It was almost inconceivable that Maurice could ever get bored of Dedalus. Every judgement heâd ever made about the man had turned out to be wrong, every resolution of indifference or annoyance against him had been contradicted. For all intents and purposes, Dedalus made absolutely no sense to him, and so Maurice had no doubt he would never stop trying to figure him out. Not that that was the only thing that drew him to Dedalus, but it certainly meant he had no intention of getting bored any time soon. âDonât get boring, and Iâll stay interested.â He said instead, not certain he could handle much more heart revealing truths tonight.
Dedalus hit the nail on the head with his question. Staying was not so much motivated by the âhereâ as the âwith himâ. They could have been anywhere really. Maurice was not scared to go back to his flat, he was scared to go back to his flat alone. âYes, with you.â It could have been soft, but it came out more sardonically, a slight affectionate eye-roll, to help mask his own vulnerability.
He was relieved when Dedalus said yes. For a moment heâd thought Dedalus might refuse, but then he was offering his bed and ushering him into the bathroom before Maurice could even think if he wanted to object. He opened his mouth to request black, but closed it again with a smirk when Dedalus outlawed it with his stunningly accurate prediction. âFine, blue is fine.â Blue was more than fine really. âAs long as you understand that a fundament of sleeping is that my eyes will be closed and therefore, not standing out regardless of what colours Iâm wearing.âÂ
He knew that this was the point where he was supposed to step back and close the bathroom door so they could both get on with their tasks, but he hesitated for a moment, like he wanted to reach back out, pull Dedalus close again, perhaps deliver another kiss. He didnât. He scoffed, at himself mostly, and shook his head, and then retreated into the bathroom.
With the door closed, the silence swept in. Funny how a slither of wood could shut away Dedalusâ energy so completely. When Maurice was standing right in front of him it often felt so strong that it could blow whole houses away. Now it was temporarily gone, he realised how much of his own energy had been dependent on Dedalusâ. He was exhausted. He caught his reflection in the mirror. He looked exhausted too. He looked away and busied himself with getting ready for bed.Â
He did poke around a little, though he didnât find much of note except a long-dead house plant and an amazing amount of hair products. How many did one man need? He opened the lid of a few and gave them a sniff. None of them were particularly reminiscent of Dedalusâ scent so he placed them back where heâd found them.Â
When he couldnât stay away any longer he left the bathroom and went towards the bedroom, more eager to reunite with Dedalus than heâd like to admit. The door wasnât fully shut but he knocked anyway. âHave you had enough time to put away all your secrets?â He asked, an echo of something his mother would always say before entering his and his brotherâs room. âHide all your secrets, Iâm coming in.â As a young boy with no secrets, or trivial secrets at that, heâd found it endlessly amusing, and when heâd gotten older, incredibly useful.
None of it was a surprise -- not the expectation he'd have to keep being fun and exciting, not the eye roll, not even the resignation to blue. In fact, to the latter Dedalus could only answer with an eye roll of his own. âOh, yes, so letâs just wear whatever, why donât we? Might as well get dressed in the dark.â He shook his head, but for all his exasperation, for a moment there he felt lighter than he had all day. âHonestly, for someone so logical you say the silliest things sometimes.â
He waited for a second when Maurice seemed like perhaps he wanted to add something, but then he didnât and as soon as the door shut, Dedalus headed towards the bedroom just short of running. Fortunately, it was easy enough to grab the bag and shove in the deepest corner of his wardrobe, and while he was there, he also took a moment to look for a set of pyjamas for Maurice -- blue, as already established, but also preferably a bit looser to hopefully make up for the difference in height. Not at all difficult to find, unsurprisingly; he was hardly short on clothes.
However, just as he went to grab his own sleepwear for the night, he realised there was still one more issue he hadnât taken care of. Quickly, he moved towards his bedstand and started rummaging through the drawers until he found it. A small, round mirror that lit up as soon as he tapped it with his wand. A moment later, his fatherâs face appeared in it. âOh, good, we were starting to worry. Are you on your way? Is everything alright?â
His concern was very much not welcome, but Dedalus tried to keep his voice down and not let his annoyance show as he let him know about the change of plans. He didnât mention Maurice, of course, instead pretended he was simply too tired to Floo back and forth, and although his father didnât seem particularly thrilled, Dedalus was sure to cut off any further questions or concerns. It wasnât a long conversation. In fact, after it ended he even found himself with some time to spare before Maurice came back.
And even then, it still took him by surprise when he did come back; suddenly, Dedalus found himself grateful for the half-shut door that gave him just the moment he needed to realise Maurice was only joking and didnât actually know about any secrets. After that, it was easy to play along. âAll boggarts have been safely put back in the wardrobe where they belong,â he confirmed solemnly. âBut fortunately for you, I managed to wrestle this out of them before I shut the door.â He handed Maurice the pyjamas. âThe pants might be a bit short but the shirt should be alright. Oh, do you also want a dressing gown? I didnât think of that, but if youâre cold let me know and I can absolutely get you one.â
And while he didnât usually like silence, he found himself even more apprehensive to let it fall right now. So even as he moved to change into his own set, tossing his shirt at a nearby chair without much care, he racked his brain for something else to say. âDo you have a favourite side of the bed? I like the left, but then again, never let it be said Iâm a bad host so I suppose you can have it if you really want to. Did you know that in Ancient Rome they actually used to think sleeping on the left brought bad luck? Apparently, if you got up on the right side, you started the day in contact with positive forces and vice versa if you got up on the left. Cue the whole âwake up on the wrong side of bedâ saying.â Just as he said this, he finished up with the last of the buttons on his shirt and immediately, he looked around for something else to focus on. âIn any case, do you need anything else? More pillows? A drink?â