bakerstreet | Cuddle up

Never claimed to have one.

[ Maybe he was a little bit gentler with Steven on account of the man being a walking sad confused puppy most of the time, but he still wasn't exactly a tender, caring physician.

Leonard glowers up at Marc, waiting for him to make some kind of call, and of course-

He hasn't known the boys long but he's known them long enough to know they're both incredibly stubborn, it's ridiculous-

He doubles down. ]

Fine. I'll take the bed if we take the bed. I'm not gett'n in unless you do.

Great, then neither of us get to have any space or comfort, is that what you want?

["Marc, maybe I should take over for a little bit. Your bedside's nothing to boast about either."

He scrubs a hand over his face and through his hair, thinks about fighting the switch but, god, fine, let the social guy talk some sense into this stubborn ass. There's a slow inhale, a little flutter, and the entire set of the body ever so subtly shifts.]

Oh. All right, then. Hate to admit it; he's got a little bit of a point.

["Thanks."]

But we'd love to sleep in the bed and get some rest, thanks.

["Wait--no, hey, hang on-"

Steven points at the reflection.] Don't start.

[ It was pretty damn baffling the first time he saw it- no idea what happened or how but it's been long enough that he's learned to roll with the situation. Steven is, on the whole, easier to talk to.

Especially cuz he's got some goddamn common sense. ]

Pretty sure if I try to have you lie down he'll just throw a li'l bitchfit and take over and that'll have gotten us nowhere, right?

[ Still. One way or another, the body that needs the bed will be in the bed- and that's enough for Leonard. He straightens and rolls out his shoulders, heading for the bed. An old hat at this he slides until his spine's more or less melded to the far wall and stretches out his arm, giving Steven plenty of space to settle in. ]

Can't rightly sprawl, but this'll do.

[Steven's making it a point to be careful, letting Leonard get cozy while he takes off some of his clothes. Boots, jacket, shirt. There's an undershirt, and that stays on. Not that it matters much, the idea of modesty, when the doctor had to take a look at what he can only imagine is a nasty bruise in the middle of his back.

It's funny, really, the comment made. He even does laugh, a surprised little noise he cuts off quickly. The bed in his flat's got plenty of space, for him anyway, but:]

Mate, I used to tie my ankle to a post and cover the floor with sand, do Rubik's until I passed out, listened to the same barmey audio tapes. All to help me sleep. I think sharing space with someone else is a little, um, cakewalk, in comparison, I think.

[In theory. Marc's obviously got the experience, with Layla. Steven has not been quite so lucky. And sharing your head with someone is different from sharing your bed with someone.]

What'll be better, you think? Position-wise, I-I mean. For my back.

Insomnia on top of everything else, huh? Can't get your mind to settle.

[ Considering what Steven's got in his mind and what Marc has to wrestle with? He's not entirely surprised. It's not easy juggling baggage when you're on your own, but throw in a whole other mind with a whole other set of priorities and trauma-

Double the issues, half the space for them. ]

On your side, knees slightly bent, get the pressure off your lower spine.

[ The way this bed is, even with how McCoy's settled in? It'll have them both pretty well in each other's business. ]

Well. [Steven sits on the edge of the bed, chewing his bottom lip. Clearly deciding what to say.

But hell, he's already very quickly seen some of the kind of fucked up going on in this body.] Most of that was before. Him and me, we, um. Let's say we weren't on the same page for a long time. Didn't know what was going on when I'd suddenly wake up in another country without a clue. 's better now, obviously, but I wasn't sure if I was sleepwalking or if I'd completely lost every single marble, yeah?

Must've been hard for you, not understanding what kept happening to you.

[ McCoy's voice is a soft, warm rumble of sound from his side of the bed, eyes dark and attentive. It's not easy at all, handling what they're handling, but it seems like they've got a system now. Normally he wouldn't care overmuch, not his problem but-

Seems like these two don't have a lotta people. ]

So you're able to sleep pretty well now, at least?

