Alexei sat up like an electric shock and Memo was glad he’d been leaned back in a yawn because they would’ve clocked heads like a bell’s clapper and that would’ve sincerely sucked. Alex stared, wide-eyed, at his half-circle array of sheep and seemed to grow paler and redder at the same time with each set of beady eyeballs he set upon.
[break][break]
Memo was mostly used to it, somehow, by now, and just masked his smile by covering another yawn. He’d clued into Zuza’s terribly clumsy approach to matchmaking immediately, so score a point for him, and was very aware that Alexei’s herd of ovine companions had it in for the two of them. Whether or not it was for some good short-time ribbing or for something more long term remained to be seen.
[break][break]
Alexei was still, more or less, laying on him, with one hand propped on the edge of the couch to lift him up. Memo tried not to wince as feeling rolled back into his legs for the first time in a couple of hours.
[break][break]
“No, love,” Memo said, resisting the urge to grab at his sore, locked-up knees; he was sleep-deprived and stiff and coming out of that valley of terror that happens when one is ridiculously stressed. It made his tongue a bit loose and his head a bit fuzzy. “Unless you count putting my legs to sleep indecent. Not that I’d have minded, of course. But maybe not in the state you were in.” He pressed his chest forward, spine popping and cracking up between his shoulder blades. “You were having a bad time so I stayed for a cuddle. But I don’t imagine you have a real bed we could park in if we’re going to stay like this?” He cracked his neck. “Or coffee?"



[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He’d intended to lower Alex into the memory of last night gently and buffeted by lots of humor, but that didn’t stop the man from grabbing his phone with the ferocity of a thrashing panicked fawn. Memo tensed, ready to jump in with more stabilizing hugs and maybe even a smooch or two, if necessary. Such sacrifices just had to be made sometimes.
[break][break]
He smiled at Alexei. “No, love. Nothing stupid. You were just dealing with some stuff, which is understandable.” He leaned forward, managing to swing his legs off the couch and holding back the sigh of relief as he moved to soothe a blushing Alex with back rubs. “It’s okay! It’s okay! I volunteered. It wasn’t too bad.”
[break][break]
Alexei seemed to be fighting with something internally and Memo tilted his head at him. “I brought some clean undies and I think a pair of sweatpants that doesn’t have frogs on them.” He was about to dismiss himself to take a shower and give Alex a break when Will did-- well, he did a Will, honestly-- and pushed Alex back into his lap.
[break][break]
He had to bite back laughter as he gently but firmly pushed the Wooloo back off the couch. “Hey,” he said, managing to maintain a level of sternness in his voice. “None of that, now.” There will be plenty of time for that later, he thought, as a joke. Mostly. He helped a tomato-faced Alexei sit back up but by the time he’d righted the man he was grinning despite himself.
[break][break]
“If it’s too much, I can leave,” he said, somehow accomplishing to not sound disappointed. He didn’t want to push Alexei into anything he wasn’t ready for, even if he was unequivocally talking about sleeping and not anything… extracurricular. “As long as you’re going to be okay,” he added, resolute.
[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Memo let his head fall to the side, heavy with sleepiness, as he watched Alexei deal with his wayward wooly friend. Distantly he remembered how nice it felt to have his weight slumbering across his legs and to be playing with his hair. He would feel demolished-- a slight bit worse than destroyed, he reckoned-- if Alexei took him up on his offer of leaving.
[break][break]
So when he turned on him and barred the possibility, it made his heart sing, but all he managed was a tired smile.
[break][break]
“‘Snot like I have to drive,” he said, but he didn’t fight the matter anymore. Just how far down this gift horse’s throat was he going to stick his head? Still, he didn’t want it to seem like he was taking advantage of Alexei’s vulnerability-- waiting until he was at a low point to make a move. So he stretched his legs one more time, then stretched his arms above his head, and stood up, grabbing the string of his overnight bag as he went.
[break][break]
“I can just sleep on the couch, too,” he said, stepping in the direction of the bathroom.

