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It wasn't unusual for Aphelios to sneak into Sett's room late at night. There was something comforting about Sett's presence that calmed him and made it easier to sleep when his insomnia was acting up, and he never seemed to mind him. He'd simply open Sett's door and walk in, Sett would see the sleepy look in Aphelios' eye and nod toward the bed, giving him free rein to get comfortable.
It was no different that night. When the soft creek of Sett's door sounded, he looked over, ears perked up with curiosity, but flattened a bit when he saw the familiar sight of Aphelios. That expression on his face that silently asked if he could rest there, brows knit and raised a little, lips downturned into a small frown. Sett smiled warmly at him.
"You know where the bed is," he told him and rotated in his chair, turning back to his computer.
Aphelios closed the door and trudged partway into the room, eyeing the screen as Sett was nearing the end of a TFT match. He watched for a few seconds before he continued to the bed where he sat for a few beats, then rather bluntly flopped onto his side.
Sett looked over his shoulder and huffed an amused chuckle to himself. Somehow, he felt warmer with Aphelios nearby. Within a few minutes, Sett's game ended in a defeat. Ordinarily, he would have been a bit irritated by the loss, but his mind wandered to the boy on his bed the instant the game ended.
Standing, Sett went over to the side of the bed where Aphelios was lying and then knelt beside his face.
"Can't sleep?" he asked. Aphelio's eyes slid open, tired and even a little bloodshot. They still made Sett's heart race.
"Mm..." Aphelios responded with a weak nod. Sett resisted the urge to pet his hair and soothe him.
"I can go steal some of Yone's sleepy tea?" he offered with a mischievous fan. It made Aphelios breathe out a laugh.
"Yeah."
Sett's grin widened. He stopped resisting, giving a light tousle to the blue hair as he stood back up.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Sett told him and left to sneak into the kitchen.
It didn't take long for him to return; he knew where it was and how long to brew it as he'd made it for Aphelios before, whether Yone knew that or not, he didn't know (Yone absolutely knew).
When he got back to the room, Aphelios had sat up in bed and was leaning against his headboard. The blanket was pulled up to his waist and he was in the middle of a wide yawn that he promptly covered when he saw Sett enter.
"One cup of sleepytime tea! With a little bit of honey as well!" Sett beamed, although not as loud as he normally would; quiet for Aphelios' sake. He offered the steaming cup to him, who reached for it with his hands that were halfway covered by his baggy, long-sleeved shirt.
Aphelios' thin fingers slipped around the cup and he sighed into the warmth of it. He gave a gentle blow across the top, sending whisps of steam off before they dissipated into the air. It smelled nice and instantly soothed him.
The first sip scalded his tongue a bit, but not enough to keep him from continuing. Sett almost voiced some concern, but he saw how much Aphelios needed the warmth and enjoyed it, so he simply smiled and sat on the edge of the bed with him.
"Need anything else?" Sett asked him.
Crimson eyes flicked up to him and seemed to contemplate something. His eyes fell softer onto the tea again, fingers shifting on the shape of the warm ceramic.
"Are you going to bed soon?" Aphelios softly asked.
Sett tilted his head a bit. He hadn't thought about it and didn't feel particularly tired, but it wasn't until Aphelios asked that he felt a yawn tickle at his jaw. He suppressed it despite how it made his eyes water.
"Probably. Why?"
The ask for an elaboration made Aphelios get a bashful bristle across his shoulders.
"Just asking..." he deflected.
Sett narrowed his eyes and then inched closer, causing the other to lean back, tuck his head into his shoulders, and turn a bit more pink.
"Don't lie to me, Phel," Sett warned him with a playful pout but immediately flashed a wide, fanged smile. "Come on, whatcha need?"
Aphelios looked away and stalled by taking another few sips of his tea, to which Sett cocked an eyebrow and waited patiently for his secretive friend. It took a few seconds for Aphelios to return his gaze to the cup.
"Would you...talk to me until I fall asleep?" He seemed almost ashamed to ask. Sett blinked wide at him, then softened his smile.
