Sara Draconia
Takes place directly after Ice Isn't Nice
Nothing from the night before was gone- Nataniel hadn't indulged to such excess that he couldn't remember what had transpired the evening prior. He was aware that nearly every occurrence had felt like a personal attack. ...But, with that said, the specifics were a little hazy, and even before he opened his eyes, there was a vague sensation of swimming, dizzy. The floor was too warm and too hard beneath him, and, ugh. Water. He was almost sure he'd requested water- No, tea. There should be a mug of tea nearby.
He opened his eyes, glasses askew on his face as Nataniel turned his head to stare blearily toward the now-cold-and-dark fireplace. There was a mug there. And a body. The body was not a surprise... Basil had helped him home.
It was, however, a little of a disappointment, as Nataniel generally preferred to suffer away from the presence of basically-strangers. Especially in his own home... There was no reason he couldn't wake Basil up and kick him out immediately. It was Nat's house, and if he didn't want someone there, they shouldn't be there. Some might consider it a little cold to kick someone out first thing on a snowy winter morning the person who'd saved his life... But Nataniel was a cold person, who was dealing with the uncomfortable consequences of his own actions, so...
So... what did letting him stay a few extra minutes in a room Nataniel wasn't planning on being in matter? It was better than potential confrontation, wasn't it?
He propped himself up slowly, slid silently from beneath the blankets as his body protested his rather harsh treatment of it the night before. Hard floor, half-wet clothes. He felt hot and ill, but his fingers and toes were practically frozen stiff. Nataniel didn't huff or groan, just silently grabbed the mug of room temperature tea and creaked and cracked his way toward the kitchen.
Miserable morning. Stovetop clock said it was 6:30. Basyl should (theoretically) be home in an hour and a half, if nothing unexpected happened at the hospital. Which was a good enough reason for Nataniel to not go back to sleep: Basyl would want to sleep when he made it home, and if Nat didn't go to bed now, maybe he could convince himself to rest with Basyl when he got home. He downed the cold tea in a couple swallows. So no bed now, no matter how his body ached and his vision swam.
And if he wasn't going to sleep, he might as well make breakfast. Maybe Basyl would like something to eat when he got home. ...Maybe Other Basil would take it as a peace offering before Nat sent him on his way.
