Work Text:
Rev hated sleeping. He hated it for the majority of his life. Honestly, the mere concept of sleep disturbed him. Being completely unconscious for hours, trapped within the morbid confines of his own mind where nightmares tormented him? No thank you. He'd take eye bags and sluggishness over that any day. Besides, he recently found out that, as a revenant, he didn't even need sleep.
His parents told him all about how much he fussed as a child when they tried to put him to bed. Rev would pout in the hours leading up to his designated bedtime, red-faced and on the verge of tears. When it was finally time to lie down, he would flail and scream until he wore himself out. His parents tried just about every trick in the book to make this nighttime routine easier on all of them: warm milk, weighted blankets, stuffed animals, sharing their bed, melatonin— even spells. Of course, Nothing ever worked, but it's the thought that counts. His mom liked to say that his lack of sleep was what made him so grumpy growing up. His dad said that it's what made him short, which was infinitely more insulting.
This inability to sleep wasn't much of a problem back home. When he turned 13, his parents stopped trying to wrangle him into bed. They began to let him do as he pleased because he was "old enough to have freedom." Rev always assumed that they were just tired of fighting him every night. His parents would ask him how he slept in the morning anyways and he'd lie through clenched teeth, but they didn't look into it and Rev would never admit that he refused to sleep because of his persistent nightmares— especially not to his parents' faces. The thought of them finding out and fretting over him more than they already did made him shudder.
It never bothered him that he couldn't sleep. Back home, he'd just scroll aimlessly on his phone or chat with online friends, maybe stare at the ceiling and think until day broke if he wasn't particularly bored. Even at KADE, he hadn't run into many problems regarding it. Once Mark's coffin shut, their shared room felt more than private enough. Rev could zone out for hours, schemeing yet another plan to escape the school.
Unfortunately, recent events had left the revenant's brain... less than clear.
Yeah, okay, he had been under the effects of a stupid love potion and tried to kiss his stupid roommate. So what? It wasn't like he could control himself at the time, so there was nothing weird about it that deserved to occupy his brain for more than half a second.
Except Rev could not stop thinking about it. It didn't help that Mark kept looking at him like- like that! Like he felt guilty for the whole thing, even though nothing happened.
It wasn't like Rev wanted to replay what happened that evening every time he tucked himself into bed, it just happened on it's own! He didn't want to remember how wide Mark's eyes got or how dumb he looked when he blushed. Rev didn't like the memory of Mark sweeping him off the floor like he weighed nothing; he definitely didn't like remembering how it felt to wrap his arms around the vampire and just... hold him.
He hated all of that stuff. It made his face feel warm... with anger! And chest clench... from how much rage he felt!
It was so stupid and annoying! Why couldn't that vampire just go back to bugging him already? If he did, things wouldn't be so awkward, and then Rev could properly plot against Vivianna for his freedom instead of wasting all his precious time thinking about Mark!
Rev clenched his jaw, rolling onto his back to stare up at the dark ceiling. Moonlight shone faintly through the stained glass window past the foot of his bed, casting a purple glow over everything. The revenant tried to focus on anything but the coffin nestled a few feet away and the vampire that slept inside it.
He knew it was still open. Sometimes Mark would forgo closing it if he wanted to cuddle with Raven, which he had been doing a few hours earlier. The cat in question was currently asleep at the foot of Rev's bed, snoring just loud enough for the revenant to hear. That cat was ancient, not to mention brittle. Her every breath sounded like a death rattle, which wasn't a shock considering how often she croaked. He wasn't sure why that vampire put in so much effort to keep her alive when she was just going to get herself killed again anyways. Well- he knew, but it still made no sense.
The revenant sighed before sitting up and stretching his arms over his head. If he couldn't wrangle his thoughts in, maybe he could distract himself. He scooted down his mattress, hesitating before reaching out to pet Raven. She trilled and startled awake at the touch to her matted fur, meowing in that high-pitched way of hers before rolling onto her back.
