As Snug as a Bug in a Book - Open -

[Horus Richmond]

Horus had things he needed to do.

For someone who spends more than half their day fast asleep, it's difficult to keep up with everything that happens. It's also difficult to stay on top of homework. Read : Impossible.

This was why the dopey blonde was dragging himself into the library, with his duvet balled up around him as he moved. He was failing Religious Studies. In fact, the last time he could actually remember a lesson was a few weeks ago, when he'd been asleep, but awake and had settled down and made note of something vaguely interesting about Islam. But no small fact was going to write Horus an essay on Islamic Culture and Taboo, and he'd resigned himself to the Religion side of the Library. Three tables towards the back were now scattered with various books on Islam, and were open and flicked to different pages, as though the boy was desperately searching for something new. A piece of paper beside him had book lists and quotes scrawled all over it. It also had several small goofy doodles of people he'd seen in the library.

Procrastination was Horus' second best friend.

As he moved to open yet another thick book, the blonde let out a loud yawn and rubbed his eyes. It was stupidly tiring, writing an essay. Scribbling down one more book reference, Horus pushed his cap back from his head, then wrung it between his hands.

Smack.

One minute, the blonde was awake, and the next, he was asleep. Cheek now smushed against the pages of the open book, Horus began to drool, the page sticking to his face as he snuggled up. Worse, Horus' sleep awareness had kicked in, and his un-attached conscious sat beside his sleeping form, sighing heavily. This was hopeless. Even Vincent had more chance of passing the year than he did. Frustrated, the invisible form of Horus' mind kicked at the table, and nothing happened. It wasn't HIS fault he was narcoleptic, nor that he had a power that made things worse.

Sulking, Horus skulked off to make faces at the other students revising. They couldn't see him, and he hoped he'd feel a bit better if he could make fun of someone, rather than dwell on his impending doom.

"I suck more dicks than Verax. I'm gonna fail th'class." He grumbled embitteredly, staring over at his prone, sleeping form.

[Benjamin Park]

Benji was and had always been a very diligent little student. He was the one that went above and beyond expectations, the one who always felt devastated when he got anything below an A. It wasn't that it came easy to him, because he worked very hard, Benjamin always kept on top of his homework, often finishing projects weeks before they were even due. He was the kind of a student that teachers loved - quiet(not like he has a choice when it comes to this), well-behaved, prompt, and always prepared.

So when he was assigned a book report for his English class, the ever-dedicated young boy had made his way straight to the library after class. He had already picked a book and was already laying out the report in his mind, so why delay any longer? Benji had spent enough time in the library to know it very well and as he walked through the shelved, avoiding the tables with students sitting at them already, he found the book he was looking for and took an empty table close to the back. There was only one other student in the area and though he'd hogged three tables all to himself, Benji figured he looked busy enough not to bother him.

He let his backpack down on the table and pulled out his notebooks and pencils and the rubric for grading that the teacher had passed around. Spreading them around in a comfortable and familiar fashion, Benji opened the book and began reading through the first few chapters, only pausing occasionally to jot down notes for things to include in the report. He was making fairly good progress... at least that was until he heard an awkward thud.

At first he thought maybe the kid a few tables over had just dropped a book (with the mess he had sprawled across the tables, it wouldn't have been surprising) but when he looked up, he saw that the blonde was just slumped over the desk with his head in a book. Pressing his lips into a thin line, Benji marked his page and then closed the book, watching the other student curiously. He was thinking maybe the other student was just frustrated and had set his head down for a moment, but he didn't appear to be moving and the young manipulator was starting to look worried. What had happened? Was the kid okay? Did he die?

Ever the compassionate child that he was, Benji stood up from his chair and slowly made his way over to the blonde bent over the desk. He chewed the inside of his cheek worriedly, but breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally saw the boy take a breath. Whew, he wasn't dead. That made Benji feel a little bolder though he was still a bit awkward as he wrung his hands, standing nearish the table, debating with himself whether he should interrupt the other student or not. It was all very odd to him. If the blonde was just asleep, then shouldn't he have gone to his bed? And people really didn't fall asleep that fast, did they? Had he fainted? Was he sick?

