Due to the previous days' craziness, Pete hadn't been able to sleep. Three nights after his return, he was lying on his creaky bed staring up at the roof, connecting dots on a popcorn ceiling. Bored, he kicked up one leg, then the other, groaned, and started bouncing his foot on the stiff mattress. The repetitive sound only bothered him and the movement hurt his joints; yet, he continued, only now switching between legs every other bounce. It was hot, and he was tired. Oh, how he now craved that noisy fan from his smelly dorm room and the comfortingly warm laugh of his best friend.

If only Patrick were there.

"You're being an idiot, Pete."

Pete shook his head and laughed. "Thanks," he shot back, sarcasm laced in his voice.

Shrugging, Patrick held back a smile. "It's true!"

Pete passed Patrick as he walked across the room, and made sure to flick the brim of his friend's hat once in range. Patrick stuck his tongue out at him in retaliation and the two burst out into a round of silly guffaws.

With the hint of a smile dancing on his lips from the memory, Pete stilled his legs and sighed. How long had it been since he had seen Patrick? Heard his voice? He had lost count of the days, he realized all at once. He had lost himself in this world; in the endless sands and the sun and the ragged punching bag and the masks and Kobra.

His smile, however small, turned to a sour frown as the name flashed in his mind.

Deciding not to dwell on painful thoughts, Pete hopped off the bed and onto the surprisingly cool floor. Grains of sand once ingrained into the cracks in the tile poked at his bare feet as he made his way out to the bathroom.

The cold water spilled out into Pete's hands. He cupped them to let the water pool so he could splash some on his face, and repeated the process until he felt sufficiently awakened, then turned off the faucet. Just as he was shaking his hands and reaching for a towel, he heard something. Voices? He looked outside. The moon was high in the sky, casting its soft, pale light upon the desert; it was late. Very late. Why would they be awake? And what could they possibly be talking about?

Pete tip-toed to the room with light seeping through the cracks in the door. It was open just enough for sounds to escape, but not enough for Pete to see anything. Behind it, Pete heard the four distinct voices of Poison, Ghoul, Jet, and Kobra.

"He's just not... right," Jet said.

"Not right? Ray, you can't say that stuff just because you think someone's 'not right," Ghoul refuted.

"I have to agree with him, actually," Poison said. "That story just... how could they be so careless? And with someone as valuable as he is. It doesn't make sense."

Mikey scoffed. "You can't be serious."

"Look, I love you, Gee, but you're being a little unreasonable." Ghoul let out a sardonic laugh. "He's not that important to them. I mean, even to us, he's just... well, I don't even know what he is."

Jet mumbled, "well, I think Mikey def—"

"Ray!"

"Anyways," Poison said, sounding annoyed. "We have to do somethi—" Squeak.

Pete cursed at the unoiled hinges of the door. As fast as he could without making too much noise, Pete tiptoe-ran to the bathroom, as it was closer than his room. Seconds later, Kobra was knocking on the open door to get Pete's attention, who was pretending to dry his hands.

"Pete?"

Pete looked behind himself and faked his best surprised face. "Oh, hey!"

"Did you, uh, hear any of that?"

"Any of what?"

Kobra's eyebrows shot up in mocking amusement, and Pete knew he had been found out. Or, rather, Kobra had been.

Pete let out a defeated breath. "Yeah, a bit," he confessed.

Kobra sighed. In the dark, illuminated by only whatever light managed to come in through the window, he looked more tired than ever.

"Come on. I'll walk you to your room."

Kobra turned to walk away, but Pete didn't move. When he realized, Kobra walked into the small bathroom with Pete.

"You okay?"

Pete sighed and shifted uncomfortably. "You guys don't trust me."

Kobra paused. "Um..."

"Don't worry, I get it. Why would you?" Suddenly upset, Pete shouldered past Kobra, but was stopped when a hand wrapped around his.

"I trust you, Pete."

Instantly, Pete softened at the words. His anger dissipated into the hot air around him as if never there in the first place. He squeezed his eyes shut and steadied himself with a deep breath. When he turned around, Kobra's face was lit up from the light of the room he had come from, and, though his eyebrows were knitted together in concern, he smiled. Pete let himself be led back to his room.

"Why're you up?" Kobra asked, switching on the dim light with a satisfying click.

Pete shrugged. "Just couldn't sleep."

"Oh yeah?" As Pete flopped onto the mattress, Kobra sat next to him and looked back at his tired face. "And just how long has that been going on?" Again, the only response Pete could offer was a shrug, only this time interrupted by a yawn.

"Try to get some sleep, Pete," Kobra urged, and Pete, though he had no intention of following through, agreed that he would.

As Pete quickly got to work on picking nonexistent lint off his pillow, Kobra stood and made his way to the door. But before he left, he took one look at Pete busying himself with nothingness and decided to instead say, "I could stay here with you, if you want." Pete instantly looked up at Kobra. "Just until you fall asleep," he quickly added.

Kobra gnawed at his inner cheek as Pete considered the offer. It wasn't long before Pete scooted to one side of the bed, a clear invitation.

Kobra's eyes widened. His breath caught.

"Oh, uh— I meant, like, on the chair, or something," he stuttered out, making Pete flush with embarrassment.

"Well, uh—" Pete scratched the back of his neck (oh, how he needed a haircut)— "you can do that. Whatever. Forget it. You don't have to stay—"

"No, it's okay." Kobra was at Pete's bedside in a second. "I'll stay here."

Pete kicked the blanket further away and adjusted his shirt, a wave of warm air filling the room.

Kobra clambered up onto the bed as Pete shifted his body to lay on his side, facing Kobra. They lay like that for a while, just looking into each other's eyes for comfort, a tired smile plastered on both of their lips, until Pete eventually drifted off into the deepest and most peaceful sleep he'd experienced in years.

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1,152 words
March 13, 2020
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I'm soft.
It took way too long to think of that chapter title and I literally came up with it and was just like eh whatever sure it works and posted lol kinda love it tho