Chapter 2: Sleep (Naib x Reader part 1 of 3)
Summary: Naib and the reader find it difficult to transition from their friendship to their relationship.
Fluff, 3rd person, 3 parts, each short. Word Count: 1748
The day was late. Everyone had retired to their rooms and most were drifting off to the land of dreams. Most didn't include Naib Subedar. His sleepless nights weren't a rare occasion; however, he had been sleeping fine recently. What changed between then and now? As far as he could tell, nothing. He was comfortable, wrapped up in two fluffy blankets, he wasn't thirsty, as shown by the empty water bottles strewn about his room, and he wasn't worried about anything. He just couldn't sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning and cuddling up to his blankets, he decided enough was enough and got up.
"It's an early head start to the day." He convinced himself under his breath, "Nothing wrong with being up and ready at 5 in the morning." Except it wasn't 5 in the morning. As he walked into the kitchen, he caught a glance at the clock looming above him, seeming to mock him for not being able to fall asleep. It read 2:28, an unreasonable time for him, or anyone to be awake. As he fully crossed the threshold to the kitchen, he noticed a figure hunched over the table. He thought they were working on something; however, only when he approached, did he realize they were asleep. The person in question, (y/n) (l/n), slightly rose her head and blinked when he got too close.
"Naib?" He had to lean in close to hear her, "What are you doing awake?" Though her voice was quiet, her concern couldn't be louder. The slight pressure of his hand on her head was a welcome comfort. He smiled down at her, in a futile attempt to quell her worries for him.
"I couldn't sleep, no biggie. What were you doing up?" He shoots back, concerned for her as well.
"I wasn't awake." A toothy grin emerged on her tired face, "I *was* sleeping." Naib mentally smacks himself, getting ready to apologize, when she speaks up again. "Are you sure you're ok, I can get you something if you'd like." She starts to get up, but comes to an abrupt halt when his hand collides with her shoulder, softly pushing her back down in her chair.
"I'm just bored, I was going to get some food." His feet moved him to the fridge while his eyes were still on her. "Why did you fall asleep here?" That was definitely a better question to ask. She hummed in thought, searching for an answer somewhere in the back of her mind.
"I don't know." She wasn't disturbed by the fact she didn't remember why she was here, or when she fell asleep in the desolate kitchen in the wee hours of the morning. "I was doing dishes, and I guess it took a lot longer that I thought. I was too tired to go back to my room." Her toothy grin reserved for Naib was replaced by a nervous one, followed by an equally nervous chuckle. She didn't want Naib to be mad at her for not taking better care of herself, as she often was with him. He didn't seem mad, she noted, as he rummaged through the fridge for something to munch on, humming in response to her odd answer. She grinned again; an idea suddenly popping into her head. As quiet as a mouse, she tip-toed behind him and reached for the old fashioned wooden bread box sitting on the counter. According to everyone else, that thing had never been able to open, as tried by the first survivors to arrive at this manor, but the curious mouse couldn't be contained, and as a result, she now has access to a hidden-in-plain-sight food storage unit. She snatched her midnight snack from its hiding place, and quietly waltzed over to Naib, tapping lightly on his back.
"Want some?" She held out a box of (favorite cookie). She could practically see his eyes light up and the drool form in his mouth as he nodded vigorously. He grabbed the milk from the fridge and two glasses from the cabinet beside it.
"How do you have these?" He gushed, "These are so good! I thought that they were all gone!" (y/n) chuckled at his cute antics, dipping one of her cookies in the milk he brought her.
"Every time we buy them, none get left for me, and these are my favorite!" She held to box up, as if to praise them for being so delicious. "So I decided to buy myself an extra box when I get assigned to getting groceries, and I hide them!" She adds sneakily, wiggling her fingers.. "I'll let you in on my little secret," Naib leans in closer, "the old bread box actually does open, so I hide them in there." They share a quiet giggle, as to not wake anyone up, and lean in closer to each other.
"You've got something, right here." Naib reaches toward the small girl, his thumb travelling to her cheek. The crumb is removed from her face, but his hand is not.