Benji took a few steps closer and then gently tapped on the boy's sleeping shoulder. He felt he had to do something, because if there was something seriously wrong with the blonde and Benji had just sat at his table like nothing was wrong, he would have felt awful. So Horus wasn't dead yet, but what if he was dying? Could Benji really have just sat by and let him? Of course not, he had to make sure that he was okay! When the gentle tap didn't seem to earn any response, Benji nervously gave the boy a little shake, upset by the fact that he couldn't say anything to him and was instead left with only the option of making loud noises (which he couldn't do because this was a library) or nudging him. He really hoped that this student wasn't dying.

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[Horus Richmond]

Horus' body was still and unmoving as his consciousness ghosted from one corner to the library to the next. At first, the Blonde's invisible form had done a party dance in the middle of the table, trampling all over the books. Of course, being that Horus was not physically there, Eli can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing his books will come to no harm. Then, after that mischief had occured, Horus wandered off through the rows of books, shouting "BORING" as loud as his lungs could manage.

But then, just as suddenly as Horus bellowed, he realised that this boy was standing over his sleeping form, and he clambered back over, sitting next to his prone form, and this strange kid. Crossing his legs, he rested his chin on a palm and shrugged. "What y'doin' 's pretty useless." He said slowly, scratching his chin. "M'asleep. I'll be out f'ages." Sighing heavily, the blonde leant forward and peered down at his sleeping face. "An'm'droolin'. Fuckin' gross." Wrinkling his nose, he sagged down and snuggled on the book pile.

Watching Benji struggle to wake his unconscious form was now the blonde's new method of entertainment, or at least, it would have been if there hadn't been the scent of food in the air. Two eyes opened blearily, and Horus looked up, book stuck to the side of his face. "Whatcha doin'?" He grumbled, unsticking the book and wiping his mouth, trying to see if he had any print transferred on his skin. Mumbling to himself, the blonde finally spotted a delicious sausage roll lying unattended on a napkin. Wasn't there a no food rule in here?

"Finders keepers." Horus said as he leapt over the chairs and stole the food, walking back nonchalantly with pastry round his lips. "So, kid, y'thought I died or somethin'?" He asked, settling back down in his chair and kicking his feet up on the table. "... Say... are y'th'mute kid?" Horus suddenly looked up and grabbed his note paper, throwing it down in a flurry. "'m right, right?" He looked eager and pushed over a pen. "M'name's Horus an'm a narcoleptic." He offered his hand out, grinning.

[Benjamin Park]

Little Benji was starting to get more and more nervous when the boy in front of him showed no signs of waking. All he could think was that there was something seriously wrong with him and he felt responsible. Not for whatever was plaguing Horus, but for letting someone know that there was something wrong. He was wringing his hands, his eyes wide and anxious and he was just about to turn and run to the librarian's office when he heard a sleepy grunt.

It startled him and he jumped about a foot back, but was greatly relieved when the boy sat up and looked healthy. He breathed a sigh of relief, though he was still fidgeting with his hands in a nervous fashion. Meeting new people had never been Benji's strong suit. Especially when said new people vaulted over chairs to eat something that had been laying out in the library for heaven knows how long. Benjamin just stared, a look of confusion mixed with fright on on his face. Maybe he would have been better off if he'd just kept to himself.

He bit on his lip when Horus returned, only nodding in response to his questions and then looking surprised when he realized that the boy knew who he was. How did Horus know him? Benji was sure he'd never interacted with him before and the only answer he could come up with was that he shared a class with Horus, but he didn't seem to recall ever seeing him in his classes before. Then again, Benji wasn't one to pay attention to his classmates, usually focusing only on his notes and what the teacher was lecturing about.

When Horus offered out his hand, he eyed it suspiciously before cautiously taking it and shaking it. He looked down at the pen and paper that the boy had thrown his way and picked up the pen to write down his name as well. "I'm Benji... how did you know I can't talk?" That was really going to bother him and for a moment he tried racking his brain for other reasons why Horus would know him. As far as he was aware, he was the only mute kid on the campus, so he couldn't have been mistaking him for someone else. His hand then went up to his throat to make sure that it was covered properly and the scars from his surgery weren't visible.

