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Oliver was tired, and trying not to show it.

Sitting across the table from Arorangi, it was all he could do to keep his head from hitting his plate. They had agreed to meet up after a long day, something about food tasting better with good company, Oliver couldn't remember the details. The mac and cheese he gobbled down had hit him with the beginnings of a food coma, but he wasn't ready to sleep even when the topic came up.

Instead the boy eyed the vending machines across the room, debating something caffeinated to keep him awake. Had he been a coffee drinker that would have hit the spot.

"I might go back to the lab, there's still lots of data that needs to be transferred to the computer," he muttered. "I think I could do another hour."

Oliver slouched forward, his elbows sliding forward on the table. His weapon's totem necklace nearly fell into the cheese sauce on his plate. If the Leviathan cared, there was no warning rumble to be heard.

"I can't sleep right away, even if I did go now," he protested, not phased by the accusatory finger. His eyes strayed back to the vending machine, next to it was another one that dispensed unhealthy junk food. Candy, bags of chips, chocolate bars, any of which could become a tempting midnight snack.

He pushed the plate forward, and this time he did rest his forehead against the table. Oliver's next words came out a mumble that was muffled by the table, and his arms crossed in front of him. "It's too hard to sleep. I might as well be completely exhausted before I try."

"I, um... I have nightmares sometimes, nothing big," Oliver said casually, intentionally skirting the issue itself. He smiled up at Arorangi, paradoxically the most intimidating person he knew with his size and muscles and tattoos, and yet also the least intimidating.

"Hey, do you want a pop?" He asked, his Canadian dialect showing through as he stood and attempted to pass his big friend to get to the vending machines. Sugar and caffeine, that's what he needed. More than sleep. Way more.

Oliver was still not immune to the looming presence at his back. "I-It's uh, n-no big deal," he protested, rummaging around in the pockets of his jeans for some change. And then one coat pocket. And then another. His Intermediate coat had even more than the last, which would be a mixed blessing until he got the hang of it.

"I just, um... sometimes dream about that mission." Oliver located change, and dropped in some money. He left out the details, like how his mind took the horror and danger of the situation and ran with it. Bugs and organs and the lives of others in his hands, relying on someone as weak as he was...

"What do you want?" He continued, pressing a button and then smiling at the familiar metallic rumble of his drink being dispensed. Then he put more change in, and leaned over to eye the machine of junk food while he waited.

Oliver tried to push the hand away, but he did nothing about the arm. The friendly gestures were something he was growing used to, and even though he wouldn't admit it, he was also growing to enjoy them. "I got promoted, I should be the one worrying about you," he protested with a smile. A flimsy excuse, but he had to try.

When the orange soda clanked out of the machine, Oliver passed it up with a casual motion. "I didn't tell you much about the mission, did I? We rescued some hunters that were, um... i-in bad shape... Sometimes I have nightmares about it."

The boy's attention strayed towards the junk food. He didn't want to make too much of the bad dreams, knowing Arorangi worried about him made him worry in turn. They were scary, but ultimately dreams and nothing more.

"I-it's okay, it's the world we live in now, right?" Oliver replied, opening his own drink with a hiss. It was hard taking a drink of it around Aro's large arm, but somehow he managed. Finn had said it once before, might as well get used to not sleeping. Oliver wasn't sure nightmares were what Finn was talking about, but the end result was the same.

The suggestion was met with hopeful enthusiasm. "I can do that? You think it will help?" Oliver wiggled, indicating his desire to be let go. "Should I bring my pillow? I can just sleep on the floor, it doesn't bug me... But... Um, I d-don't want to accidentally wake you up or anything... "

He stopped wiggling, staring at the candy in the vending machine with some doubt. Going to the lab was still probably the best option, at least he could be productive and not disturb anyone. And sleeping at the desk wasn't too bad either. He had done that a couple times in the past, completely by accident, when left to his own devices.

A man that size had no business being that enthusiastic, but Oliver was getting used to a firm jostling. "I don't know about a party," he replied with a smile, "but I think I have some candy in my room."

"Should I go grab some stuff and meet you there?"

"Okay!" Oliver chirped, "I'll meet you there in a bit!"

The boy had never had many friends growing up, and staying the night at a friend's house was an activity he never really had the pleasure of doing. The closest he came to sleeping elsewhere was his time in the hospital after the accident. But that had been more scary than fun.

When Oliver ran back to his room, the first thing he did was pick up his pillow. Looking around, he then grabbed his black drawing notebook, a handful of small, round lollipops from a grocery bag next to his desk, and both were shoved into the pillow case. After some consideration he picked up one of the two large dinosaur plushies Noemi had gotten him.

It was all set on the bed momentarily until he changed for bed, wearing a pair of dinosaur skeleton print paints, and a white t-shirt that once had a design on it, but was now too faded to read.

He gathered up the items once again and was off to Arorangi's room in record time.