"Sure!" Sett crawled to the other side of Aphelios and sat next to him. He thought for a few seconds, thinking of something to ask or talk about. "You've been working on the song a lot lately, yeah? How's it going?"
Aphelios was mid-sip, slowly lowering the cup to his lap.
"I think I've finished Kayn's verse," he answered.
"Nice! It's coming along good then?"
"Yeah."
Sett smiled and leaned back a bit. His eyes went to the ceiling, then crawled to the corner of his sockets to peek at Aphelios. He looked beautiful even when he was tired. He watched him drink his tea, eventually reaching the last drops. The melatonin would hit him soon and, as usual, Aphelios slid down in the bed until he was horizontal with his head pressed into the pillow. It was cute to see him curled up in his blankets, although Sett tried to not let the thought linger.
After a few minutes, he heard Aphelios take a gradual breath, turning over into the pillow and facing him. Sett watched the relaxed state settle across his face.
Asleep, he thought. Sett smiled but his heart suddenly fluttered and his belly felt full of butterflies as he looked at him. Aphelios was asleep in his bed. It wasn't unusual, it happened at least two times a week, but something about how the dim lights danced across Aphelios' face provoked the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Aphelios' lips lightly pursed, eyes gently shut, hand tucked against his pillow, and the fact that he asked him to talk to him until he fell asleep — it all made Sett's heart race. It felt so domestic and close — romantic, but Sett tried to ignore those feelings. Maybe it was obvious, maybe not, just how big of a crush Sett had on the quiet musician.
Sett breathed out heavily. He couldn't stay, he couldn't risk Aphelios discovering that he had a crush on him — it was a miracle he hadn't already found out.
"I'll go sleep on the couch so I don't bother ya, okay, mooncake?" Sett whispered to him and shifted, slowly moving to get off the bed.
"Stay...talk..." Aphelios pleaded the whisper.
Sett froze and slowly craned back to him, watching as a small hand reached for his arm but gave up halfway and simply gripped the blanket between them.
"Y...Yeah..." Sett sunk into the pillow as a flush took his face. He couldn't leave now. He thought Aphelios was asleep but clearly, he wasn't, and his small voice made Sett's heart race madly.
Don't be weird, don't be obvious! he mentally scolded himself to calm down a little.
Sett closed his eyes and racked his brain to find something to talk about that wouldn't come out as an incoherent, embarrassing stutter.
"I uh, I sent some of the photos Ez took to my ma," he started. "She likes seeing all of us, said she misses me though."
Sett laughed nervously, then smiled down at Aphelios who had tucked his face partially under the edge of the blanket.
"She said we look like we're havin' fun, and wants to meet everyone someday..." He paused.
Don't say it...
"Especially you."
The words opened Aphelios' sleepy eyes and Sett's heart nearly leaped out of his chest for more than one reason. Half awake, Aphelios mumbled into the pillow,
"Why me?"
Sett swallowed and blushed darker at the sleepy boy.
"I, uh...think she likes you..." he chuckled again in that awkward manner, rubbing at his neck now.
He couldn't tell him that it was because he sent more photos of Aphelios to his mom than he did of the others, told her how amazing of a musician he was, and how he thought he might have a crush on him but didn't want to risk ruining the friendship. How his mother wrote back to go for it and encouraged him, that she couldn't wait to meet the boy who had captured her son's heart. He couldn't tell him that.
Aphelios mumbled and curled his legs up, shifting closer to him in the cutest way Sett had ever seen.
"Mmn... I like you too..."
The sleepy mutter tumbled from Aphelios' lips, soft and light, but the weight of it burned Sett's body and was heavy enough to completely immobilize him. Sett watched him, stupified for several long seconds as he wondered if the man even was conscious of what he said or if he'd remember come morning.
"Phel...?" he called to him softly to check if he was awake, his hand hovering over one bony shoulder. The small snore was evidence that he was finally asleep and Sett sucked in a stuttery breath.
"Yeah... I like you too..." he whispered and gently stroked some of that blue hair, revealing that scarred eyebrow and long lashes. "Goodnight, Phel..."