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[Horus Richmond]

Horus regarded Benji's actions with an arched eyebrow and half a lump of sausage hanging out his mouth. Nervous little kid. Licking his lips and tugging his discarded duvet from the floor and back around him, the blonde yawned and laughed. "S'okay, I got a ton o' scars." Pointing at various white lines on his exposed skin, a wonky grim appeared on his face. "S'cool, havin' a scar like that. But wait." Wrinkling his nose up, Horus rocketed forward with the roll nearly gone, and he grappled for the paper and pen, drawing a picture of a man with a big smile, and writing next to it Does it feel better if I write like this?

Pleased with himself, Horus curled his toes around the underside of his seat and cocked his head, looking the nervous boy up and down. My roommate knows your roommate. Talks about you and stuff. With those words written down, the blonde drew a picture of some beds, and two people talking with blah blah in speech bubbles. Resting his cheek on his hand he finished off the food and tugged over one of the larger books, staring down at the pages and thumbing through his notes. I'm trying to catch up on class. I have narcolepsy AND anaesthetic touch. Someone hates me up there. Grinning wonkily, Horus carried on thumbing through pages, before groaning hopelessly and throwing the book with a loud bang on the floor.

"I give up." He moaned, wrapping his arms around himself and face planting the table. He could maybe ask Ember but damnit, he wanted to try and do this by himself, show that he could do something aside from sleep. Rubbing his mouth, he huffed and began to shred the napkin the sausage roll had been on. I have a weird ability to seperate my conscious from my body for a while when I'm asleep, so I can walk around, and hear and see, but I can't interact with my surroundings. Like a ghost, just less cool. Horus added suddenly, one hand smushed against his face.

So Benji, how you like Hammel? It's like Hogwarts but waaaay less cool. At this point, Horus got a misty expression on his face, as he began to imagine how awesome it would be to have a pet owl and ride a broomstick. He wasn't even blinking as he imagined doing the killing curse on Jesse, then dancing all around his body singing ding dong the witch is dead. ... Spiteful little thing sometimes, is Horus.

[Benjamin Park]

Benji began biting on the inside of his mouth again, a nervous habit he'd acquired years ago, but he watched as Horus pointed out a number of scars of his own. He could only guess what they were from, but they certainly didn't look surgical in nature. He wondered if they were all from one big accident or lots of little ones, though he probably wouldn't have to guts to ask. He was painfully shy on the best of days, but after he'd just had the fright of thinking a student had died right in front of him, it's a miracle his hands are even working enough to write.

He was surprised, to say the least, when Horus started writing instead of talking. It did make him feel more comfortable when people did that, Jenni had and so had Akira on occasion, but he wouldn't have pegged Horus for the type to do it. Not when talking was so much quicker. It wasn't hard to pick Horus for the lazy type, not with the coma-like sleeping and the blanket that he had wrapped around him; that definitely didn't lend itself to a hard-working, careful individual. Either way, he appreciated the gesture and offered up a cautious little smile. "It does, thank you." He jotted down quickly before folding his hands in front of him politely.

Benji read the words that Horus jotted down with wide eyes, shocked not only by the combination of his powers and his narcolepsy, but his ability to still be conscious during sleep. He was slightly jealous, not that he wanted to be in Horus' shoes because of the narcolepsy, but everyone he had met so far had such amazing sounding powers. "Really? So you can see what's happening when you're asleep? Does that mean you don't dream?" Not that Benji often remembered his dreams, more often he'd forget them moments after waking up, but sleeping without dreaming at all? That was something he couldn't wrap his little mind around.

As Horus daydreamed, Benji settled himself down in the chair opposite from the blonde, still looking apprehensive and as if he might dart away at any moment. There was nothing to be afraid of, he kept telling himself, but Horus intimidated him for some reason and he didn't know why. "It's okay, I guess. It's not home, but I was told it's safer here. And it's nice to know I can someday use my power without hurting myself." Not that Benji had ever been so concerned about that before, he'd healed people selflessly, no matter what damage he brought upon himself. The loss of his vocal cords was just one of those things, but if he had the chance to go back, he would have done the same thing all over again.

