Work Text:
Sleeping in a bed might have its positives, but Roman's pretty sure he prefers being able to look up at the stars right before laying down to sleep. When he was a kid who didn't have any clue how big the world was, it felt like the night sky gave him a clue. When he felt like the only world he'd ever know was Reston, the stars kept him company. And when adventuring made him feel hopeless and powerless, the stars guided him, reminding him what he was fighting for.
Well, if he wants the best of both worlds, maybe he should get a skylight in the bedroom. That sounds like the kind of thing Youngblood and Noise would enjoy too. Though with his habit of sleeping in late, maybe that's a bad idea. The sun shining into his eyes wouldn't be a fun way to wake up.
A content sigh breaks him out of his thoughts, and he looks down to see Noise, their head resting in his lap.
Maybe none of that matters, as long as he can look at his star every night before bed.
Noise looks back up at him with a smile on their face, illuminated in the flickering blue hues of the campfire Youngblood set up. He moves a hand to stroke gently through their hair, and they close their eye with a hum. For a moment, the world is the crackling of the campfire and the soft texture of Noise's hair, white coming to mix into their natural black with striking grace.
Then, Noise breaks the silence to say "If my back is sore from sleeping on the ground tomorrow, you're carrying me."
Roman laughs, and Youngblood, sitting nearby and trying to meditate, adds, "Something tells me he's gonna carry you either way."
Noise, still smiling softly, responds, "Maybe he wouldn't have to so much if you'd carry me too. I think it's a little unfair that you make Roman do all this work, honestly."
"Or you could walk."
At that, Noise sits up and moves to lean against Youngblood. Smirking, he wraps his tail around Youngblood's waist and leans his head on his shoulder, poking him in the cheek with one of his horns. "But I'm getting olddddd, Bloody. We can't all have long elf lifespans like you, and I'm getting too weak to walk this much," he laments overdramatically.
Still stubbornly keeping his eyes closed, but with a grin starting to betray his mood, Youngblood replies, "You're barely thirty, and you knocked out that Split-Horned Forest Wolf that wandered into town last week by yourself. Roman couldn't have done that. You're in great shape."
Noise laughs. "The only reason Roman couldn't do that is cause he'd treat the wolf like a dog."
"Hey!" Roman interrupted, as if to argue the point. "You're completely right. I saw the wolf, she was just a puppy! I have no clue why you had to go and knock her out like that."
"Roman, she came up to Noise's chest."
"So?"
Noise stopped giggling, and continued, "Besides, I'm still going grey, you know. I get to call myself old if I want."
Youngblood sighs and finally opens his eyes to look at Noise. "I can't stop you from that—" he shifts his right hand to grab Noise's left— "but a few years ago, I didn't think I'd get to see your hair go grey." With a small and soft smile, he continues, "So I want to see you actually get old, too, to make up for it."
Noise flushes at that and hides their face in Youngblood's arm with a whine. Roman can hear them muttering something about Youngblood being mean as he moves to sit behind both of them, wrapping an arm around each.
Popping his head in between theirs, he adds "And the grey hair makes you look really pretty, too!"
Still pouting, Noise responds "Guess it's a shame you won't get any, then." He picks his head up to look at Roman and continues, "Isn't your dad almost sixty or something? He's still got more color in his hair than me."
Youngblood strokes his thumb over Noise's hand, right on the line between burnt and healthy skin, and says, "Noise, are you, like- is the grey hair thing actually bothering you? We can probably find some hair dye in the next town if you want, it's not a big deal."
Noise groans. "No, I'm just- I don't-" he sighs and breathes in again, looking down at his uncovered left arm. "I don't actually care that much about how I look around you two anymore, I was just joking."
Youngblood's smile returns, and at the same time, Roman coos and rests his head on Noise's. "I still think your hair is beautiful, like there's starlight woven into it, but I'm glad you're that comfortable around us," Roman says. With a smile, he continues, "Cause Neon Forest is the closest town there is, and I'm not sure if the fey have hair dye."
Noise laughs at that, but Youngblood groans. "We are not going back to that forest unless you drag me there."
Now it's Roman's turn to lean his head on Youngblood's shoulder annoyingly. "C'mon, don't you wanna visit all our buddies there? We could get such a good workout running away from the Amalgam again!"
Noise joins in, "Not to mention that you chose not to take me to that cave that you and Roman went to all on your own. We get to choose where we go next now!"
"Look, getting interrogated by a nervous skeleton just isn't my idea of a good time."
"Oh wait, don't you remember?" Roman raises his head to ask. "Criss and Cross left a while ago, they're having their own adventure."
Youngblood turns to look directly at him. "Roman. Love. Light of my life."
"Yes?" Roman asks, grinning.
"That still doesn't make couple's therapy my idea of a fun vacation."
"Wow, I can't believe you trust Roman so much more than me, Bloody, I've known you for way longer."
"Y'all are so weird," Youngblood says softly. "Couldn't we just go to Elidore or something? It's quiet, and they love us there."
"Ugh, speak for yourself," Noise gripes. "Last time I visited was on First Chair duties, they'd probably chase me out of town."
"Not with us there, they wouldn't," Roman promises.
Noise furrows their eyebrows, contemplating. "Well," they consider, "I…suppose it would be a nice place to visit without that hanging over my head the whole time. Are you sure they'd be okay with me there, though?"
"Mhm!" Roman assures. "I'm sure we could explain things, even if they're still mad."
"And even if we can't, what are they gonna do about it?" Youngblood adds with a grin.
Noise laughs. "You'd be surprised. They really like being an independent town, Youngblood."
"Look, we've gotta go somewhere on this vacation," Youngblood jokes.
"And we will!" Roman exclaims. "We don't have to plan out where we're gonna go, guys, my plan was just to wander around."
"So your plan was to not have a plan," Youngblood remarks.
"Yep, sounds like our farmboy," Noise says, giving Roman a kiss on the cheek.
"You have to admit, it's a pretty good plan."
"Yeah, it's not bad," Youngblood admits.
"We should make sure to hit a town soon, though," Noise adds. "Sleeping on the ground might hurt my back," they finish with a smirk.
Youngblood rolls his eyes and shoves them lightly, and Roman and Noise both giggle. "Shut up, bitch, you're the one with a tail, your back's probably better than mine."
"So you agree we need to find an inn?" Roman teases.
"Nope," Youngblood answers. "I don't have to lay down to rest, unlike you two."
At that, Roman and Noise exchange a quick glance and a grin. Quickly, Roman moves to Youngblood's other side, then he and Noise tug Youngblood into laying down between them at the same time.
"Oh my god, both of you are so-"
"Sorry, honey, can't hear you," Roman cuts Youngblood off, laying an arm over him and closing his eyes.
"Yep, you're too comfortable," Noise adds, burying his face in Youngblood's neck.
Youngblood sighs but gets more comfortable, resigned to his fate. "One of these days I'm just gonna leave both of you in the middle of a forest," he murmurs as he closes his eyes. "Mmm, love you too," Noise responds quietly. "And I love you two," Roman adds.
Noise groans, cracking their eye back open to glare at Roman. "You've made that joke at least fifty times, babe." "And it gets funnier every time." "You keep telling yourself that," Noise says as he lays his head back down.
The dwindling crackling of the campfire accompanies the flickering blue hues slowly vanishing from sight, and Roman lets out a content sigh.
Sleeping under the moon and stars is nice, but as long as he gets to sleep next to his moon and star, he'll be happy.