Work Text:
Quincy huffed, “Player, can’t you move your arm? I’m a bit squished here.” He shifted in place. With the body heat, you’d think he would be fine with temperature, but he’s freezing cold. Unnaturally so—it’s not even that cold in the room.
The guest bed was definitely not big enough for all four of them. He doesn’t even know why they didn’t just.. go to his own room? The bed was much bigger and, if he was honest, it would be nice to fill up that empty space comfortable. Not that it’s a bad bed, just lonely.
He could sprawl his limbs on the bed and barely get over the bed. It was a little game of awkward crawling to even get off.
Player made a small, short hum, yet didn’t move a single inch. He knew they were awake—they just didn’t care. “So much for being my friend,” he grumbled. That got a laugh out of Player. He might’ve been in the worst spot in this cuddle pile of their’s, because TJ, he learned, is the worst sleeper. And Player is the second worst.
“Can’t we switch places?” He asked. Player quickly shook their head, insistent. Despite how heroic Player was, their heroism turns into great stubbornness.
“That’d be too much work..” Suzie mumbled, on the other side of Player. Ohh. Player definifely made sure to be next to Suzie, because she was the only one that didn’t move too much or hog up all the space! Player, you are the worst person ever.
Quincy groaned, trying to shove TJ, who was probably half on him, to the empty space beside him, but he didn’t move an inch! “You both,” Player and TJ, “are the worst.” He drove his point through with a shove for each word. Even though he was basically pushing TJ, there was nothing at all.
Accepting defeat, he curled up even further and tucked his arms to his chest. Apparently, TJ still had a wink of consciousness. “’m not, but okay.”And even though none of them could see his face (being in the dark, no one could see anything), he still rolled his eyes.
“Could have the decency to move over,” he replied, “And could you not hog the blanket? I’m cold.” Quincy reached over to tug the blanket back over his form. Player and Suzie already had one blanket, nicely shared, but TJ was sooo keen on taking the entire blanket for himself. He had a whole hoodie on, but no, he’s just gonna leave Quincy to freeze to death.
“You’ll live,” TJ muttered. As the first nice thing he’s done in their little cuddle pile, TJ lifts the blanket over him, letting him have the other half, also moving so he wasn’t just trapped beneath him. Now, he could see TJ’s face, or the outline of it, with the help of the moonlight.
“Was that so hard?” Quincy shot back, tucking the blanket under his chin. He ran his fingers along the fabric absentmindedly. The gesture was soothing to him. Comfortable, fuzzy. He just wish he wore something more fitting for a four-person cuddle pile.
If he even knew beforehand that he’d be dragged into one.. Suzie, like a creature of the night, woke him up and was like, ‘you should come join us’, which did not help. No other words, just an invite to something. Like the good friend he was, he reluctantly followed her to the guestroom.
He found Player and TJ just sleeping on the bed. It was obvious Suzie was also apart of their ‘cuddle’, as there was an empty spot at the end of the bed. Quincy figured Player wouldn’t leave that much space empty for nothing, so.
But he didn’t want to sleep at the ends. Too cold. Okay, that’s partially his fault.
“Move,” he tried his best to nudge TJ out of the way to make room for himself. He learned that Player would not like to move from their spot. That’s just nice. In addition, trying to move TJ over was like pushing a boulder. He had to squeeze in between Player and TJ to even lay on the damn bed.
TJ mumbled incoherently, probably trying to snap back at him, but Quincy ignored the sleeptalking in favour of getting comfortable. Which, admittedly, was harder than he liked. He was wearing short sleeves and shorts with no blanket while everyone else were wearing hoodies or pants.
To be fair, they did just crash at his place.
He also had another problem: TJ (or, really, the same problem). TJ turned out to be a crazy sleeper, as in he had no idea of personal space, which was such a wild idea to Quincy because TJ rarely initiates any kind of affection. If anything, he thought Suzie would be the crazy sleeper. No offense.
“TJ,” he grumbled. The moment he joined their cuddle pile, TJ started to readjust in the most annoying way possible. Twisting and turning, throwing his legs and arms everywhere like he’s the only person on the bed. He ended up laying halfway on Quincy. Comfortable, isn’t it.
(That was sarcasm.)
“TJ!” He whisper-yelled, kicking at the other. That only resulted in, what, the slightest bit of movement? TJ smacked his lips, rolling over to lay on his side. Only took what felt like forever.
And then he could finally sleep. If he could recall, it was somewhere around 12..? Definitely later than he’d like to sleep, but he guesses his friends don’t have such a strict sleep schedule like him. Not that he was going to do anything about it, but it’s a bit harder for him to adjust to his friends’ wants. He was the first person to even propose going to sleep. ‘It’s so early, though!’
He took a few trips to the bathroom to splash water on his face just to stay up. After he accidentally dozed off, yeah, no, he was not gonna fall asleep first ever again. At least, not in front of them.
He got shook awake to find out he had a moustache drawn on his face. Along with other, less appropriate things.