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[Horus Richmond]

Horus tilted his head to the side and rested it on his palm as Benji continued to write. It took very little to make Horus unhappy or nervous, it was simply too tiring to be anything but vaguely cheerful at the best of times. His eyes, in fact, were just about to close on themselves when he realised that the boy had finished writing and was now sat near him. Blinking a few times and shaking his head, he pulled the paper across and read it, shrugging softly. S'okay. Part of my sleep thing sucks 'cause sometimes I dunno I'm asleep so I'll be like "Dude why aren't you talking to me?" or I'll think I'm asleep when I'm awake and do something stupid.

Ah yes. Horus had many, many stories from embarrassing himself. From doing a dance on his desk, to simply flipping off the teacher and going back to bed, Horus had absolutely no concept of what awake was and what asleep was. The two were so blurred together that if it weren't for Benji's writing, he'd assume he'd gone back off to sleep again. Trying to pull himself together, he cracked his knuckles and shook his head, taking the pen and drawing a large, wagging dog against the margin.

I don't dream often. Horus admitted sadly, a small pout on his face, as though he really wished he could. It's not as great as it sounds. Since my body is always awake, I'm always, always tired. Any time I can dream is a day I might actually be awake for longer than 4 hours. It was clear the narco didn't like this side effect, as he wrinkled his face up and bunched the duvet further around himself, turning into a blonde cocoon. He used this protection to peer, owl-like at Benji, trying to figure the biological manipulator out. He was clearly unsure, nervous of him. This half-upset Horus, and he frowned.

Hey, it's alright you know? I'm not a bad guy, I just have metal in my face and a love of sleeping. The blonde scrawled out, shifting his chair round to Benji and opening his arms wide, spreading the duvet. "Come and have a hug." He said warmly, sleep still clinging to his voice. He hoped Benji wouldn't run screaming to the other side of the library at the offer, but hey, fortune favours the brave and Horus decided the younger boy definately needed comforting. "I can be your big brother!" He said hopefully, beaming.

[Benjamin Park]

It wasn't hard to make Benji feel intimidated or nervous. Interactions with others often started out with the young boy being fidgety and nervous. It wasn't that people inherently frightened him, it was more of a case of Benji's inexperience in dealing with them. He didn't know what to say or what to do. Before coming to Hammel, the number of people that he associated with was dangerously small. But arriving at Hammel had forced him to interact with a whole new crowd and though he had a little more experience, it was hard to get over his initial shyness.

"That's awful. I can't even imagine what it's like not to dream." It was a natural human function, dreaming, but Horus was instead tethered to consciousness when he slept. And in all honesty, dreams were far more exciting than anything that happened in the real world. Coupled with the fact that Horus was constantly tired, well, Benji could safely say he didn't envy the poor boy. He'd had nights where he stayed up too late or woke up too early and felt like everything was moving in slow motion and he it was hard for him to picture going through life feeling like that every day.

Horus was odd. Not in a particularly threatening way, but in a way that simply confused him. He was obviously much more talkative (written or non) than Benjamin and he seemed to have no problem opening up to the boy he'd met only moments ago. It always amazed him how people like Horus went through their days, almost as if nothing scared them. Benji, on the other hand, was frightened by all sorts of things, people in general being fairly high up on that list. So when Horus opened his arms for a hug... Benji just froze.

Horus wanted a hug? After knowing Benji less than five minutes and having met because the boy had thought he was dead? Benji's little hands curled into fists for lack of anything better to do and for a moment he just stared at Horus. Was he crazy? Talking to him was one thing, but hugging him? And just as he was about to shake his head and refuse, he stopped. It would be rude to tell him no, especially considering how eager he looked. And Benji always wanted to make people happy, everyone that he'd met he'd tried desperately hard to cheer up. If hugging was what would make Horus happy, then what could be the harm? Slowly, he stood up from his chair and even though he was absolutely brimming with shyness, he moved over to the blonde's widespread arms and cautiously gave him a hug.

