His Only Sleep Remedy - Dragon Quest 11

His Only Sleep Remedy

Title: His Only Sleep Remedy

Summary: Erik couldn't sleep. Luckily, El can help. Even though he himself was asleep.

Pairings: El/Erik

AN: It's been aaaaaaaaaages since I've written a oneshot. I'm trying to ease myself out of hiatus and back to regular writing. But you're not here to hear about my health troubles; you're here for cute boy fluffiness, and I totally understand :3c So I hope you enjoy~

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Erik was agitated.

It was well into the night. The cloudless sky above filled with twinkling stars. The breeze was gentle, refreshing. And relaxing.

And yet, he could not settle. He could not find a sense of relaxation, let alone sleep. After a long day of travelling through flourishing lands filled with monsters and the constant threat of said monsters, he needed sleep.

He wanted to sleep.

Yet, he couldn't.

The campfire had dwindled down to embers, its orange glow competing feebly with the full moon. And served to be an irritant to the already irritated thief. The glow of the dying fire constantly flickered from the corner of his eye, even with the eyelids tightly shut.

The breeze was soft, gentle, but still disturbed the leaves of the trees high above his head. Causing them to rustle, the sound waning in highs and lows, yet never falling silent.

Even the breathing of his sleeping companions irritated him. So loud. Unrhythmic. Yet in chorus with the loudly chirping insects.

The bed of which he laid was soft. His standard sleeping arrangement. Yet, tonight, it was uncomfortable. On his back. On his side. On his stomach. It didn't matter what position he tried. He just could not rest.

He hadn't tried sleeping standing on his feet, or heaven forbid on his head like some kind of bat. But if he didn't get any sleep soon, even just for five minutes, he was going to do something drastic.

He had no idea what, mind. But the time was drawing nearer.

And he was about to do something.

Biting his lips together in an attempt to not awake his (unfairly) sleeping companions, Erik flopped over onto his back and wiggled restlessly back into his make-shift bed.

He couldn't help but feel that something was missing. That he had missed a step in his usual nightly routine. And that was what was disturbing in.

But he hadn't missed anything.

Had he?

A soft mumble from his right prompted Erik to peel open his eyes, his face already creased into an expression of sheer disgruntlement. He lolled his head to the side from where he laid upon his back, and found himself staring into the face of a sleeping peacefully El.

Erik honestly felt a spike of annoyance and jealousy. A soft, disgruntled voice murmuring "how dare he sleep when Erik himself couldn't."

Yet, that voice was drowned out quickly. And in spite of his annoyance as his own inability to sleep, Erik felt a small smile slip across his lips.

He felt a sense of relief.

Erik rolled onto his side, his head resting in the crook of his elbow as he watched El silently.

El's face was truly peaceful. In a deep sleep. One of which he thoroughly needed. And deserved. His forehead free from furrowed wrinkles. His jaw unclenched, with his lips parted ever so slightly as he breathed quickly through his nose. And exhaled with a rather adorable snore.

Seeing him in such a state was...rare. Unfairly so.

So...it was nice seeing him relaxed. His dreams, for once, not plaguing him.

Just as that thought crossed Erik's mind, El unexpectedly murmured and scrunched up his nose. For a moment, Erik feared that he had unintentionally jinxed him. Yet, just as that filtered through his head, El rolled onto his side, almost aggressively.

And threw out his arms toward Erik.

Before Erik, the ever-agile thief if he were to say so, could react, El had wound his arms around him and quite literally dragged him toward him.

And held him tightly against his chest.

Erik's eyes widen, his face uncomfortably hot as his cheek rested against El's chest. He wasn't sure whether heartbeat he heard in his ears was that of El's, or was his own.

El mumbled something in his sleep. A rather content little murmuring. And Erik felt his features heat up further when El sleepily nuzzled his cheek atop of Erik's head.

With one arm around his shoulders and the other against his back, it was pretty clear to Erik that El was unlikely to release him any time soon.

And he didn't want him to.

Erik's eyes widened when he felt El relaxed comfortably next to him. Settling easily back into a peaceful sleep. And his body followed suit. The sudden drooping of his eyes relaying how comfortable he suddenly felt.

Oh...

Was that what he was missing?

Was it the warmth? The reassurance that El was fine? The safety he felt being protected, no matter how much he saw himself as the protector?

Maybe...maybe it was just El.

Whatever the reason, he was finally able to sleep.

And he did; with his arms around El in return, his nose pressed against El's shirt, lulled by his scent and his strong, rhythmic heartbeat.