Sleep - A Reever/Komui One-Shot
A scream and a crash from the Science Department let him know that it was happening again. With a groan and a mutter he rolled out of his makeshift bed in his office and wandered down the stairs to find exactly what he expected: the Supervisor surrounded by chaos and destruction.
It had started happening recently, since they'd lost contact with the Exorcists on their way to Edo. Stress, loss, whatever the cause, Komui was being plagued by sleep disturbances that were currently manifesting themselves as bouts of sleepwalking that terrorised the Science Department.
Sure enough, the curly haired man was pacing down an aisle amongst their experiments, completely unaware of his surroundings. Behind him, two of the Department were hurriedly collecting a pile of papers and broken glass they'd dropped. Sighing, Reever caught up to his harried Supervisor and gently put his arm around him. This close he was painfully aware of his superior's pallid colour in contrast to the deep bags around his eyes. Without his glasses and trademark beret and smile the man looked incredibly fragile and young. With his charisma and intellect, it was all too easy to forget just how young the man leading them was. A pang of sorrow and affection grabbed his heart as the man beneath his guiding arm turned frantically, muttering something in Chinese. All he caught was the word Hevleska, repeated over and over, although he was certain his name cropped up once.
With an exasperated but affectionate smile, he steered his sleeping supervisor around and began to lead him towards Hevleska's chamber. It wasn't unusual to find Komui in there on a sleepless night, his back to the railings, eyes closed, listening to the hum of the subterranean Exorcist. It soothed him when he was distressed, maybe it would do so now. At the least, Hevleska could prevent him wandering off and surprising unsuspecting scientists.
Komui seemed to relax when the hum and warmth of Hevleska's home hit them, his shoulders untensed and he leaned back into the man propping him up. Hevleska looked over and her giant face pulled into a smile. She hovered close as Reever laid the Supervisor down in a corner, pulling off his labcoat to cover the shifting man. They both stayed silent to avoid waking him, watching as his movements became less frantic and stopped as his breathing became more rhythmic, his head falling forward onto his chest.
Reever lowered himself down with a wince, exhausted and sore himself from these night vigils. He tilted his head back and stared up through the pale green glow at the sky. Beside him Komui turned over, burying his face into his subordinate's shoulder with a sigh. Reever glanced down at the man with a smile. The work at HQ was hard for them all, but Komui kept it fun, kept their spirits light with his little pranks. He couldn't always keep up the facade though, and it was at times like these that he couldn't keep the premature worry lines from creasing his face.
Reever wished that he could smooth them away, that he could do something more for the man that kept them all going. But for as long as he'd known him, Komui never shared his feelings. Never shared the worries that must keep him up at night. He'd heard him once, alone in his office, berating himself, focusing himself.
"Don't wallow in the pain! Think only about... victory..." He'd heard papers hit the floor as Komui vented the frustrations that no one else could see. He'd wanted to go in, to say something, to try and help in any way, but he knew the man would just put on a goofy smile and crack a joke about his annoying paperwork. So he'd leaned there against the door listening to body-wracking sobs from the other side.
He loved this man, he reflected. Of course they all did in a way, followed him for love and the hope of eventually throttling him out of annoyance. But everything this man did inspired love, his hard work, his insane plans for efficiency, but most of all the love he poured back in the people around him.
With a sad smile, he let his head rest on top of Komui's, letting the man's breath reverberate through his skull. For that love, that incessant and unstoppable love, he would follow this man into Hell. He closed his eyes and placed his lips against the ruffled hair and just let it all wash over him, the exhaustion, the pain and the brief comfort they could gain. One day he'd let Komui know how he felt, but until then, he'd just support him with everything he could.
The hum faded into the background as sleep overtook him as well, leaving Hevleska awake, watching over her charges, humming her own lullaby of sorrow and loss and love.
A/N: Two in one night? Well, I'm suffering with Komui and I guess insomnia and headaches make me a more prolific writer. Really enjoyed writing this, it may be my OTP. As always, R&R