"You think I'm messy?" She starts, retaliating so he doesn't notice how flustered she is, "Your face is so messy that this is the only thing that will clean it up!" She quickly brings her lips to his cheek, taking a few crumbs from his face off. The heat that comes to his face is comparable to the supernova he felt going off in his heart. Not able to bear the thought of her doing something wrong, (y/n) quickly cleaned up the small mess they made, and offered a hand to the lovestruck mercenary while looking away.
"Let me take you back to your room." She yawned. "I think we both n- uh need more sleep." The never-ending smile on his face went unnoticed by her, until he forced her to look. Her face was once again entrapped by his hands. The rough calluses and scars on his battle-worn palms were a familiar comfort to her, but never before had she the chance to feel them on her face. (y/n's) blush worsened, though her fatigue was starting to cut through. Naib loved the look on her face. He wanted to cherish it. The blossoming feeling in his chest when he gazed upon her smile and soft eyes was inexpressible. She was beautiful and innocent; her soft gaze melted through his layers and nestled itself deep in his heart, where he thought no one would ever be able to reach. She didn't try to move, for she was as entranced by him as he was of her. Her hands glided down his soft jawline, holding his cheeks like holding a puppy begging for attention, and if he were a puppy, his tail definitely would've fallen off. As much as they wanted to stay holding each other for eternity, they did have to separate. As they leave the kitchen, (y/n) glances at the clock again. 4:56 am. She was surprised that they managed to spend almost two and a half hours together, but she still wanted to stay with him longer. Little did she know, he felt the same way, and he intends to act on his wishes. The warmth from her hands leaving his face broke him from his stupor, though it was instantly replaced in his hand, as she held it to lead him to his room. The walk was silent, but not uncomfortable. That was, until Naib spoke up.
"It's almost 5." He started, stopping in his place and turning to the side, "Do you want to take a quick detour and check the match board?" He started walking towards it without waiting for her answer. She giggled and quickly caught up with him. They soon arrived at the main room where the board that said who would be teamed up in a match lived. Hand in hand, their eyes sifted through the names until they reached where they were mentioned. Naib had only two matches, both of which with (y/n). She was less fortunate, totaling up to five matches, the earliest starting at 10 am. She sighed, tightening her grip on Naib's hand, and pulling him to his quarters.
"Ugh, I am not ready for this. Why was I chosen for like all the matches today?" She quietly interrogated the air around her, though no one had an answer. "I just wanna go back to bed." Naib chuckled at her, and rubbed her hand with his free one.
"Let's go back to bed then." He told her matter-of-factly as they arrived at his room. Her plan was to wave and wish him a goodnight, but he had other ideas. She leaned in close, her breath warm on his ear. To say it didn't fluster him is a lie, but Naib managed to handle it well.
"Goodnight, Naib." She whispered, turning to leave. Before she could finish changing her direction, Naib held her close, brought her into his room and closed the door. Blushes brighter than the full moon gazing through his window filled their faces.
"Do you mind, uh, staying with me?" His voice gradually got lower as he finished his question, nervously awaiting her response. She couldn't respond. Rendered speechless by his request, she only got closer, both getting more and more nervous with each passing second. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she pulled him towards his bed, and both of them got comfortable underneath his bedsheets.
"Are you comfortable?" She questioned softly, laying her head on his chest and curling up by his side. His eyebrows furrowed and he tensed up, making the small girl feel like she was doing something wrong. She started to shift, trying to make him feel at ease, but he stopped her. He wanted her as close as possible; he was ecstatic that she was with him, but he's never been this close to someone before. She turned towards him, trapping him in a hug that he thought was the most comfortable thing in the world. Her hands rested on his back, making him shiver when she began to move her hands in a pattern on his back. He held her and pulled her in closer, though they were already as close as possible. The lack of movement on his back notified him that (y/n) was now sleeping, something he was grateful for. Naib closed his eyes as well, letting the rhythmic beats of her heart lull him to sleep.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone