Chapter Text
It was that time of the night, somewhere between 2 and 4 am, when obsessive thoughts become conquerors of your mind and you can’t do much about it except stare blankly at the ceiling, hoping for inspiration to come before the desire for sleep wins in that unequal battle.
Ulrich is used to nights like these. Moreover, he even likes them. What he isn’t used to, however, is what - or rather who - these thoughts are about. And the reason for that is, once again, Adler.
God, he is so annoying… and smart, and and and many other adjectives Ulrich’s mind cannot quite come up with at this hellish hour.
A few hours ago, the office finally became empty. Even Adler himself decided that it was indeed time to count some ships and fall asleep in his pathetic excuse for a room. Ulrich, however, decided to continue working on his project. (If somewhere during his extra work hours he suddenly started sorting piles of documents on someone else’s table, it had nothing to do with that someone’s complaints about the enormous amount of work.)
Well, it took him only 2 hours and 37 minutes - yes, he had counted - to fully regret it.
His thoughts keep crawling back to that weird dream he had a few weeks ago. Ulrich tries to convince himself that it doesn’t matter, but it does. And oh God, how that annoys him. But what annoys him even more is that he can’t pretend that nothing happened and just go back to normal.
No, those thoughts keep eating him alive, especially when Adler is around. And because of that, everything between them starts to feel particularly peculiar (as if it wasn’t already).
In other words, Ulrich doesn’t know what to do or how to fix whatever is going on between them. Because there is nothing in particular wrong, nor is there anything that actually needs to be fixed - it’s just weird. And even someone as oblivious as Adler will, sooner or later, notice that and assume that something is wrong with him, and Ulrich would rather die than try to explain whatever is going on with him now.
Once again, Ulrich is a smart and intelligent liquid. He can tell that his attitude toward Adler has changed, he can even guess why (please let him be wrong about this, pleasepleaseplease), but he has no idea what to do with that knowledge.
On one hand, he can just stuff his newfound feelings somewhere deep inside himself, pretend nothing has changed, and continue with whatever their relationship is now. It would probably be the safest option he has.
On the other hand, he could risk a bit and give some hints about his feelings to this arrogant man. It’s very unlikely that Adler will notice. It’s even more unlikely that he will reciprocate. In that scenario, everything would become so awkward that Ulrich would need to move to the office as far away as possible.
Or even become a hermit, like that crazy redhead from the timekeeper’s suitcase.
Or like that number guy. Or the bird one. Or the witch. For the timekeeper’s sake, why does she have so many weird “friends”? Not that ferrofluid objects, of course, but still.
Back to the topic. His feelings toward Adler have changed drastically. This is not something friends feel for one another. He wants to make him blush, not in that irritated, annoyed way, but in a tender, loving one, the kind only lovers share. He wants to tuck his black hair behind his ear. He wants to spend countless nights with him, no matter what they do work or talk.
He doesn’t act like that toward anyone else he could call a friend.
This feeling is something much more complicated. Something he can’t quite put into words. But does it really need to be put into words to matter?
Yes, if he wants to confess his feelings, yes, if he wants to let them go.
Lose-lose situation, huh?
Well, he will have time to think it through. But now, as the night draws to a close, he still has work to finish.