"I can't believe I have to do this."
"Geez, make me feel welcome, won't you?" Felix said, his hands clasped behind his back, as he strolled the expanse of Kaz's room, inspecting every inch.
Kaz rubbed his temples. "Just keep quiet and stay still."
"Mm, kinky."
"If you keep this up then you can sleep in the hall on the floor."
"Alright, alright," Felix said, holding his hands up in surrender. "You know, I wouldn't tease you so much if you didn't react so endearingly."
Kaz didn't answer, just sighed deeply, knowing he was in for a long night with Felix. But between him and Claude, he was the best choice for dealing with Felix. Claude and Felix might actually kill each other if they shared a room. And Cleo and Felix...
No. Kaz wouldn't allow that. Felix would stay with him.
It's not forever, Kaz told himself. Maybe it won't even be that bad—
"What are you doing?" Kaz asked as Felix reclined against the headboard of Kaz's bed, his legs on top of the comforter, bare feet crossing at the ankles.
Felix stretched out his arms, yawning. "What?"
"That's my bed."
"And?"
"You're not sleeping there."
Felix frowned at Kaz. "Where am I supposed to sleep? There's only one bed in here."
Kaz pointed to the floor where a pile of blankets and a pillow were already set up. "There."
"Don't be so cold, Kaz. There's plenty of space for both of us." To prove his point, Felix stretched out completely, splaying himself out across the bed. "My hands can't even reach the ends. And you're pretty slim. We'll fit together just fine."
Kaz came to the edge of the bed and grabbed Felix's ankle, pulling on it roughly. "Absolutely not. Get off my bed."
Felix shook his foot to get Kaz to release it. "You're really going to make me sleep on the floor?"
"Yes," Kaz said without a second of hesitation.
Felix stared at Kaz for a moment, and then pouted, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "You're no fun. You know that?"
"I don't need to be fun."
Felix climbed off the bed and Kaz watched as he frowned down at the pile of blankets on the floor. Kaz would almost feel bad... almost if Felix wasn't so insufferable.
A second later, Felix knelt down and began to make a bed out of the comforters. "Why do you hate me so much?"
"Do I need a reason?"
"I suppose not."
Kaz glanced down at Felix who picked up the single pillow Kaz left him and fluffed it. That was it? No sassy comeback? Was he that hurt by the idea of Kaz making him sleep on the floor?
Well, he wouldn't feel bad about it. Felix deserved it.
Acting like the universe was against him, Felix kept sighing as he finished his makeshift bed, making every movement long and drawn out. Then he laid down, groaning. "I'm too old for this."
"You're literally my age."
"Are you offering to sleep on the floor instead?"
"No."
"It's cold down here," Felix said, wrapping his arms around himself. "I could use some extra body heat. Maybe—"
Kaz tossed the throw blanket on his bed into Felix's face. "Here."
Felix popped his head out of the blanket, his hair sticking every which way. "Thanks," he responded dryly.
Satisfied with himself, Kaz climbed into his own bed, determined to ignore Felix until morning.
"Just so you know, I sleep naked—"
"If you take off anything other than your shirt, you're out of here," Kaz warned him.
"Prude."
Kaz pressed his lips together to keep from responding. The faster he fell asleep, the faster he wouldn't have to deal with Felix.
"Don't be alarmed if I appear in your bed at some point in the night. I'm like a snake. I seek out heat sources."
"If you do then I'll treat you like a snake and chop your head off."
"Ouch. You pinned me as the type to not harm any living thing."
"Well, you're wrong. Humans and vampires are the exceptions," Kaz said, rolling over so that his back faced Felix. "Goodnight."
"Does that mean you wouldn't chop the head off a snake?" Felix asked.
Kaz closed his eyes, trying to urge himself to sleep. "No. Now stop talking."
"I knew it. Did you know snakes can slither at 12 miles per hour? And don't need lips to drink water. They also don't have eyelids. Some snakes have two reproductive systems. That means snakes can have two pen—"
"Felix!" Kaz cried, sitting up. "Shut up!"
Felix smirked at Kaz, the glow of his phone screen lighting up his face. "What? Don't like fun facts?"
Annoyed, Kaz fell back into his pillow hard. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."
"Don't mind me."
"How can I sleep if you don't stop talking?"
"You're talking, too. I'm not taking all the blame here."
Kaz grabbed another pillow and put it over his head, hoping to block out Felix's voice. "Please. Be quiet."
"You don't have to beg me," Felix responded, sounding amused, "but I admit I do like to hear it."
That's it, Kaz thought. Ignore him. Don't engage.
