[CLOSED | COMPLETE ]
Characters: Rosier (loveisthedrug_) & Hypnos (microsleeps) Date/Time: Pre-Zurvan, childhood times Location: Their house Rating: PG Warnings: Mentions of smothering? Summary: Rosier drags a sleeping Hypnos inside.
If there was anyone Hypnos would switch lives with, it would be a cat. Not any breed in particular-- just a cat. They could sleep when they wanted, which was pretty much the only criteria that mattered. There was nothing wrong with his current life, not when he was surrounded with such love, but he often found himself pondering on nights when his family slept, and he was wide awake.
Doctors would call it narcolepsy. Hypnos didn't need to know the scientifics behind it, as that was all beyond him, but it explained why he would be awake at night and falling asleep during the day. The sun exhausted him. He preferred the light of the moon and the cool night breezes once the sun retired from the sky.
And so his narcolepsy found him in the garden, resting on a blanket that was almost too small for his tall and lanky frame. Stretched out at his side was a scruffy white cat. A conscious Hypnos would've admitted to not knowing whose it was.
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Rosier had become accustomed to the fact that his siblings had their quirks. Persephone was perhaps the most like him, Osiris was quiet and preferred not to fight...but that didn't make him weak, and Hypnos was prone to falling asleep in the oddest places like it was nothing. He'd never outwardly admit any attachment to them, but the fact that he checked on them and dealt with anyone who tried to cause them grief was proof enough. As long as they didn't mention it, it was fine that they were aware of the fact.
He'd gone to figure out lunch for himself and Hypnos. Persephone and Osiris had gone somewhere. At least, he thought that's what they said. "Hypnos?" He looked around the house. No Hypnos. Which meant he was likely outside.
It didn't take him long to get outside or find Hypnos, stretched out on a blanket next to a cat. It almost made him laugh, but the sun had been hot and he didn't know how long Hypnos had been asleep. Gently, he pressed the back of his hand to Hypnos' forehead and cheeks before wrinkling his nose. If he didn't move him inside, there was a good chance he'd end up dehydrated. The fact that he was concerned, he convinced himself, was because Persephone would get upset with him if he didn't look after Hypnos. Sighing, Rosier bent over to scoop Hypnos up in his arms. "Troublemaker," he whispered.
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Somewhere to the left, the cat stirred and rolled over onto its other side, but the teenager in Rosier's arms barely reacted to being picked up, like he was used to it. Hypnos was ever the younger brother, being looked after by his siblings while he did as he pleased, not unlike that white cat. Today was no different.
But as if he could sense he'd left the comfort of the blanket, he exhaled a soft breath, tucking his face closer to the crook of Rosier's neck and shoulder. At least it was a sign of life.
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There was a brief moment of tenseness as Hypnos curled closer to him. Rosier should be used to this. Really, he should. He knew it. Years of doing the same thing should have numbed him to the awkwardness that came with this perceived intimacy. And then the moment passed and he moved forward toward the house. It took some maneuvering to get the door open, but once he got inside, he put him onto the couch.
His fingers ghosted over Hypnos' cheeks and he nearly smiled before he remembered that would be showing too much and he frowned instead. "I'll be back with food. You should quit falling asleep outside." It wasn't like he expected Hypnos to acknowledge what he was saying or anything, but if he had heard, then he could wake up a little.
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Hypnos was more than happy to settle into the couch cushions, resting his curly head on one of the many pillows. He might have gone on sleeping had he not sensed the touch on his cheek. Bizarre that his brother could physically relocate him and all it took to get him stirring was the ghost of a caress.
His lashes fluttered open after Rosier had finished speaking, and only after a few blinks did he register that he was being spoken to. "Mmm?" was all he managed, however. Coherence was not his friend after being woken.
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Rosier almost laughed as he stirred, shaking his head slightly. "Lunch. I'll bring water over." He slipped away for a moment, fingers curling up so he could keep himself from reaching out to touch his brother again. He had to get that impulse under control. It wasn't useful at all. He blamed it all on Persephone making him touch Hypnos and Osiris' hair once upon a time. There was another frown as he slowly made a couple sandwiches.
