Chapter Text
IV woke up alone, a rare occurrence in their house. Sometimes they ended up working projects separately and their odd hours would result in all of the beds actually being occupied, but more often than not, someone woke up and would crawl in with someone else. He originally had hoped to crash with II by laying in his bed, but it seems the drummer never came to sleep. Stretching out and breathing in the scent of his lover a little longer, he finally gave in and headed down to drag him to bed if that’s what he had to do.
He saw the light in the kitchen was still on, and sure enough II was still looking over the new contracts that their lawyer had sent over. Despite great agents and one of the best lawyers they could get, II was so overprotective of them all that he would triple check every word in any document that was ever sent, making absolutely certain they couldn’t be taken advantage of. He hung back a moment just to observe, II carefully noting something down before turning the page.
How he loved this man, how obsessively he worked to make sure they are cared for best and that no harm would come to them. The crease in his eyebrow as he reread a line made his heart swell and he could no longer resist the temptation of reaching out, gently knocking on the door frame to break his intense focus. II looked up, seeing IV’s sleepy face and finally glancing at the clock in shock.
“What are you doing up, sweetpea?” head tilted in question as he put the documents aside and IV approached him at the table, surprising him in a crushing hug. “Hey-OW stop!” he squeaked. IV let him loose just enough to look him right in the eyes, and II went silent at the intensity of his stare. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, IV pressed a bruising kiss to his mouth before peppering his face in kisses until the drummer was bursting into laughter. He pulled him out of his chair to wrap him up in another hug that lifted him from the ground.
“You are so fucking cute, do you know that?” IV finally spoke after II went limp in his arms, leaning his face into the guitarist’s neck to hide his blush.
“M’notfuckin cute” he grumbled, and IV just squeezed him again.
“Fuckin nauseating how cute you are, love,” IV refuted, tone fond despite the mocking words. “You’re always taking such care, you’re spoiling us rotten but not taking care of yourself. Now, it’s time for you to cuddle me and get some sleep.”
He started to try and walk him to the stairs, somewhat waddling considering they were nearly the same height and II started to wiggle to get free, squawking to be put down. IV carefully set him down and before the drummer could even turn around he squatted down, picked him up and threw the slight man over his shoulder to head up the stairs again. II struggled but tried to keep quiet, knowing the other two were likely asleep and didn’t want to disturb them. IV turned the corner to find III half dazed in his doorway, wondering what the noise was. Soon as he realized that IV had kidnapped their wayward drummer he smiled brightly and held his door open for them to join him instead, his bed being the largest to fit his long limbs. He flopped on the bed first, red hair fluffed and wild before patting next to him and IV cackled as he tossed a sputtering II right into III’s trap of arms, arms snapped around the shorter man before IV tucked into the other side of him and wormed his own arms into what little space there was left.
“Can I ask why am I being crushed to death? This isn’t very conducive to sleep,” II’s grumpy words were heavily at odds with a fond but exasperated tone.
“Too cute. Must squish” was all III said before settling in as is he could fall asleep right away. IV nodded on the other side, kissing his forehead before getting settled as well. Content and surrounded by warmth and affection II resigned himself to his fate and let himself drift off in the nest of his lovers.
Vessel woke up shivering, as he had left a window cracked for the cool air but the temperature had dropped off faster than expected. He got out of bed to close his window before deciding he’d just slip in with III since the man always ran so hot he often kicked his covers off. He poked his head into the man’s room, surprised to see IV in there since he knew that he’d gone to sleep in II’s bed to wait for him there. He went to check II’s room, confused to see it empty as well. He went back into the bassist’s room, approaching the bed to wake him to ask where II was when he finally noticed the extra lump in between them. His heart burst with affection and he had to restrain himself from just climbing atop them all and squeezing them to death.
He indulged in the sight a few moments longer before climbing in behind the bassist to spoon up against him and was warm again and asleep in moments.
Not a one of them could have asked for a better night’s sleep.