His things are spread out over three suitcases, and Alek sets them up on his side of the room. He's got enough clothes that would last him three weeks instead of one, and they are obviously all made with high quality material. Pricey things.
Alek can see Deryn eying his suitcases out of the his peripheral vision, and he notices that she only has one small carry-on.
"Is that all you've brought?" he asks, and regrets it when she glares at him. "Right, not a president's kid," he amends.
They unpack in silence. When he's finished, Deryn has already gotten changed and is ready to go to bed. Her nightie is an oversized t-shirt, stretching down to her knees. Alek doesn't think she's got anything on underneath.
"Stop staring." Deryn scowls. "I thought I would be sleeping alone, alright?"
Alek's face turns red at having been caught looking where he shouldn't have, and heads off to clean up. There, in the safety of the bathroom, Alek can breathe freely again.
Turning on the faucet, he lets the cool water rush over his hands, cupping it and splashing his face. He scrubs harder than he needs to. When he's done, he leans his hands on the counter, letting the droplets drip off his chin and down his shirt.
He stares into the mirror, and another Alek stares back.
So what if Dylan's actually a girl? the other Alek seems to say. She's the same person on the inside.
Not on the outside, she's not. Her t-shirt is oversized, but it doesn't hide much.
Dylan is Deryn. Deryn is Dylan.
Stop.
With the bathroom towel, he dries his face.
Deryn is in her bed as he enters the room; well, she's almost there. She's fiddling with the sheets. When she turns around, Alek sees that she's wearing a goofy grin that he hasn't seen before.
"Look at these blankets!" she exclaims. "Have you ever felt anything more comfortable?" With a contented sigh, she throws herself onto the bed, letting the down comforter cushion her. Then she fixes him with a look, like she's just remembered. "Oh, wait. You live like this everyday," she says, sounding like she's expecting him to burst her bubble.
Alek won't, though. He only realizes that he's smiling when Deryn asks him what's wrong with his face.
"Nothing," says Alek, still smiling. Then he throws himself on the mattress the same way she just did. He looks at her through the covers. "You're right, though. These are the softest I've ever felt."
"Aye," she says, grinning again.