Robert's bad relationship with sex - Prism
He lies on his back on Alice's bed. It isn't flat since she has many thick pillows that elevate his shoulders and head when he lies on them, but he's relaxed enough that he could easily slide into a puddle of flatness. He blames it on the many blankets covering Alice's mattress. They're all so fluffy and heavy, convincing him to give into the exhaustion that he's lived with his entire life.
Robert, however, doesn't sleep just yet. His half-lidded eyes look across the room. Alice's shadow falls against the wall. It is cast by the several light bulbs attached to the perimeter of her vanity's mirror. Though she's wearing a robe and applying creams to her face, she reminds Robert of a movie star. He half-expects her to start practicing lines. Instead, she's complaining about different facets of her life. It occasionally sounds like stories, but she hits certain names with strong annoyance.
Robert is listening. It's just that he probably wouldn't be able to pass a test about this later. He's trying very hard to, at least. He blames Alice's bed for most of his problems. The other half of his problems come from how soothing her voice is, even when complaining. He supposes that's what makes her a good performer.
The shadow he's watching shrinks and widens. His brown eyes flick over to where Alice herself is. Her upper body is twisted in her chair with an arm thrown over the back. She tilts her head at him, letting one half of her face descend into cool shadows while the other is lit up in warm lights. "She's a real bitch, don't cha think?"
Robert hums in agreement despite not knowing who they're talking about. He's more preoccupied fighting a yawn. Alice laughs. He knows it's at him, but there's too much fondness for him to be offended.
Alice turns away from him. She puts her assortment of vials back into place. Rising to her feet, she removes her robe to set on a nearby hook. She, then, turns off the lights. While the bulbs go out all at once, there's a lingering redness along the metal. It's not enough light to see by, but Alice manages. The bed dips where she settles. Robert feels the blankets and pillows being adjusted for a few seconds.
And then everything stops.
Robert turns onto his side. He reaches his hand out. He touches fabric. He thinks it's her shirt, but he doesn't figure it out before she's reaching out to grab his hand with her own. Then, as before, everything stops.
A confused noise leaves Robert. Alice sighs, "Do you need a fucking night-light or some shit?" Despite her tone, sparkles of pink and blue light appear in the air above them like stars. Alice's other arm flops down onto the bed beside her. Robert's eyes dart between the sparkles and Alice. She arches a brow, "Need a lullaby, too, while we're at it?"
"What?" Robert shakes his head. "No, that's not—I just thought we were going to..."
"You thought wrong," Alice tells him, not unkindly, a bit formally. She squeezes his hand, turning onto her side to face him. "I'm not a fucking idiot. I know you just didn't want to be alone right now. You don't need to trade your body for quality time with me. I'm quite generous, if you didn't know."
She winks at him. Instead of feeling enamored by it, he just feels guilt squeeze his stomach hard enough to make him nauseous. "That wasn't what I... I didn't mean it this way. I... Did I?" Though no words leave her lips, Alice's expression is pretty telling. Robert sighs, pushing his face into the pillow like the long, soft strands will hide him from her knowing eyes. "I'm supposed to be getting better."
Alice thumps her knuckles against his forehead. "Don't be like that. You are getting better. Mindsets like that are just a pain in the ass to get out of." If Robert wanted to argue, he's forced into silence by Alice snapping her fingers. The sparkles disappear, letting the room fade back into darkness. It isn't as oppressive with Alice's hand in his own and her breath so close. "And it's not like we're going to feed it, so just go to sleep now. I'll be here in the morning."
Though he didn't ask for it, Alice starts humming. Whether it's a true lullaby or not, it compels Robert to let his eyes fall shut, and from there, sleep takes him quickly.
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