BloodyMary on earth AU Part 1
Grace meets Simon for the first time during a school lockdown. The ordeal lasts for so long that the whole school ends up sleeping in the building.
The few stragglers in the corridors were brought into the closest room, which includes Simon, now huddled up in the corner of Grace's classroom.
When Grace has reassured all of his kids, he joins the only other adult in the room, sitting down next to him with a sigh. The kids will be falling asleep soon, but it looks like neither Grace nor this janitor guy will be able to fall asleep anytime soon.
He's not sure who leaned on the other first, but at some point, Grace jolts from a half sleep to find himself leaned up against this stranger. He quietly apologizes and actually lies down to try to get some sleep.
Eventually, Simon follows suit. He lies down next to this hot teacher he's been sneaking peeks at while he cleans the halls. He tries not to think too hard about how Grace had almost fallen asleep on him earlier.
---
In the morning, Grace gets woken up by giggles and snickers. He cracks open an eye and almost instantly regrets it. It's so bright already.
Above him are some of his students. They jump back when they see their teacher looking at them sleepily.
"What's up with you guys?" he asks them.
A few of them point to his chest. Looking down, he spots the janitor sleeping, head on his shoulder and arm wrapped around his middle.
"Is he your boyfriend?" one of the girl asks.
"No. I don't even know the guy." he says with a bit of a snort. Kids and their imaginations.
After he shooes the students away, Grace shifts, trying to ignore his aching bones. He doesn't want to get up. For one, it would hurt even more once he started moving around. But he also didn't wanna wake up the man on his chest.
At some point, the hand on his chest clenches and the janitor lets out a sigh. Looks like he might be waking up soon. After a bit more stirring, the man shoots up and to his feet faster than Grace can react. It pulls a chuckle out of the teacher.
"You alright there, bud?" he asks, putting his arms behind his head. Half of him is doing it to stretch his numb arms, the other cuz his head is really starting to hurt from sleeping on the floor.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- well- y'know." Simon vaguely gestures towards Grace. He really hopes his face isn't as red as it feels.
"No worries! Seems like you slept well. Better than me." Grace tries to light the mood, but Simon only puts on a more sour face. "I meant cuz my head was on the floor, but you had a pillow."
Simon shifts for a moment, then looks back at Grace with a different expression. "Are you going to keep lying there?"
"I'd get up if I could."
As Simon helps Grace off the floor, police men finally come knocking at the classroom door, checking in on everyone and telling them all to go home.
---
Since that day in lockdown, Grace has been noticing Simon around the school more often. Every once in a while, he'll try to start up a conversation. Usually, Simon is pretty reserved about most things, but he did show Grace a gnarly garden he's been keeping in the school greenhouse. A bunch of flowers and plants. Some Grace has never even seen before.
Every day, Simon seems more and more tired, though Grace has noticed.
One late night, Grace was grading in his office- a workaholic at its finest- when he heard a crash outside of his classroom door.
Rushing out, he found Simon, face down on the floor, his supply cart a little ways away from him, a bucket of water tittering back and forth like it was almost knocked over and a mop loosely in his grip.
Grace blinked at the scene for a few seconds. Had Simon just... Passed out? Right then and there? Not even bracing his fall? That must've hurt. He walked over and picked Simon up gently.
"Hey, Simon, you ok?" He tried to wake him gently.
After a pause, Grace was about to speak up again when he felt Simon tense up. His eyes shot open. He almost stumbled out of Grace's grip from the startle, but Grace sat him properly before he could make significant distance.
"Fuck, sorry." Simon scrambled, grabbing his mop and reaching for the bucket of water.
"Woah, woah there buddy. You're not looking so hot." Grace stood up with Simon, hands at the ready in case he fell again. "You're dead tired. I don't think you should be getting back to work right now."
" 's fine. 'm fine." Simon slurred his words slightly. He swayed slightly on his feet. He knew he was pushing himself too hard, especially with the nights he's been having. But he needed this job so badly, he couldn't lose it by falling asleep on the job.
