Summers in the Defiant Root were searing and while Team Snakemouth would otherwise avoid the unpleasantness of blistering sands and torrid desert winds, they found much of their time spent in the Lost Sands as a favor to Professor Honeycomb and her research.
Personally, Leif felt fine; the changes in temperature were hardly noticed on his part. A small benefit to his physiology, he supposed. However, his teammates were suffering the consequences of the sweltering heat, Vi most of all. The days were too hot and the nights too cold which left for a very tired bee who couldn't find sleep or rest in either. Kabbu fared only slightly better, a bit more acclimated to harsh conditions, but his lethargy was obvious.
And despite it being mid-day, they decided it would be wise to rest at the inn in the Defiant Root to recuperate.
As soon as they settled in, Kabbu had slipped off, muttering something about needing food and ice—both of which they had—and Leif almost wanted to be offended that it seemed like the green beetle was trying to get a break from them. Although, Vi had been incorrigible lately, her temperament poor from lack of sleep.
Which was why Leif didn't argue when she sat beside him on his bed and grumbled out, "It's too hot over there.". She had tinkered with her A.D.B.P. (beemerang) for a total of maybe two minutes before she was fast asleep. The predicament that Leif found himself in was that she had fallen asleep on him, taking advantage of the pleasant cool he radiated.
She was curled up at his side, her head resting against his arm and while he couldn't see all of her face from this angle, he was almost certain she was drooling on him. His back strained, trying to support the weight that was pushing into him. He had to make the decision between comfort and self-preservation because if he woke Vi up, he wasn't sure he'd survive it.
She sighed lightly which snapped him from his thoughts. He glanced down at her, tilting his head slightly, and off-handily noticing that a bit of her fluff was uncombed. Instinctively, he reached out with his free hand and smoothed out the stray tuft.
Soft, he noted.
Mindlessly, he gently petted her fluff and she let out a content sigh. He stopped instantly, hand hovering in the air before curling into a fist, which he hastily moved to rest on the bed at his side.
This situation is more troublesome than we thought.
He had to admit, Vi was cute, especially when she wasn't up and about and causing trouble. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it before; Leif kept an extensive mental catalog of cute (a "cute-alog") and if he saw something cute, he could appreciate it and Vi was, as it stood, cute. He would never tell her, or anyone, that—he didn't need to encourage her already inflated ego—but it didn't mean anything.
Except is kind of felt like it meant something when she was pressed up against him, her warmth seeping into him even through dulled senses, and being close enough that he could smell the sweet scent of honey on her.
She shifted in her sleep and he gently pushed her antenna out of his face. He chose not to indulge in unnecessary and confusing thoughts. He needed to remove her from himself somehow before he was forced to confront feelings he wasn't sure he was ready to confront.
Besides, his arm had started to go numb.
He tried to nudge her awake with a subtle shift, but she went entirely unfazed so he went for a more direct approach and tapped her on the shoulder, "Vi," he said quietly.
"…"
He frowned and gave her shoulder a small shake, "Vi," he said a little louder.
"…"
"…You're not going to wake up, are you?"
"…"
He attempted to pull his arm out from under her but effectively trapped himself when she slid into his lap instead, draped across him like, well, dead weight. He started to think that maybe he was being careful for nothing and that he could pick her up and move her back to her own bed before Kabbu returned and there was an awkward conversation to be had.
He went to move her, slipping his hand under her head with the hope of lifting it just enough to free his arm that was trapped between them. What he didn't expect was for her to turn her head to the side and with a quiet mumble, nestle her cheek into his palm, "Leif…"
His heart skipped a beat.
Dammit.
Leif looked to the ceiling and sighed, resigned to his fate.
He sat there for what felt like an eternity, with Vi in his lap and his hand cradling her face. Not entirely unpleasant, but compromising nonetheless. Leif pointedly attempted to keep his thoughts occupied elsewhere than on the small cute bee who made him her bed—with limited success.
When Kabbu came back, all he did was look at Vi and sigh in relief, "Thank Venus, she's asleep," he sat down, leaving the unnecessary things he bought at the foot of his bed before leaning back into the cushioned foliage.
"Yes, but if you could hel—Oh, you're already asleep."
Leif sighed again, it was going to be a long day.
Vi woke up with a yawn and stretch, pleasantly rested and temperate—the air was cool around her. She took a deep breath but froze when she realized something was wrong, her eyes opened wide in an instant.
She jumped off Leif, who laid in his bed with legs hanging off the side and, thankfully, asleep,
Vi looked around quickly, noticing that Kabbu was also sleeping. She sighed in relief and tried to shake off her embarrassment by digging around in their bag to see what treats Kabbu had gotten. There was no way she could live down having fallen asleep on Leif like some kid.
When Leif and Kabbu woke up it was early evening and Vi was seated on her own bed, legs crossed, sucking on a Spicy Candy while she counted berries and fiddled with her beemerang. Collectively rested, Team Snakemouth were quick to finish their mission for Professor Honeycomb and made a note to stay far away from the Defiant Root for quite a while.
They fell back into their usual routine, except Vi made sure to never sit next to Leif on a hot day when she was tired and maybe Leif watched Vi a little more than he used to.