P.O.V. - Third Person
Mature Themes - Mild Swearing/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Artwork by EmurinnARTIST (DeviantART)
(A quick thank you to mariosonicfan16, TaurusDoodles and eli_art.cosplay on Instagram for proofreading the story <3)

Arthur has always been a light sleeper; the slightest noise can disturb his sleep and it can take him hours to return to his slumber. In a sense, as a Fire Soldier that may be needed at any time of the day, this is a blessing. To Arthur however, he only sees it as a curse, especially with roommate, Shinra, who just so happens to have a habit of tossing and turning in his sleep. A lot.

Arthur can hear Shinra's every movement as the bunk bed slowly creaked every time he so happens to turn in his sleep; he can hear his light snoring as he falls into a deep sleep, and his light grunts all throughout the night. He isn't loud per say, but it still disturbs Arthur to no end. Then again, almost everything Shinra does irritates him; they're always butting heads and are always at each other's throats over something, even if it is the most miniscule thing they could ever argue over. Arthur does not hate him however, quite the contrary - Arthur has quite the soft spot for the guy, although he would never admit that aloud to anyone

It was a normal night for the Company; the crew had returned from an infernal fight and were exhausted. After a quick debrief, everyone left for their own quarters. Arthur stretched and yawned loudly as he untied his hair and flopped into bed, watching Shinra climb up to their bunk above his. He was hoping to get at least an hour or two of sleep tonight, especially after such a hard fight; no one was expecting that Infernal to be as tough as it was. Arthur sighed with content, yet as he slowly closed his eyes, hoping for the drowsiness to take over, they shot open once again; something felt... off. For once, he could not hear any noise come from above; no creaks from the bed, no snoring, no nothing. Shinra must have been really worn out if he had fallen asleep without much of an issue. Usually, Arthur would see this as an absolute blessing, however it didn't feel right to him; Shinra always kicked about for at least half an hour before falling asleep, yet no noise came at all... Curious and even a little worried his roommate, Arthur got up out of bed, before climbing up the bunk bed ladder partially to check up on him. Shinra was facing the wall, his eyes closed, yet it was not clear if he had fallen asleep. Still, seeing that Shinra was indeed resting was enough to put Arthur at ease for the time being. Gently, he climbed back down and hopped back into bed, a faint blush tinting his face ever so slightly. Arthur felt his flustered face, then sighed, burying his head into his pillow; he knew what this was.

It had started out as mere admiration for Shinra; he strived to become a hero. He trained and studied hard every day back in their Academy despite almost every student and teacher looking down upon him for his past. He was demonised, labelled as a 'devil', yet he did not let these words take him down. He was brave and courageous, willing to fight to the bitter end just to save one life, and he was skilled. Arthur may never admit it, but he was once envious of Shinra. But now, that envy and has faded and fused with his admiration for the so called 'devil' into something... Different. Now, Arthur saw Shinra in a different light, one that made him feel confused; he desired to be closer to Shinra and the mere thought of the boy made his heart a flutter. It was an awful yet oddly comforting feeling to him

Arthur let out a long sigh as he felt himself staring at the bottom of the top bunk, his thoughts swirling about the boy he knew was now fast asleep above him. Even without any noise to distract him, the thoughts he had were more than enough to keep him up for at least a few minutes, precious time he could have used in a healing slumber. Eventually, Arthur let out a yawn, the drowsiness finally taking over him. He shifted in his bed ever so slightly as his eyes fluttered shut, slowly slipping into a light slumber...

... Arthur's eyes groggily opened as he heard a faint noise within the night.
"Shit..." He muttered under his breath. There goes that slumber he yearned for. He sat up slowly, the bed creaking ever so slightly. At that moment, the noise halted. Silence hung in the air for a brief moment

"... Arthur?" a small voice squeaked. "Are you awake?" The voice was quiet and croaky, as if the person was holding back a sob. Arthur immediately knew who the voice belonged to. He looked up at met the crimson eyes of his roommate, tears filling the brim of them. As soon as their gaze met, Shinra looked away, embarrassed to show such vulnerability. Arthur blinked, pondering what he had just seen; he was still mildly dazed, so he was not sure if he had seen that correctly
"Shinra?" He whispered to his roommate. No answer. "Kusakabe?" Once again, no answer. Arthur huffed. "Oi Devil!" He exclaimed. This time, he received a response; a shallow sob, followed by a quivering breath. Arthur gasped lightly as he finally realised what was occurring; Shinra was crying

