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Eli is woken by someone fumbling with the tarp on his picnic table. He shifts away on his bedroll, trying to inch closer to Eclair, who is already softly growling. He relaxes when Arven grunts getting to his knees, and Eli remembers where he is and what he's doing. He lets Eclair go and rolls over to see Arven glare at him through the space between the bench and the table. His eyes are so bright they almost glow green in the darkness.
"Smells like rain," Arven says, apparently not caring that he'd woken Eli up.
"Okay?" Eli mumbles, his fear melting into irritation at being startled.
"You're not coming into my tent when you're soaked," Arven continues. "So you should do it now."
Eli lifts himself up on his elbow, glancing past Arven at his one-man tent. "I don't think all four of us are going to fit in there."
Arven snorts. "You and fidough are so small, it'll be like having extra backpacks."
Eli doesn't like that, either, but the air does smell overwhelmingly of ozone, the scent even drowning out the smokey haze that had hung over their fire. He can hear the first pitter-patter of droplets, and weighs his options. "Alright," he says. "Thanks. Move over."
Arven squawks something indignant about being ordered around, but Eli isn't listening as he fumbles around with his backpack and his bedroll. He glances back at Arven's tent, trying to map a small space he'd never been in.
"Hurry up," Arven grumbles, the pitter-patter getting just a bit louder. "And don't touch the walls inside or it'll let the water in."
"Yeah, I've been in a tent, thanks," Eli snips. He decides to leave his backpack wrapped in the tarp under the table, shoving a bunched-up sweater under his arm and scooping Eclair up. She yips a little in his arms, a protest against the rain.
Arven had already retreated back to his tent, the boy and Mabosstiff big dark lumps in the already dark evening. Eli fights back a groan. He was right - there was no way all four of them were going to sleep well. He plops his sweater as far away from Arven as he can manage, drops himself onto his not-at-all-flat bedroll, and curls around Eclair.
As far away as he can manage is not very far, as it happens, and he adjusts his head on his sweater uncomfortably. Eclair huffs, unhappy with the rain and the sudden change of scenery. Mabosstiff huffs much louder behind Eli's back. He straightens up a little, allowing Eclair more room, wildly aware of how little space there is between Eli and the weirdest boy he barely knows.
Arven hadn't acknowledged him, even with all the noise he made with the zipper and settling down. Eli can't tell if he's asleep or ignoring him. That's fine with Eli, anyway - he doubts he'll sleep, but he wouldn't know what to say if Arven had wanted to be social.
He narrows his eyes, a useless effort in the dark. He'd never really had a sleepover like this, had he? Maybe a few times when he was young, when they'd spent the night with his mother's friends with children, but never on his own accord.
Thunder cracks outside the tent, the pitter patter of rain turning more into a heavy wash.
Alright, so not exactly his own accord, but he'd been invited to stay even after he'd finished being useful, which was a win in Eli's book. Maybe his standards were too low.
He rolls over, looking at the vague lump of his... acquaintance in the dark. He doesn't seem like the type to be very familiar with sleepovers either. He seems somewhat unsocialized, Eli thinks honestly, but he can't blame Arven for that. He knows what it's like to be alone against his will.
The rain keeps up against the sides of the tent. Eli is very careful not to touch the walls. Eclair sighs next to him. Behind them, Mabosstiff growls.
Well. No. It's way too close to be Mabosstiff. "Stop looking at me." Arven says.
"It's too warm," Eli answers, like that's the correct response. "All the rain is making it too heavy." Damn. That wasn't the word he meant. "Wet. Heavy wet." Arceus. Much more stupid.
"You could be out there in the storm," Arven argues weakly, but he doesn't sound as annoyed as he had earlier. "But yeah, this sucks. It's way too small."
"It'd be huge if it were just me and Eclair."
Arven snorts. "Quit sleeping under a picnic table."
"The Paldean air is different," Eli says. "I like it unfiltered."
Arven is quiet for a minute. Finally, he says, "Yeah. I get that."
They fall into silence. Eli is pretty sure their dogs are the only ones getting any sleep tonight, judging by the way they both snore. Finally, he says, "Thanks. For waking me up."
"Sure," Arven says. "You too." He pauses for a second. "I mean, for helping with Klawf."
"Yeah, well," Eli sniffs. The rain pounds against the tent's edge. He does his best to make out a single droplet in the dark, to follow its path along the canvas. He loses track of every one he finds and closes his eyes. "We'll see about the rest of them."