(There was giggling when he woke up. He didn’t even feel himself sleep—how did he nap while he was sitting?
Bright lights invade his vision, taking him a few blinks before he got used to them. Immediately, a sharp pain ached in his neck. Lifting his head off of whoever’s shoulder he was laying on, admittedly comfy, he narrowed his eyes to the two in front of him.
“What’s so funny?” Neither of them responded, only laughing even louder.
“You should- go look at yourself in the mirror,” Suzie got out in between bits of laughter. Player was incoherently signing at him. Quincy rolled his eyes, but stood up anyways and headed to the bathroom.
Oh my god. There is a moustache, scrawly-drawn genitalia, a tic-tac-toe game, and even more random stuff. Horrible.
Embarrassed, he angrily rubbed the ink off of his face. He groaned in frustration as nothing came off. Are you serious?)
He really wishes he was wearing a hoodie like the others. Thing is, he doesn’t own any. All he has are clothes too formal for something like hanging out with your friends, or just going out in general, and anything but comfortable.
Honestly, he’s willing to ask any of his friends for their hoodies. At least one of them has to be warm enough. No, scratch that, all of them are surely warm enough. He’s fighting with TJ for a blanket of all things.
Whatever. He will live.
-
To his surprise, he didn’t wake up alone. He wouldn’t be that mad, genuinely. When he tried to stretch, he came close to hitting Player in the head. They’re also.. still sleeping.
Suzie was awake, though. “What time is it?”
She had her tongue sticking out as she messed around on—was that his?—phone.
“Uhh.. 9.” He nodded. “Why? Are you going anywhere?” She teased. Always, she’ll make a little remark of how ‘they’re not going anywhere’, despite how much Quincy used to think they were temporary. She always likes being right.
“No?” He scoffed. “How long have you been up?” Quincy slowly sat up, tugging the blanket back over his lap. It seems that TJ won in the end with their little game of tug-of-war. He’s shocked that he didn’t wake up a single time, because that’s been a problem lately.
Suzie’s face scrunches up in thought. “I think.. 6? I dunno. I tried to sleep in.” She shrugs, casually throwing that statement like it’s nothing. He went quiet.
“Ah.”
There’s shuffling between them, and suddenly Player is jumping awake. They wake up almost cartoonishly, nearly leaping off the bed before they pause and realize.
“Mooorning.” She glanced over to Player incredulously. “Where are you going?” Player quirked up a lazy grin.
“Thought I was at home,” They admitted. They turned to look at him, “Were you sleeptalking or something?”
Quincy raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“You were talking a lot,” They shrugged.
Suzie added, “Yeah. I mean, I wasn’t really awake, but you were the only one that I heard.”
He blinked. “No, that was just, um, me trying to talk to TJ.” And when the two looked at him weirdly, he said, “He was- hoarding the blanket!” Player narrowed their gaze. “I’m being serious.” They signed something that they knew he wouldn’t know, because he only knows ‘No’, ‘Yes’—
“You’re not wrong,” Suzie says to Player, elbowing them playfully. Now he can only guess what they said. Oh, why did he never take sign when he could? It would’ve saved him so many hours trying to even remember the alphabet with Player.
Quincy huffs, “You can’t just say it out loud? Do I need to not know it that badly?” Player nodded quite pridefully. “I hate you sometimes. Both of you. Always ganging up on me.” They just made a mocking gesture with their hand. He pretended to be offended, swatting at their hand, jaw agape.
Player swiftly dropped their hand, but looked at him with the most smug look in their face. They pointed behind him, over to TJ. “What?”
As if on cue, he was slowly waking up. TJ rubbed at his face, noticing Quincy first, before looking over to the other two. Player waved. Suzie muttered a ‘morning’, before she returned to his phone.
“Hi,” TJ responded groggily. Player shot him a quick look as TJ was sitting up. Quincy wonders if he was a heavy sleeper, because TJ looked like he was gonna fall back asleep like this: slouched over, head low, hands barely keeping himself upright.
“Good morning,” He replied, realizing he hasn’t said anything. When he didn’t hear anything back, he shares a look at Player, who just shrugs.
Suzie leaned over to Player, speaking to them in a hushed voice. There they go again—always a duo. They were always up to something.
Player nods, taking one last glance over at him, before they both shuffle off the bed. “We’re gonna go raid your fridge,” They say.
Suzie shouts from in front of them, already out of the door, “Next time, get your own room!” Quincy couldn’t make a comeback or anything—just sitting there. If he were to find out, he’d guess his face was red.
They slammed the door shut, just leaving him and TJ in the guestroom. Silence. Except this time, it wasn't awkward or just simply there—it was tense for no reason, at least to him. He was just overthinking it.
He definitely didn’t stiffen up when TJ leaned against him, shoulders slowly rising up and down. A thought crossed his mind about never moving, and he wasn't too against the idea.
"Oh," He started, as if TJ was somehow awake. He was acutely aware of the fuzzy bed of hair brushing against his neck, his face; his hoodie against his arm. Everything.