Chapter Text
Jax yawned, stretching his arms until his joints popped.
He wandered through the dim corridors of the circus, the world bathed in a strange half-light that never quite counted as night but felt close enough. His steps echoing faintly through the empty tent halls.
Sleep wasn't coming tonight, not after another "fun" day at the circus. So he figured he might as well walk until his thoughts got bored and left him alone.
He trailed a gloved hand along the wall, tracing the smooth texture, half-lost in thought.
The circus at night was a strange kind of quiet.
The noise and the chaos- all of it seemed to melt into a faint electric hum that echoed through the empty tent.
He found himself tracing paths he'd walked a thousand times before, poking his head into random rooms, kicking bits and pieces scattered around the floor, pretending there was something new to see.
When he finally stopped, he was standing in the main hall, expression distant, eyes tracing the maze of corridors and doors surrounding him.
For a moment, he considered exploring one more room, maybe bothering someone just to pass the time.
But even he didn't have the energy for that tonight.
His mind reeled with the same repeating thoughts and emotions that came when he lingered in silence. He didn't know how to name them, only that they always came tinted in the same shades: red and blue.
With a long sigh, he shoved his hands into his pockets and muttered, "Yeah... that's enough for one night," before deciding to head back to his room.
He was halfway through the main corridor when something tugged at the back of his overalls.
He stopped mid-step, ears twitching.
Slowly, he looked back over his shoulder... and there it was.
A tiny, trembling hand clutching at the fabric near his leg.
Pomni stood there, her eyes wide and uncertain. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't quite make the words come out.
Jax tilted his head, the corners of his mouth twitching in faint amusement as he took her in.
Instead of her usual jester outfit, Pomni was wearing a loose white shirt with mismatched sleeves. One blue, one red. And matching sleep shorts that barely reached her knees.
Her ever-present jester hat was missing, leaving her curls slightly tousled and soft-looking under the dim circus light.
But for some reason, she still had her gloves and shoes on. Not that he was going to comment on it, since he also slept with his gloves.
Some habits, apparently, couldn't be broken even in sleepwear.
Jax blinked, a snarky comment already forming on his tongue... but it died there when he saw the look on her face.
The look of someone trying really hard to keep it together...
He sighed quietly, his tone softer than usual as he said, "...Hey Poms. What's with the tugging?"
Her grip didn't loosen. If anything, she held on tighter.
Pomni shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her fingers curling into the hem of her oversized shirt.
Her voice, when it came, was barely above a whisper. Fragile, in the stillness of the hallway. "Can I... ask you something?" She murmured, not looking at his face.
There was a hesitation there, a kind of nervous energy that made her seem smaller than usual.
Jax tilted his head slightly, his smirk fading into something more neutral. Cautious curiosity replacing his usual edge.
He slowly turned around, Pomni's hand slipping away as he did so. He arched an eyebrow, voice low but not unkind. "What do you want, kid?" he asked, half-expecting her to bolt or stammer... but also quietly hoping she wouldn't.
Pomni's fingers fidgeted together, rubbing nervously as if trying to ground herself.
Her voice wavered, barely audible over the quiet hum of the circus. "I-I... can't sleep..." she admitted, eyes flicking up to meet his for just a moment before darting back down, cheeks warming with embarrassment.
Jax forrowed his brow, ears flicking in confusion. "How is this any of my problem?" he muttered in the same low tone, the words tasting sharper than he intended.
Almost immediately, he regretted it.
Pomni stiffened, her shoulders rising slightly as if bracing herself, and the tiny tremor in her hands made him realize his mistake.
His gaze softened, a reluctant pang of guilt nudging at the edge of his usual sarcasm.
Pomni fidgeted, her small fingers twisting together as she nervously touched the tips of her index fingers.
She took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm the fluttering in her chest before meeting his gaze again. "It's not...but," she admitted softly, voice barely a whisper, "I'd feel more safe... to sleep with someone."
The words hung between them, carrying a weight that made the quiet hallway feel impossibly still.
Jax's ears twitched as he slowly raised one eyebrow, his eyes narrowing in a mix of disbelief and confusion.
He gestured to himself with a flick of his gloved hand, letting the question hang in the air. "And you... picked me?" he asked, voice laced with incredulity.
Pomni offered a nervous, tentative smile, her finger scratching awkwardly at her cheek as she closed her eyes for a moment. "I-I don't understand, but..." she murmured, voice soft and hesitant, "...you make me feel kinda... safe?"
Her words stumbled over themselves, and she added quickly, almost apologetically, "Weird, I know..." The small confession lingered in the air.
Jax froze, utterly speechless, staring down at her with wide, unblinking eyes. "Me?! Safe?!" his mind screamed, pupils shrinking as the reality of her words slammed into him like a surprise punch.
His ears twitched frantically, and heat rushed to his cheeks, painting his face in a vivid, undeniable blush.
