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The bright morning sun of New Eridu was a familiar sight. Signaling the dawn of a brand new day, as it's inhabitants would arise from their slumber. Sixth Street was no exception to this, as you could hear the sounds of slurping noodles, the smell of a freshly made cup of coffee, or the enthusiastic students who can't seem to get a lucky scratch off ticket from Howl.
For Vivian however, getting up would be a difficult endeavor. Besides, who would want to leave the embrace of her dear Lord Phaethon? Now, how did this happen, you may ask?
_______
Today had been quite the ordeal for Vivian. From meeting her darling Lord Phaethon, to being betrayed by the man she once called her brother. The two proxies had accepted her request to stay with them, and while she was fine with sleeping on the couch, Belle had insisted on something else.
"You should go sleep with Wise! I bet his presence will make you comfortable."
"W-what?! How could I possibly share a bed with Lord Phaethon?! That would be an honor I could never deserve!"
But Belle wasn't buying it. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she practically pushed Vivian up the stairs. "Don't worry. You've had a rough day, and how could we possibly be so cruel to make you sleep on the couch. Besides, it's not like Wise is gonna mind. Anyways, have fun!" With that, she retreated inside her room, and closed the door behind her.
Now, face to face with Wise's bedroom door, she slowly opened it. Fully opened, she found Wise sitting on his bed, playing on his phone. He quickly took notice of the presence on his doorway.
"Vivian? What are you doing here?"
Vivian flinched at the sound of his voice. Her face red, and her fingers nudging the edge of her coat.
"I-I apologize for the intrusion, Lord Phaethon," she stuttered, lowering her gaze in embarrassment. "Belle... she... she insisted that I sleep here. With you. N-not with you, I mean in the same room!" Her voice trailed off into an unintelligible squeak.
Wise blinked, momentarily stunned. He glanced at his phone, then back up. "....Belle, huh? She really likes stirring up the pot, doesn't she?"
Vivian looked up hesitantly, still standing awkwardly in the doorway.
Wise stood up, and motioned his arms towards the bed. "It's fine. You can sleep here if you're comfortable."
Her heart skipped. Her body locked up, only for her to slowly take baby steps inside the room, as if entering a sacred space no mortal should enter. Every part of her body screamed to flee, but the warmth in Wise's voice grounded her.
As she reached the edge of the bed, she hesitated again. "A-are you sure this is okay? I wouldn't want to-" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt a hand on her head. When she looked up, she saw Wise standing in front of her, a gentle look on his face.
"Don't worry about it. After everything that happened today, you deserve a break. Just get some rest."
Vivian's breath caught at her throat at the feeling of Wise's hand resting gently on her head. It wasn't the weight of it, nor the gesture, not even the fact that her idol Lord Phaethon was petting him! No, it was just the kindness in it.
She nodded slowly, unable to speak as her voice got lost in her throat. Her legs moved on their own, and soon enough, she found herself sitting on the edge of the bed, her coat still clutched tightly around her like a shield.
Wise let out a soft breath, and sat beside her. "You're still in your coat," he said quietly, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
"O-oh," she squeaked, jolting slightly as she scrambled to take it off. "I just thought... if I'm not staying long, I shouldn't get too comfortable-" Once again, she was interrupted by Wise taking her coat from her trembling hands and folded it neatly, setting it aside.
"Vivian," he said, his voice a calm murmur in the silence of the room. "You're not a bother. Not to me. Okay?"
Her heart swelled and ached all at once. The words were like balm to wounds she hadn't realized were still bleeding.
"...Thank you," she whispered.
There was a moment of silence, but it wasn't awkward nor tense. It was just... quiet. Peaceful.
Vivian eventually laid down, cautiously pulling the blanket over her, still facing the edge of the bed. Wise reached out to turn off the bedside light, but not before he looked over at her one last time.
"Goodnight, Vivian."
She bit her lip to hold back the smile.
"Goodnight, Proxy..."
A pause. Then softly-
"...and thank you. For everything.
Wise gave a small, almost invisible smile in the dark. He turned away, resting his head onto his pillow. Neither of them said another word after that, but long after her eyes closed, Vivian could still feel the comfort of his presence beside her.
And for the first time in a long while, no nightmares plagued her that night.....
_______
Yet now, as the morning sun beamed into the room, as his Proxy's hands gently enveloped her in an embrace, no rational part of her mind could make her move even an inch. Not because she was uncomfortable, far from it. It's because Wise, her Lord Phaethon, had somehow shifted in the early morning hours.... and was now holding her.