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[Horus Richmond]

Horus looked utterly delighted when Benji agreed to the cuddle, wrapping the blankets all around the younger boy and snuggling him happily. Mostly, the hug was just to show Benji he wasn't a scary teenager of doom, but another part of him just liked body warmth from anyone. Scrubbing his face again, the blonde began to clack his piercings against his teeth, grinning furiously as he poked an arm out to write See, I don't bite!

Snuggling against Benji, Horus yawned and rested the textbook in his lap. D'ya fancy helping me learn about Islam? I sleep through a lot of my classes and I could really do with the help. Horus looked somewhat sheepish and sighed, moving his hands through his hair and huffing. He was trying, he really WAS trying. If anyone needed an award for trying, it was Horus, but no matter how hard he worked, no matter how much he tried to catch up, he was always hopelessly behind. Maybe Benji could help him cram what he needed to know so he could scrap a pass to the end of the year.

I have a boyfriend back home in England called Elliot. He's really smart and he used to help me through all my sleeping and the lessons I missed. Horus looked a little sad. I really miss him. Sulking, the blonde burrowed his face into Benji's shoulder and sighed. Do you have a boyfriend or someone special? He added to the writing, drawing a kissy face next to it, along with a love heart. Horus pined for Elliot nearly every day, especially when he fell over and hurt himself.

And now the blonde was sad, and he curled up with his little face turned down. Cheer him up Benji, he needs more hugs.

[Benjamin Park]

Benji had been expecting a quick hug and then he'd be free to go, but Horus had other ideas. As the duvet was wrapped around him along with the blonde's arms, he squirmed a little. It was extremely awkward to him to be hugging someone he'd only just met, but Horus seemed perfectly content and it was hard for Benji to tell him no. So he just settled in Horus' embrace, looking a little out of place. It wasn't that bad, he told himself.

He studied the book that Horus had pulled into his lap and carefully turned a few of the pages. He knew very little about the religion, but he was a curious sort. Taking the pen, he began to write. "I don't know much about Islam, but I could try to help you. Do you have a test coming up?" And there was typical Benji again, trying to help as much as he could. He often had plenty of time after his own work was done that it wouldn't be difficult to make time to help Horus learn and he pitied the other student. Falling asleep in class because you wanted to was one thing, falling asleep because you couldn't help it was another thing. The fact that Horus was willing to try was enough for Benji to agree to help, for if Horus had been the sort who just didn't care, Benji would have said no. (Sucks to be you, Sammy and Vincent.)

Horus had changed the subject rather quickly and Benji pursed his lips thoughtfully as he read the next set of sentences that Horus had jotted down, smiling a little at the drawings. "No, I don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. My best friend is back home, though. I miss him. His name is Xavier." The two boys had spent the majority of their childhood together, it was understandable for Benji to miss his friend. But Horus looked horribly upset at the mention of his boyfriend being so far away and Benji bit the inside of his cheek again before carefully wrapping his arms around Horus and trying to comfort him. Benji couldn't sympathize with what Horus was feeling, but he would do what he could to make the blonde feel better, even if it was only a little.

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[Horus Richmond]

Horus was set in mope mode, only to perk a little when Benji offered to help, dragging over his notes to Benji and thumbing through them silently, showing him what he'd already written down. It's an essay, but it's an important one that could mean passing or failing the year. He wrote simply this time, no smiley faces or anything. It was clear the blonde was bothered, no, upset at the prospect of failing. Failing meant another year away from Elliot. Failing meant another year of being away from his family, especially his brothers and sisters. Failing meant being thick like Vincent and Sammy, and while he loved them both like best friends did, he wanted to show he was smart under the sleepiness.

He read what Benji wrote about his best friend curiously, then broke into a half-happy smile as he was hugged, burrowing up against the younger boy as though he were a comfort blanket. I'm sorry you lost your best friend... but you have me now! Horus scrawled, drawing a smiley face with lots of piercings on it. And you'll probably find a boyfriend or girlfriend here. There's lots of pretty people. With an encouraging smile, the blonde dragged all the books over and tucked up with Benji as though they were in a giant bed. Opening up one of the heavier books and looking through them, he rested his chin on his palm and sighed. It felt like the words were all blurring together in one big run on sentence, and Horus' mind began to switch off again, unable to keep staring at the tiny black text.