Jax blinked rapidly, forcing himself to regain some shred of composure before she noticed the storm of embarrassment swirling across his face.
He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes slightly and adopting his usual mock-serious expression.
"What... is wrong with you?" He asked, voice low and teasing, trying to sound like he was judging her. But inside, his heart was still beating irregularly.
Pomni quickly covered her face with both hands as a deep blush spread across her cheeks. She looked away, staring at the floor as if it might swallow her whole.
Her voice was barely audible over the quiet hum of the circus. "I... I don't know..." she admitted, her words trembling with a mix of embarrassement and vulnerabilty.
Jax let out a long, slow sigh as he mulled over it in silence. He looked around for a moment, his mind racing with thoughts only known to him before finally making a decision.
The tension in his shoulders eased as he leaned forward.
His gloved finger hovered for a moment before lightly touching her forehead, a small teasing gesture that somehow felt gentle. "Do you... snore, shortie?" he asked, voice low and questioning. The action breaking some of the tension in the air.
Pomni blinked, caught off guard by the absence of teasing in his tone.
Her fingers froze mid-fidget, and without thinking, she murmured, "Not that I'm aware of..." Her voice was quiet, tentative.
"Ugh-" Jax muttered, raising a hand to his face as he leaned back, eyes closing in thought.
He paused, his mind giving him ideas that immeaditely collided wih his own hesitation.
For once, the choice wasn't obvious, and the thought of what he was about to do made his chest tighten in a way that was completely unfamiliar.
Filling himself with a weird sort of determination, Jax glared at Pomni with a burning face and, to her surprised squeak, swept her up the floor in one smooth motion.
"What the f@%k?!" Pomni shouted inside her head as her eyes went wide. Fingers gripping the air out of disbelief and confusion.
He held her at arms length, and muttered, voice rough but low, "You better bring this to your grave."
Jax shifted her gently to his side, adjusting his grip as he started toward his room.
Pomni's face flared hotter than a spotlight as Jax carried her down the hallway, her hands instinctively moving in a feeble attempt at balance.
"JAX?!" she exclaimed, voice cracking with equal parts shock and embarrassement.
Her heart pounded so hard she was sure it was going to explode, and every nerve in her body seemed to hum with a mix of panic and something dangerously close to... anticipation.
Jax thought about what in world made him agree to this.
The past weeks of sleeping like absolute garbage came to the forefront- restless tossing, throbbing headaches, and groggy mornings.
And though he'd never admit it, not to Pomni, not to anyone, not even himself- he also slept better with someone else there.
Reaching his door, he easily shifts Pomni's weight into one arm as he fished the key from his pocket with the other.
He unlocked the door with a soft click, nudged it open with his foot, and stepped inside, the quiet of his room swallowing them both as the door shut behind him with a gentle thud.
Jax sets Pomni down, his hands lingering in the air for a split second before he pulled them back. They landed on his hips in a show of nonchalance that didn't quite mask the fluster still burning behind his grin.
Pomni stumbled slightly as her mind scrambled to catch up with... well, everything.
For a moment, she just stood there, blinking as she took in her surroundings.
It... wasn't what she expected. Not at all.
Being his room, she had imagined chaos. A tornado of random junk, a mountain of things he'd "borrowed", or itens of... questionable nature. But instead...
Her eyes widened as she slowly turned in place. The room was... organized. And clean.
And, most surprising- or perphaps not at all if you consider her own room, bunny-themed.
A faint green carpet stretched under her shoes, its soft, textured surface made to look like fake grass.
The furniture matched in the strangest, most absurdly cohesive way: a round bed with a headboard shaped like bunny ears, a small table with the same design, even a lamp whose shade had little whisker cutouts that cast faint shadows on the walls.
There was also a smell- faint, but distinct.
Something crisp and oddly comforting, like clean laundry drying in an open field, touched by sunlight and wind.
It made her feel... safe.
Pomni blinked once. Twice. Then a third time before finally looking at Jax.
Jax caught her staring and immediately tensed, his ears snapping back as his expression hardened into a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Not. A. Single. Word. About this," he warned, each word deliberate, his voice low and edged with menace.
Pomni's lips curved into a small, sheepish smile as she nodded lightly. "Sure," she murmured, the single word carrying both agreement and a hint of amusement.
Jax turned away, deliberately ignoring her entirely as he began moving around the room, checking drawers and shifting small items with a casual air that was anything but casual.
Pomni stayed rooted to the spot, unsure whether to speak, explore, or simply shrink into the corner.
Her fingers fidgeted nervously, twisting together as she cast glances around the room, an anxious look settling over her features. "Was this a good idea? Am I being a bother? Maybe I should just leave..." her thoughts raced, torn between wanting to stay and fearing she'd overstayed her welcome.
Her spiraling thoughts were abruptly cut by a sudden shout.
"Pomni! Catch!"
Before she could react, a soft but fast projectile slammed into her face.
"Whoa!" She yelped, reflexively grabbing the pillow before it could hit the floor. Her cheeks warmed up as she held it close, eyes wide in disbelief. "Jax! Why?!" she complained, her voice a mix of exasperation and amusement, glancing up at him with confusion and incredulity.
But all of her complaints and exclamations melted away the moment she really looked at him.
Jax was now wearing his own set of pajamas. A raglan-style t-shirt with the main body in crisp white and sleeves a solid pink, the neckline trimmed with a thin, subtle line of gold. Matching pink shorts completed the set, giving him a surprisingly coordinated, almost soft appearance that contrasted sharply with his usual mischievous, chaotic energy.
His ears twitched nervously, and his face was flushed as he scratched at his cheek, eyes darting away from her gaze. "...You can... use that," he muttered, voice low and awkward.
And though she briefly wondered when he had even changed into his pajamas, Pomni was much more focused on hugging the pillow in her hands tighter. Feeling something warm and comforting spreading deeper than the object itself.
She looked up at him, cheeks faintly pink, and gave a shy, tentative smile. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft and sincere.
Jax let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes, letting his usual act of indifference slip into place. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, tone rough but lacking any real conviction.
Slowly, he moved to the other side of the bed, leaving the side closest to her empty.
His ears twitched just slightly, betraying the careful attention he was paying, even as he got under the blanket. Laying down with his back to her.
Pomni moved closer and carefully perched on the edge of the bed, slipping off her shoes one by one.
Once she had them off, she turned around to set the pillow beside her and ease herself fully onto the bed, only to catch Jax glancing back at her for the briefest moment before quickly looking away. "Anyway... night, Pomni," he muttered, voice rough and trying to sound casual, though the deepening blush on his face betrayed him completely.
Pomni's lips curved into a small, fond smile as she answered softly, "Night, Jax." She settled herself properly, tucking under the covers and letting the warmth of the bed and his quiet presence envelop her.
They stayed like that in silence, the quiet of the room stretching on for what felt like hours. Yet neither of them truly slept.
Their minds were busy elsewhere- feeling things they hadn't expected, noticing details they hadn't before. Like the gentle rise and fall of the blankets, the faint hum of the circus beyond the walls, the soft warmth of the bed between them- it all tugged at thoughts that refused to quiet.
Jax blinked, mind racing in disbelief. "Is she... really sleeping in my bed?" he thought, ears twitching as the absurdity of the situation sank in.
Pomni, meanwhile, clutched her pillow tighter, "He truly let me sleep here..." she thought, as her cheeks burned and her heart fluttered.
Both of them were acutely aware of the other's presence, too conscious of proximity to fully relax. And, unbeknownst to either, they shared the same fleeting, incredulous thought: 'This... is weird as f@%k.'
Feeling restless and unable to quiet the swirl of thoughts in his head, Jax shifted slightly and stole a quiet glance at Pomni, as if checking whether he was imagining everything.
His eyes moved slowly over her back, careful not to disturb her, but inevitably they caught on the curve of her bare shoulder, exposed just enough by the oversized shirt slipping slightly.
The sight made his ears twitch nervously, a small, involuntary reaction to something he didn't entirely understand- but couldn't look away from either.
Suddenly feeling a flutter of self-consciousness, Pomni shifted slightly and stole a careful glance at Jax, curious if he had already drifted off to sleep.
Her eyes met his instead, and for a heartbeat, both of them froze.
Time seemed to slow as their gazes locked. An unspoken awareness passing between them, leaving their hearts pouding in quiet, awkward unison.
The moment shattered like glass as reality came rushing back.
Both of them blinked, eyes wide and faces heating up in unison. "Uh?" they blurted out at the same time, the word hanging awkwardly in the air.
"Night!" Jax quickly turned his head away, ears twitching in embarrassment.
"Night!" While Pomni buried half her face in the pillow, wishing she could just sink through the mattress.
After a few more moments of awkward shuffling- feet brushing, hands nearly touching, and both pretending not to notice- they finally began to settle.
The tension slowly ebbed into a quiet stillness, their breathing evening out in the dim light.
Eventually, exhaustion won over the awkwardness, and they slowly drifted toward sleep. Two unlikely companions sharing the same space, both pretending it wasn't as weirdly comforting as it felt.
As Jax's consciousness began to fade, his mind wandered somewhere warm and strangely sweet- cotton candy skies, the smell of popcorn, laughter that didn't sting.
Pomni, meanwhile, dreamt of sunlight on soft grass, the feeling of fresh clothes against her skin, and the peace of simply being.
Neither noticed how their bodies, following some quiet instinct, inched closer beneath the covers.
By the time sleep fully claimed them, the space between had vanished. Jax's arm and leg draped loosely around Pomni, her back pressed against his chest.
Two mismatched souls, finally finding rest in the one place neither expected: each other.
And yes,
Waking up the next day was a lot of fun.