Chapter Text
He felt the bed dip more then he heard the creak. Ephemer was out- something in a graveyard a few miles away had caught his flighty attention, and he’d dragged Skuld along with him. Elrena never came to sleep in his bed, only ever stayed when they’d been talking long and she decided she was too tired to leave, and she always knocked anyway.
The ghost never climbed into bed unless he was watching it, it kind of just… appeared under the covers if they wanted cuddles but he was already half-asleep, not seeing the reason to act out the normalcy of moving when eyes weren’t on it. Sometimes he wondered what it looked like when no one was looking, if they still looked like a younger sibling or dropped the illusion of humanity and appeared more like the shadow that consumed her. That he consumed.
That left one culprit, and it only took a peek through tired eyes to confirm that yes, it was Brain. Sharp-toothed grin and all. He let his eyes slip shut again as the vampire chuckled.
"Sorry darlin', didn't mean t' wake ya." He sounded much too awake for the late hour. Bloody nocturnal creature…
Ha, ‘bloody’.
“Mhm, would have woken me anyway, cold.” Brain was- well, not the coldest. Ephemer felt as cold as a winters fog on a bad day, though on a good day he’d be back to the warm-as-the-sun he’d been as a child, and Ven and Strelitzia felt like static half the time, but Brain was the most consistently cold.
The girls were the only ones free from any sort of supernatural chill, now he thought about it. Elrena was only cold when she’d stayed out on a freezing night without a coat, and Skuld was practically a heater, disregard for cold weather and all.
"Well sorry 'bout that, sweetheart, but it ain't like I c'n control it."
“You could bring a hot water bottle, or a heated blanket.”
"That'd wake ya up anyways."
“Hm, true true.” Brain had finally slipped under the covers, not having turned the light on in the first place meant he didn’t have to turn it off. It was clear, however, that the raven haired man had no plans to sleep yet, much to Lauriam’s dismay. “Why’d you come up? Talkative.”
“Was thirsty.”
“If you get blood on the bed I’m killing you.”
"Relax sweetheart, got myself somethin' from th' fridge 'fore comin' for cuddles. Also, yer the only one 'round here."
“Where’s Elrena?” She was still here when he’d gone to bed.
"Gone out t' help her dear 'nemesis' on 'n 'investigation' t'the graveyard, 'n seemed real… 'xcited 'bout it." Nemesis? Oh, he meant Aqua. He’d feel bad that the girl had caught Elrena’s interest, but she seemed enjoyed her time with their resident lightning bolt as much as Elrena did with her, even if she wanted to hide it. Plus, any second her ire was focused on Elrena meant a second it wasn’t focused on him. That girl was convinced he was up to something nefarious.
Wait- “The same graveyard Skuld and Eph are at?”
"Th' very same. I reckon she plans t' spook her girl with our resident phantom."
“And Skuld.”
“An’ th’ puppy.”
He half-heartedly whacks Brain on the leg for that comment. Skuld was a full grown werewolf thank you very much, she might be a Doggo but she’s no puppy.
He might be slightly sleep-drunk. His stupid vampire laughs.
“Hmn, what about Ven?”
"They're starin' ominously out th' attic window for the night, it seems. Whether it's 'cause they wish ta creep out folks passin' by or just 'cause they wanna look, I ain't got a clue."
Ah yes, his sibling’s new favourite hobby: freaking out the neighbourhood by thoroughly convincing everyone the house was haunted. To be fair: it was, but not quite as horror movie like as they might think. Or it was and he was just extremely desensitised, ten years of this will do that to a person.
“They scared Terra with that the other night.”
"Hmm? Oh, yer coffee shop pretty boy?"
“Mhm,” he was too tired to comment on the tease, “said they…” he trailed off.
"Said they looked just like 'is foster brother at that age?"
He opened his eyes just enough to squint at his bedmate. “How do you know that?”
"I might'a looked into yer little friend after y'mentioned him for th' fifth time."
“Brain.”
"A'ight, more like th' second time."
“Brain.”
"Relax, relax,” he put his hands up in a pacifying manner. “I just looked 'im up on a social media platform 'r two, nothin' I saw weren't already in public eye. I didn't go overboard."
“This time.” Lauriam grumbled, letting his eyes slip shut again as he shifts an arm around the others waist. “…he’s sweet, I think you’d like him.”
“Yeah?” Brain’s voice softens, an old longing in his voice. “You've gotta invite 'im over sometime.”
“Hm. Or we could go out to a fireworks show together, New Years maybe?” There weren’t many options for after dark dates when you weren’t much for bars or clubs.
"Maybe. I reckon… Ven'd like'ta meet 'im too." Ven, huh? He slipped open an eye, before deciding its too much effort again and shutting it. Brain thinks the sibling- or perhaps just Ventus, has taken interest in Terra? That’s… interesting.
“Hm.” It was an unspoken rule to not bring anyone home, too many things about the house were just too hard to explain away, and none of them were actually sure how the ghost would react to strangers without a purpose (it had stayed away from the repair man, but someone it saw the others interact with? Someone just over to visit?). The worst it had been was when… he had entered their last house, and the echoes still rang in his ears when the man was mentioned.
Not that Terra was very likely to get the same reaction as him, but still.
“Maybe.”
"You'd have'ta properly ask 'im out first."
“Shut up. I want to sleep.”
“Hm.” Brain wiggled further in the bed, twisting and turning for a second before he found himself a comfortable place in the taller man’s arms. “Ok, Lauriam.”
“Are you staying?” He seemed too awake to sleep.
"Yeah, I don't reckon I'll pass out but... cuddlin' with you's nice, 'n I was havin' a hard time with th' code anyways." And I don't wanna be alone- goes unspoken but heard anyway. Lauriam cuddles into him.
“Night, Brain.”
“Night, blood-bag.” He lets out one last grumble at the name, before falling into sleep.