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Number Five only sort of slept alone.
Yes, she was the only one in her cell, but at night she could hear the deep breaths of Number Two, the snorts of Number Three, and the scrapes as Number Four turned over once again. (Number One used to produce the loudest snores of all, but then she'd been moved.)
Even though the scouts did their best to limit how much the basilisks spoke to each other, Number Five still felt a sense of kinship with them. In some ways they were strangers in a shared prison, in others they were family.
***
Sleeping free was better than sleeping captive, but Number Five wished she hadn't been separated from Three and Four.
(She was pretty sure Two would never sleep again. Or, arguably, that Number Two was sleeping forever.)
***
Sleeping in a bed was even better than sleeping on the cold floor of her cell or hidden behind boxes in an alleyway, though she did roll off the first night in the cabin.
"First time sleeping in a top bunk?"
"Yes," and she was glad her answer didn't seem too shocking. Her life in the Boiling Isles hadn't exactly been all that typical, and who knew what passed for typical in the Human Realm.
Soon enough, she learned the strangers' names, and soon enough, her roommates were no longer strangers.
(Later, they would become strangers again, seeking her under Luz's face and not recognizing their old cabinmate under her new one.)
***
Vee liked to fall asleep on the couch sometimes while Camila was still puttering in the kitchen. Luz had a bunk bed in her room, but apparently no one shared it.
The silence felt wrong, but sneaking into Camila's room felt wrong too.
(Later, it wouldn't, and sometimes there would be three of them snuggling in Camila's queen bed.)
***
Her room (Luz's room?) felt better filled with one basilisk, one human, two witches, and two Palismen. Even if Vee only sort of knew one of her new roommates, and mostly secondhand.
Sometime after two or three in the morning, Amity tried to get Willow to roll on her side — "You're my oldest friend and I love you, but you're too loud" — but apparently Willow woke up when Willow woke up.
It wasn't Willow who was keeping Vee awake those first few nights — that would be the former Golden Guard downstairs in the basement — but Willow apologized for it anyway when Vee tried to stifle a yawn.
"I'm sorry if my snoring bothered you!"
"Don't be — I like it." And it was true.
(Number One hadn't always been cruel.)
***
Sometimes Flapjack nestled on Vee's head when she watched documentaries with Hunter.
Sometimes she would nod off on Hunter's shoulder, lulled to sleep by soft chirps and Hunter's running commentary.
(Later, someone else would be doing the chirping.)
***
Vee waited. Vee waited and she worried and the house felt too empty. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a basement were far too much for one person.
She slept on the couch with the TV on.
(Bird documentaries let her pretend.)
***
Number Four — now Delta — rolled over and squashed Vee's tail, but she didn't mind. Trip's snorts brought back memories of cold nights on a hard floor in the dark, but they were all safe and snug now. Together.
As soon as they'd been tracked down — alive! — Camila had invited them to stay for a spell. In the longer term, Delta and Trip wanted to live in the Demon Realm, but for now, they were having an extended sleepover with Vee.
All in a pile in the living room, on top of cushions, in front of a space heater.
Luz had tried to sneak off upstairs — "I should leave you guys alone" — but Vee yoinked her back.
"You belong here too." And she did.
(Luz would toss and turn sometimes, breathing fast, and if the nightmare seemed bad enough, Vee would join her. Other nights, Luz would be the one to climb up to comfort her sister.)