Arthur was stunned; he had a long history with Shinra and has seen him at some of his lowest points, but he has never seen nor heard him this vulnerable before. He bit his lip, worry and concern wavering within him. Hearing Shinra of all people crying quietly within the night, it... Didn't feel right to Arthur. To see someone with such a strong will, such thick skin and such a drive to save others slowly crumble and break felt wrong to Arthur. He couldn't bear listening to his roommate cry with such sorrow; he had to do something

Slowly, Arthur climbed out of bed, his bare feet touching the cold flooring, jolting him awake. He blinked, wiping the gound out of his eyes, before he proceeded to climb the bunk at a slow yet steady pace, making it creak the way it does. As he made it to the top bunk, he could see Shinra curled up in the corner of his bed, hugging his knees close to his chest as he sobbed quietly. Arthur bit his lip lightly; the sight of someone so strong crumbling before him stung greatly. He took a moment to analyse the situation – though Arthur was not smart per say, he can still read a person fairly well; he could tell from Shinra's secluded body language that he did not yearn for any comfort in a physical matter. Arthur held back a sigh – that meant he only had one option; he had to talk to him. He knew this would not go down well...

Gently, Arthur pulled himself up onto his roommate's bed, sitting cross-legged across from him. Shinra looked up slightly, his signature grin plastered across his face; his nervous tick. Despite the menacing look he now domed, it would be clear to anyone that he was in severe emotional distress. Arthur paused for a brief moment, searching for the right words to speak to the vulnerable boy. He gave him a weak smile

"H-Hey" Was all he was able to muster. A brief but awkward silence followed

"...What do you want Knight?" Shinra replied, bitterness lacing his response, however it was immediately drowned out by the overwhelming sorrow in his voice.

"Sleep" Arthur stated bluntly; a knee-jerk reaction to how he usually converses with Shinra. He paused, then quickly realised his mistake. "Wait, fuck! I-I mean—" he stuttered, looking up at his roommate with a nervous expression; Shinra only blinked, his expression unwavering, not at all phased by the blunt comment
"Whatever..." He mumbled. "Just..." He sniffled. "Just leave me alone. I don't need you here Knight..."

"But—"

"Leave me alone!" He shouted. Shinra paused, then lowered his head once more, burying it into the palms of his hands. "I know this is a disgrace; I don't need to be scolded, I-I don't need any of that right now! I..." he let out a sob. "Go. J-Just... Go"

Arthur was astounded by Shinra's vague wording; a disgrace? How was this a disgrace? How did this deserve a scolding? Arthur knew Shinra was ostracised by all of society due to his past, but he had never seen how much of a toll it took on the boy. To see him cower and have an expectation to be berated for merely showing his vulnerability was a heart-breaking sight. Arthur gnawed at his lip as he took in this new information; he needed to choose his wording carefully. He cared deeply for Shinra and did not want to upset him any further. He clenched his fists softly

"I... I'm not going to do that Shinra" He began. "Why would I? I know I..." He paused briefly. "Look, I-I didn't mean what I said before; I just want to make sure you're..." He trailed off. "You're..." He bit his lip hard; he wanted to make sure Shinra was doing OK, however it was clear that Shinra was anything BUT OK. Arthur mentally scolded himself for his sloppy wording and shifted uncomfortably. He looked up at Shinra, who had no reaction. Arthur let out a frustrated sigh; he really wasn't good at communicating...

"I..." Arthur paused, knowing he had to choose his wording carefully. "I've... Never seen you like this before" He began. "And it... It's concerning to me" Shinra shuffled slightly in his position, lifting his head to meet with Arthur's gaze; he blinked, a few stray tears gently flowing down his soaked cheeks

"You? Concerned? For me of all people?" He asked with no traceable tone; Arthur could not tell if he was surprised, startled or confused. Hoping he was finally reaching out to Shinra, he kept his composure and gave him a soft, small nod in response. Shinra was silent; then, his nervous tick began to kick up once more, his menacing grin now etched across his face; he let out a dry laugh

"Whatever Knight..." He replied. "Lie all you want" he chuckled sadly, burying his head in his hands once more. "I don't need your pity..." Arthur narrowed his eyes; that was it. His patience had finally run dry; He tried his hardest to level with him and convey his genuine concern to him, but he got nowhere. He knew Shinra was in a vulnerable place, but it was frustrating nonetheless. Arthur let out a heavy sigh; he had no choice. Gently, Arthur shuffled slowly towards Shinra, the bed creaking with his every movement. He knelt down in front of him, before gently grabbing his hands and lowering them from his face. Shinra blinked and looked up, meeting Arthur's bright blue eyes with his crimson pair. Arthur paused, before doing something Shinra was not expecting; he felt Arthur wrap his arms around him and pull him close