Rev stroked the area of her belly that wasn't exposed flesh and bone. Raven began to purr, the noise squeaky and broken. It sounded like an old motor, or maybe more like a busted toy. The cat stretched out her limbs sleepily, probably about to doze off again. Or, she would've if it weren't for a loud gasp from across the room scaring her. Raven flopped onto her side, turning her attention to the noise in sync with Rev.
Mark sat upright and stiff as a board, one hand clutching at his heart through his pajama top as the other scrambled to find the edge of his coffin. His breathing was ragged and frantic, eyes wide. The vampire seemed on the brink of tears, with glassy eyes that reflected the light. A nightmare, probably. Rev could actually sympathize with this, even though he didn't want to.
Raven hopped— more like fell— off of the bed, trotting over to Mark's coffin. She rubbed her cheek against his hand and mewled in a pitiful attempt to get his attention. It worked, obviously, because Mark could never resist a cute animal. The vampire blinked back to reality and tilted his head down to look at her, fingers relaxing from their white-knuckled grip on the coffin to scratch her behind the ear.
Rev felt strangely awkward while watching the interaction unfold. He was witnessing the terror dissolve from Mark's lanky form in real time and it was disgustingly vulnerable.
"Nightmare?" The revenant asked, disrupting the calm air as he so often did. His voice came out much softer than he intended. It was so embarrassing.
Mark jumped and immediately tore his focus away from Raven, eyes locking onto his roommate. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but decided against it, instead opting for a simple nod. Rev was lucky to have caught the small movement in the dark.
"Yeah, I'm familiar," He said— maybe a little too honestly, but his voice regained a bit of its edge to make up for it.
The vampire let out a trembling, unsure laugh from where he sat. It was really pathetic and definitely not endearing at all. Raven noisily jumped over the edge of his coffin, landing in his lap with as much grace as a half-dead cat can. "That's funny."
Rev arched a brow incredulously. That wasn't the response he was expecting. He was so surprised, in fact, that he didn't even register the fact that Mark was technically laughing at him. He scooted up the bed to prop his back against the headboard, tucking his legs beneath the comforter. The coolness of the sheets felt nice against his skin and their smooth texture made him feel strangely at ease. "What is?"
"I-I don't know..." Mark's voice was a bit shaky, and Raven actively headbutting his chin wasn't helping, "You having nightmares... when you're the one who's supposed to be causing them?"
The revenant pursed his lips slightly, fighting off a small grin. When Mark put it like that, it actually did sound a little funny and– god, the lack of sleep must be catching up to him because he was about to crack a smile at one of Mark's jokes.
"I guess," He mumbled nonchalantly instead of laughing— because maybe he is in a decent mood right now, but Mark cannot know he made him smile or Rev will never hear the end of it.
"Your nightmares, um," The vampire's throat worked when he swallowed, "how do you deal with them..?"
Rev could only blink as he processed the question. Mark asking him for advice on this topic wasn't exactly something he expected ever. He figured Mark's dreams were full of like... kittens, lollipops, and the works. "I don't."
Mark blinked at him through the dark before repeating, "You don't?"
The revenant felt a familiar twinge of irritation spark under his skin. He literally just said that. "No. I don't sleep."
"Huh..."
"What?" Rev snapped back. He really couldn't help the bite that slipped into his voice.
"That explains why you're so cranky all the time!" Mark joked lightly. For once, he didn't sound so forcibly cheerful, just genuinely amused.
Rev was too busy sputtering angrily to pick up on the shift in his roommate's tone. "Wh- you- what the hell is that supposed to mean, vampire?!"
The vampire in question didn't respond— not with words, anyways. He simply giggled to himself, turning his focus to Raven who relished in his affection.
Rev huffed through his nose, brow furrowed and lips twisted into a petulant frown. He tried his best not to get distracted by the fuzzy outline of Mark's form as he pet the cat in his lap.
