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“You’re up late.”
Darrow gave Sevro a tired smile. “Up early. Already slept as much as I could.”
“Nightmares?”
Darrow nodded. “I’m used to it.”
“You should try to sleep a little more. At least so I don’t have to look at those bags under your eyes.”
Darrow set his tea cup down and leaned back in his chair. “You’ve seen me in far worse states.”
“That’s true.” Sevro settled into the chair beside him, tucking his legs up to his chest.
They lapsed into silence, and Darrow felt gratefulness rise up in his chest again. Sevro watched him with those strange, slightly unsettling eyes. Still, there was something soft about his expression. Something that invited Darrow to relax. Something that reminded him that he was okay, even for just this brief moment before morning.
“Thank you,” Darrow whispered.
Sevro tilted his head, looking more puppy than wolf. “For what?”
“For everything.” Darrow could barely speak louder than a whisper. His voice trembled like it might crack if he put any more force into his words.
A sad smile spread across Sevro’s cheeks. “Stop that. No need to thank me, you gorydamn sentimental bastard.”
Sevro met his eyes, and the smile fell away, melting into something more curious. “What?”
Darrow realized he was staring at Sevro’s lips, perfectly parted as they were. He wiped the image out of his head. “Nothing. You’re right. I am tired.”
He got up and returned to his room down the hall, trusting that one of the lower colors would pick up his teacup after he abandoned it.
He turned to close the bedroom door and nearly shut it on Sevro’s face. Sevro took half a step back, blinking hard.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure you go to sleep.”
Darrow gave him an assessing look. “Was there any doubt?”
Sevro shrugged. “Maybe I have nightmares too.”
He looked so sad then. So sad and so small. It reminded Darrow of himself.
He opened the door up fully. “Come on then.”
Sevro stepped in and then paused in the middle of the room, as if he hadn’t considered what he would do at that point.
Darrow realized he didn’t know what to do either, but something hopeful fluttered in his chest. It had been a long time since he shared a bed with anyone he cared about. He had never gotten to be so close with Mustang while he felt safe. And it had been far longer still since he had slept next to Eo.
His heart hurt for them.
And his heart hurt for Sevro.
His feelings for Sevro were complicated, tangled up in the chaos of their experiences together. Sevro had been so utterly devoted to him, and Darrow loved him like a friend, like a brother, like a soulmate.
And maybe they were soulmates of a kind. Soulmates on the battleground, in strategy and in war.
Darrow didn’t look at him, instead pulling off his shirt and climbing into bed on the far side. He didn’t look over his shoulder at Sevro. He could hear him breathing. Sevro had to be weighing his next move, staring right at the bed to see what Darrow would do.
After an agonizing minute of silence, Darrow rolled over and looked up at the glowing eye in the dark. “I left you that side of the bed.” He patted the space in front of him.
“Oh.” Sevro’s footsteps were silent as he approached the bed.
Darrow felt the mattress dip as Sevro positioned himself with adequate space between them. It was an opulently large bed, plenty of space for both of them to stretch out. Darrow knew he would, always preferring to spread his limbs when he wasn’t tucked into a bed roll.
Hearing Sevro’s breaths calmed him. Like an organic metronome to which Darrow could time his own breathing, slow and comfortable. Sevro’s glowing eye went dark when he closed his eyelids, and Darrow was grateful for the total darkness. Having his companion close helped ease his tired mind.
***
“Ow!”
Darrow jolted awake at the voice. “Sevro?”
The man blinked up at him, dim red light illuminating the mussed sheets between them.
“You punched me.”
“I did?” Darrow looked down at his hand. The knuckles did seem to ache a little. “I was asleep.”
“Well keep your gorydamn hands to yourself.”
Sevro pulled his sheets up to his chin and his breathing began to slow again.
“Sorry,” Darrow whispered.
Sevro didn’t reply. In the low light of the room, Darrow could see that his face was slack. His lips parted just enough that Darrow could see the hint of his two front teeth.
He had never realized how beautiful Sevro was. He was no typical gold. His hair was buzzed short, but the little bit of regrowth framed his face. He was sharp lines and harsh angles. His aquiline nose gave his face severity, and it looked good on him. It fit perfectly into his features.
Sevro sighed in his sleep. A delicate sound that tugged at Darrow’s heart. They were still just boys.
When Darrow shifted, Sevro made another small noise and reached out in his direction. He was curled into a ball, all his limbs tucked in tight except for the one arm that reached for Darrow.
It was limp, but Darrow tentatively laced their fingers together. Just to give Sevro some contact, so he wouldn’t look so lonely. And possibly to remind his sleeping self of his friend beside him.
***
When Darrow woke again, he was warm. The nightmares had chased him from sleep again, but he felt comfortable in his bed. He felt secure and solid.
There was an arm around his waist.
It was Sevro’s arm, wrapped around his torso, and it was Sevro’s leg, thrown over his own. And it was Sevro’s head, tucked under his chin. They were bloodydamn idiots. Darrow should have known they’d end up tangled together.
He tried to scoot back, to untangle himself, but Sevro clung tighter. Then Sevro nudged him and whispered his name, hoping to stir him just enough to extract himself without fully waking Sevro.
Sevro groaned and shifted, stretching just a bit. His hold on Darrow loosened, and just as Darrow began to lean away, Sevro tilted his head up and caught Darrow’s lips in a kiss.
Darrow froze. Sevro’s lips were warm and a little salty. They slotted easily against Darrow’s until Sevro froze too.
His eyes snapped open and he broke the kiss. “Shit, sorry, Darrow.” He jumped back. “I was dreaming. There was this—“
Darrow put a hand up. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”
Sevro looked away. “It was a dream.”
“I know.” Darrow said.
“I didn’t mean to,” he said.
“I know,” Darrow repeated. He couldn’t see much of Sevro’s face, even with the light of his eye on a dim setting, but he could tell there was a grimace on his lips. Some part of Darrow wanted to kiss it away. To kiss him again until he relaxed and went back to sleep. They had already done it once, so Darrow couldn’t really see any harm in stepping over the line a second time.
“Did you ever kiss anyone?” Sevro asked. “Before all this?”
Darrow nodded. He wanted to elaborate, tell Sevro everything about his life, but he didn’t dare mention anything specific when he didn’t know who may be listening.
“I didn’t,” Sevro said."Not unless you count Pinks."
Darrow’s stomach flipped. He had been Sevro’s first kiss. Accidentally and half asleep, Sevro had kissed him.
Darrow did kiss him again. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt right. It felt fair that way, like Sevro should be fully awake for this.
And he was certainly awake. He sighed into Darrow’s mouth. Darrow placed his big palm in the middle of Sevro’s back, right between his shoulder blades, and pressed him in close.
Sevro melted into his chest, relaxing into the kiss like he could make a home against Darrow’s lips.
Cool serenity washed over Darrow. Nothing hot stirred in the pit of his stomach, but the calm security of his most trusted friend settled in his chest.
Sevro’s hand cupped his cheek, holding him there. Darrow let the kiss linger, let their lips slide over each other. Then he pulled back just enough to speak, lips still brushing Sevro’s. “There. A real one.”
He felt Sevro smile. “Well. I suppose that’s that then.” He gave Darrow another quick peck before clumsily settling back in with his head tucked into the curve of Darrow’s neck. He was still smiling against Darrow’s skin.
“Much appreciated, Darrow.”
Darrow nuzzled into the soft fuzz on the top of his head. Sevro fit so perfectly into his arms. Darrow did love him, he decided. He loved Sevro, and he was sure that Sevro loved him, in all the ways they could love each other.