~Skephalo & Jefhalo - Oneshots, Drafts, and More~

~Sleepy Flame - 🟠⚪~

Type: Fluff

Tw: None

Context/Background: Based on the Given AU by Patchisntfunny , please go check them out and especially their art on Twitter ^^

If you don't know about the Given AU, basically Jef has fire powers and Good has ice powers. Because of this, Good is always cold and wears thick coats, while Jef always feels hot and sweaty and has trouble sleeping. In this AU, Jef goes by the name Rue, and Good is called Sen. For more information about this AU, look at Patch's concept art and writing (I'm gonna try to add links in the comments)

Rue nodded his head as Prince Sen spoke, the words floating through his mind like honey, thick and sticky and sweet. He couldn't really understand what was being said, but he continued to nod and mumble small "uh huh"s and "mhm"s as the prince rambled on. Rue giggled slightly, his eyes unfocused as he dazily watched the prince. His eyes slowly lowered as his head subconsciously tilted forward, held up only by the palm of his hand, which was pressed against his cheek, elbow propped on the table. His mouth was ever so slightly agape, taking in breaths of cool air and letting out warm ones steadily. He blinked, trying to awaken himself, but he couldn't- he was just so hot and tired and so sleepy. His eyelids began to lower as his face down turned, becoming nearly parallel with the surface of the table.

"..e? ..ue. ...Rue. Rue!" The prince's voice pulled him out of his stupor, and he lazily lifted his eyes, using as much of his energy as he could muster to meet Sen's eyes. "Are you even listening?" The prince crossed his arms.

"Oh... Yeah... S'rry..." Rue offered a sleepy smile, shifting to rest his chin on his right arm now.

Sen huffed, "You were daydreaming, weren't you? You always do that, it's not very polite, you know. I was trying to..." The prince's voice faded away as Rue's vision once again lost focus, almost doubled as he stared blankly into the distance, cheek steadily slipping down his sweaty palm until he was once again staring at the table. With each breath that filled his fiery lungs, he felt himself sway slightly to the side, suspended only by his arm. His hair hung down in his eyes, fluttering a bit with each exhale.

"Are you okay?"

He heard the prince ask the question, but it felt very far away, and he only managed a mumbled, "Yh..." with a drowsy nod of his head, eyes closing on the downstroke. His head stayed lowered for far too long before he managed to lift it a few millimeters, lips ever so slightly parted.

"Rue." There was a jostle of his shoulder, and his name was called with a stern voice. He opened his eyes, but the prince was no longer seated across from him. Rather, Sen was standing at his side, hand on his shoulder and staring at him with concern. "How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Mmmh..." Rue mumbled incoherently, believing in his mind that he had given a sufficient answer, though the prince had heard nothing but quiet gibberish. "M fine... jus' tired..."

"I can tell," Sen laughed dryly. "Did you get any sleep at all?" He received no response at that question, even as he jostled Rue's shoulder. With a sigh, he scooped the fire given into his arms. "Let's get you to bed."

Rue woke up at the movement, lazily wrapping his arms around Sen's shoulders and managing a soft, "Where... we going?"

"To your Ento chamber," Sen replied, carrying him swiftly down the hall. "Unless you'd like to go to my chambers instead?" Rue let out a sleepy grunt before his head came to rest against Sen's shoulder, rustling the prince's thick coat. Sen's gaze flicked down to his fire given, noting the dark bags under Rue's eyes. He sighed, and when he heard soft snores from Rue, he murmured softly. "You can't keep doing this to yourself... You need sleep, Rue-berry."

"...What's... you call me?" Rue mumbled, shifting slightly.

"Nothing, nothing, I thought you were asleep," Sen said, cheeks flushed at the thought that Rue had heard the nickname. He had never uttered it aloud, and would rather be caught dead than admitting he often thought of the fire given as such. He had only dared say it then because Rue was asleep and no one else was around. "Go back to sleep," he muttered.

"Never..." Rue remarked, rebellious even half-asleep.

Sen huffed, eventually arriving at the Ento chamber. He turned the knob and pushed open the heavy iron doors, walking into a dark, completely fire-proof room. The furniture was either made of metal or some material that wasn't flammable, and it was rather dark and cold, remarkably unwelcoming. There were only three furniture items in the room anyways, a bed in one corner, and a desk with a chair in the other. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of metal, making the room look dark even with candles lighting it. Sen carried Rue over to the bed, gently resting the fire given onto the mattress. The mattress looked rather stiff and uncomfortable, even as his arms brushed against it, and he wondered if it had been made of rubber to resist fire. That would certainly explain why it felt so uncomfortable. He ignored it, settling Rue on the bed before standing back up. Rue grumbled, shifting and pushing himself up.

"Rue, you need to sleep," Sen chided, placing a hand on Rue's shoulder and gently pressing him to lay back down.

Rue shook his head, leaning against the wall with beads of sweat collecting on his face. "No... no sleep," he mumbled, forcing himself to stay awake even as his head nodded from the effort it took to hold it up.

"Why not?" Sen asked, crossing his arms.

"S... too hot... Fire... Don wan' fire..."

"Well, I can fix that," Sen smiled. He sat on the edge of Rue's mattress, pulling the fire given into his arms. He brushed his thumb over Rue's forehead, wiping away the sweat that had been gathering there. The boy's skin was fiery hot, but against Sen's frosty fingers, it felt like heaven. Both of them seemed to sigh in content as they molded together, each pressing further into the other's touch, relishing how cold met hot and hot met cold. "This feels better, don't you think," Sen murmured, running a hand through Rue's red hair.

"Mmh," Rue mumbled, barely awake. He was limp in the prince's arms, his consciousness slipping with each touch of Sen's fingers on his skin.

"Hang on just a moment," Sen whispered, realizing how sleepy Rue had gotten in such a short time. He gently rested the fire given back onto the mattress, and Rue let out a grumble of protest as his body began to feel too hot again. "I'll be right there, I'm just gonna take my coat off," Sen promised, chuckling. The bedpost made a perfect coatrack, and that's exactly where he decided to hang his heavy winter garments, stripping down to only his undershirt, pants, and socks. He returned to the mattress, laying beside Rue and pulling the fire given back into his embrace. He melted as his skin met the warmth, and snuggled closer with a pleased murmur.

Rue was passed out by then, for the most part. Sen smiled as he admired the boy's sleeping face. He happily listened to Rue's steady breaths, soft snuffles, occasional snores, and mumbles. Sen smiled and pulled the fire given closer, nuzzling into Rue's hair.

He had never felt so... Warm, before. He loved the feeling. It was comforting, fighting against the Arctic cold that had plagued him from birth. His tail swished up, gently flopping over Rue's ankle, and his icy wings began to drip as the warmth melted their sharp edges. He was so at ease, giggling with the weightlessness that came from being free of his winter wear. It wasn't long before he too had fallen fast asleep.