Yeah, [said, laughed, sighed, shivered with some bit of relief.] Yeah, both counts.

[He looks over at the doctor, and it must be so very apparent in the way they hold themselves, in the way they look at people, the difference between two people in one body. Where Marc is tense and suspicious and close and tight, Steven is soft and open. Their bruises and scrapes are all the same, though.

His brows knit together, and he looks away again, the flightiness, the nervousness, showing back up. Doesn't say anything more. He trusts too easily, doesn't he? Harrow had made a very good and reasonable case for himself, right up until the suggestion of murdering people just because some dusty old crocodile decided their souls were bad apples from the great beyond.

Steven starts to tuck himself in, on his side, knees bent, as instructed. He's facing Leonard at first, knees bumping, space between them very small and already cozy-warm. Steven doesn't really know where to look, so he makes himself close his eyes. Maybe, maybe if he thinks he's curled up with Layla-?

Mm. No. Might be a not so good line of thought. He huffs out a long line through his nose.]

Probably shouldn't have my back to the door. Sounds like something Marc would suggest.

[Should he be putting in the effort to flip himself around to face the other way instead? Probably not. Is that stopping him? Apparently not.]

[ Leonard shifts where he can, his own long legs tucked and twisted, does his best to nudge his knees out of the way to make space for Steven. If he liked getting stabbed less- not that he thinks Steven would, but he's pretty sure Marc might on bone deep instinct, he'd haul the kid- not kid, he doesn't know how old the are but he's got half a mind to how they seem and Steven only seems young cuz he's shy- in with an arm around his shoulders and hold him through whatever's got him so shook up.

But this ain't Jim, for all that this is a very Bones and Jim scenario. This ain't a member of his usual sort and crew, this is a new person with new problems and new bruises to be mindful of. ]

Maybe, but I got a bead on it.

[ Like he'll be able to do anything about it other than grab Steven and roll off the bed if something happens, but still- he leans up and reaches over, gently getting a hand on Steven's shoulder before he can twist to face the other way. ]

Hey, hey- don't twist around like that, your back's still fucked.

[It's hard for Steven to still, but he tries.]

And if something comes busting through that door, who's gonna do anything about it, hm? [He peeks at Leonard through one eye.] Me, I'm starting to get a hang of this fighting thing, but Marc's the one'll keep us safe.

Will he or will he not be more irritated to be the little spoon?

[ Cuz he knows himself well enough to know sometime in the night, he's going to drift to the nearest source of comfort and warmth and burrow in. Can't help it. ]

I don't know--maybe we ought to just ask him.

[And since they've really only gotten the hang of truly talking to each other best through reflections and there being none readily available, it's hard to do that. But the annoyance he can feel from Marc filters through loud and clear. Steven, pettily enough, lets go.

So it'll be really clear that Marc's fronting when both eyes open with a fairly dead-eyed stare and tension enough to snap something, especially when he makes to sit up.]

Okay, see, I knew there'd be a problem, just didn't think the problem was gonna be gossiping about me. I'll take the damn couch why don't I.

Wait-

Well, damn.

[ It is what it is, and Leonard might sigh and scrub his free hand over his face- but he doesn't let Marc sit up. ]

No, no you're stay'n put. You can roll over if you need to, but you're sleep'n on the bed. Steven just made the salient point that you'd wanna be the one closest to the door, and you'd wanna be fac'n it. Tactics, not gossip. Goddamn he's a petty little shit, ain't he?

[They can both be very petty, but at the very least, Marc doesn't roll over just yet. He might not like it, but he stays put. For the moment.]

For the record, he can still hear you. [He raises his voice, just a little, to make a point.] And I happen to agree.

[So there.]