With an especially strong sway, Grace cemented him by Simon's side, holding some of his weight up slightly. Simon crumbled into him even more, despite trying to stand on his own.
Simon was so tired. And Grace had been so comfortable last time he'd slept on him. He wonders if he could be selfish and ask to take a nap on him for a few minutes.
"You need some sleep, it's clear. Look, let me drive you to your place or something-" Grace began, but Simon cut him off with a strong "No."
"Okay, do you have a friends place?"
"No..."
"I could always take you to mines, but I don't know if that's exactly appropriate." Grace attempted a laugh. It came out more like a short, swift sigh.
"Mmm... Yeah." Simon only heard what he'd said a few seconds later, but by then, Grace had already started talking again.
He regretted agreeing. It was out of selfishness and impulse. Grace has said it himself; it was inappropriate. But hell, they were already walking to the lobby, and Simon really didn't have the strength to back out now.
Grace laid Simon in his backseat, letting him lie down and rest on the ride to his place. He woke up a few times during the journey. It worried Grace how so little could jolt him awake.
Finally, when Simon got to lie in Grace's bed, he seemed to relax slightly, then tense right back up when Grace tried to leave.
"Stay." Simon said so quietly, Grace wasn't even sure if he heard him or a gust of wind.
He walked back over to the bed and sat on the other side. Simon rolled towards him and reached out ever so slightly.
With a little amused smile, Grace laid down as well. Simon's reach for him was so quiet and small, Grace thought he might be afraid to ask for his company. But they had already comfortably slept cuddled up, so Grace wasn't sure why he was so timid.
He moved over a bit closer to Simon and wrapped his arm around him. He pulled Simon closer as well, insisting he gets comfortable, like that day in the lockdown.
It took a bit of convincing, but eventually, Simon got comfortable. Tension was slowly leaving him, and Grace was finally starting to feel drowsy. He let out a pleased sigh, having missed this sensation, someone pressed against his chest comfortably as they both fell asleep together.
He placed a hand in Simon's hair by instinct, and suddenly, he was a limp puddle on top of Grace. Grace noted that down. Simon liked having his hair played with.
---
The next morning, Grace woke up first again. He was so comfortable, he wanted sleep to take him again. But he knew when he woke up, there was no more falling asleep again in the morning.
He laced his fingers in Simon's hair again, receiving a pleased sigh. Simon shifted slightly, pressing himself up against Grace even more, nosing into Grace's shoulder.
Grace kept at it for a while, sometimes tightening his grip, getting content sighs out of Simon every time.
At some point, Simon took in a deep breath and held it for a second. His muscles tensed up and he lifted his head slightly.
"Mornin" Grace greeted, voice rough with sleep.
There was a pause, Grace scratched at the back of Simon's head again, drawing out a shiver from the man. "You sound different."
With that, Grace sneaked a peek at the man on top of him with a smile. "You also sound different in the morning. Most people do." He teased at the funny remark.
There was another pause. "I- I need to go."
"What? Why?" Grace almost whined when the heaviness from another body left him.
"I-" Simon paused to contemplate a good excuse. "I'll be late. To work."
"We don't have work." Grace replied simply.
"I-" Simon tried again, only to flush red.
"If you're worried about the hard on you got right now, I've already noticed." Grace snorted. Seeing the expression of pure terror on the other's face, he tried to save the moment. "It happens! Don't worry about it."
Simon continued to look at him, supporting his upper body weight on his arms, unmoving.
"Look, if it horrifies you so much, I can show you to the bathroom, you can turn on the shower and take care of it." Grace couldn't help but find Simon a bit cute, all red, hair dishevelled, looking at him like he'd done something horribly wrong.
"I can make us breakfast while you're busy. You want coffee?"
Grace did end up making them both some eggs and coffee. Simon still looked a little horrified. When he started making excuses to leave, Grace didn't argue against it this time.
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