< candle cove shorts >

Instinct

(Short but sweet! Takes place in the mansion)
Percy was sat on the worn down couch, staring blankly at the television screen. Something that didn't very much interest him, as TV usually didn't. The news was on, but he wasn't quite watching. Just staring forward while dazed in his thoughts. He had his legs pulled up to his chest, somewhat hiding in his oversized coat.
Just about a foot away sat a very comfortable Milo. Being in the mansion with Percy for sometime without an attempt to kill him was good for their relationship. Were they friends? Perhaps. Were they acquaintances? Sure. Is there relationship better than it was before? Absolutely. They seemed fine with one another, not hating each other, but not sharing a whole lot either. They got closer as time went on, and neither of them seemed to pay much attention to the subject. Milo laid back with his arms sprawled along the back of the couch and his legs open. He was in a similar situation to Percy, where he only somewhat payed attention to what was happening on screen. Instead, he was thinking. Not at all close to what Percy was thinking, but some strange philosophies. 'If your shirt isn't tucked into your pants, are your pants tucked into your shirt?' Eventually, however, he decided he'd done enough thinking for the day, and pulled out his flask. He was able to easily screw off the top and take a swig without moving his eyes, or giving it a second thought. Muscle memory, maybe?
The room was rather quiet in nature, aside from the low noise of the TV and the sounds that Milo had made with his flask. Although, this was soon broken. A loud pop echoed throughout the mansion. A simple gunshot.
Where it came from, he was unsure, but it certainly scared the living hell out of Percy. Instinctively, thinking he was in danger, Percy leaned in and gripped onto Milo for safety. For reasons that were unknown to him, he felt comfort around Milo. He knew his capabilities and he knows he's no longer out to hurt him. Milos had stood up for him before and hopefully would do it again if need be. He thought Milo was strong and tough and intimidating (especially to people who don't know him.) and maybe this is where it came from.
Milo wrapped his arm around Percy in response, also seemingly instinctive. He used his free arm to shield the two of them, although it was more covering Percy than himself. A second or so went by before the both of them realized there was nothing to be worried about. Milo looked down, making eye contact with Percy. As soon as the awkwardness hit, he jerked his arms away and put them in his lap.
Percy had looked up at Milo with big, scared eyes. He knew they were safe, though he was still off put by the situation. He pulled his hands away, wrapping them around himself instead. He put his head down, facing away from Milo.
"I... I don't know w-what that was. S-Sorry-"
"You're fine, mate. Don't worry about it." He leaned back a little, taking  another long sip from his flask. The two of them sat in silence once again as they tried to comprehend the situation.