*
Felix's ears perked up at the sound of moaning. He listened closely for a moment, putting his phone down, and yes, sure enough, Kaz let out another moan. Felix couldn't believe his ears. He hadn't expected Kaz to be so bold.
But not even a second after he had that thought, Felix's humor went away. These weren't those kinds of moans.
Felix carefully climbed to his feet. A soft, yellow glow cast over Kaz from the nightlight in the corner of the room. Felix had thought about making fun of Kaz for it earlier but was glad he hadn't now. Sweat drenched Kaz's forehead and shirt. His head tossed from side to side as he groaned through closed lips.
Nightmares.
Felix knew them too well.
Felix reached out a hand and then paused as Kaz suddenly stopped moving. "Claude," Kaz spoke with startling clarity, but also with a pained tone that Felix knew was drawn from seeing someone you love hurt.
Swallowing, Felix pulled his hand back. He went over to the mini-fridge he'd seen when exploring Kaz's room earlier and retrieved a water bottle. It wouldn't be smart to wake Kaz up at the current moment.
Kaz remained motionless when Felix returned to his side, his brown hair messy and limp, strewn across his face. Felix carefully brushed it away, pushing it away from his sweaty forehead, trying not to wake him.
What did Kaz have nightmares of? Claude dying? Felix supposed that would be a nightmare to Kaz. Even he knew how much Kaz cared for Claude. And now...
"I suppose you're brokenhearted, too, aren't you?" Felix murmured, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, watching over Kaz.
Kaz's face twisted up again and he groaned, jerking around again.
Felix put his hand on Kaz's cheek, deciding to wake him up before he could hurt himself. "Kaz, wake up—"
Kaz's eyes shot open with a viciousness Felix had never seen in them before. Kaz's hand shot up to Felix's wrist and with an incredible amount of force, Kaz immobilized Felix on the bed, straddling his waist and pinning his arm above his head, his other pinned under his back.
Startled, Felix didn't react right away, letting Kaz manhandle him.
Kaz glared down at him, breathing heavily, and Felix was sure if Kaz had a dagger, he would have been stabbed. But then a second later, recognition crossed his face. "Felix?"
"You're stronger than you look, you know that?"
Even in the dim light, Felix could see Kaz's cheeks darken. "What..."
"You had a nightmare. Is this how you react when anyone wakes you?"
"No, I..." Kaz seemed completely off guard. He didn't even move off Felix as if unaware of their position at the moment.
Felix didn't complain, although his arm awkwardly bent under his back was beginning to ache. Sweat from Kaz's collarbones dripped onto Felix's neck and Felix's eyes were drawn to Kaz's Adam's apple as Kaz swallowed.
Kaz was handsome, Felix would admit that. And it was never a bad time to be pinned down by a handsome man.
A heartbeat later though, Kaz gasped and released Felix with a muttered, "Sorry."
Felix propped himself up on his elbows, watching as Kaz retreated to the foot of the bed. "It's fine. Want to talk about it?"
Kaz shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Not with you."
"You're really stubborn, you know that?"
"Mind your own business."
Felix's eyes twitched as he tried not to get annoyed by Kaz's cold attitude. "I just want to help."
"Well, I don't need your help."
"How long have you been suffering from nightmares?"
Kaz didn't answer for a moment and then he out a soft breath. "A while."
Felix adjusted his position so that he sat up properly, legs hanging off Kaz's bed. "Me, too."
"Is this a competition?"
Felix smiled dryly. "Forget I said anything." Instead, he handed Kaz the water bottle he'd grabbed. "Here."
Kaz stared at the bottle for a moment before taking it and sighing again. "Sorry. Don't tell anyone. Please."
"Not even your precious prince? He might find a way to comfort you," Felix teased from habit and instantly regretted it as Kaz tensed up.
Kaz glared at Felix. "I'm glad Cleo chose Claude over you. You'd be no good for her."
Felix's hands reflexively formed fists, but he kind of deserved that. Still, he couldn't stop the warmth creeping up through his chest, a mix of anger and embarrassment. He'd known it would never work out with Cleo. Knew it from the day he decided to deceive her. He would never deserve someone like her. But to be told it to his face made it more real than he'd wanted to believe.
"Do you really like Cleo?" Kaz asked a moment later.
"Yeah, I do."
"Why?"
"Why are you asking me that? Don't you like her, too?"
Kaz hesitated a moment. "...Yes."
"I might have had bad intentions toward her in the beginning, but that's the funny thing about life— things don't always turn out in ways you expect. I don't think I could ever be with Cleo after what I've done. Aren't you the same with Claude?"
"Yes," Kaz admitted. "More than you know."
What's that supposed to mean? Felix thought but didn't ask.
