Work Text:
Three Weeks after Worker and Edward began rooming together again
It had been almost three weeks of rooming with Ed, and Workner finally had enough.
“Just get rid of the damn cot, Ed! It’s not like you’re using it, and it takes up space we don’t have,” Workner finally exploded one day after he’d stubbed his toe on the offending piece of furniture one time too many. Ed merely raised an eyebrow.
“And why would I do that? You snore, you know. It’s always good to have options,” Ed countered smoothly from his place on the couch. Workner scowled even more. The fact that he’d cleaned the couch off at all should have given him rights to get rid of the damn cot. It was his sitting room, after all, and now Ed had a perfectly usable couch to sleep on if he needed to.
Of course, Ed was a head too tall to lay comfortably on said couch. But that was a detail Workner refused to think about. Instead, he focused on Ed’s raised eyebrow and small smirk.
“What?!” Workner hissed in pain and irritation. Ed shrugged. “For someone so used to physical labor, I’m simply surprised you’re so unaware of your surroundings.”
Workner gave up messaging his foot and threw his hands in the air. “I shouldn’t have to be aware of my surroundings in our own home, Edward! This is supposed to be a safe place! Not some sort of battlefield,” Workner bemoaned. Ed was still stuck on his words, though.
“Our home?” He’d repeated, under his breath.
“Yes, your Dark Stupidness. Our home. The place we live? Since your rooms are currently above an acidic pit of rubble, I don’t really know where else you would call home.”
Ed turned his head dismissively. “Astounding logic, Workner. I just fail to see why a small cot is worthy of such ire.”
Ed was deflecting, and they both knew it. Workner took the win. Even as teenagers, Ed hadn’t been big with terms of inclusion. Workner honestly didn’t know if the other man used plural possessive terms, other than “collective idiocy”.
Workner sighed, and rolled his neck. “My point stands, Ed. We don’t need the cot. Even if you try to sleep on it, we both know you’ll be in my room a few hours in.”
Next to me, dark hair getting in my face and on my pillow, Workner thought. Workner would suggest a hair tie, except he knew Ed would take it poorly. He could sense the other man already felt guilty for crashing next to Workner most nights.
In order for the arrangement to work, Workner had made it clear he expected both of them to get a decent nights’ sleep. Something they both knew Workner wouldn’t get, if he was waking Ed up from a nightmare every time Ed couldn’t sleep well.
Workner honestly didn’t mind. He wasn’t such a stickler for space; he was used to sleeping with other people outdoors or sharing space for body heat. If anything, Ed was a better bedmate than half the partners he’d ever had. He smelled nicer, for one.
Workner filed that realization under “Things I Will Never Say Aloud” and locked the idea deep in his psyche.
His attention was drawn back to Ed when said mage let out a long sigh. “Fine, I suppose your idea has merit.”
Workner gave a genuine smile. “So, you’ll get rid of it before dinner?” Workner asked hopefully. Ed nodded. “Excellent. In that case, I have a late seminar to teach. See you after?” Ed nodded again, and Workner grabbed his bag before sailing out the door and shutting it behind him. On his way down the hall, he couldn’t help smiling in satisfaction. Ed was so funny sometimes.
///
Edward wished he could say he missed the cot. The truth of the matter, however, was that it was a useless piece of furniture and the sitting room felt a lot better without it.
It just had the undesirable side effect of highlighting another of Edward’s weaknesses. This inability to avoid the nightmares or settle his mind without Workner’s steady presence. He wouldn’t lie to himself and pretend anyone’s presence would work the same. If anything, it would probably have the opposite effect. Usually, Edward would feel an uncomfortable reluctance to lean on another person as much as he leaned on Workner. It just proved, once again, that Workner was different from everyone else.
Edward prided himself on self-sufficiency. Which was why he personally used a levitation spell, and personally moved the cot down the winding corridors to the infirmary area, where he had gotten said cot. The head of the infirmary had smiled at him cordially.
“Good afternoon, Professor Edward. Are your rooms done already?” The mage inquired. Edward shook his head. “No, however the cot is no longer necessary.” The head of the infirmary looked a bit surprised, but didn’t ask further questions. Nodding once again in farewell, Edward made his way back into the Academy hallway proper.
Behind his back, the head of the infirmary mouthed silently “no longer necessary?” to a nearby healer, as said healer shook their head in disbelief.
Just what was going on with Professor Edward and Professor Workner, anyway?