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The Lighthouse is quiet tonight. For once, the entire team seems to be asleep. Except, of course, Lucanis. Spite, too, has been quiet tonight, but Lucanis knows that just means he’s lying in wait. The usual methods for keeping himself awake had been serving him well, but now he can feel his body drooping over the book he’s attempting to read as the words start to swim together.
He takes that as a sign that he needs some help if he wants to remain awake, so he leaves the pantry to brew another pot of coffee in the kitchen. Not long after he sets the water to boil, Lucanis hears the door to the kitchen open and shut quietly behind him as someone slips inside.
“Oh!” It's Rook’s voice. They’re whispering, a bit like they’re still expecting to wake someone. “You're up late.”
“So are you,” Lucanis says, turning around to face them. Rook’s still in their armor, clearly just returned from a mission.
“Yeah, the thing with the Shadow Dragons took longer than expected.” Rook starts meandering over to Lucanis as he speaks. “Way more Venatori than we were expecting, for one. But then they separated Bellara from the rest of us, so we had to split up to look for her, and it turned into a whole mess. We only just got back.”
Lucanis nods, letting his attention wander from the water slowly coming to a boil to the Crow across from him.
“I wanted to grab a snack before I tried to sleep, but didn’t want to wake you. Guess that wasn’t a problem.”
“It rarely is,” Lucanis says. He doesn’t know the last time he slept, and that gap in his memory tells him it’s been quite a while.
“Yeah…” Rook trails off, brow furrowing as he searches for something to say about the situation. He's voiced his disapproval for Lucanis’ sleeping habits before, but Lucanis also knows he’s a bit of a hypocrite in that regard.
“Do you want coffee?" Lucanis says, attempting to direct the conversation away from Rook’s disapproval. “The water’s almost done boiling.”
“I’m alright. Still hopped up on adrenaline from the mission, don’t need to make it any worse.”
Lucanis hums an acknowledgement and turns back to the pot, moving to take it off the stove now that it’s come to a proper boil. And perhaps it speaks to just how tired he is, or perhaps to how much of a terrible distraction Rook’s presence is, but either way he’s not paying enough attention as he does so. His hand is on the heat for only a moment, but he still hisses out a curse as he feels it burn.
“Shit, are you okay?” Rook says, jumping up from where he was leaning against the counter.
“I’m alright,” Lucanis says. “It’s not much of a burn.”
“Here, let me.” Before Lucanis can react, Rook takes his hand in their own. Lucanis watches the green streaks of magic move from Rook’s hand to his, flitting over the scorched skin. Healing magic always feels a bit strange, even on small scales such as this, leaving his hand tingling like it fell asleep. When Lucanis looks up, he meets Rook’s eyes, eyes that seem to be studying his face.
“You look like shit.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, I just mean that- when was the last time you slept?” Despite the sudden change of pace, Rook still hasn’t let go of Lucanis’ hand.
Lucanis considers lying for a moment, but it’s clearly a moment too long, because Rook keeps going.
“You know you’re going to crash sooner rather than later, right? I know why you’re awake, but you can’t run on fumes forever.”
Rook is so terribly earnest about the whole thing, and it makes Lucanis want to do whatever he asks, but he knows not to let that get the better of him.
“I didn’t know you knew any healing magic.” Lucanis does his best to direct the conversation anywhere else.
“Eh, it’s not much.” Thankfully, Rook remains as distractible as ever. “I basically just learned it for quick pick-me-ups on contracts.”
Lucanis chuckles. “Did you need those pick-me-ups often?”
“I don’t think I like what you’re implying,” Rook says, all smiles despite himself. “You might be the best of the best, but I’ll have you know this team had a perfectly serviceable Crow before you got here.”
“Of course. I’m sure if I asked Viago about you I’d get only glowing reviews.”
“Viago never has a nice thing to say about any of us and you know it. Teia, on the other hand, would have only nice things to say. Though, that might just be because she thinks I'm handsome.”
“Well, that’s a given.” It slips out before Lucanis can stop himself. Rook looks surprised for a second, but still just as smiley. And they still haven’t let go of his hand. Lucanis feels something like satisfaction at the reaction, but he can’t quite parse it, can’t tell if the feeling is entirely his own.
Rook continues looking at Lucanis for a moment, brow furrowed in thought. Finally, they seem to reach a conclusion and let go of Lucanis’ hand. He tries not to be disappointed at the loss of such little contact.