"How do you deal with yours?" The revenant piped up again after a moment of quiet because he had never been good at keeping his mouth shut.
The question gave his roommate pause. Rev could practically hear the gears rotating in that thick skull, rusty from disuse. Silence seeped in for another long moment, settling over them heavily like the thick throw blanket Rev's mother had back home. Rev had never liked that thing.
"I guess... I don't really try anymore?" Mark confessed, voice all quiet and miserable now. Rev could only imagine the stupid, kicked-puppy expression on his face. "It— haha— it's a little silly but... I used to sleep in my siblings' beds when I got scared. It made me feel safer, y'know? Nightmares just... aren't so scary when you know you're not alone."
Rev knew he should probably stop being surprised by anything Mark said tonight; that being said, Rev was also not used to hearing his overly happy roommate speak so... honestly. Everything was starting to become a bit too mushy for him.
"S-sorry, that's... kind of embarrassing, right?" The vampire quickly backtracked, sounding more guilty than he had any right to be. "I didn't mean to unpack all that on you, I should just— um— go back to bed."
"Seriously?" Rev returned flatly. Now he was just kind of mad; Mark had to audacity to be vulnerable with him and then— what?— just take it back? He couldn't let that slide. "If you're going to tell me this stuff, at least stick to your guns. The only 'embarassing' thing about it is your total lack of commitment."
Mark's eyes went wide, turning back to Rev with his mouth slightly agape. He floundered for something— anything— to say before settling on a meek little apology. The vampire seemed to shrink into himself, just enough for it to be noticable. His stupid, pointy ears were drooping a little too. Yep, there was the kicked-puppy face.
"Are you... gonna be able to go back to sleep?" The revenant asked begrudgingly. He didn't want Mark to think he cared or anything, Rev just... valued his alone time. The sooner that vampire went to bed, the sooner Rev could be by himself again.
Mark scratched Raven lightly behind the ears, her answering purrs filling the room yet again. He considered the question for a moment before answering honestly; "No."
Rev's fingers twisted in the duvet. If sleeping in the bed with someone else made Mark feel comforted, then maybe—
Rev chewed his bottom lip furiously, deciding to just bite the bullet. The worst Mark could do was say no, and Rev knew for a fact he would be needlessly polite about that like the doormat he was. So, without looking at his roommate, Rev lifted the corner of his blanket invitingly.
A beat of silence passed. Rev refused to look at Mark.
"Well?" He snapped, embarassment boiling over into irritation.
"Rev, buddy, a-are you sure..?" Mark sounded hesitant, but Rev heard the way Raven meowed in protest as she was jostled. He was moving.
"Yes, I'm sure- I wouldn't even offer if I wasn't sure!" Rev was quick to reply, probably speaking much louder than was appropriate for this hour of night. His face felt way too hot but he couldn't back down now. "Just get over here before I change my mind, vampire!"
He watched Mark's fuzzy, darkened form move with slightly squinted eyes. The vampire carefully picked his way out of his coffin, stepping towards the center of the room. Purple tinted light illuminated his face dimly as he inched closer.
The revenant could do nothing but stare, breath caught in his throat. This totally wasn't making his stomach feel weird and fluttery or anything, and his heartrate was not picking up so fast that he could practically feel it buzzing beneath his skin. Rev didn't like Mark. He didn't. This was just... awkward. He hadn't shared a bed with anyone since he was eight years old— yeah, that's it.
Rev looked up at him expectantly, resolve hardening despite his initial nervousness. He scooted over a bit to make room when he noticed something— there, in Mark's arms, was a very limp Raven. The revenant's jaw dropped slightly.
"You brought the cat?" He hissed, gaze dragging back up to his roommate's face.
"Yes..?" Mark smiled nervously, cradling the cat to his chest. He didn't seem too keen on putting her down.