[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Memo smiled. They were both exhausted-- Alexei probably felt pretty drained from the sheer volume of emotions he’d felt last night. Memo stretched, hands pressing on the small of his back, spine cracking; he righted himself quickly when Alex admonished him about his dragging heels, and his smile turned into a grin.
[break][break]
“Right-o,” he said, flashing a thumbs up. “Don’t have to tell me twice.” I’d love an excuse to be in bed with you died on the back of his tongue but even if it was a joke (it was) he didn’t want to risk the chance of it being misconstrued. “I’ll be quick,” he said, instead.
[break][break]
He was in the bathroom while Alex was admonishing the smallest and newest of his little flock. It was an impeccably clean set-up, with towels and such already laid out. It took him five minutes to hop in, utilize the hygiene items already within, and scrub off the staleness and sweat from the night of sleeping under someone. He rubbed the last of the stiffness out of his neck and was sort of almost awake by the time he was dry and in new clothes-- clean undies and plain gray sweats, but he hadn’t brought a second shirt. His first one passed the sniff test, though, so he slipped it back on and headed back out to the living room trying to hide his excitement.
[break][break]
“So,” he said, to re-announce his presence, hoping Alex hadn’t fallen asleep again-- he was strong but he didn’t so much fancy carrying him, given that he was half a foot taller and a few stone heavier-- “bed?”


[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Memo was slightly relieved the horde of sheep wasn’t waiting for him back out in the living room. Likewise there were no hangers on as he let Alexei lead the way, following him into the bedroom.
[break][break]
Oh, god. He was getting nervous.
[break][break]
It’s just a bedroom, he thought, hoping to calm his rapidly quickening heartbeat. It’s just a bedroom. It’s just sleeping.
[break][break]
But being just a bedroom didn’t make it any better because it was just Alexei’s bedroom and, oh, jeez, everything had come so far so fast, huh? Weird that this had all started with a speed date and a couple of sheep pictures on the other man’s phone. But now they were in his bedroom.
[break][break]
The first thing that Memo realized was that it smelled like Alexei-- smelled clean and wholesome and fresh, with the tiniest hint of sugar, opposed to his apartment which usually smelled like garlic powder and pepper and, god forbid, Oona when it rained, sometimes.
[break][break]
Which meant the sheets and blankets would smell like Alexei which meant, by further extension, he would smell like Alexei. His stomach was doing loop-de-loops over a smell! A smell.
[break][break]
He heard the lock click behind him-- and his brain hastily explained it away that it was for peace of mind, to stop any or all of Alexei’s horde from rushing in on him while he slept-- but that was when he realized he was well and truly in it now, huh? He’d rushed over from a string of panicked calls filled with the fear that something horrible had happened to someone he’d loved.
[break][break]
Get a hold of yourself, Marceliño.
[break][break]
“Do… you have a particular side you prefer?” he asked, feeling lame, wondering if it was too late to volunteer to sleep on the floor. But he was very tired and the bed looked very inviting-- it was bigger than his. The pillows looked nicer, too.
[break][break]
It’s just a bed. It’s just sleeping. It’s just a bed. It’s just sleeping.



[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“I’m not nervous,” Guillermo responded, with the rapidity and grace of someone who was very nervous.
[break][break]
Alexei didn’t seem to mind. He pulled the big, dark curtains over the daylight streaming in the windows and suddenly it was night again. With the practiced ease of someone used to it, he flung himself over the bed, fumbling on his nightstand for something in a direct impersonation of Memo at 2 AM this morning trying to find his ringing phone.
[break][break]
He smiled.
[break][break]
The AC united roared to life as Alexei invited him in; he felt a bit like a vampire, like some spell was broken, and whatever was holding him back broke with a soft yawn. He sat down and stretched his legs long on the cool covers, giving his back one last arching pop before settling down. He snuck under the blankets and let himself rest on the pillow, just barely being able to hold back from noticeably smelling the fabric, like a freak.
[break][break]
The AC rumbled away with a comforting whirr and Memo was secretly thankful for its presence. He was hot-blooded and generally ran warm-- a bit of a hotbox, as Alexei would, no doubt, soon discover. It was a blessing in a Galarian winter but not quite so much when trying to get your cuddle on in the early Hoennian summer.
[break][break]
He rolled over on his back to look drowsily at Alexei. “Are you a big cuddler?” he asked, stifling a yawn. “I tend to run hot, so, you might want to crank that thing.” He jerked his thumb at the AC unit




[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

“Maybe a little,” Memo finally allowed, covering his yawn in both hands. Now that they were both laying down and it was dark it was getting harder and harder to resist the comforting and insistent pull of sleep. “I’ve just-- never done this before.” But his words were slurring even as Alexei kicked the blankets down.
[break][break]
“A lil’ bit, of a space heater,” he confessed, rolling over onto his side-- though he scooted closer to the edge of the bed to give Alexei as much room as he possibly could. It was his bed, after all.
[break][break]
“Mmh, g’night. Morning. Whatevers.”




[break][break]

+ Alexei Ivanov

[attr="class","pokeclass"]