“How about this,” Rook says. “I know Taash is usually the one who watches you when you sleep, but I’m already awake, and that probably won’t change for at least a few more hours. So, maybe you take a chance when you have it and you get a few hours of sleep under my supervision this time?”
Lucanis tenses immediately despite himself. “I wouldn’t want to impose like that.”
“It’s not imposing if I’m offering.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” he says. “I can’t let Spite have access to you,” goes unsaid, but Lucanis thinks they both know it anyway.
“You’re not asking. I am.” Rook remains firm, but so does Lucanis, and the pair stare each other down for a few moments before Rook sighs. “He’s not going to hurt me, Lucanis. And even if he tries, you know I can handle him.”
But can they? Lucanis doesn’t doubt Rook’s abilities under the worst of circumstances, but this is different. For all he might wish to deny it, Lucanis is not enough of a fool to not realize that Rook cares about him. And that makes this sort of job much harder.
“Lucanis, please ,” Rook pleads. “It doesn’t even need to be the whole night. Just a few hours, and I’ll wake you when I start to crash. I just- we don’t need you collapsing out there ‘cause you’re not taking rest when you can get it.”
It’s those damn eyes that always get him. With eyes like that, it’s no wonder to Lucanis how Rook’s done so well in the Crows up until now. Aside, of course, from their skills with a knife. Lucanis sighs.
“Just a few hours. Then you wake me and get some sleep yourself.”
Rook’s face lights up, and for a moment, bending is worth it just for that. “Deal!” And then, as an aside, he adds: “Spite, if you’re listening, you’re staying down too. You both need the beauty sleep.”
Spite has been uncomfortably quiet the whole evening, but at that Lucanis can at least hear him chuckle quietly. He also gets the distinct feeling that Spite is preening at being called beautiful, however indirectly. He holds back a sigh and heads to the pantry.
Lucanis expects Rook to sit outside the pantry, or maybe in the doorway at the closest. Instead, they follow right after him and make themselves comfortable on the floor right next to Lucanis’ cot. Rook looks at him expectantly as he tries to make himself comfortable and Lucanis does his best not to feel scrutinized under his gaze.
With how tired he is, it doesn’t take much time for Lucanis to start feeling himself drifting away. He doesn’t know quite how long it’s been, but suddenly through the haze of almost-sleep, Lucanis starts to hear Rook’s voice.
“Rook?” Lucanis asks, surprised by the sleep heavy in his own voice.
“Hm?”
“Are you… singing?”
“Oh, uh, yeah, it’s a… lullaby?” The more Rook talks, the more embarrassment creeps into his voice. “It’s something my mama used to sing when I couldn’t sleep as a kid. I thought it might, uh, help. I can stop, if you want.”
“No, no. Feel free to keep going.” Lucanis cracks an eye open to get a look at the way he knows the blood is rising to Rook’s face, and is instead met with a terribly fond smile.
“Go to sleep,” Rook whispers, and Lucanis is helpless to do anything but listen.
When Lucanis wakes, he doesn’t know how long it’s been, but something crawling in his skin tells him it’s been too long. He sits up quickly, eyes whipping around the room, but he’s still in the pantry, and the room looks untouched. Next to his bed, Rook sits, head slumping forward onto his knees.
Lucanis is hesitant to wake him, but it doesn’t look like a particularly comfortable position to be sleeping in. He reaches out and shakes their shoulder gently. Rook snaps to awakeness, eyes darting around the room as though they hadn’t been in a deep sleep moments before.
“Lucanis?” He says as things come more into focus. “Did I- shit, did Spite-?”
“No, no, I don’t think he did.” Lucanis is not entirely sure why he didn’t . It seemed a little too good to be true. Rook was easily accessible, and Maker knows what else he might’ve wanted.
For the first time in hours, Spite finally decides to pipe up: “Rook. Made a deal. I . Keep promises.”
It’s mildly concerning, and the weight of the words Spite doesn’t say are heavy, but it’s something. Another insight into his motives, if nothing else.
Rook lets out a breath. “Well, that’s good. Did you, uh, sleep well?”
“I did,” Lucanis smiles. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” Rook says, standing and making their way to the pantry door. “Let me know if you need another good night’s sleep, Lucanis. I think Spite likes me more than Taash, if nothing else.”
“Of course he does.” And if it’s a shared sentiment, then Lucanis doesn’t need to say anything about that.