Been called paranoid before. Couple hours of sleep should be fine, and I'm a pretty light sleeper when I need to be. [Yeah, being on call for a god at all hours of the night will do that.] Something comes through that door, I don't care how fucked my back is, doc. I'm keeping you and him as safe as I can.

You're both equal pains in my ass, how's that?

[ Both true and fair, far as he can tell. Len relaxes back down against the mattress, eyes on Marc, a little more tense, a little more wary. Both of them have a great capacity for violence, that goes without saying. But-

Marc's more overt about it. Has more trauma tied up in it. There are layers here he can't begin to pick apart, he doesn't know enough. Probably shouldn't ask. ]

Not gonna argue if it comes down to that, Marc. Just wonder'n how irritated you'll be if you're the little spoon. That's it.

Wouldn't be an issue if he'd decided to little spoon it up in the first place. Not like it'll take much time for me to get to my feet if I have to.

[Marc doesn't huff the way Steven does, but he pulls an even breath in, lets it out, and it feels like it has the same effect.]

Sorry. [Short, clipped.] About you getting dragged into all this. Haven't really needed a doctor in...a while.

[ Different variations of the same theme. McCoy doesn't fuss, just- watches and lets his hand settle on Marc's bicep, a little grounding human contact.

Can't help but feel they both might need that, just a little. ]

Believe it or not- this ain't my first time at this particular kinda rodeo. First time the thing chas'n me was invisible- not the first doomsday death cult, not my first vigilante. I kinda figured I was stepp'n in it when I let Steven in.

Sort of...supposed to be trying to leave that behind. [So much for that. There's still weird shit out there, and relaxing into a normal life has not been easy. And there are still times--rare, brief periods--where neither one of them can remember something but know a threat has been taken care of.

Marc looks at the hand on his arm. And back to the doctor. Wary. Scrutinizing.]

We're lucky he looked you up.

I've got a 'no questions asked' tagline and policy for a reason.

[ It's how he ends up with the stranger situations, the weirder cases and the odd run about whatever city they're in trying not to die. He's not used to it so much as resigned, professional as he can swing.

Whole world is fulla broken people that need helping. Not all of them can get it. Least he can do is offer what he's able. ]

Get some sleep. Figure we got a coupla hours before things get crazy again.

Good. I don't like questions. And Steven, he's not great at questions and talks too much. And if you ever hurt him, I'll break every single one of your fingers and feed you to the wolves.

The invisible ones.

...I'm a doctor, not a snitch. Or a- whatever you think I am. Spy? This is either a token warning or a shovel talk and I'm not rightly sure what I've done to make you think I deserve either.

[ Aside from insist they sleep in the same bed. Ignore that. ]

[Let's just all collectively ignore this entire situation! Okay! Thanks!]

Look, just--fine. We'll rest. And figure out a plan of action later.

Right. So.

[ Leonard takes a slow breath, wills himself to relax into the mattress further, and offers his free arm. ]

Snuggle up, buttercup.

[Damn does the doc look comfy. Which means: Marc doesn't trust a single thing about this. Which is...probably less than healthy, entirely. And knows it. It's probably apparent how much he's weighing every option in the uncomfortable tension in his body and the middle distance stare that might also feel like the dangerous vigilante is optically boring a hole in Leonard's chest.

So he does the only thing he realizes he can do to make this even marginally more comfortable.

Steven is meanwhile all too happy to take the offer. There's a nervous laugh that bubbles up as he does so.] Somehow life's gotten mad enough that I'm starting to get used to the supernatural bollocks and less being in someone's personal bubble.

[ The moment Marc makes that call? Bones can tell. The little half hitch between one and the other, not always as overt as eyes rolling back but- a breath between? He can tell. That and Steven's body language is so much more loose and languid, nervous but-

Softer.

Leonard can deal with softer.

So he pulls Steven in carefully, uses his own knee between Steven's to offer the proper support for his lower back, and settles. ] Supernatural bullshit tends to be a solitary sorta experience.

Cuddle up

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