"She's not getting on my bed." Rev gritted out despite the fact that she had been sleeping on it moments earlier.
"Wha- why not?" The vampire pouted— pouted!— and hugged her closer.
"Because she's dirty!"
Mark stared at him pleadingly, eyes wide and hopeful.
"No." The revenant insisted, arms crossing over his chest resolutely.
Mark moved Raven towards him, holding the cat under her arms. Rev came face-to-face with her, both of her dumb little paws pressing against his cheeks.
He sighed loudly, letting his annoyance be known as he lifted the edge of the blanket in surrender. It was... worth it to see the triumphant smile that lit up the vampire's face— only because he wasn't moping anymore, no other reason. Mark carefully slipped under the covers with a mutter of apology, placing Raven between him and Rev. The cat wiggled her way out and trotted to the end of the bed to curl up, not too keen on being sandwiched between them. Rev couldn't blame her.
The vampire moved hesitantly, laying down and tucking himself unobtrusively beneath the sheets. Rev followed suit, pulling the covers up to his chest. He tried to ignore the feeling of Mark's arm pressing lightly against him, but it quickly grew annoying.
He had always had this quirk about how something had to be completely touching him or it couldn't touch him at all. It was rather easy to avoid most of the time, because most of the time he wasn't touching other people.
Now— on the rare occasion that he was voluntarily making extended physical contact with another person— it was bothering him. Rev's skin seemed to tingle weirdly, and the pressure was just completely off. The revenant was able to bear it for only a moment before rolling onto his side. He regretted it almost immediately, because now he was facing Mark.
Rev's eyes fell to the slope of Mark's nose, his pale lashes, his lips— yeah, that's a train of thought he did not want to entertain. The vampire didn't seem to notice, or didn't mention it if he did.
"Do you... want to talk about it?" Rev asked in that painfully stilted voice he only used when talking about emotional matters. He wouldn't normally pry about stuff like this, but he couldn't sit with Mark in silence for any longer. It was out of character for both of them.
"Wh-what?" The vampire turned his head to look at Rev, eyes wide and cheeks coloring. There was a guilty crease between his brow.
"Your nightmare." He answered, confused. Was Mark embarrassed about it or something?
"Oh! Oh, I thought you meant-" Mark stopped short, clicking his mouth shut. "N-nevermind..."
The revenant stared at him expectantly, watching as Mark rolled onto his side to get more comfortable. He opened and shut his mouth a few times, fangs flashing, before starting. "It's kinda funny, now that I really think about it..."
"It was about my dad. We were alone in this... void. He was so far away, and I-" A nervous little grimace tugged at his lips, looking at Rev for permission to continue like he was going to cut him off any second. He didn't. "I was trying to run to him, b-but my legs just... didn't work. He was yelling at me and stuff, saying I was a horrible son..."
Mark trailed off after that, gaze drifting down to look at the sheets. Rev saw the tears begin to fill his roommate's eyes and nearly groaned, knowing he had to say something.
"That's stupid," He bit out, startling Mark. Rev never claimed that comforting people was his strong suit, okay? "What your dad said, I mean. If you're a 'horrible son' or whatever, doesn't that make him just as horrible of a father? It would be dumb to blame all of that on you."
The vampire's lower lip trembled, staring at his roommate with glassy eyes. Rev internally panicked. He really didn't want to deal with Mark if he started wailing like a big baby. "I find it hard to believe that you're a bad son, anyways— you're way too nice for your own good."
Mark let a watery, genuine smile cross his face. Rev felt a wave of relief wash over him and got to bask in it for no longer than half a second before the vampire was wrapping his arms around him.
He let out an undignified yelp as he was pulled into a tight hug, legs thrashing from surprise before his entire body stiffened. Mark sniffled quietly and buried his face against his shoulder, body quivering with his stifled little cries. The revenant couldn't just push him off— that would make things even more strained— so he patted Mark's back awkwardly, much to his chagrin.
