Nocturnal Exchange
Characters: True!Starbi, Grinlock (belonging to @cryptizkatzz)
Pairing: True!Starbi/Grinlock
Word Count: 970
Tropes: Trouble Sleeping, Late-Night Conversation, Cuddling
---------------------------------------
As he sunk into the mattress, Grinlock stared up at the ceiling, caressing his forearm with his other hand to soothe himself. Turning his head to look at the smiling one beside him, static with his hands kept together.
It was evident that Grinlock was having a hard time sleeping compared to Starbi, appearing as if he was a body in a coffin, prepared unprofessionally with the comfortable sleepwear he was wearing.
Letting out a gravely sigh, Grinlock turned his head back up to the ceiling. Silence was a familiar friend to the performer. But despite that, sometimes it overstayed its welcome, bringing along with it familiar, harsh laughs to Grinlock's ears, laughs that only he could hear.
The laughs were, stress-inducing, ones that left the performer unnerved, distressed, and volatile.
Time and time again, Grinlock tried to get rid of these laughs. But no matter how hard he tried in times like these, it would only leave him even more exhausted than he was before heading to sleep. It didn't help that his mask's horns made it difficult to sleep comfortably either.
Grinlock sat up, his shoulders releasing the built-up tension as he relaxed his muscles. Looking around the room, cascading in the absence of light, briefly shivering from the apparent chill of the room.
With the ringing silence sounding out in the room, Grinlock could only grow more unnerved. Though, the performer couldn't help but notice that… perhaps it's too quiet?
Turning his head to glare down at Starbi's peaceful form, the only breathing he could hear was his own.
"…Starbi?" Grinlock muttered.
With his smile unwavering, Grinlock could only get concerned. Starbi's funeral-like form didn't exactly ease the performer either. The performer moved his hand over, placing it on the Starborn's shoulder to gently push him in an attempt to wake him up.
…
But there was no response.
The deafening silence left the performer's eyes to widen slightly, his shoulders tensing up once more as he continued to stare down at the Starborn. Moving his hand away from Starbi's shoulder, Grinlock would use it to break Starbi's hands away from each other to hold his limp wrist. Checking to look for a pulse—or anything— Grinlock was met with a familiar warmth course through the Starborn's arm.
The performer let out a gruff sigh, relieved to see that, at the very least, he wasn't sleeping next to a corpse. Though, as he held Starbi's wrist, he couldn't help but notice how… weightless, Starbi's entire arm felt to hold.
His initial worry now replaced with confusion, Grinlock continued to hold Starbi's wrist. It truly felt like he was holding a balloon in his hand, almost void of air. Sure, it was easy for the performer to pick up Starbi's entire body. But it wasn't as if Starbi was as light as a feather from all the times Grinlock or Starbi held one another.
Grinlock's train of thought was put to a halt as Starbi jolted awake with a sharp gasp of air.
The performer instinctively shifted away from the suddenly sat-up Starbi, his grip on the Starborn's wrist still present. The performer stared at Starbi, seeing him staring down the bed with a blank expression, his eyes shot open, offering a faint glow of light to the room. His chest now rising and falling.
Starbi remained static, the glow of his eyes faintly dimming as he blinked as his eyes looking around the room as if he was looking for something, like he had just remembered something, but couldn't find it.
As the two stayed still in the dimly lit room, Starbi's expression softened, his posture relaxing as he stared down at the foot of the bed with silence, as if he was thinking to himself. A few seconds passed as Starbi would lift his head, turning his head to spot his wrist held by Grinlock. Looking up at Grinlock's face, the Starborn spoke.
"…You okay, Grinlock?" Starbi mumbled, his expression friendly with his mouth curved into his usual smile.
Grinlock stared at the Starborn, his only form of emotion being the surprise in his eyes as he looked at Starbi's wrist, now warm and heavy, then back to Starbi's face. Seeing Starbi shift from a blank demeanor, to one with familiar warmth, concerned the performer a little.
Letting his wrist go, Grinlock looked down at the bed.
"Did I scare you?" Asked Starbi with a cheerful tone.
The performer nodded subtly in response, glancing away briefly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Starbi replied, looking away as his smile remained unwavering. "Didn't think I'd sleep so well."
Starbi's words were only met with silence. Strangely enough, it resulted in the Starborn's smile to fade.
Turning back to Grinlock, Starbi would turn his hand on its back, offering it to Grinlock. Hesitant, Grinlock accepted it, his grip firm.
"Did something happen before you woke me up?" He asked.
Once again, Starbi was met with silence. Grinlock wasn't sure how he could explain that vicious laughs had kept him awake, nor could he properly communicate how he felt when he thought that Starbi wasn't… there anymore.
"Anything I can do to help?" Starbi asked, shifting closer to the performer. "…I'm cold," he replied, his voice hazy.
With a smile, Starbi would open his free arm, bringing himself even closer as he let Grinlock wrap his arms around him. Resting against his side on the bed, his chin on Starbi's head, the performer found comfort in his warmth as the two sunk in the mattress with their combined weight. Relaxing his shoulders once again.
Grinlock felt at ease as he let out a relieved sigh. Knowing that for tonight, just for a little while, the laughs were none of his concern as he slept in the warmth of the one he loves.
With a smile, Starbi would open his free arm, bringing himself even closer as he let Grinlock wrap his arms around him. Resting against his side on the bed, his chin on Starbi's head, the performer found comfort in his warmth as the two sunk in the mattress with their combined weight. Relaxing his shoulders once again.
Grinlock felt at ease as he let out a relieved sigh. Knowing that for tonight, just for a little while, the laughs were none of his concern as he slept in the warmth of the one he loves.
Author Note: Hello everyone !! Welcome back to another fluff oneshot I've written up. Once again, its Starlock !! I had fun writing out this piece for these two. I hope you guys enjoy what I've written !!
