Work Text:
His Majesty Shinou knows something about Yuuri that I don’t. And it’s something I should know, if only I didn’t waste my time at night sleeping.
Tonight, I’m going to change that.
I even enlisted some help for my quest. Conrad caught me heading towards Anissina’s lab determinedly, about to ask for a reverse sleep potion. It was a risk, and I knew it, but I’m not leaving anything to chance. Still, when Conrad suggested some of that Earth-inspired, Shin Makoku-grown coffee instead of one of the Poison Lady’s potions, I figured it was the safer choice.
“Oh, Wolf, you’re already—Ugh, what is that smell!? You smell like my old man in the morning!”
Yuuri’s father likes coffee? I make a mental note. It never hurts to know more about your future in-laws.
“Is that… an entire bottle? How much coffee have you been drinking? You’ll get caffeine poisoning, y’know!”
“It’s better than getting Poison Lady poisoning.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” I can’t let Yuuri know what I’m planning, or it won’t work. The whole point is to know what Yuuri says in his sleep when he’s unaware. “Shall we go to sleep, then?”
“There’s no way you can sleep after drinking all that coffee.”
…But of course Yuuri would know the effects of coffee. I kick myself mentally for being too obvious, almost missing what Yuuri says next.
“In that case, I guess I could stay up with you until you fall asleep.” He falls into bed, putting his hands behind his head.
I settle down beside him, staring at the ceiling of our four-poster bed and praying he doesn’t notice the huge grin on my face. “You don’t have to, really. Don’t you have a long day tomorrow?”
“But it’s been a while since we talked, hasn’t it?”
It’s true, a lot of things have happened since he came back from that strange country where he was incarcerated. Between Conrad returning and that man… Well, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad to talk normally either.
Maybe the smell of coffee in the air keeps Yuuri awake as well. We talk long into the night, him telling me in great detail everything that happened in the prison, and then whatever else came to his mind. Even if he’s just talking about signing documents or morning training as usual these past few days, I listen attentively. His enthusiasm when he speaks makes everything sound fascinating.
Eventually, he does fall asleep before me. I guess all those trips to the toilet paid off, after all.
No, I shake my head. I can’t let my guard down yet. There’s a chance he’ll sleep so well tonight he won’t say anything, and then I’ll have to try again.
For the sake of my liver, I probably shouldn’t try this so often.
Either way, it’ll be some time until he falls so deep asleep that he starts talking. In the meantime, I just prop my elbows on my pillow and just watch him sleep.
He looks older now, since the first time I met him. It’s been a year, so of course he does, but… I frown, reaching out for the strands of white in his hair. I first noticed one that night in Seisakoku, but I had hoped it was just an exception.
There are more now. Has he noticed?
The wimp, I keep telling him to take it easy. He’s just a rookie king anyway, no one expects him to do everything on his own from the start. And he’d only make things harder on all of us if he falls sick.
He stirs, as though feeling my gaze on him, and kicks off his blanket. Really, after all the times he complains about me stealing the covers—
“…don’t…”
I stiffen, then grasp my fist in triumph.
“Don’t die…”
My fist loosens. This… this is what he talks about in his sleep?
“…Josak…”
“…no…”
“……sorry…”
He’s sweating, but when I touch his forehead, it’s cold. Carefully, in case I wake him, I wipe away the sweat, and put the blanket back around him.
The next moment, he pushes it away and into me again.
“Conrad, no!”
He’s flailing, tossing and turning about as though try to reach out to an invisible arm. In reality, his movements aren’t very exaggerated. If I were asleep, there’s no way I would have noticed a thing. In fact, it’s highly likely he’s been having these nightmares all this time, only I never realized.
I grip the covers tightly. Never before have I wanted to change my sleeping habits this badly.
“…ome back…”
He’s shaking like a leaf. It’s almost autumn, the night is cold, and yet the covers are too stuffy. I press my forehead against his.
So cold. Has he always been so cold?
“…Wolf…”
Finally, I hear my name spoken in his dreams, as he reaches out to grab fistfuls of my nightdress. We’re closer than ever now, but my heart feels cold. I had wanted to hear Yuuri say my name in his sleep, I won’t deny that, but now… I mean, I’m sure that Lord Weller wouldn’t be happy either to know that Yuuri calls out his name like that—
I pause. Those nights when we were camping out in Seisakoku, Lord Weller was always the one standing guard as we slept. Does he know?
And Gurrier, too… If he knew he was giving his king nightmares, that loyal spy would never forgive himself.
I wrap my arms around Yuuri gently, almost wishing he would wake up now. No, what are you thinking, he’s tired… but he’s suffering…
“…don’t go…”
“I’m not going anywhere, wimp.”
My arms are around him, so when I see the tears on Yuuri’s face, I brush them away with my lips.
The truth is, I’m being biased. Which soldier doesn’t have nightmares? I would have too, if I were on the battlefield as my brothers were. A peaceful sleep is the luxury of the young and uninitiated. Yuuri has grown up, as a king should.
For the first time, I wished he wouldn’t.
He doesn’t call my name anymore after that. He doesn’t say anything much anymore, just leaning into my embrace slightly, still holding my nightdress, burying his face in my chest.
I hold him all the way until daybreak, as he oversleeps, until both of us miss breakfast.
When he finally wakes up, my name is the first thing he says.
Why had I hoped for anything more? That’s all I need.
*
[Yuuri]
“Wolf?” I rub my eyes, then get a shock when I see how red his are. “Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep at all last night?”
“How could I, when you were like that?” His voice is a bit fuzzy, as though he has a slight cold. He probably was falling sick, after all that caffeine and a sleepless night.
“Wait, like what?” He’s not going to say I was seducing him or something like that, is he?
“You…” His emerald eyes are clouded and bleary, as though the bottom of the bright lake was just slightly muddled up.
I blink and laugh, putting my hand behind his head and pulling him closer teasingly. To my surprise, he falls forward without any resistance, falling asleep before he hits my lap.
“Geez, why on earth would anyone do that to themselves… It’s really bad for your body, y’know, especially if you’re still growing.”
Me, early to bed and early to rise is my motto. Usually, if I slept as late as I did last night or woke up as late as I did this… noon, I’d feel the effects all day.
But, I think as I stroke Wolfram’s hair absently, I wonder why I feel so refreshed right now. It’s been a while since I slept that well.
I look at the blanket on the floor and smile wryly to myself. After getting so used to the way Wolfram sleeps, I can’t even sleep with the covers on my own.
I’m not telling him, but recently Wolfram’s sleep patterns are getting better. He doesn’t barge into my space as much anymore, and he never kicks me anymore. It’s been a long time since I woke him with his arm on me.
“Mmh…Gu—gu—pii---”
His strange snoring hasn’t changed, however, and…
“…nya...—ri…”
Neither have the cute things he says. I smile happily and settle down to listen to him.