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[ Ephemera drags a hand down his face, knuckling into his bad eye. Watching the kaleidoscope colors bloom across his vision yet again. Fuck, he feels like shit. ]

You don't have to do that. I already wrecked your night.

[ He drops his hand, peering at Drake. ]

Are you - okay?

Hey, you didn't wreck anything.

[ His tone is gentle, but very certain. And yeah Drake's a little worried what's going on in the other man's head right now but... he would've been upset if Ephemera had tried to hide this or felt like he couldn't come to him. ]

I'm just glad you came to me.

[ Ephemera watches Drake for a moment, trying and failing to come up with the right words for this. There must be words, he thinks. But he can't think of them. It's hard to think at all.

After a moment, he just shifts and bumps their foreheads together. Taking comfort from the closeness. ]

[ Drake automatically reaches up to cradle the other man's head, eyes closing. Ephemera's supposed to be hydrating, but... another moment or two won't hurt. ]

We don't have to talk about it anymore tonight, but I hope you'll keep telling me what you're feeling.

[ More than anything he wants to help Ephemera sort through it, so he can start processing his grief. ]

Like I'm going to have an awesome hangover.

[ Breathe out. You're okay. He closes his good eye. ]

Tired. Brittle.

[ Drake hums softly in understanding. And it's late even if Ephemera hadn't had an extremely emotional day. ]

Finish the water, and we can crash?

[ Ephemera sighs, holding the glass loosely. ]

Yeah. Okay.

[ He finishes the water. ]

[ Drake nods encouragingly, holding his hand out for the empty glass when Ephemera finishes it. ]

Go wash up? Maybe take some painkillers just to head it off. I'll be right in.

[ Ephemera nods slowly, handing the glass over. He doubts he'd be able to manage a shower, but he can splash some water on his face. Get his boots off. ]

Okay.

[ Then, softer: ]

Thank you.

[ Drake smiles softly, tilting his face up and kissing Ephemera's forehead. ]

You're welcome. Go on.

[ While Ephemera washes the blood and paint off he's gonna get him a water refill, and see if they have anything like crackers hanging around. He'll meet the other man back in his room. ]

[ And just like that, things settle a little. Not all the way, but -

Enough.

Ephemera washes his face. Toes his boots off and lines them up. And then he heads back into Drake's room, swaying a little as he goes. He's drunk. On the edge of lost but still present, still in the moment. Still here. He leans against the wall and just watches Drake for a moment. Taking him in. Then, quietly: ]

Think I love you.

[ Drake managed to find the crackers and is just coming back with them and a refilled water glass, setting them down on Ephemera's nightstand. He doesn't hear the other man come back, with his boots off, until he says something.

Something very good.

Ephemera's drunk, Drake recognizes. But still said it. He just hopes it's not something the other man regrets in the morning one way or another. There's no way he's not going to smile at hearing it, though. Soft and warm and fond. He crosses back to where Ephemera's leaning against the wall, reaching out to be leaned on instead. ]

C'mere.

[ Fuck, Ephemera thinks, staring at Drake. That smile. That’s going to be the end of him. Because Drake means it, all of it. And it feels easy when Ephemera takes his hand, leaning against him. Letting Drake help him over.

It won’t be the first time they’ve shared a bed. But it -

Matters. It matters. This time is different.

He sighs. Closes his good eye. ]

Okay.

[ Drake helps Ephemera over to the bed, sits him down on the edge of it and helps him get his legs up. Then circles around and gets in himself, pulling up the blanket.

Instead of opening his arms as usual, though, he reaches up and smoothes Ephemera's bangs out of his face. ]

You feel up for a goodnight kiss?

[ And just like before, when Drake helped him move, it’s easy. The blankets are soft and even as drunk as he as, Ephemera knows where he is. He doesn’t always sleep well and there are nights when he still retreats to the floor to rest, paranoia bleeding through.

Not now, though. He cracks his good eye, peering at Drake. Giving him a faint smile. ]

Yeah.

[ Shitty as he feels, he wants that. ]

[ Some nights Ephemera doesn't stay, it's true. But they're still sharing more often than not, and Drake likes to think he gets a little comfort from it. Hopefully tonight is one of those nights.

Drake smiles, leaning in and brushing their noses together just to give him a moment to prepare... then tilts his head for a soft kiss.

