It was partly confusing sentences like that, followed by pleasant and distracting instructions for Robin to prepare to sleep with Lucas, that had Robin so exhausted in the first place. He had all this time to notice these things now, and to think about them whether he wanted to or not.
But he shoved off his sticking underwear and left it with the rest of his clothes to dry in front of the nonexistent fire, then shuffled to the wardrobe for some sort of pajamas. He slipped into shorts and a soft long-sleeved shirt because he didn’t have much clean clothes left in there, then, shivering, went back for the towel to squeeze the water from his curls.
Robin was damp and shaking, with hair that would be a mess in the morning, and still, Lucas had returned to his doorway.
“They’re making noise downstairs,” he observed.
“The ravens?” Robin blinked. “Why?”
“Not the ravens,” Lucas answered shortly, and came in to put the log he was carrying into the fireplace. He opened the flue, said something to the hearth itself that Robin couldn’t make out, and then stood up as flames burst from the middle of the wood. He wiped his palms on his clothes.
Robin realized he was staring and not speaking. “Right. Right. To bed, then.” He left the towel on the chair and hopped over to the bed to pull the blankets back. Only two pillows. He worried about that, remembered this was Lucas, and so said it aloud.
Lucas, arranging Robin’s wet clothes to dry better after fussing with the heat vent, shrugged.
He was nervous too. It was ridiculous for them to be nervous.
And yet, as Lucas might say.
Robin got into bed, which he should have traded out years ago for a bigger one, he realized now, but it was just him here and he’d been…
Tired. Too tired to even notice things like that.
He really wasn’t well.
He stayed sitting up, putting the blankets over his feet and lower legs while Lucas finished his fussing and went to the window.
“Is it snowing now?” Robin whispered.
Lucas nodded, then drew the curtains to leave them in a darker, soon-to-be warmer space.
He crossed the room to close the bedroom door as well, leaving it open only a crack. The fire was bright and the room was going to heat quickly. Lucas got into the bed, going still even before he was fully under the covers because the bed was small and he was already pressed to Robin’s side.
Robin wondered if this was awkward for all people, or if he and Lucas had been blessed with another gift.
Robin had never slept with another adult like this, the bed was hardly king-sized, and Lucas was tall. And this wasLucas. Awkward made sense. Robin scooted down to get his head on a pillow, then watched Lucas decide two blankets were more than enough for him and tug the rest toward Robin.
Lucas finally settled down with a small grunt, turning onto his side and pausing visibly when he saw Robin staring back.
Robin smiled to erase the wary half-frown. “I’m glad you’re here. Get comfortable however you normally would. I’ll end up sleeping any which way, apparently.” He had fallen asleep sitting up just that afternoon. There was no stopping him. “Will it be all right if I get closer?” That was really the worry.
The half-frown remained. “I thought that was the point.” Lucas pulled the blankets up to Robin’s shoulders, as if Robin wasn’t going to also get overheated before long.
Robin was probably going to wake up sweaty, tossing blankets to the floor. He inched closer to Lucas anyway, bending his knees to make himself smaller. His head was on the bottom corner of his pillow, his face close to Lucas’ chest. He barely breathed, not wanting even that sound to spook Lucas and make him change his mind.
Lucas moved, almost nothing, and then his hand was gentle between Robin’s shoulder blades.
“Like outside?” Robin asked, wondering why he felt like crying.
Lucas pulled him closer. “Like outside,” he agreed, warm and soft and right. “Sleep, Blessing. I’ll be here.”
Robin curled his hand into the thin, store-bought t-shirt over Lucas’ heart and closed his eyes. He was drifting when Lucas slid onto his back and carefully put Robin’s head on his shoulder.
“Sorry,” Robin mumbled absently.
Lucas tightened the arm around him. “I couldn’t have predicted this anyway.”
Robin was asleep before he could ask Lucas what he meant.
