Plié and Clout

Chapter 62: When I Hang Up My Skates

When the unfortunate time comes that I have finished the tea and it's fully steeped and ready, the sight that meets my eyes in the living room is a relief.

He's asleep.

He's laying out on the couch, head propped up on one of the pillows, his legs tucked in enough so that he fits on the couch, sleeping quietly.

It reminds me of what Jilly told me once. If he gets stressed or freaked out or overwhelmed, his natural and only instinct is to sleep until whatever started it goes away. She's said he's slept through family get-togethers on the couch in their living room, most of a wedding reception when he was just starting in Boston, and a whole bunch of other little times. Apparently today was stressful enough for him that he needed to sleep it off.

So, I set the tea I made for him on the coffee table and settle into the armchair next to the couch, looking out my apartment windows to the street between this building and the next.

I eventually start to play a game on my phone, unsure of whether I should wait for him to wake up or find something more productive to do. Who better to ask than his sister.

AUGUST: okay, I've got a question

JILLY: he passed out the second he got there, didn't he

AUGUST: ... how did you guess?

JILLY: yeah, that's classic steph for you. Today must've sucked more than he let on.

AUGUST: that's what I got too.

JILLY: so he's out?

AUGUST: yeah, and I just want to know how long he's normally sleeping for? Should I find something to do other than sit here?

JILLY: definitely. He'll be out for a while and he doesn't like it when someone's lording over him when he eventually comes to. If you're not super duper pissed at him, which I don't know why you wouldn't be, find him something to eat for when he gets up. He didn't eat much of the dinner we had here.

AUGUST: so he's hungry, tired and stressed?

JILLY: yep! Good luck with that! I'll give you my best wishes.

AUGUST: you make it sound like he's going to be a grouch when he gets up

JILLY: has he really never napped around you before????

AUGUST: once or twice

JILLY: lord, okay, enjoy that.

I switch to a lesser-used chat.

AUGUST: jilly just told me that Steph is grumpy when he gets up from a nap, I need fact check

ROCKET: she's messin with ya, he's just groggy

ROCKET: he went over and passed out, didn't he?

ROCKET: i swear keeping him around is like keeping a baby around. Eat, sleep, repeat.

AUGUST: nah, i think it's more of a teenage boy thing. Feed, sleep, mostly nocturnal, also has sexual needs

AUGUST: don't take that the weird way

ROCKET: ... took it the weird way. BTW nice job with his neck

AUGUST: bro you should see my stomach if you think that was nice

ROCKET: STEPHAN! I stg that man

AUGUST: so he's not gonna be grumpy?

ROCKET: not really, I mean, kinda, but not really. Mostly just sleepy