Chapter Text
It had been a long day of coordinating for the two captains. Their fleets had met up to talk strategy for the upcoming islands so both captains had spent the day working on maps, inventory, and other boring topics. They had spent the entire day together but it sure didn't feel like it. So, when around lunch time Bartolomeo notices the sleep fogging the other captain's eyes, he calls for a break.
He waited with Cavendish in the meeting room until all the others had dispersed. The green haired captain, now alone in the room with only the other captain, turns to Cavendish, a frown upon his fanged mouth.
“You’re falling asleep Cav. We should get you to bed.”
The former prince nodded, head hanging to rest in the palm of his hand. Bartolomeo can tell by the way the other is acting that this was not the type of sleep caused by being tired or bored.
They had only been together a few months, but early on Cavendish confided in Bartolomeo about his condition. Some mix of PTSD, Narcolepsy, and Dissociative Identity Disorder causing the other to fall asleep randomly while a whole nother person took hold. A dangerous person.
Bartolomeo didn’t care. He stayed anyway. After a while he learned to tell the signs of an episode. The hazy gaze in the others drooping eyes, the sometimes lack of verbal communication, the droop in the others shoulders.
Moving a hand to brush some hair behind the other's ear, Barto watched the other carefully.
“Hey. Cav. You with me?”
Cavendish nods, eyes staring ahead of him. “Mhm. M’tired.”
Bartolomeo moves again, this time to scoop the man up into his arms. He himself wasn't too physically strong, but he was able to hold the tall man with ease. Cavendish always felt light as a feather and fit so perfectly in his arms. He carefully carried his blonde treasure into the room, his captain's room, moving to lay the other on the bed before laying himself overtop the other dramatically.
"Won't try to kill me tonight?"
The blonde snuggly rested his head on the other shoulder as he was carried to bed, flopping back with his arms out and a content hug. He hummed as Barto squished him, his fingers playing in his green messy hair.
" Uhm... " Cavendish paused to think for a moment, eyes falling shut. " Probably. "
"No worries baby. Just nap, yeah? I've got you nice and snug."
Bartolomeo looks up through his eyelashes at the others face, basking in the others beauty
" Mmm... May need to take precautions. " the blonde man purred, his fingers brushing through the green tufts of hair on Barto's head. This was a normal occurrence by now- nothing new.
" I am very comfortable though... "
"I don't like chaining you up. I don't think you would hurt me. Or him. Just relax. I have you."
His big strong arms wrap around the other tightly, but not too tight as he lazily smiles at the other. He trusts Cavendish.
" . . . " Cav's gentle look sinks a little bit at the thought of him not being restrained, because the truth was he couldn't hold Hakuba back at all. But he also knew that Barto could handle himself if things went wrong.
He can't argue as he's scooped up into a big cuddle. His pale face turns pink and his lips upturn, lashed eyes drifting shut.
" Okayyy... thank you, Meo... " he cooed, similar to a cat purr as he settled into the bed.
Barto peppers the other with soft gentle kisses, teeth and lips meeting soft pale skin.
"Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. Fighting it just gives you a headache."
" Mmm, it is quite the hassle... " he agreed, nodding his head softly. Turning his head towards Barto, he leaned up and very softly pressed a petaled kiss onto his fanged lips before leaned back down and let himself drift off to sleep.
Bartolomeo takes the time to play with Cavendish's hair, knowing it to comfort the other. He gently maneuvers small braids into the long blond hair as he waits.
Peace and quiet... for a long time... until eventually the body underneath Barto's weight begins to twitch and convulse, fighting for freedom. A long, dry wheeze left Cavendish's throat, something remnant of a wail...
Hakuba.
Without a sword he was likely not much of a threat, and if he could be held down he wasn't much of a bother... he was just mildly frightening.
Bartolomeo notices. Of course he does. But he doesn't seem to mind. He stays in his position, knowing there was no way to lift him up off of the other.
"Hey Hakuba. Sorry- Straw hat is around. Gotta keep you in place tonight."
No response from the corpse-like creature, of course- he does nothing but struggle underneath the weight, tossing his head around in a droned attempt.
He didn't seem overly violent like normal. Maybe just annoyed... or inconvenienced.
Bartolomeo stays in his spot, not minding the movement.
"Hey. You wanna get up? You can't leave the room. You know this."
Once again more silence arises from the unconscious body, the blank eyes of Hakuba staring over Barto's shoulder. His expression never changed, frozen in a freaky, toothless smile.
Bartolomeo crosses his fingers, a soft blue barrier erecting around the perimeter of the room before he rolls off.
"Be good. Don't break my stuff this time, yeah?"
Boom- the body disappears off of the bed in a flash of blinding speed...although when he comes back into view again, he's staring quietly at the barrier blocking the door, a smile frozen in place.
He raises a hand to pound on the wall once or twice, virtually harmless without his swords.
A slow turn of the head and Hakuba is staring back at Barto.
He shrugs, just smiling up at the other softly.
"Not getting out."
The staring continued for a moment before Hakuba turned and waltzed across the floor towards Barto, raising his hands with some kind of intent. His eyes narrowed into thinner slits, peering at Barto through ghastly pupils- once he reached the other, his hands began to search him for his swords
___
He spent a few moments aimlessly searching for the sword before coming to an abrupt halt, hands hovering out... tick... tock... tick...
