It's time for pairing that puts the 'fun' in dysfunctional. This is a collection of short stories and one-shots centered around the daily life and (mis)adventures of Lotus and Rurik, otherwise known as the FellPoth/Lurik ship.
All stories are separ...
Lotus jolted awake to a crashing sound; a brief flash of forest green filled his vision before everything quickly went dark once more. His soul was thrumming in his chest as he processed the loud noise and willed himself to calm down when nothing happened.
Propping himself up on his left elbow, he turned and let his vision adjust enough to make out the vague outline of the living room. He could hear the rain hammering against the roof and windows as another flash lit up the room, proving the storm outside was still going strong.
Shifting into a sitting position, he felt something soft slip down his right arm. Reaching for the object, he felt cotton under his fingers; at some point, he had acquired a blanket. Suppositions to its origins brought thoughts of Rurik, the memories of their fight earlier, and feelings of regret with it.
Lotus drew his legs close to his chest and rested his forehead against his knees; if only the action could drive away the negative emotions smoldering in his soul.
Rurik was only angry because he thought something had happened and felt helpless to do anything. Lotus knew his boyfriend hated losing control of a situation, so the outburst earlier was likely a combination of venting frustration and a roundabout attempt at expressing concern.
On the other hand, Lotus was upset that his boyfriend had rushed into a storm that had racked up a considerable death count for his sake. Considering the situation, he really shouldn't have been surprised the brash idiot went to look for him despite the danger... and that's what made him so angry on top of the pent-up nerves from numerous close calls and guilt for making them worry; he didn't want Rurik rushing into danger for his sake, but instead of explaining that like he should have, he got defensive and blew up.
Clenching the blanket draped around him in his fists, Lotus hissed, "I just keep screwing up... what the hell's wrong with me?" His only answer was a loud peal of the thunder outside that made him flinch and the hunger pangs within himself.
For now, the only problem he could resolve was the demand of his body; it was way too late for dinner and still too early for breakfast, but he could at least get some water, maybe a pudding cup, to sate himself. Throwing the blanket off his legs and suppressing a shiver as the cool night air hit him, Lotus swung his feet over the edge of the couch and onto the floor.
"Urmph!"
A loud grunt from under him had Lotus gasping as he jerked his feet back up onto the couch. A dark figure slowly rose from the floor in front of him; before he could summon his magic to fend them off, a timely flash of lightning lit up the figure haphazardly covered in a blanket as they grumbled, "Dammit Lotus, a little warning before you step on me next time."
"Rurik?" Lotus breathed, his body uncoiling itself gradually from its defensive ball, "It's the middle of the night; what the hell are you doing on the floor?"
The silhouette drooped a bit and he could hear the hesitance in Rurik's voice, "Well, you said you were too tired to climb the stairs, but I didn't want to leave you down here without a blanket since you said you were cold. I went upstairs to get a blanket, but you'd already fallen asleep by the time I came back down; because of that, I couldn't try to talk to you without waking you up again."
There was a long pause where nothing was said. "That explains the blanket," Lotus commented, plucking at the cotton material beside him, "but that still doesn't tell me what you were doing on the floor."
He watched Rurik shift, "I know you're mad at me, but it was still storming outside. I remembered you hate loud noises... and..."
"... and?" Lotus prompted when the silence dragged out.
"I didn't feel comfortable leaving you alone," his companion mumbled. Lotus was stunned into silence, leaving room for Rurik to continue, "With how noisy the storm is, I figured you'd probably wake up in the middle of the night and want company... but you're stubborn, so you'd probably suffer in silence instead of coming upstairs. I also couldn't be sure I'd hear it if something happened down here. If someone used the noise outside to break in and they attacked you; if I slept through it, thinking it was just thunder or the wind... I decided I'd rather sleep on the floor next to the couch than risk waking up to your dust in the morning."
Lotus sat there, staring at Rurik's outline. His companion was right about his stubborn streak; he would refuse to seek out comfort after their fight out of shame for his behavior. While he wouldn't have considered the idea of someone breaking in initially, the thought probably would have plagued him after sitting in the dark long enough. He already knew how his boyfriend was when it came to their safety, so the worry didn't surprise him when he took the evening's events into account; but to go so far as to sleep on the hardwood floors, especially after their fight...
"I'm guessing you're still mad," Rurik stated, bundling up his own blanket and rising to his feet, "I'll go back upstairs, maybe we can ta-"
"Shut up and get on the couch," Lotus interrupted in a weary tone, scooting away from the edge.
He couldn't see his companion's expression, but he could picture the slack-jawed shock that must have been there, "... What?"
"I said get on the couch," the smaller repeated, "Even with the blanket, I'm still cold and I bet you are too; it'll be better than the floor, at least."
That managed to get the dumbfounded skeleton moving, eliciting a snort as he made his way toward the couch. A minute later, Lotus was wedged between him and the back cushions, resting their skull against Rurik's left arm with two sets of blankets covering them both.
Wrapping his right arm around the smaller and drawing them in closer, Rurik's chest rumbled softly against their back, "Better?" Lotus hummed an affirmative, unable to trust his voice not to betray him; he was grateful for the darkness that hid his face, knowing he was flushed from more than the warmth of the blankets.
As the pair settled in and everything fell quiet save for the fierce storm outside, Lotus broke the silence, "... 'm sorry."
"Hnn...?" Rurik sounded like he was already half asleep.
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"I'm sorry... for being pissy and yelling earlier, I mean. I-," his mouth clenched shut, then opened again as he gripped the sleeve of his partner's shirt, "a lot of people died in that storm; a lot of people are still dying, even now. I know you were only worried about me, I get that, but I was grumpy from work, mad at you for risking your life out in that mess, and mad at myself for... a lot of things. Still, I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you; so, I'm sorry."
"Well, I'm just as guilty since I yelled too," Rurik admitted. Lotus felt their chin rest lightly upon his skull, "Since I suck at the whole 'talking out our feelings' thing, I'll forgive you if you forgive me; deal?"
"Deal," Lotus agreed readily, grasping the hand resting against his sternum and snuggling into the arm pillowed under his skull. His sockets fell shut, letting the sound of Rurik's steady soul beats at his back and the comforting warmth surrounding him drown out the storm and carry him off to sleep. He would need to deal with the full aftermath of the storm eventually... but for now, his world only consisted of that couch and its inhabitants; the rest could wait.