"I shouldn't have thrown your feelings for Cleo in your face," Kaz said, straightening up and turning his body so that he faced Felix fully. "I'm sorry."
"Is that three times now?" Kaz looked confused at Felix's words. Felix smirked as he stood from the bed, propping his hands on his hips. "I do like a man who knows when to apologize. Your cruel words hurt me, but then your kindness consoles me."
"I take it back," Kaz snapped.
"Why ask about Cleo, anyway?" Felix asked, standing in front of Kaz now, so close to Kaz that his thighs pressed against Kaz's knees.
Kaz turned his head to the side, folding his arms over his chest, refusing to respond.
"If you don't answer me, I'll just make up my own interpretation."
"And that is?"
Felix dropped into Kaz's lap, his legs straddling Kaz's thighs, placing his hands on Kaz's shoulders, and leaning forward to whisper into Kaz's ear. "That you're so kindly offering to help me forget about her?"
Kaz stilled under Felix and Felix reveled in it for exactly one second before Kaz shoved him off him with such force Felix wasn't able to grab something to keep his ass from slipping off Kaz's thighs. He hit the floor hard and felt pain shoot up his tailbone.
"That was a bit of a violent reaction," Felix commented, grimacing. "Although in the right setting, I do like to be roughed up—"
"Get away from me," Kaz said, putting his foot against Felix's chest, and shoving him even further back.
The breath left Felix's lungs. "Oof. Careful. I was stabbed, remember?"
Kaz immediately dropped his foot, eyes widening slightly. "Oh. Right."
"I get it, though," Felix said, climbing to his feet, holding his side as it throbbed. "I'll stop teasing you. I know I'm a lot to handle."
"I don't want to handle you, anyway."
Felix noted that once again Kaz's cheeks were red, but he didn't dare point it out. He was content seeing Kaz blush. "On a more serious note, I won't tell anyone about your nightmares. But if they're recurrent, you should really get some help."
"I don't need help."
"Uh-huh," Felix responded, gingerly prodding at his side. He winced. Yep. It was sore.
Kaz pursed his lips at him, looking a bit guilty. "You said you have nightmares. They're not easy to make go away. Trust me. I've tried."
"How about sleeping with someone who could wake you up?"
"No. I don't want anyone to know. I don't like sleeping with other people because of it."
"But don't you stay with Claude sometimes?"
"I don't fall asleep," Kaz said. "I keep watch when I'm with him or Cleo."
Felix paused. "You don't sleep?"
"No. I pretend to sleep. Don't tell a soul about what happened tonight. If you keep your word... then I'll let you sleep in my bed," Kaz said, hunching his shoulders.
Felix's eyebrows shot up. "Who could say no to such a tempting offer? I'll even throw in an extra— I'll help you deal with your nightmares. I've gotten mine pretty much under control."
Kaz didn't decline his offer right away, which was a good sign. "I'll think about it."
"I'll cuddle you to my chest for now—"
"I never said I'd be sharing my bed with you," Kaz cut him off, getting off the bed and walking over to Felix's makeshift one. "I'll sleep down here."
Felix knew this was a war he wouldn't win. "Fine. You take the bed, then. It's your room."
"It's fine."
"Kaz."
Kaz ignored Felix, settling down onto the blankets. "Goodnight, Felix."
"Kaz, I'm not going to take your bed."
"Then you can sleep on the floor, too."
"You are so stubborn," Felix muttered and strode over to Kaz. He easily picked up Kaz together with the blankets and pillows and dumped him back on the bed. Felix then crawled onto the bed, making Kaz scuttle backward, away from him. "Here. We'll make a divider. Is that okay with you, Your Fussiness?"
Kaz looked at Felix disdainfully as Felix set up a line of pillows in the middle of the bed. "...Fine."
"You really should treat a prince better than this," Felix sighed, settling back on the bed as he finished making the barricade.
"What? You want to see me on my knees in front of you?"
Felix rolled onto his side, putting his elbow on the bed and propping his chin upon his hand to gaze at Kaz. "Now, did you mean that innuendo, or not?" Judging by Kaz's responding glare, Felix gathered that it was an accident. "Okay, okay. I won't make a joke about it."
"What self-control," Kaz complimented sarcastically before turning his back on Felix. "Goodnight for real this time." A moment of silence. "...And thanks."
Felix smiled as he repositioned himself on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He could go at Kaz all day. Kaz was intriguing. And even if Kaz hated him, Felix always liked a challenge.
Maybe this whole sharing a room with Kaz thing wouldn't be so bad after all.
___________________
When two ships break, what else can we do but put the broken pieces together? Amirite?
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