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“Jackie?”
Eric’s sleep-thick voice floated across the living room area, shattering Jack from his dazed trance watching infomercials in the dark with almost no sound. He tipped his head in Eric’s direction, not bothering to lift it from the armrest.
A sleepy-looking Eric ran a hand through his hair and over his face, trying to blink himself awake.
“Why’re you out here? Your room is fixed, remember?”
Jack nodded wordlessly. He pulled his knees up to make room for Eric to collapse beside him. The blonde tilted his head, looking over his roommate.
“How long since you’ve actually slept? Passed out power naps don't count.”
Jack flicked his gaze back to the TV to avoid looking at his friend. Eric was weirdly perceptive when he wanted to be. He could see Eric out of the corner of his eye, the man clearly calculating.
“Four days, huh?”
How the hell?
Eric nodded to himself before standing and holding out a hand. Jack stared and made no move to get up. He was far too exhausted to lie in bed tossing and turning another night.
“Don’t make me pick you up, man. It’s like 3:30 in the morning. I hold no responsibility if I drop you.”
Jack finally shook himself into focus. He pushed Eric’s proffered hand halfheartedly.
“Go back to bed, Eric.”
While he normally wouldn’t have thought much about it, he swallowed tightly when he saw Eric’s chest ripple with muscle as he quickly reached out and scooped Jack into his arms. Jack was acutely aware that Eric wore only pajama pants, and that Jack was pressed directly to his sleep-heated skin.
“C’mon, man…” Jack’s protest didn’t even sound convincing to himself. Truthfully, he was so tired that being held tight stole away any fight he had, lulling him close to the impossible edge of slumber.
He realized too long after the fact that Eric had bypassed Jack’s room entirely. By the time his slow brain decided he should say something, Eric was depositing him none-too-gracefully on his bed. Jack bounced a bit, trying not to tumble off the edge. He moved to sit up and Eric all but shoved him back into the pillows. Eric tugged the blanket from where it was balled at the foot of the bed and pulled it over them.
As though he knew Jack was about to ask what the hell Eric thought he was doing, the man flopped beside him. Eric’s hand snapped out over Jack’s mouth.
“Sleep.”
He sounded about 30 seconds from drifting away again.
Long limbs curled around Jack, trapping him like an octopus. Before he could say anything, Eric’s breathing fell heavy.
Frustration burned in Jack’s chest. He was sure he wouldn’t be able to sleep any better here with Eric’s flaming skin sealed against him. He was trying to figure out how to wriggle free, when he realized the tension in his shoulders had melted in Eric’s body heat.
“Stop thinking,” came the muffled mumble from where Eric’s face was buried against Jack’s shoulder.
Jack ignored the damp warmth from Eric's breath soaking into his teeshirt sleeve. Deciding there was nothing he could do without hassling his roommate, he sighed and closed his eyes.
In the morning, when Eric’s smirk greeted him, he’d realized he had slept so hard he hadn’t even dreamed.