... He hugged him

Shinra gasped out of surprise, almost pulling back in sheer startlement; he blinked, sitting there in Arthur's embrace for a few quiet seconds, taking in what he was just given. The action was so sudden yet so foreign to him; it felt warm, welcoming, and to Shinra's utter astonishment, it was comforting

As realisation set in, a wave of overwhelming emotion suddenly crashed onto Shinra. He felt himself wrap his arms around Arthur, gripping him tightly as large tears began to flow. He buried his head into Arthur's shoulder and allowed his turmoil to finally take over. He began to sob and sputter loudly, only stopping to take in a small, quivering breath. Arthur tightened his grip, allowing the shaking boy to let it all out; he did not know how long it had been since anyone had ever given Shinra comfort in any form, but he knew he needed this. He needed this time to cry. Arthur felt himself tear up as the sorrowful sobs of his roommate filled their otherwise quiet room. He blinked profusely, attempting to keep his own tears at bay; he needed to stay strong

...Mere minutes felt like hours for the two; they remained interlocked within each other's warmth and presence, even after Shinra's sobs were reduced to mere sniffles. No word was spoken as Shinra finally felt himself loosen the grip he had on Arthur, pulling away from his warm embrace. He met eyes with his roommate, sniffling ever so slightly, before wiping away the few stray tears that remained. Arthur gave him a gentle smile
"... Do you feel any better?" He asked cautiously. Shinra gave him a small nod in return
"Y-Yeah..." He replied in a croaky voice. "I-I do..." He paused briefly, meeting his roommate's bright blue eyes. Relief slowly washed over him as he smiled ever so slightly, no menacing grin in sight. "Th-Thank you Arthur..." He finished, a slight sniffle following. Arthur's smile remained

"Will you be OK?" He inquired. "Do you need me to-" Shinra grasped Arthur's hand, squeezing it gently, before giving him a pleading yet vulnerable look

"P-Please..." He croaked. "Stay" Arthur paused, slightly taken aback by Shinra's plea, however he did not oppose; Shinra needed someone beside him, and Arthur was more than happy to provide him with the comfort he needed. Gently, the two shuffled on the top bunk, the bed creaking away as they gently lay down beside each other, face to face. As Arthur gazed at Shinra, he could feel himself fluster ever so slightly, however he quickly disregarded this feeling, knowing Shinra merely needed comfort, nothing else. Arthur bit his lip, unsure on what to do next; the two were close yet far apart from each other. He gave Shinra some space, not wanting to make him uncomfortable – especially in his vulnerable state – however his sober expression made Arthur rethink his action

"Do you..." Arthur paused. "Do you want me to keep you close?" He asked. "O-Or is that-" Without a word, Shinra shuffled closer, snuggling right up to Arthur. Arthur froze for a brief moment, before cautiously wrapping his arms around Shinra. He could feel his body shaking ever so slightly within his embrace, yet after a few minutes Shinra began to calm down. His last few sniffles began to still and all signs of distress were now gone. The two met each other's gaze; they were close, very close. Arthur felt the heat rise to his face once more, however Shinra paid no heed to his abnormal reaction. A long, comfortable silence fell between the two as Shinra gradually wrapped his arms around Arthur and snuggled up closer to him. He felt content, and safe. He looked up at Arthur once more, his crimson eyes glistening. He smiled with relief, content and thankfulness as he gently closed his eyes, finally allowing the grogginess to take over. Arthur watched as Shinra slowly slipped into slumber, smiling gently as he held him close; he looked like he was finally able to sleep peacefully, his turmoil and distress gone. Arthur shuffled ever so slightly under the warm covers, making the bunk bed creak faintly as it does. He chuckled to himself, before letting out a quiet yawn, resting his head beside the person he admired so. A faint blush tinted his cheeks as he gazed at Shinra once more; he slept with such tranquillity, snuggled right up in Arthur's arms. To society, Shinra was a devil, but after tonight, Arthur could only see him as a troubled angel, one grounded due to the loss of his wings. Arthur wanted to see him soar above the clouds, and he would do anything to help this angel gain his wings once more. Arthur leaned closer to the sleeping boy; then, without much thought, he placed a quick yet tender kiss on his forehead. His blush grew

"...Goodnight Shinra" He finally spoke as his eyes began to flutter. He lowered his voice as he slowly slipped away into a slumber. "Your knight will protect you, I promise"

...Shinra smiled