Holding her.
His arm was draped over her waist with ease, like it belonged there.
"W-what kind of trial is this?!" she mentally wailed, her hands gripping the sheets. "He's cuddling me... like it's the most natural thing in the world! What do I do? What do I do?! If I move, I might wake him. But if I stay still, I might die!"
A small sound escaped her. As a result, Wise stirred slightly behind her.
She froze.
"...Vivian?" came his low, groggy voice, still thick with sleep.
Her soul left her body.
"Y-yes, Lord Phaethon?!" she replied, her voice unnaturally high pitched.
He didn't move much, only shifted his head so his face pressed a little closer to her hair.
"...You're warm," he mumbled.
Vivian had never wished for the floor to open and swallow her entire being, but this is one of the times where she did.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to exist so warmly!" she blurted, flailing slightly under the blankets.
There was a pause, then Wise let out a soft chuckle.
"It's not a bad thing," he said.
If a face shaded in crimson could kill, all of New Eridu would die when they looked at Vivian's face. Luckily, before she ended up exploding, he let go of her body, much to her dismay. She turned around, and saw him stretching his hands.
"Good morning, Vivian. Hope my sleep didn't bother yours too much."
Vivian sat up far too quickly, her hair a mess, and her heart was running a marathon or two. "N-not at all! Your rest is far more important than mine!" she stammered, waving her hands in front of her like a malfunctioning fan.
"Relax, Vivian. I'm just glad you managed to get some sleep. You looked like you needed it."
She blinked. Once. Twice. Maybe a third, she lost count. "I'm sorry for all the trouble..."
"Don't be. I wanted to do this."
....Was she dreaming? Her gaze drifted down, unable to hold eye contact for too long without her heart potentially exploding. Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket, knuckles whitening.
"Y-you mean.... you didn't mind?" she asked, her voice smaller than usual, as if she was afraid the answer might shatter her.
Wise tilted his head, giving the same gentle look he did the previous night. "Of course I didn't mind. Belle wasn't wrong, you've been through a lot. If I can make things that slightest bit easier for you...I will."
Vivian's lips trembled, and she bit the corner of her lip to keep them still. For a moment, she didn't trust herself to speak.
Instead, she nodded, her hair bouncing slightly with the motion. "Then... thank you," she whispered, her voice barely above the hush of the morning breeze seeping through the window.
Wise gave a soft smile, then stood, stretching his arms once again with a slight yawn. "Now then, what say we get this day started?"
The sparkle in Vivian's eyes returned once again. "I get to have an insider look in the daily life of Lord Phaethon?!"
Wise let out a short laugh, running a hand through his hair. "It's nothing too glamorous, but there is one thing you're going to do first."
"What is it? I'll do anything for a chance to experience the life of Lord Phaethon!" she put her hands together, a very excited look on her eyes.
"From here on out, you need to call me Wise."
Vivian had once thought that a few seconds ago, being embraced by Lord Phaethon was the peak of her entire life. But now, her world had tilted on its axis.
Her jaw dropped, just slightly, but her eyes had widened like the eyes of a Bangboo. Her mind went completely blank for a full second, maybe two, perhaps even three, before the words registered in full.
"...W-wait, what?" she squeaked, blinking furiously. "Y-you want me to... call you...?"
"Wise," he said again, casually. As if it wasn't the single most earth shattering request she had ever received. "Wouldn't want everyone to know that Belle and I were the proxy Phaethon. And besides, it's more.... comfortable, don't you think?"
Comfortable?
Comfortable?!
What part of this was supposed to be comfortable?!
Vivian opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. Her brain was trying to reboot from the emotional crash. Call him Wise? As in, his name?
Wise raised an eyebrow, amused. "You alright there?"
"I-" she squeaked, her face somehow becoming even redder, "I'm fine! Perfectly fine! I can do this..." she mumbled.
Then, carefully, as if she was charging up a powerful finishing attack, she whispered...
"...W-Wise..."
The word trembled on her lips, uncertain and shy, but it was there.
Wise gave her an approving nod. "There we go."
Vivian immediately let out a noise that was half a squeal and half a dying kettle. "I-I feel like I just committed blasphemy..."
Wise laughed. "You're too dramatic."
"Mmmgh..." she grumbled, still flustered beyond belief. "I-it'll take some time getting used to..."
Wise chuckled. "You'll manage. Now come on." He reached a hand out to her. Slowly, she reached out to grab it, albeit hesitantly.
"Let's go open the video store."