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[senseloss]

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[placeheld]

[ For once, it wasn't a line, though Artemis isn't blind to Coda's reaction to it. He dips his head to hide the half smile before turning away himself, wandering over toward the empty bed and settling himself at the end of it. ]

I was just wondering if someone was going to come in and kick up a fuss.

[senseloss]

No, not unless they're already assigning new keys for the room. It's just us here. Are you planning on sleeping over?

[Just one night should be fine, people don't get kicked out after a single night.]

You can have that bed and I can keep working and watch over you while you sleep.

[placeheld]

[ Artemis is all geared up to make a joke about staying over - even though, wow, is that a bad idea - when Coda finishes that thought and leaves him frowning in confusion. ]

I wasn't the most popular kid in elementary school, but I'm pretty sure that's not how platonic sleepovers are suppose to work. When are you sleeping?

[senseloss]

When my mind stops being full of static. Were you really not popular, Artemis? You seem like you would have been. I never got invited to sleepovers, but I never expected to, either. I was the least popular kid around.

Besides, we're neither sleeping together nor sleeping together, so what does it matter when I sleep?

[placeheld]

Their loss. I was just quiet. Kinda shy.

[ Perhaps almost as impossible to believe as unpopular. Artemis is still frowning as he pushes off the bed and circles around Coda a bit, looking for clues as to what's been holding their attention. ]

I can't tell if you're being literal or not, with the static.

[senseloss]

Mostly not literal. Mostly.

[But their gaze follows Artemis as he moves around them.]

Don't prowl around me, please?

[placeheld]

Mostly, huh.

[ He doesn't comment, just shrugs and falls onto the couch instead. ]

How long have you been up for?

[senseloss]

[There's a moment of math.gif before Coda shrugs.]

39 hours, I think. Not that long by my standards.

[placeheld]

You know, a month ago you would've been able to bullshit me that that was normal and healthy for you.

[ Artemis keeps his voice carefully neutral, friendly, but he's also not letting this one go. ]

And now I'm pretty sure you need eight out of twenty-four just like the rest of us. Are you actually doing anything that's an emergency?

[senseloss]

Well, no, not really. But...

[But. They glance into his eyes and then deflate slightly, offering him the completely honest response.]

I can't get myself to relax and slow down enough to sleep. Everything in my brain is firing on all cylinders and I can't just make it stop like some people seem to be able to.

[placeheld]

Ah.

[ The honesty catches him slightly off guard, just a widening of his eyes. He's quick to try and cover that up in case it discourages them from doing it again. ]

I know the feeling. But to circle back around - I care because not getting any rest is probably making that worse.

[ Which still doesn't answer why Artemis cares, personally, but he's not in the mood to be that honest. ]

Does it help to have someone here? Talking?

[senseloss]

I mean, you're making me feel worse about not getting to bed. Is that 'helping' or not?

[They look at the two beds in the room--the one he's sitting on and the one that's theirs. Their heart is thrumming, and they couldn't name why.]

Do you have any other ideas about helping me get to sleep?

[placeheld]

[ Artemis gives them a long, measured stare, because - well, of course he does. But he's also got the last vestiges of a conscious making itself known and he's aware he's treading a line even if he hadn't realized it when he'd stumbled in the window.

He licks his bottom lip and then reaches behind him, feeling around for the former roommate's unused pillow. ]

Well, I was going to offer to recite you something to doze off to, but if you're going to make things difficult.

[ He's quick, and more than willing to throw the pillow at Coda's head. ]

[senseloss]

[Oh, it isn't wise to let go of your weapon like that...Coda seizes the pillow and baps Artemis's arm with it.]

Difficult? Me? Always. Absolutely always. Fight me.

[For someone who's never been at a sleepover before, they're definitely aware of how to engage in a pillow fight.]

[placeheld]

[ Artemis' face goes from mock-stern to absolutely delighted at being indulged in about a second flat.

Perhaps unfortunately for Coda's pillow fight chances it's easy - once the surprise has worn off - for Artemis to scoot back on the bed and use his ridiculously long arms to snag Coda's own pillow. He shakes it menacingly in their direction. ]

En garde!

[senseloss]

[And Coda? Coda just about launches themself at him, flailing with the pillow in their hands with all the violence of Yakko wielding a mallet. This is a proper fight now, and they sort of...

...well...

...they want to play. Just for a moment, just for now. For once, for him.]

[placeheld]

[ Artemis is shocked enough at being pounced that he's not even trying to dodge, just letting out a noise that's halfway between startled and offended as Coda gets in a good few whacks while his defenses are down. ]

You -!

[ Alright, no more Mr. Nice Artemis, he thinks, while still hesitating to put his full strength behind even a pillow. What he isn't hesitating to do though is try and leverage his height into an advantage by wiggling away and standing up on the bed. ]

[senseloss]

[That just means the legs become the target of opportunity, utterly shamelessly.]

Me! Don't think you can escape just because you're up higher.

[placeheld]

[ Artemis dances away, defending himself with the pillow clutched in his hands. Beneath them the bed makes a loud creaking noise that Artemis is ignoring. ]

Who said I was trying to escape? I've got the high ground now!

[senseloss]

[Coda ignores the sound as well, leaping up onto the bed as well in order to try to reduce the height advantage. Not eliminate it, because Coda's short, but they're trying! But they're also slowly beginning to get winded.]

I've got you now, scallywag!

[placeheld]

Do you?

[ Artemis sounds downright smug about it, and it doesn't take long for the why to become obvious. He gives the side of Coda's head one final bap before dropping his weapon and twisting around to throw them over his shoulder. ]

[senseloss]

[What does it say that Coda doesn't give more than a token struggle against him picking them up? That they trust him not to hurt them with his strength, that they're content to be held, even in a really awkward position like this?

Don't think about it too much.

Also don't think about the fact that they're going to try to sneak one hand into his pocket just to see if they can get away with it, but it's another token effort, not serious Winter sneakery.]

[placeheld]

[ Artemis doesn't comment on Coda's hand sliding in his pocket, though he does cough in a choked sort of way that gets cut off entirely. ]

If you wanted a cigarette you just had to ask.

[ Because that's what's in that pocket - a dented pack he'd picked up somewhere - along with a few random hair ties and a handful of crumpled receipts from the diner.

Artemis takes a step toward the edge of the bed, intending to step off, but it gives another loud and ominous creek a moment before Artemis feels the balance of the thing start to shift under them. ]

- Oh, fuck -

[senseloss]

Whoa!

[As the bed cracks and buckles, the only thing Coda can think to do is to hold onto Artemis, trusting in him to keep them from dropping bang on their head.]

[placeheld]

[ Artemis is quick to shift Coda around and twist his own body to at least make sure that they don't end up hitting their head on the wall or getting crushed beneath Artemis as they land hard on the bed.

He bounces hard on the mattress and then slides down to the floor toward the corner with the broken leg. ]

Um. Oops?