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 Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:21 am
She couldn't sleep; that was not unusual. In the slums, she slept in piles, in groupings with littles flung across any bit of soft floor or softer Preacher they could find. And the noise in the city never stopped, someone was always moving. It was too quiet here, the soft sleep noises of her dorm mates only broken by the ocassional hoot of an owl. Her bed was too soft, too comfortable. Preacher prefered the floor. Abruptly, she wondered if Axel were sharing his bed, if he had...
"I should've gone out with ********. The idea of him snuggling up to Harper had its own dreadful appeal, itchy and vaguely painful, like a scab she couldn't stop picking at. Giving up, Preacher hopped up out of her bed. She crept to the door soundlessly. Her dorm mates hadn't been on the streets; they didn't know how to move, and they didn't know how to listen. When she slipped out the door, they didn't stir. Carefully, Preacher made her way to Axel's dorm (not that she'd been paying attention to where he slept, she just happened to notice) and listened at the door. Silence. No chatter, no giggles. Good. She immediately chided herself for the thought. Wouldn't it be good if Harper were there? That was what she wanted, wasn't it?
The door was unlocked, and Preacher slid in, a silent shadow. Inside, the four beds were occupied by four dark shapes. She instantly knew which one was Axel. His bed was back at the corner of the room, and his hair glintly dully in the faint light. She went to him, picking her way over the floor slowly, not wanting to trip over a carelessly placed boot and wake everyone. Axel was lying on his side facing away from her, fast asleep... and alone. Preacher stared at him, a frown plucking at the corners of her lips. On the way she had completely convinced herself she would spot him snuggled up Harper, or soemone, anyone, one of the girls in his dorm, and the hateful image had burned itself into her brain.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:22 am
Usually Axel slept like a log, but tonight he was restless, plagued by troubling dreams. Possibly because it was the first day without extra laps in several weeks. Possibly because of his confusing and disappointing tent-building partnership with Preacher. He'd screwed up. Again. Axel frowned in his sleep.
Preacher tied off the bandage around his ankle, scowling at him. "Yer too ticklish, Axel. Ya'd never survive in tha slums. Tinker'd cut yer feet off just like all them footless kids." She shook her head, disgusted with his ticklish ways, and stalked off.
Axel tried to get to his feet, to stop her, but the air was as thick as molasses and by the time he stood up Preacher had vanished. "Preacher, wait!" Axel shouted, taking a step towards the place in the trees where she had disappeared.
"I'M DONE WAITING. IT'S TIME FOR YOUR TEST," a voice boomed. It was a female voice, magnified to an ungodly volume. Looking around wildly, Axel saw Ervette standing behind him. She was a Titan, still clad in her uniform, her face lost in the trees. She hefted a swimming-pool-sized bucket of water menacingly.
Axel turned to run and fell flat on his face. His feet were gone! He was footless! Ervette upended her Titanic bucket, a tidal wave of water roaring down to crush him.
Axel rolled over, blinking rapidly in the dim light, trying to shake the image of Titan-Ervette. To his astonished horror, someone was standing over him. Axel clutched his thin blanket like a shield, waiting to be drowned.
Sanity reasserted itself as his bleary eyes focused on the shadowed figure, the dream fading. This was no Titan. This was a person. A short person.
Preacher!
"What are you doing here?" Axel whispered.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:22 am
"There ain't no one in yer bed, Axel," she said blankly, as if that explained everything. She had been so certain that Axel would be cozied up to someone, Harper, anyone that now that he wasn't... she wasn't sure what to do. Suddenly, she felt tired, drained, and a faint sigh whistled out of her. This was all his fault somehow. She narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Shove over," she hissed, and clambered into his bed, wwedging herself skillfully between him and the wall.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:23 am
Bewildered, Axel did as he was told and moved over to make room for her. Preacher had snuck into his dorm to cuddle with him because ... there was no one in his bed? Maybe this was a dream. He waited for her to get herself comfortable before he dared move, wondering if this was some kind of cruel joke. When she didn't elbow him in the solar plexus he gingerly laid an arm over her.
Wow. Okay. He was completely baffled, but this was nice. Preacher was warm and snuggly and her hair smelled clean and floral and good. Axel could get used to this.
"Who would be in my bed?" he whispered.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:23 am
She stiffened when Axel laid his arm on her, hand flying up to grab his wrist. It was warm, or hot, and heavy, like a blanket rolled up and placed on top of her instead of spread out. "What're you doin'?" she hissed.
"N' shut up! Could be anybody-" Harper. "-anybody at all. So I jus'.... hmph." She trailed off into an odd noise halfway between a groan and a gargle. Preacher pressed her head into his pillow, feeling her cheeks warm. She was being ******** stupid, and she knew it. But his bed smelled like him, and it was nice.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:29 am
"Snuggling you," Axel hissed back, tangling his fingers in hers. If she was going shove into his bed she was getting snuggled whether she wanted to or not. It wasn't a very big bed, after all, so some degree of snugglage was inevitable.
In his confused and sleepy state, it was difficult to puzzle out what Preacher was talking about with the people-in-beds thing. Were there not enough beds in Luchse? Wait, no. That was dumb. Suddenly he realized the sizzling-bolt-of-lightning-shocking truth.
She was jealous.
It was adorable.
He tried not to laugh, and succeeded in staying quiet, but his chest hitched. A dead giveaway.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:30 am
Preacher could feel herself relaxing involuntarily, the heat from Axel seeped into her night-chilled muscles. She yawned softly. And then she felt his chest hitch. He was laughing at her! It was bad enough that she felt silly and stupid for even coming here, but for him to laugh at her too? She crooked her elbow and ajerked it back, hoping to catch his side or stomach or some soft, fleshy part that would hurt just a little bit. She turned over to face him, eyes flashing.
"Stop laughin' n' shut tha ******** up, Axel!" She poked him in the chest and shut her eyes. "Iffin ya snore, I'll kick ya."
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:30 am
It wasn't hard enough to make him yelp, but the jab was enough to make him wince. Still, he was grinning when she rolled over to glare at him. It was somehow enormously satisfying to know that Preacher was jealous of ... well, of some imaginary girl. Ha! When she shut her eyes he seized the opportunity to kiss her on her pretty forehead, settling his arm back over her.
"Bet you snore more'n me," Axel said sleepily.
At last he felt relaxed enough to sleep without nightmares. There was a hot chick in bed with him, which was distracting, but Preacher's presence had finally chased the grim specter of Titan-Ervette from his mind.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 6:31 am
She stiffened when he kissed her forehead, but only sighed. Preacher was the one who'd come here, after all.
"I dun snore-" Yawn. "-idiot. N' shut up afore ya wake everyone." With that, she hmphed and tucked her head down. he was warm, she was sleepy, whatever. Within minutes, she was asleep.
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