Trooper Station, Friday

[pocketpretzels]

Yesterday's restlessness had eventually translated into sleeplessness, and so it was an exhausted Watts that stumbled his way into his office at the Trooper Station on Friday. After placing his hat on the corner of his computer monitor, he all but collapsed into his desk chair.

He'd only been sat down for what seemed like a minute before he felt his eyelids begin to droop. He was startled back awake, however, when the hand he'd been resting his cheek on slipped, leaving him suddenly without support.

This just wouldn't do. He thought about asking one of the Troopers to do a run to the Perk (yes, the station had coffee, but the less said about that the better), but quickly dismissed that idea. Most of them were already out on patrol, and Ralph... well. Let's just say Ralph wasn't allowed to make Perk runs anymore. For reasons.

He gave the space under his desk a speculative look. There was just enough space-

Shrugging out of his suit jacket, he bundled it into a makeshift pillow and curled up on the floor underneath the desk. Just a few minutes of shut-eye, then he'd be right as rain...

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

It was Steven's turn to bring lunch to Llewellyn at work. Not that this had ever officially been agreed upon but it was their pattern and Steven rather liked it.

Steven was surprised, then, when he arrived to see Llewellyn's office door ajar and the lights on inside, but no sign of Llewellyn. Normally this would've made him check his phone to confirm he had the right day, but his hands were full with lunch.

Hoping that the day and time was right and Llewellyn had merely stepped out for a moment, Steven decided to set the food down on Llewellyn's desk since that needed to be done anyway. Today's selection was masala, curry, paratha, and a couple of smoothies to round it out.

Now all he needed was the boyfriend. Who was hopefully working today. Which was hopefully Friday, as Steven thought it was.

[pocketpretzels]

Well, his hat was still dangling off the computer monitor, which led credence to Steven’s theory that Watts had merely stepped out of the office briefly.

But then- what was that noise coming from beneath the desk, something halfway between a snore and a sigh…

[hasaknightjob]

Right. Hat meant Llewellyn was about, which also confirmed it was Friday. Llewellyn would never go outdoors without his hat, after all. Then Steven heard the noise, which was curious to say the least.

Wondering if perhaps the Trooper Station had acquired its own sort of sudden pet, much like the crab at the Clinic, Steven cautiously came around the desk to see what the cause of the noise was.

And then he stared, because this was not what he was expecting in the slightest.

[pocketpretzels]

The station did has a cat, actually, and though infrequently seen she’d been around for years.

That was not who was asleep beneath the desk, mind you. That was just Watts.

[hasaknightjob]

Right. Well first thing Steven was going to quietly move away so that he could shut the door for privacy. Then he came back and debated the best way to wake Llewellyn up. Much as Steven of all people could sympathize with the need for a cat nap - station animal related or otherwise - under a desk was not the most comfortable place to go about it.

Steven decided to try a simple, soft, "Llew?" to see how that worked.

[pocketpretzels]

Not terribly effectively, as Watts remained asleep.

[hasaknightjob]

Right. Contact then. Steven brushed his hand lightly on Llewellyn's arm and said, louder, "Llew?"

[pocketpretzels]

Well, that got some sort of reaction at least- a soft sigh. But no actual signs of wakefulness.

Apparently he’d really needed this nap.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven was tempted to try waking Llewellyn with a kiss. Only they were at the station, and even with the door closed Steven didn't want to assume Llewellyn's level of comfort with such a thing.

"Llew?" Steven said, not yet at the volume of a normal conversation but louder than before. He gave Llewellyn's arm a squeeze this time. "Are you all right?"

[pocketpretzels]

Well, that got a response, at least. Probably not the one Steven was expecting, as it consisted of Watts yanking his arm out of Steven’s grasp and bringing it along with his other arm up to cover his face, accompanied by a pleading “Don’t!”, but a response all the same.

[hasaknightjob]

Actually given the way Llewellyn had reacted the morning after their first night together, Steven had worried about something like this. Which didn't make Steven feel any better about it happening, of course.

Steven immediately backed up, giving Llewellyn his space. He held his hands up so Llewellyn could see him. "It's all right. It's only me. You're fine."

[pocketpretzels]

Watts blinked rapidly, slowly lowering his hands back down away from his face.

“Steven?” he said, puzzled, and then: “I fell asleep.”

Obviously.

[hasaknightjob]

"You did," Steven said, since he knew how helpful it could be to get these things confirmed when you were out of sorts. "You're at work. It's lunchtime. Are you all right? Do you need to go to the clinic?"

Steven falling asleep in unusual spots was normal. As far as Steven was aware this was a first for Llewellyn.

[pocketpretzels]

Sometimes he just liked small spaces, is all.

“Sorry,” he offered, scrambling out from under the desk. “I really only meant to close my eyes for a few minutes. No clinic. Just tired, really.”

[hasaknightjob]

Steven offered him a hand up. "I apologize for giving you a fright."

[pocketpretzels]

“It’s all right,” Watts assured him, taking the offered hand up. “I know that wasn’t your intention.” Well, now that he was awake, anyway.

[hasaknightjob]

"Nightmare?" Steven guessed. He gave Llewellyn's hand a squeeze to offer comfort regardless of the answer.

[pocketpretzels]

“Mmhm,” Watts made a noise of agreement. Unfortunate timing, as most of his dreams had been nothing of note.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven glanced towards the closed door so Llewellyn would be aware of it, then silently offered a hug if Llewellyn would like one.

[pocketpretzels]

You know who did enjoy a good Steven hug? This guy. So yeah, very much taking him up on that offer.

[hasaknightjob]

Steven hugged him tight. "Hello, you."

[pocketpretzels]

“Hello, you,” Watts replied, clinging back. There was comfort to be found in the habitual greeting as well as the hug itself.

[hasaknightjob]

"Anything I can do to make it better?" Steven asked. He wasn't going to stop the hug as long as Llewellyn needed it, at least.

[pocketpretzels]

“Already doing so, you’re here,” Watts told him.

[hasaknightjob]

"I understand that feeling," Steven said. After all, it was just as comforting for him to be with Llewellyn.