The Imagination Latibule: Moon Knight - The Rise of the Moon

Chapter 3

"Found some," you said, and held out a pile of Egyptology books; some of the rare few left that neither you or him had read.

"Cheers y/n, for doing this again," he said, taking them from your arms and stepping to the side to let you in. You slung your bag on the sofa. "I ordered pizza, and I bought extra-long monopoly."

"I thought you wanted to stay awake?" you joked.

"We don't have to play," he said, the books nearly spilling from his arms as he worried you weren't happy.

"I'm kidding sweetheart," you said, "we've got all night. We can do anything." You hopped over the circle of sand and settled yourself on the end of the bed, picking up a Rubix cube and messing it up. Then you chucked it to Steven, followed by his glasses. "Go." He sunk back into his chair and began to fix the coloured cube. Whilst he did, you noticed him getting more and more frustrated, until he took off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose, letting his face lull in his hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Honestly, it's like my body wants to get up and wander about, you know, like it has to get the 10,000 steps in. You know?"

"I know."

"And I don't even know about it until I wake up wherever. But no one else has this problem."

"I guess on the upside there are stranger things that people do," you said and he shrugged.

"How many people d'you know who need ankle restraints on their bed?"

You glanced at the restraints, then at the sand you'd jumped over. "Not many," you said, and then you grabbed the blue tape from his bedside drawer.

"Anyway, if I am gonna have a girlfriend, at some point, obviously can't have ankle restraints on my bed, can I? That's like the definition of a red flag, isn't it?" he asked, watching as you walked over to the door and put a strip of tape down it and the door frame. You felt your heart ache at him talking about getting a girlfriend. You had a crush on him that came and went in waves, and apparently jealously brought it on.

"It's your only red flag," you said kindly and he smiled at you. "And who knows, for some it might even be a green flag," you teased and he blushed.

"Well, I gotta figure something out."

"Not tonight, Steven." You sat next to him and opened a book. "I'm here, so if you wanna sleep, sleep."

"I don't think -"

"- it's ok," you said, squeezing his thigh. "You don't have to be scared when I'm here." Steven nodded and patted your hand, and you busied yourself with said book, 'Advanced Hieroglyphs and the Coptic Language.'

The pizza arrived. A staple of both your diets. Steven had ordered a half and half; he knew you liked meat and didn't want to disappoint despite his veganism. You ate it gratefully and then after changing into something more comfortable – him his classic grey joggers and blue sweatshirt, something you often borrowed because it was so soft and kept his smell, and you a baggy white t-shirt and red tartan pyjama bottoms. Steven had offered you a drawer at his place to keep your things. You found yourself staying over so frequently it was easier than an overnight bag. Then a game of monopoly was played and given up before you found yourself yawning. Steven gave you a look and you shook your head vigorously.

"Nope, I'm good. I'm completely awake," you said, pressing play on the tape he listened to constantly. You yawned often and every time you did it worried Steven. 

Hello, and welcome to staying awake... The female voice started to drone on. You groaned at the monotonous voice and wandered over to Steven's shelves, where a small collection of vinyl's sat. Your trawled your finger across the spines until you found what you were looking for – Etta James greatest hits – and put the record on the player.