He did warn Ephemera that it was what he wanted to do every time he said something sweet. ]

[ Drake leans in close, lingering for a moment, and then -

It's gentle, in the end. Maybe one day that'll stop surprising him. Maybe one day it'll stop feeling strange. Ephemera barely moves, afraid to ruin it. But Drake presses his mouth to Ephemera's and it's just -

It's good, he thinks, and makes a small sound. It doesn't hurt at all. It never has, with Drake.

Ephemera shifts, cupping the back of Drake's neck, and kisses him back. Not hard, and not for long, but it matters.

It matters. ]

[ The little sounds Ephemera makes when they kiss are going to be the end of him, Drake thinks. The way the other man touches him, so carefully. And although there's no heat in his, no urgency, there's a lot of love. He keeps it soft and sweet for as long as Ephemera's kissing back, then lets it break just as gently. Stays close, eyes shining in the dim light from the streetlamps far below. ]

You should probably sleep on your side.

[ He'll let Ephemera pick the position, though -- however he's comfortable. ]

[ They linger like that for a moment, just watching each other. Ephemera swallows hard. And he wonders, suddenly, what it'd be like if they did this with more intent. If maybe he could manage it. Something mutual.

Maybe. Not right now, not like this, but -

One day. That'd be nice, he thinks. ]

Yeah.

[ His voice is soft. Then he sighs, and rolls onto his side. Facing the wall, his back to Drake. It feels -

Safe, like that. Drake will watch his back. Always has. ]

[ Not tonight. Not while he's drunk, and not while he's this upset. But someday probably soon, Drake thinks, they'll be ready.

Tonight he just snuggles in against Ephemera's back, kissing the nape of his neck and wrapping an arm around his waist. He brushes against Ephemera's hand and decides to hold that as well, hoping being the little spoon tonight makes him feel safe. Protected and just... comfortable, as much as he can be.

It's late and it doesn't take long before he falls asleep, Ephemera warm and solid in his arms. It's not a peaceful night -- several times Ephemera jolts awake from a nightmare and Drake has to soothe him back to restfulness. All soft touches and tones, though his voice is rough from sleep. Still reaching for that feeling of safety. He doesn't know for sure what's going on in the other man's dreams but every time Ephemera's able to relax against him again and fall back to sleep so when morning does come and the other man is still in his arms he counts it as a win.

He lies still, not wanting to wake Ephemera before he's ready or jostle him when he surely has an awful hangover. ]

[ The dreams bleed from one violent end to another. Some memories, some not. Sometimes the two blend, giving him new horrors to stare at in the dark. Ships burning in the sky. A planet sundered. His family in pieces. His friends in chains. Drake, shot in the head. Crais, his throat cut. Lakshmi bleeding out, unable to heal from catastrophic damage. He tries to save them, protect them. He never can. And he wakes shaking, reaching for a weapon -

And then he settles, because Drake is there. Alive and strong, his voice rough from sleep but very much alive. And it's okay.

It's okay.

He sleeps. Not well, but he sleeps. And when he wakes, his head feels like it's going to crack apart and cut him to pieces on the shards. ]

Fuck.

[ Ephemera groans, knuckling into his bad eye. Ow. Ow. ]

[ Ah, there's the hangover. Drake pushes himself up onto an elbow to be able to see the other man's face when he stirs, maybe gauge how bad it is. ]

Hey.

[ Looks like the headache is the worst of it, this time. ]

Should I grab you some more painkillers?

Hey.

[ At least he’s not puking his guts out just yet. Small favors. Ephemera keeps his hand clapped over his eye. Today is going to suck. ]

Uh huh. Head’s killing me.

Just a second. Try to sit up, have a cracker or two before we put more acid in your stomach.

[ He kisses Ephemera's shoulder and pushes himself up further to get out of bed. His footsteps are soft heading to the bathroom, then there's the telltale rattle of a bottle, and Drake coming back with some meds in hand. ]

Here.

[ He sits on the edge of the bed and hands them over. ]

[ He has to get up now. Face the aftermath. Ephemera sighs, dropping his hand.

Nothing for it, then. He sits upright with a grunt. And while the world spins, he manages to keep everything down. Small favors.

Ephemera gives Drake a faint, tired smile. ]

Thanks. Feel like shit, but I think I’ll live.

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