Jesper walked down a smaller hallway in the Slat where another boy had pointed to where Wylan was. He hasn't thought there were bedrooms down this way, just closets. Was it possible he was wrong? His frown only deepened when he rounded the corner.

Wylan was curled up against the wall on the floor of the hallway. His soft but worried features relaxed with sleep. Jesper's eyes roamed over his small frame for a few moments, taking in the steady rise and fall of his chest. A hand was in a loose fist beside his face. Wylan's ruddy curls were on their way back. It wasn't as light or curly as it was before, the straight black mixing with his natural hair, leaving it wavy and a light golden brown.

Suddenly, with a shock, Jesper noticed that Wylan didn't even have a blanket and was using his messenger bag as a pillow. Jesper swallowed uncomfortably. He hadn't known that this was how Wylan spent his nights.

He had been planning on either annoying or flirting with the merchling because he was bored. Definitely not because he missed Wylan's kind eyes or the way he made Jesper feel when he laughed or got flustered.

Why was he sleeping on the floor?

Jesper knelt down beside Wylan's head. He reached out a hand, resting it on the other boy's shoulder. He frowned again at the cool temperature. The weather was getting colder in Ketterdam and Wylan should be warm, especially at night. He could get sick.

Jesper shook Wylan's shoulder lightly, then harder when he didn't wake up.

"Wylan."

Wylan's face scrunched up before his eyes fluttered. One eye opened part way and his bleary golden gaze looked up at Jesper.

"Wh't?"

He wasn't sure what he was going to say to Wylan when he found him and he blurted out without thinking. "You should have faster reflexes than that here. You could get hurt or killed."

"Is that why you woke me up? For a test or to threaten me?" Wylan still sounded mostly asleep.

Jesper ignored Wylan's questions and the uneasy feeling brought on by the thought of Wylan believing he'd threaten him after all they'd been through together. "What are doing?" He asked instead.

"Sleeping. Or I was."

"Why are you on the floor?"

"Because not everyone can have a room, Jesper." His tone got an annoyed edge to it. "Is that all?"

No, it most certainly was not, he thought as he made a decision. "Come here." He grabbed Wylan's hands, pulling him up into a half-seated position.

"What? Does Kaz have a job for us?"

"No." Jesper kept tugging until Wylan was standing, bag slung over one of his shoulders.

"Where are we going?"

Jesper pushed Wylan down the hallway and up the stairs, steering the other into his room and shutting the door behind them.

"What time is it?"

Jesper shrugged. "Dunno." He was gambling at midnight but hadn't stayed as long as he normally would have, as a sudden need to be in the merchling's presence struck him.

"Jesper," Wylan complained. "I don't know what game you're playing but it's too early for this. I'm going back to sleep."

He had turned to leave, but Jesper stopped him with a hand on his chest. He must've been tired because he only blushed lightly at the contact.

"That is what you're going to be doing, but here."

Wylan's brow furrowed in his sleepy confusion. "Why?"

"Because I said so?"

"Jesper, I was fine where I was. Why'd you drag me up here?"

Jesper let out a puff of air at Wylan's stubbornness. "Because sleeping on the floor will hurt your back. I can't help everyone here get a bed, but I can get you one."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, merchling. Any more stupid questions?"

Wylan didn't say anything as he blushed.

Just," Jesper held out his hands for Wylan to take. "C'mere." The sort-of-blond-sort-of-brunet took his hands, clearly too tired to put up much of a fight.

Wylan's hands were soft, fingers long and thin. Jesper didn't know many musicians - only one - but he'd imagine that Wylan's were perfect. For it. For, perfect for music-ing. Though Jesper did allow his thoughts to wander to what other things Wylan's hands would be perfect for. He didn't want to think too much into it at the moment, because he was about to climb into bed with Wylan, and not for that reason.

Jesper dropped the messenger bag to the floor before pushing down lightly on Wylan's shoulders to get him to sit on the bed.

"Strip," Jesper said without thinking, then realized what he said when the other's face flushed. "I mean if you want to. You can sleep in your clothes if you'd be more comfortable."

Wylan nodded in thanks and tentatively lay back, head resting on Jesper's pillow.

"Maybe, uh, take off your shoes?" Jesper suggested as he started undoing the buttons in his shirt.

Soon enough, he was climbing over Wylan and pulling the blanket over both of them. He lay there for a few minutes, trying to sleep and he was almost there when Wylan started moving. It took Jesper a few seconds to realize that he was taking off his shirt. His heart started beating faster. He must've had some kind of look on his face because Wylan apologized.

"Sorry, it's just a lot warmer than I'm used to."

Jesper frowned. He didn't find it that warm. In fact, he was a little on the cold side. For this time be a lot warmer than Wylan was used to…

"Saints, how cold are you usually at night?"

"Well, I don't have a blanket or the body warmth of someone else when I sleep. Plus the floor is cold." Wylan said it so indifferently it made Jespers heart heavy.

"What? But," he didn't know what to say. "Why don't you have a blanket?"

"I did at one point. It was just gone when I woke one morning."

He frowned for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. "You're gonna stay here until we get you something of your own, okay?"

"M'kay." Wylan sighed as he sleepily pushed his face into Jesper's shoulder. Gentle warm puffs of air brushed lightly over his skin as the other drifted off into sleep.

Jesper looked at the sleeping boy beside him. His freckles were light and small as they were slowly coming back. He wouldn't have, didn't see them until his face was only a few inches away. His hand subconsciously drifted up to run through his currently light brown, slightly curly hair, surprised that it was so much softer than it looked. And it looked really soft. Jesper let out a little sigh as his gaze drifting down to Wylan's soft pink lips that he had wanted to kiss since he first met him.

Jesper turned away, clearing his mind of what he wanted to do with Wylan and closed his eyes. Slowly, he drifted off next to the person of his affection.