remained, they just hadn’t gotten around to falling asleep.
Gillion sighed, chest rising and falling with the sudden breath. He made a small noise from the back of his throat, similar to the happy gurgles that he made during the day. But there was something about this noise that almost seemed softer. Maybe that was just because Chip was tired and their sleeping quarters were quiet.
A few months ago, Chip never would’ve even considered doing this. Perfectly fine with sleeping in his own cot and avoiding hugs or physical contact whenever he could. All three of them did.
Gillion hadn’t been used to any sort of touches that weren’t directly a punishment or to get him to move. Jay had long pushed those feelings aside once she started to grow up in the household that she did. And Chip hadn’t felt the warmth of another person like this in so long he had forgotten what it had felt like. The horrifying ordeal of asking for contact from another person causing a lump to form in his throat. So he just ignored the feeling.
He didn’t even remember the steps that had happened to get to this point. To be able to freely show this type of vulnerability. To let himself be held and to relish in the feeling of having someone nearby. The middle ground was a blur of awkward conversations and tense nights of night terrors and pitiful attempts at comfort.
And yet here they were now.
Gillion hadn’t even said a word as Chip settled against him, only making room for the other man as he embraced him fully. It was nice. Chip hated to admit how nice it felt.
Chip let his eyes slip closed once more, breathing in the smell of saltwater that radiated off of Gillion in waves. They all smelled like saltwater after a long day, Gillion the most. It was a familiar, comforting scent. One that Chip was able to relish in.
He could feel Gillion’s breathing even out once more, his fingers going still against his back. The grip he had around the man was still tight, but Chip figured that he could easily wiggle his way out of Gillion’s grasp. His heart beat steadily against his ribcage and Chip counted the bumps.
He was sure that by now, Gillion had fallen asleep, melting into the bed with Chip on top of him.
Chip knew that he should get some sleep as well. Jay would be coming down to switch shifts any moment now and he needed to at least get some rest before that happened. He was honestly surprised at how he wasn’t asleep hours ago, especially with how comfortable Gillion was.
The blanket was barely hanging off his hips, Gillion never really used the sheets on his bed. He didn’t get cold easily so there wasn’t much use, especially if the fabric would just irritate his fins. But Chip needed the warmth, at the very least the feeling of something covering him. So they had shimmied just to untuck the blanket so that Chip could snuggle under it.
He was grateful for those awkward few moments now that he had it tucked around himself. While the warmth that radiated off of his skin warmed Gillion, it wasn’t enough to stop Chip from shivering.
A yawn pulled itself from Chip’s throat and he let his shoulders droop. The melody of Gillion’s heartbeat was practically the only thing in the room he could hear, along with the other man’s breathing.
He knew that Jay would be coming down soon, and then he would have to get out of Gillion’s arms, hopefully without waking him up. After that, he would have to sit out in the cold night air for however long until his shift was up. Then he would have to wake Gillion up, which was often a challenge when they slept in the same bed.
Usually, Gillion wasn’t that heavy of a sleeper, but when there was someone else nearby, he was pretty impossible to wake up. It was nice to know that he trusted them enough to let his guard down. Not nice when he had to be woken up for something.
Chip sighed softly, relaxing further in the embrace, pressing his thumb against Gillion’s forearm and running his fingers over the scales. He counted Gillion’s heartbeat, focusing on the thrumming from just underneath his skin.
The sound was just barely enough to lull him to sleep before he would have to wake up for his shift.