" Snrrzz... "
Hakuba let a snore through as his face suddenly morphed back to normal, Cavendish becoming his own host again His knees turned limp and his body flopped backwards towards the floor.
Barto was quick to catch the other, letting the barrier fall as he caught the other before Cavendish could meet the ground. Carefully he laid the other back into the bed, pulling the other against his chest as he lay back. Instinctively Cavendish chased the warmth and curled in closer, lips pressed into a smile once he subconsciously got comfy in Barto's grasp. Hakuba just gave up. Strange.
Bartolomeo carefully moved so the other would be comfortable, propping himself up on a pillow. He moves the hair out of the other's face gently, quietly contemplating why the other side didn't fight more.
Cavendish didnt often go through the night peacefully without Hakuba roaming around and causing problems for everyone, so this was definitely a strange occurrence. Maybe... Cav could subconsciously keep himself in check? Or maybe he wanted to be warm so badly that he stayed put? They were near a set of winter islands, the air outside frigid. Whatever it was, it left Cavendish snoozing with a smile on his face.
Barto could feel himself drifting off, wrapped so securely around Cavendish. He knew he shouldn't sleep. He should keep watch to make sure Hakuba doesn't escape. But his eyelids fall anyways, comfortable against the smaller body next to him.
Hours later after a long, well-needed nap, Cavendish woke up from his deep slumber with drool dribbling down his chin and a snot bubble comically hanging from his nose. As he rustled around in Barto's grasp and teetered along waking up, he used a hand to wipe his face of drool and mucus(ew), coming to life after his long sleep.
He stared quietly at the ceiling once he had fully awoken himself, partially confused as to where he was. Not chained up, not bloody in a ditch somewhere, not wandering aimlessly... but in bed. Comfortably. Not tied up.
He looked at Barto, his lips parting in surprise. How did you manage to do that, you silly rooster??
Meanwhile, Bartolomeo was knocked the fuck out. He lay, long limbs sprawled out across the bed, face pressed tight to a drool covered pillow and snoring like a freight train
CUTE!!!! Cavendish squealed and kicked his feet with cute aggression before rolling over and smooching his dumb face. Baby baby baby baby baby baby!!!! Bartolomeo luckily is used to being awoken in this manner. So he isn’t surprised when he comes out of his sleep to find his face being squeezed and smooched .
He grumbles, hand moving up to wipe at his face
"Mm. Nap time over?"
His lisp is always so much worse in the mornings and while he hates it he knows cav thinks it's cute
" Yes yes, nap time is over... I am very rested! " he hummed giddily, kicking his feet in the air as he squeezed the life out of Meo's head. He rubbed his face against Meo's cheek similar to how a cat would to show affection. Honestly he kind of was like a cat. Lovey dovey when he wanted to be and usually only in private. He never acted like this out in the open.
Barto moves to roll over on top of the other, face buried in the other's stomach.
"Good nap?"
He looks up through half lidded eyes, still mostly asleep. Cavendish hummed and once again plaid in the mess of green hair, his heavily lashed eyes drifting shut as he leaned back into the bed.
" Wonderful even. I haven't slept that well in a long time. "
"He tried to get out but when I thaid no he jutht let you go back to thleep. it wath....weird."
Sleepily, he mumbled into the other's stomach as he enjoyed the hair touches with a sound of satisfaction.
" ...weird... " Cavendish mumbled, his head tilting gently to the side as he thought about the consequences of that. Hakuba did not normally just... not cause problems. How strange.
" Well that made things easier for you then? "
"Maybe if we jutht....let him? Like yeah the door is locked with my barrier but....Maybe he is just tired of being kept locked up like a monster. He is part of you after all." The more awake he gets the less pronounced his lisp, now able to focus enough to talk around it.
Barto moved to press kisses on the other's tummy.
"I think we should spend the day in bed. Just relax. I don't feel like getting up. I wanna be lazy."
" If we let him run around, Meo, he'll kill anyone he sees. "
Blue eyes stared up at the ceiling with a hint of hesitance within them... he was stern and quiet before curling in and giggling at the soft smooches on his pale tummy. Ticklish
Bartolomeo smiles at the giggle before rolling off to the side of Cavendish, his green hair flopping against the pillow.
"I dunno. Didn't even try to kill me this time."
He moves to bury himself in the blankets, pulling at the one under Cavendish.
"That is a later us problem. Gimme the blanket beautiful i'm cold-"
The blonde rolled over and let Meo snagg his blanket, then hummed and sat up.
" Maybe he's warming up to you. " Cav suggested with a purr, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of his own eyes
He grabs the blanket, throwing it over himself lazily. He doesn't really care that he's still fully dressed, shoes and all. That's okay. The blanket is warm from being under the other.
"Maybe. Come lay with me. It's a lay in bed day."
He just feels sluggish, wanting to curl up with his partner and waste the whole day.
The blonde man unbuttoned his frilly shirt and threw it aside on the floor before crawling under the blankets with his partner. It took him a few moments to crawl under, nestling into the pocket next to Barto.
" I don't mind laying here all day. "