"There there," Rev mumbled flatly, sounding dreadfully unsure even to his own ears. Mark didn't seem to care, grip loosening a fraction so their embrace was now... comfortable. Too comfortable.
The revenant let out a long breath, surrendering to his fate. It wasn't... as bad as he thought it would be. He relaxed into the hug as much as he could, arms curling loosely around Mark's back because they felt too heavy at his sides.
"You're cold," He commented, mainly because he didn't like how silent it was but also because it was extremely apparent now that they were this close. Rev's mind flashed with fuzzy memories from a few weeks ago, which he quickly dispelled. Now was really not the time to unpack how he felt about Mark being strong enough to pick him up.
"So are you." The vampire snorted softly, and Rev could feel him smiling against his shirt. The revenant felt his heart clench, face warming.
"Well- you're colder." Rev argued weakly, trying to ignore the fluttering in his chest. He did not like Mark, especially not like that. His roommate just laughed quietly at the rebuttal before breathing out a muffled apology.
They lay like that for what was realistically only a few minutes but felt like hours— and Rev definitely didn't think it was nice or anything because he didn't like Mark. The vampire's breathing steadied slowly.
"Sorry for that..." Mark mumbled as he pulled back to wipe at his damp eyes. Rev's hands fisted in the back of his shirt unconsciously, preventing him from getting too far.
"Stop apologizing." Rev insisted despite himself.
"Right, sorry-" The vampire cut himself off before he could finish, mainly because he was being glared at. Mark's lips trembled upwards into a grin before the dam broke and he began to laugh. Rev let out a scoff, but he was smiling too.
"You're so weird." He huffed, the insult coming out much too fond. Rev didn't feel like correcting it.
Mark's laughter died down into a soft smile. "You're a good friend, Rev."
The revenant's brow furrowed at that. He was not a good friend but the statement still twisted at his heart strangely. "Don't get all sappy on me now."
"I'm pretty sure this has been sappy the whole time." Mark replied with a little shrug.
"You know what I mean. We both know I'm not a good friend."
"Yes you are!" The vampire reiterated and grabbed at his shoulders, moving closer yet again. "Well- you're being one right now, at least."
"This doesn't count." Rev pressed a hand to Mark's chest and pushed him back.
"It totally does!" His brow creased, troubled. Why Mark wanted Rev to be good so bad, Rev couldn't understand. Should he be... flattered?
"No." Rev frowned at him even though he couldn't bring himself to be properly upset right now. "I'm only doing this so you can sleep and I can get back to plotting."
"But you're doing it for me." Mark emphasized and shook his roommate lightly by the shoulders. "That's good friend behavior!"
"Wha-?!" The revenant squawked, grabbing Mark by the forearms. "No, I'm doing it for myself!"
"That doesn't change the fact that you're helping me, which is a nice thing to do."
"Just shut up, Mark." Rev sneered, though there was no real anger backing it. He was just in one of his rare good moods right now, which had nothing to do with his stupid roommate.
"See! You're even calling me by my name!" Mark grinned, sharp fangs on full display. "That proves we're making progress."
"You're actually the worst, I hope you know that." He grumbled with a roll of his eyes, covering Mark's mouth with both hands to shut him up. "Go to bed already."
The vampire's eyes creased with joy as he eased himself back into Rev's personal space. The revenant didn't have enough energy to stop him— at least, that's what he told himself. Rev begrudgingly wrapped his arms around his roommate yet again, allowing the vampire to cuddle up to him.
He wound up with Mark curled around him contentedly, chin resting on top of Rev's head. Rev squirmed down a little so the touch wouldn't bother him, pressing his face to the vampire's shoulder. Eventually, the vampire's breathing evened out.
Rev wasn't sure when his eyes began to grow heavy, but they were shut before he knew it. He drifted off to sleep and— for the first time he could remember— had no nightmares to speak of.