Shit! Sorry, I'm not stopping you learning am I? I don't want you to end up stupid like me. Horus quickly wrote, nearly dropping the pen under the table at the speed he scribbled. I just feel so tired all the time. Everything gets all messy and I end up wanting to sleep even more than how I started. The words seemed almost angry, angry at himself and at his power. If Elliot were here, everything would be okay, and I wouldn't keep smashing my head open or skidding on my face or breaking my limbs. Even more angry writing. Eventually the blonde just flung the pen down and burrowed his head into Benji's shoulder and sobbed. It was all too much, and he didn't know how to cope. "'m sorry." He muttered wetly. "I don't usually cry on strangers."

[Benjamin Park]

As Horus showed Benji the notes he had already taken, the boy studied them for a few quiet moments, grabbing the pen to jot down, "It looks like you have enough to make a good start, but when is the essay due?" A start meant nothing if Horus had procrastinated until the last minute and Benji had seen a lot of kids doing that. He preferred getting his work done early so he could enjoy the time afterward without any stress. But it seemed that Horus' mind was far from homework at the moment and Benji feared that he might pass out again. That had been scary enough the first time, he wasn't exactly looking forward to it happening again.

Reading what Horus had written next made Benji blush a little. He hadn't ever though of having a girlfriend (or boyfriend, for that matter) before. He'd been perfectly happy with his parents, his cats, and his best friend. Not to mention the fact that he's terribly shy, so meeting people was difficult in and of itself. Benji bit on the inside of his cheek as he started writing again, "Thanks, but," he paused, trying to think of the right words, "I don't really want one." No, he was content with just his friends.

The words that were scrawled down onto the paper next made Benji frown and though he hadn't known Horus for very long at all, he felt bad for him. He wanted to say something that would comfort the blonde, but he couldn't. Not just because of his lack of a voice, but he just didn't know what to say. Instead, Horus sought comfort in his arms and Benji was fine with it this time. He just held Horus and touched his hair and hoped that it would be enough to reassure him for the time being. He offered a little smile when Horus mumbled against his shoulder, taking the pen to answer. "It's okay. I'm sorry your power is hard on you." Glancing at the other student, Benji was suddenly struck with an idea. "If you want, I can look after you? I can catch you if you fall or if you hurt yourself, I can heal you?"

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[Horus Richmond]

At first, it seemed as though Benji's fears would be realised as the stocky blonde wobbled and drooped, but Horus managed to fight it, and instead managed to smile a weary, slightly watery smile down at the papers. It's not due till next week, but I take doubly long to do everything so I might as well have not bothered. The writing looked weary, as though Horus had completely given up on making any sort of effort, and he pawed at the papers again, rubbing his eyes and letting out a long, loud yawn. Even his own handwriting seemed difficult to read at the moment, so he huffed, looking over at Benji as if somehow that would help.

Horus arched a brow in surprise at Benji's admittal and wriggled slightly in his seat. Really? No one at all that you wanna be with or kinda like? It was something Horus had never really dealt with, he'd loved and adored his Elliot for so long that to be single and alone almost seemed foreign to him. I mean I suppose it's a good thing, no distractions, right? He added, rolling the pen across the paper and trying to force a yawn back down his throat, eyes watering as he forced his jaw to stay shut.

For the first time in the last two days, Horus felt comfortable enough to be having a relatively open conversation. He'd been sulky and miserable for a while, even telling Sammy and Ember to leave him alone while he worked through his general emo moment. Thanks for not pushing me away or telling me to gtfo. The blonde wrote, looking slightly more cheerful. And your idea is great... if you really wanna tail me round all the time? You might find it kinda boring, and my friends are a bit weird. But I'd like it if you could. Horus instantly thought of this sweet little kid meeting Vincent, and looked a little horrified. Baptism of fire much? Shaking thoughts of the goth boy trying to poke Benji's eye out with his penis, the narco managed to smile again. You're awesome. I'm totally keeping you.