Rousing from sleep around this time of night wasn't exactly unusual; a restless pinch in the pit of his belly would cause him to stir from a blissful slumber, and he'd lift himself from his sheets, propping himself up on an elbow to examine the dim appearance of his room through clouded vision.
Posters? check. Computer? Yep, still in one piece, just sorta hanging out in the shadows. And the door constructed in front of his bed? Cracked open ever so slightly.
Huh. Now there was something that stood out. He groped around the spot next with his free hand, gingerly searching for the radiating warmth of a body. The only discoveries he made were empty sheets.
A slight chill slithered in through the open window, causing the curtains to shift slightly in an almost unnoticeable fashion and fluttering a couple of neglected pages filled with text. Most likely homework. Great. Another burden to add to the increasing weight of his brow.
But there were more important matters to attend to. Matters that sashayed about in the hall of his home, swinging her hips rhythmically with every stride, steps light and confidant. It seemed like she was always braced for a deadly waltz.
He ought to get up and pinpoint her location. Sleep weighted hands groped clumsily around the area of his pillow, and his fingers finally clasped the edges of cool steel before he sat up completely with a few sharp pops via vertebrae. Cool air pressed to his thinly clothed back and he suppressed a shiver, setting his thick rimmed glasses into their normal hangout on the edge of his nose.
A couple blinks cleared the blur in his eyes.
Yep. Much better. He could see everything in stunning detail now, nothing out of the ordinary could pass unnoticeable. There was no caution he had to retain as he slid his legs over the edge of the mattress. A certain sly cat was currently absent, one because this wasn't exactly her domain, and two the feline would shed over the dark furniture furnishing his house. And in case many didn't notice, removing silvery white hair from a rough textured couch was a royal pain in the ass.
Right. Enough thought collecting. His girlfriend was absent for God knows how long.
The door betrayed no sound as he palmed it open, glancing down the hall. The living room was empty, save for the dim orange light illuminating some objects and silhouetting others. Sure, it could be perceived as creepy.
He could hear her though, if he concentrated enough; talking low, carefully wording statements directed to an unknown conversational partner. He stalked down the hallway and casually strode into the room, taking in his surroundings. It was his house anyway, he's walk however he pleased.
It was just her, however, curled up on one of the couches. Cinnamon hair was splayed wildly, twining around her face like a delicate yet fierce frame. Her lithe body was fitted accordingly to the cushioned edge, a slender leg occasionally lifting only slightly before dropping back down before repeating the process. Dark rings circled under her olive eyes and the bruise under her chin was just as prominent as it had been in the afternoon. Her hands where curled around a small gray phone and she spoke in hushed tones, occasionally pausing to listen to the other's response.
A throat cleared. She lifted a finger.
He crossed his arms. Her eyes drifted downcast, dark lashes feathering her cheeks.
He mouthed the word 'affair' in a questioning manner, which she returned with an astonished expression, lips pulled into a deeper frown. He took it as a sign of false accusation.
Not like she was ever unfaithful. He could trust her. And when she knew he didn't, she demanded it from him with a certain confidence.
And hell he'd hand it right to her.
He approached, carefully winding his arm around her waist and settling next to her, crossing a leg over the other.
"-- And make sure you get plenty of rest too," she ordered.
Oh. A check up. He should have seen this coming. He prodded her fingers cautiously before wrapping her hand in his own, carefully bringing the back of her hand to his cheek as he observed her through heavy lidded eyes.
"No I don't care if you're 'fine' or not. Try not to walk around so much, you might make it worse." A nod. Two nods. He smoothed a cowlick on the back of her head with a quick swipe of a finger. "Yeah, I'll check up on you later in person. Alright. Thanks. You too. Hey," she quipped suddenly. "If I find out you're over exerting yourself again we'll have a problem. No I don't care--" And impatient sigh rattled from his chest as he glanced at the clock on the wall. "--You stay put. Karkat and I will drop by later. Kay? Alright. Sleep well." The phone resonated a muffled beep as she tucked in between her thigh and the couch, sliding closer to the body accompanying hers. She draped an arm across his shoulder, sniffing slightly.
She might have wandered down for those allergy pills he picked up yesterday. Spring allergies slammed into their system pretty hard.
After a moment of well timed silence he spoke, voice thick with slumber.
"How's his calf?" Her eyelids drooped lower as she stifled a yawn.
"Better. The doctor just issued a pulled hamstring. He'll get better." She scoffed. "If he'd stop moving around."
"I'm more than positive he doesn't need your fussing. He's a grown man after all." She clicked her tongue irritably, slipping a leg between his.
"Yeah well he needs my fussing. He'll probably go out on a walk thinking that it's fine, and then suddenly he'll call me asking me to haul him on my back again over to the clinic."
"But he's fine," he singled out. He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Come back to bed. We'll check up on him later. Then you can give him a good lecture. It's too early for them now."
It was her turn to let breath out a gusty sigh before he caught her lips with his own, kneading against them in a slightly alluring pattern before releasing them, shifting to stand.
She followed his example, standing with a stretch before allowing him to herd her back to bed.
