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Once again you have found yourself awake in the early hours of the day. To your chagrin, nothing in particular had awoken you this time around. Dreadfully, your eyes rolled over to the antique clock. At least an hour had ticked by and any hope of falling back asleep seemed bleak. You left the bed in a quiet, frustrated huff; being absolutely careful to not wake up Grim in the process. You wandered restlessly to the living room where the moonlight spilled freely into your dilapidated quarters.
Maybe you were just homesick, you pondered. After all there are plenty of things waiting for you when you get back— if you ever get back. The musty, drafty air of the room only added to your feelings of melancholy as you curled up on the couch. Fear crept its way up your throat. What if you can’t return? You doubted the headmage would let you stay here indefinitely. Who would you go to for help? All these thoughts racing weren’t exactly helping you relax.
You finally decided a proper walk around the dorm grounds was in order. Anything was better than being holed up inside, waiting for sleep. Luckily a few old, dim, oil lamps illuminated pathways just enough to traverse safely. The night air was still and comfortable. The prospect of sleeping outside crossed your mind but there was no way that was safe in this strange, magical place.
Not before long something— no, someone came into view. A horned man sat comfortably on a small hillside.
“Excuse me,” you started, “you realize you’re on dorm grounds, don’t you? I won’t be responsible if that violates any sort of school rule.”
His eyes briefly shifted your way, “I thought this place was long abandoned. Though I don’t recall any curfew.”
“What are you doing here so late?” You inquired, curiously, “did you need anything from Grim or I?”
“I enjoy some alone time here and there, Child of Man,” he leaned back and rested on the soft grass of the hill, “a better question is, what are you doing out here so late?”
You joined him in the grass to listen more to him. What a strange person this was. He didn’t seem to take any notice of you being next to him, but rather continued looking up at the sky.
“I couldn’t sleep. I tried lying down for a while but no luck,” you explained to your mysterious classmate.
He turned his head slightly to face you, “would you like me to help?”
You stared at him, baffled by the offer.
“I can help you get to sleep,” he explained simply.
“I’m not comfortable trying any sort of potions,” you began, “I’ve already tried teas, but-“
You didn’t get to finish your sentence before the darkness of unconsciousness took you. The next thing you knew you were dizzily waking up on your dorm's couch. Your sleep was surprisingly restful for how uncomfortable the old couch was. It was the weekend and an off day so there wasn’t any rush to get to class. Though you wished you could talk to one of your friends about the strange dream you had.
A knock on the door resonated through the old building suddenly. It was enough to knock some of the dust off of the wall sconces and startle you out of your dizziness. You got up, fixing your messy hair and clothes as you approached the door.
When you swung the door open, you were greeted by the same strange man from last night.
“Good. You woke up. Sometimes that spell will have someone out for days,” he smiled.
“So that wasn’t a dream…” you uttered almost inaudibly.
“Not at all, I moved you back into here after you were asleep,” he mentioned.
“You could have given me a warning,” you said as you rubbed your temples, “I appreciate what you have done but suddenly passing out is a little jarring.”
He hummed, taking in your criticism, “Tonight if you have a similar bout of sleeplessness, just come see me again. I can try a different method.”
Towards the end of his sentence a slight smile graced his once impassive face. You were about to explain that it wouldn’t be necessary, but he had vanished into nothing.
Closing the door tightly, you sighed. Is everyone here as odd as humanly possible? If they even are human…
————
You spent most of the day working hard to repair and clean your dorm. Even if some parts were beyond your ability to repair, any improvement is better than none. Of course Grim didn’t provide any assistance, but he at least minded your space and let you clean in peace. You noticed the sun beginning to set as you finished sweeping one of the longer interior halls. You wondered if that strange man would actually be back as you passed through the warm, golden, beams in the common room.
In any case, at least he will not have to return you to an absolute wreck of a dorm. A small flutter of excitement floated around in your chest. You had definitely seen him on campus a few times, but there was something otherworldly about him that you haven’t fully noticed before. Like he had boundless secrets to things unknown and access to all sorts of strange magic.
When night fell, you tucked into bed, drowsy from the day’s work. Initially sleep came easy and it wasn’t hard to be lulled into rest. However, almost like clockwork you awoke in the middle of the night. This time to Grim’s mumbled sleep talking. You knew it was better to just go try your peers' magic than risk another several hours of attempted sleep. One of these days you’ll have to clean out a different room for yourself before Grim’s nocturnal habits make you sleep deprived.
Or in case you want to be alone with him.
You halted at the dorm's front door. Is it appropriate for you to have such a desire for a man you barely knew in such a strange world like this? Decidedly, you pushed such a thought from your mind. Hopefully that red hue on your face would settle before you reached the hill.
“Good, you’re here,” his voice resonated from the hill even before you fully rounded it.
You wasted no time taking a seat next to him, “So do explain how you plan to do this.”
He didn’t speak. Rather, he let that same sly smile sneak onto his face. He turned toward you and reached out for you. Once he saw you were comfortable with his advances, he enclosed his arms around you in a warm embrace.
At this point there was no stopping the blush from returning. You let him pull you into a comfortable position, seating you in his lap.
“Just relax,” he instructed and you did your best to slow your frantic heartbeat.
Eventually, you calmed down. He had relaxed his shoulders and let you rest your head upon one of them. With gentle motions, he ran his fingers lazily through your hair. The soft, deliberate touches easing your tensions. He played with the fine locks and you could feel your breathing slow to match his own. Everything seemed so comfortable, from his warm embrace to the breezy air outside.
Without fail you lull into a deep sleep in the arms of your colleague. Fears and doubts melted away from the two of you as he gave you a gentle, but tight hug. Malleus held you as if you were the only key to his comfort and ease. As foreign as it all felt, a sense of belonging poured over you like a waterfall. It wasn’t long before both of you drifted off to sleep.
——
Grim awoke in your shared room with a start. Somehow, without waking him— you and a strange horned man not only got onto the bed, but also under the covers. He turned his attention away from you two only to be shocked once more by a small, red eyed, Diasomnia student. Lilia covered his mouth with his finger and Grim held in his surprised scream.
Lilia then explained in a whisper, “I noticed Malleus was out. I found our prefects here cuddled up outside and brought them in. Let’s just let them rest.” He gestured towards the two of you, “After all, look how precious they look.”