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The first time Khadgar falls asleep while working, it’s a complete accident.
After Medivh’s corruption and unfortunate death, the young mage had not only been appointed the new Guardian of Azeroth, but had also been given ownership and responsibility over the now abandoned Karazahn. Which means that on top of assisting in making sure the orcs don’t overrun Stormwind or something equally horrifying, he was in charge of clearing out the lingering spirits that haunted the tower. This lead to countless sleepless nights pouring over spell books; he couldn’t let himself be vulnerable in a fight, or let the spirits and possible lingering Fel magic corrupt the tower.
One of these nights, the lack of sleep caught up with him; and Khadgar found his eyes slowly drooping shut until his head landed with a soft thud on the book he’d been reading. Fortunately, since he happened to be in the Stormwind library, he was awoken by a maid after about ten minutes and promptly tutted at and shoo’d up to his sleeping quarters in the castle. (Taria had been kind enough to provide him with a room at the castle as well as complete access to the entire library, which Khadgar gratefully accepted.) He thanked the maid and assured her this wouldn’t happen again.
This, however, turned out to be a lie.
The second time his weariness gets the better of him, it’s when he’s back in Karazahn. Khadgar lets out a rather loud yawn, shutting the book that contained instructions on a stronger protective ward spell he’d nearly perfected. At least this might keep some of these blasted spirits from escaping, he thought absentmindedly, rubbing his eyes and vowing to only rest his head on the thick wooden table he was sitting at for just a minute…
By the time he’d awoken, it was already morning and there was a very unpleasant stiffness in his neck. Note to self, no temporary “resting”.
-
A time goes by before the young mage has one of his “sleeping incidents” again. He’d been trying more to listen to his body’s desperate cries for some semblance of a normal sleep pattern. And, he even made it into bed nine times out of ten. Well, minus the time he accidentally fell asleep in the stables against a bale of hay. Which seriously startled the poor unfortunate stable boy that discovered an unconscious mage where a gryphon was supposed to be. Taria of course found out and fussed at him.
“Dear are you sure you’re getting enough rest? You’re working yourself silly and Azeroth will do no good with an exhausted Guardian. You really must get your sleep.” Her kind, motherly tone rang through his consciousness; he did appreciate her worrying, really, but he was fine. Mostly.
He assured her that yes, he was resting enough, and no Lothar do not make that face at me I am not lying to your sister thank-you-very-much.
The reassurance lasted precisely up until Taria discovered Khadgar fast asleep against one of the bookshelves in the Stormwind library. She sighed wearily, not bothering to wake up the snoozing mage, but simply threw a thick blanket over his sleeping form. Well, if he won’t listen to me, I know who he will.
-
“Taria, you do realize he’s not a child,” Lothar said for the hundredth time. “What would you like me to do, give him a bed time and tell him no more new spells until he learns to sleep properly?” His sister had informed him of the diligent little spell-chucker’s new habit of falling asleep on his work. He worried, really he did, but what was he to do about it?
“Of course not,” she tutted, rolling her eyes at him. “He’ll listen to you, and I know you worry over him as much if not more than I do.”
Lothar sighed a bit. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Later that night, Lothar found Khadgar (rather surprisingly) actually in his sleeping quarters for once. Of course, he wasn’t actually sleeping.
His knock was answered by a slightly red-eyed Khadgar, who was clutching a few spare bits of parchment that he’d scribbled down a few odd runes on.
“Lothar, nice to see you,” he greeted, a tired smile on his face. “Come in, I need the company to keep me awake while I finish this.” He scurried back over to his desk, Lothar stepping through the door behind him.
“I’m not here to keep you awake, spell-chucker,” Lothar said, shaking his head a bit. Taria was right, the mage was trying to work himself to death. “I’m here to make sure you sleep.”
“Hmwuh?” Khadgar yawned out, body already starting to betray him. “M’not sleepy.”
“Taria’s worried, and so am I frankly.” He looked the mage over, taking in the almost bruised colored dark circles framing his warm, brown eyes. “When’s the last time you even slept properly?”
“Four months ago,” the other man managed in between another yawn. “But it’s fine I-“
Sighing deeply, Lothar sat on the desk’s bench beside Khadgar, wrapping an arm around his now slightly teetering frame to keep him upright. “I swear you’re trying to send me to an early grave and work yourself to one in the mean time.”
“M’not,” Khadgar mumbled sleepily, grateful for the extra support as his head found Lothar’s broad shoulder. “I’ve been busy and…and…” His sentence trailed off as he nuzzled into the fabric of the stronger man’s shirt. “You’re warm,” he mumbled, sighing softly.
Lothar merely rolled his eyes fondly at this declaration. “Sleep, bookworm, you deserve it.” He gently ran his fingers through the mage’s dark locks, trying to soothe him further. This earned a closer nuzzle into the warrior’s warmth, Khadgar completely abandoning the notion of getting any more work done tonight. He counted it as a small victory, when after a few moments, he felt the other’s breathing even out until it was completely steady. The adorable idiot had fallen asleep on him.
By The Light what am I going to do with you? He thought to himself, letting Khadgar use him as a human pillow a while longer before gingerly moving away enough to lift the sleeping Guardian into his bed. Before he could talk himself out of it, he pressed a gentle kiss to the other’s forehead, tucking him under the covers properly. “Sweet dreams, spell-chucker.”