Across the Hall
Characters: Aquilo x Sephtis
Essentially just fluff. This occurs before the start of the novel.
The gentle ticking of a clock woke him. Its hushed ticks were sporadic and uneven. Sighing through his nose, Sephtis rolled onto his back and squinted at the tall grandfather clock. It came from another age, so old that it was priceless. Except that it didn’t work. Usually. Carefully, he sat up and held his head in his hand. Snot clogged his nose and the back of his throat ached from a recent bought of sickness. He sniffled.
A sedated light began to glow. Slowly, it pushed away the shadows and spread a soft blue hue over the room. Sephtis’ lips curled into a small smile and his stomach tickled eagerly. Rolling across his bed, he snatched the glowing stone off his nightstand and cradled it in the palm of his hand.
“Sephtis?” A startled voice rumbled from the crystal.
Sephtis felt his lips pull into a stronger smile and he ran his thumb over the uneven surface of the stone. “What time is it?” He muttered into his palm.
The stone paused. “Late. Why are you up?”
“I could ask the same,” Sephtis said quietly. He took in a breath and stared thoughtfully at his covers. I miss you. “It was the clock. It woke me.”
“Oh.”
Sephtis tugged his lower lip between his teeth. He clenched his hand around the crystal and rolled onto his back. The glow of the stone peeked between his fingers and washed into the darkness of his room. Dying embers gently illuminated around the hearth. A cough scratched the back of Sephtis’ throat.
“I… couldn’t really sleep.”
Sephtis swallowed the itch and closed his eyes. ”Did…” He stared at the ceiling, his stomach clenching nervously. “Did you have a bad dream?”
“...no. Not that. I just…” A smile spread onto Sephtis’ lips. He could imagine the timid blush on Aquilo’s skin. “I’m just a few doors down from you.”
“...is that an offer?”
Sephtis felt his own skin burst with heat. He swallowed. “We used to sleep together all the time as kids.”
“We’re not kids anymore.”
“I doubt that.” Sephtis turned on his side and stared sadly at his curtain. “You could at least come over and fix the clock.”
Humor filled Aquilo’s voice. “Just the clock? If you kick it, it stops.”
“Yeah, but, you kick it better.” Sephtis smiled again. “I’m not as violent as you are.”
“Ha. Thanks. I’m coming over.”
Sephtis sprung onto his seat. His heart stuttered inside of his ribs and he held the stone to his chest. He licked his lips. “I’m not really dressed.”
The stone paused. “Are you decent?”
A smile curved the corner of Sephtis’ lips. “Decent? I thought I was at least charming.”
Laughter hummed from the stone and warmed Septhis’ stomach. “I mean, would you be comfortable if I came in?”
Sephtis slipped from his bed and grabbed a robe hanging off of his door. “Yeah.” He pulled the robe on and tied it loosely. The orb stopped glowing. Heart beating in his ears, he returned to his bed and sat against the headboard. He pulled the blankets up to his torso and hugged them close to his chest.
Outside of his room, he heard the door to his chambers creak open and close shut. Sephtis kept an ear on the footsteps starting towards his room. They paused just outside the door before two knocks sounded.
Taking in a slow breath, Sephtis smiled widely and said, “Come in.”