"How do you even manage to fall asleep outside and not realize that it's a thousand degrees outside?" Which was an exaggeration. He brought over the sandwiches and a glass of water for Hypnos. "You'll..." get dehydrated if you're not careful, he almost said. "Shrivel up and die one day and Persephone..." He stopped again. "Will have less people to keep her from bothering me." Yes. That worked.
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During the time that his brother had slipped away, Hypnos has recovered some, propping himself up lazily against the pillow. He would've been perfectly content to fall back to sleep, but even a tired person could perk up at the mention of food.
Caught running fingers through his hair when Rosier addressed him, he reached out for the water instead. And rather than taking his brother's words the wrong way, he smiled. Oh, he could read between the lines, even in such a tired state, but not a word would be spoken about that.
"Do you want me to speak with her...?" The water was sipped at.
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There was a flash of a smile as he handed Hypnos the water. If Hypnos had noticed anything strange about what he'd said, he didn't give it away, which kept Rosier a little more relaxed. Perhaps being careful wasn't what he needed to do, strictly speaking. At least not entirely. Still, he couldn't keep himself from it.
"No, no. I'll just smother her in her sleep later," he teased, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to dig the hole ahead of time so no one sees. I'll try to plan it when out for a spell." He joked about killing his siblings, but the truth was that he wouldn't hurt them more than pinching or flicking. He had a feeling they understood that, though.
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Had Hypnos not already been accustomed to the joking around, he might have choked on his water, and that, without a doubt, would not have ended well. But the teasing that went on between both his elder siblings was like second nature to him. Over time he'd learn not to bat a lash, but this time he did laugh under his breath, fully aware that Rosier wasn't serious. He hoped.
"I really can speak with her, though..." He lowered the glass to the floor. "So.. please don't smother her." Unless it was with love and kisses, but his brother wasn't the overly affectionate type.
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"Since you asked so nicely..." Rosier's eyes showed his amusement more than anything else at that moment. "I suppose I can leave her alive." A beat. "For now." He laughed quietly before sitting down on the chair. He would most assuredly not be found smothering anyone with love and kisses, however. That level of affection was too much for him. It was enough that they knew without ever needing to say it.
"But you don't need to talk to her either. I doubt she'd listen even if you did." Then again, there was more of a chance of her listening to Hypnos than him, but maybe that was because they knew each other too well. "Focus on your lunch."
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It should've taken less effort for Hypnos to swing his legs over the side of the couch, but such was the life of a tired teenager. He very nearly knocked his glass over and quickly recovered by reaching for a sandwich. The thought of his sister almost made him smile. Persephone had a strong, attractive personality. She always took initiative, and was the aggressive to his passive. Both she and Rosier contrasted against he and Osiris, but even so, what tied them together was a love for their family.
Rather than digging in, he pressed his spine into the cushions, sleepy eyes on his brother. "I had a dream," he started in a murmur. "It started with the three of you falling asleep, but I couldn't wake you up. I kept trying..." His gaze drifted to the sandwich in his hands. "But nothing would work. I knew you weren't dead somehow... I don't know how. But I'm glad you woke me up when you did. I would have kept dreaming otherwise."
To punctuate the solemn story, he took a bite from that sandwich.
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Rosier bit down on his lip to keep from laughing as Hypnos sat up. It was the story that came shortly after that that sobered him a little. He wouldn't admit that the idea of that bothering Hypnos bothered him. He leaned over to ruffle Hypnos' hair. "Well, I don't know about you, but I have too much work to fall asleep and never wake up."
He ate a little of his sandwich to keep from saying anything more. He was trying to figure out the right words to use. Apparently it was more difficult than he'd figured on. "So I don't foresee your dream coming true, but I guess I can feel like I've done my civic duty for the day." Studying Hypnos for a moment, Rosier shifted to sit next to him on the couch, allowing himself to sit just a little close. He shot him a look before leaning back. "Am I still as lovely while I'm sleeping?"
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It wasn't the ruffle that got Hypnos smiling slightly, but the words that followed. He knew it was nonsense to believe in a dream, yet still he was grateful for having been woken from it. Even in the dream he'd encountered a sense of discomfort, but being next to his brother, who was certainly not asleep (yet, as his ability would soon kick in), he could feel the tightness in his chest actively loosen.
His temple found Rosier's shoulder in an affectionate rub, quite like a cat greeting it's owner. "You're always lovely, brother."