Title: Dreamless
Pairings: Xanxus/Squalo/Yamamoto
Summary: In which Yamamoto shows Squalo a new trick for dealing with Xanxus.
Notes: For KHRFest, prompt Xanxus/Squalo/Yamamoto - dreamless; Xanxus discovers the benefits of having two rain lovers. Teen and up; actually quite fluffy for something that involves Xanxus and Squalo. 1059 words

Dreamless

Xanxus refused to settle for less than the best, which was why he has the best bed ever. Takeshi was kind of in love with it, not least because it was big enough for all three of them to sprawl across after they were done fucking, and none of them were small guys, really. He slumped across the sheets, feeling the glow of endorphins humming through his system and the pleasant burn of muscles that had seen first one kind of hard workout, then another, and contemplated how much he liked Xanxus' bed, its perfect mattress and crisp sheets, until Squalo dropped a towel on his face. Takeshi took his time in obeying the unsubtle hint to get himself cleaned up and grinned when Squalo rolled his eyes.

Xanxus was already breathing deep and slow, his eyes closed and his body lax against the pillows. Takeshi reckoned that wasn't any surprise, not when he'd wandered into a no-holds-barred sparring session earlier, one that had almost made him blink with how intense it was (even as he'd sailed right in the second Xanxus had caught him watching and tried to shoot him). Between that and the fact that Xanxus'd dragged them both to bed after, not quite literally but close enough, it was no wonder he'd already sacked out. Takeshi kind of wanted to do the same, though he didn't quite know whether he was allowed to do that here. He suspected not, not without an invitation from the man who was already starting to snore.

Takeshi stirred, reluctant to move, and glanced Squalo's way, but Squalo wasn't paying attention to him. He was watching Xanxus instead, and instead of looking appropriately blissed-out, there was a line drawing itself between his eyebrows.

Huh. That wasn't a good sign. Takeshi figured that he might not have been the crispest cracker in the box, but he was smart enough to know when to pay attention to warning signs. And Squalo was watching Xanxus like he was a sleeping volcano.

Takeshi sat up, careful not to jar the mattress too much. Squalo glanced his way and Takeshi raised his eyebrows before tilting his chin Xanxus' way. Squalo's mouth tightened. Takeshi figured that meant he wasn't going to get an answer, but then Squalo said, barely audible, "It's a bad time of year."

Takeshi wasn't an expert on Xanxus, not by a long shot, but he knew enough about the man to be able to put the pieces together based on that. They were coming up on the anniversary of the fights for the rings. The Cradle, too, from what he knew of the Vongola's history. And the Ninth had finally passed about this time of year, too.

Yeah, bad time of year. He could see it, definitely.

He thought about that and the way Xanxus had thrown himself into fighting and then fucking, and hazarded a guess. "Bad dreams?"

Squalo's mouth tightened even further, but he nodded. Takeshi pursed his lips and whistled soundlessly as he looked at Xanxus again. How bad were they, that they had Squalo looking that grim?

Pretty bad, he was guessing. But maybe he could do something about that.

"Show you something?" he offered. Though maybe Squalo already knew this trick. He held out his hand to Squalo, who took the obligatory moment to look suspicious before reaching back. Takeshi folded his hand around Squalo's and concentrated on his Flame, on the way it could soothe and wash things away, even things like worrying too much, and let it flow from him to Squalo. The effect was pretty nice: Squalo looked startled for half a second before his eyes went heavy-lidded and the tension in his posture evaporated. Yeah, that looked good; Takeshi smiled.

"Unorthodox." Squalo's voice had a husky burr to it, one that Takeshi would have liked to explore had circumstances permitted. "Where'd you pick up on a trick like that?"

Takeshi shrugged because it wasn't really his secret to tell. "Sometimes it helps with nightmares." He glanced at Xanxus. "But you'd better do it. He trusts you." And, well, it was Squalo and Xanxus, and this was a special kind of intimate. Better for Squalo to try this, not him.

Squalo shot a sharp glance at him even as he was easing himself closer to Xanxus. Takeshi released his hand and watched Squalo call his Flame, a blue haze that flickered around long fingers. He thought they might have both been holding their breaths when Squalo laid his fingers against Xanxus' forehead.

Xanxus stirred briefly; Takeshi held himself still, ready to duck if he had to, before the scowl that Xanxus had taken down into unconsciousness with him eased away and he sighed in his sleep. Takeshi sighed, too, relieved, and watched Squalo look down at his boss, his expression practically naked.

But then, Takeshi already knew how Squalo felt about Xanxus.

"Do I keep on...?" Squalo's voice was hushed; he hadn't taken his fingers from Xanxus' forehead. As Takeshi watched, he smoothed them through the fall of Xanxus' hair.

"Depends on how bad it is, I guess. This might be enough. Or you might need to do it again later if he gets restless." Takeshi studied Xanxus, thinking. "If it's really bad, it probably wouldn't hurt to keep your Flame on him for a little while."

Squalo nodded and left his fingers where they were. "Wouldn't have thought of this," he said. He looked up then, pale eyes hooded. "He let himself fall asleep in front of you."

Takeshi blinked at him, not quite seeing the connection. "Yeah...?"

Squalo's mouth crooked up at the corners. "So stick around. You can spell me later."

Takeshi took his point then and blinked. "You're... sure?"

"Don't ask stupid questions." Takeshi was sure that the only thing that kept that from being an irritated shout was the man sleeping next to Squalo.

"Remember who you're talking to." Takeshi stretched himself out, tentatively, settling into the mattress' embrace again and sighing a little. He curled onto his side, watching Squalo and the thumb he was stroking against Xanxus' forehead.

Squalo just snorted at him, mouth still quirked. "No danger of that."

Takeshi grinned at him and they settled into silence, keeping watch together.

If Xanxus had any dreams that night, they weren't the sort to drive him to wakefulness.

end

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