JonTim Literal Sleeping Together: China Edition
(aka these two are still my faves, I will keep thinking about them being friends in s3 until the end of time)
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On Jon and Tim's first night in Beijing, Jon books them a double room in a respectably unassuming hotel near the Research Centre. The room is on the sixth floor, and Jon supposes that the view from the window might be quite striking, if he was in any frame of mind to appreciate it.
Tim drops his bag onto the bed nearest the door with a thump as soon as they walk in.
"I never want to sit that long on a plane again, ever," he says. He twists and stretches his back, which emits several alarmingly loud pops.
"I'm afraid you'll have to in order to get home," Jon says, moving to put his bag down on the far bed.
"Nah," Tim says. "We'll just do a bunch of hops. See the sights along the way. The Institute's paying, so why not?"
"Yes, I'm sure Elias will approve those expenses."
Tim snorts. Then he nods toward the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower. Unless you want first crack at it?"
It's an innocuous question, but Jon is still getting used to this old-new side of Tim—the way he checks in with Jon now, making sure that he's okay.
It's nice. He thinks it's nice. But it's strange.
"No, that's fine. You go ahead."
Tim nods and disappears into the bathroom.
–
The rest of the evening is like that—a bit fumbling as they work out bathroom logistics, then attempt to order some food ("I don't know why, but ordering Chinese takeaway when we're in China feels strange," Tim says). Even though Jon has spent occasional nights over at Tim's flat, somehow all their vocabulary for navigating a shared space seems to not quite fit here.
But they're both trying, and considering how tired they are, Jon is proud of them for getting through the afternoon with minimal snapping.
By the time the food arrives, Jon's eyes are drifting shut of their own accord. He knows he should eat before trying to sleep, should try to stay up to a reasonable time to help with the jet lag, but when he's startled upright by the sound of his chopsticks clattering to the floor from his slack hand, Tim gives him a look and he nods at the unspoken message in his eyes.
He pauses only briefly between the beds—at Tim's flat, they had kept sharing the bed out of habit, and, as Tim pointed out, as the best option to avoid severe back pain.
But here there is no need to share. He had booked the double room on purpose, so they could each have their own space.
He casts one glance over at Tim sitting on the bed opposite. Then he crawls under the covers and is asleep as soon as he shuts his eyes.
–
Jon had hoped that tonight, just for tonight, he would manage a dreamless sleep. But of course, he's never been a lucky man.
The room is dark when he claws his way out of the dream, chest heaving with desperate, gasping breaths. The clock on the nightstand informs him that it's just past three in the morning.
He lies still, trying to get his breathing under control, hoping he hasn't made enough noise to wake Tim. The remnants of the dream still cling to him, wisps of fog and the hate in Naomi's eyes hovering at the edges of his mind, and as hard as he tries his breath keeps coming in rough, ragged gasps (loud, too loud)---
"Jon?" Tim's voice comes quietly from across the space between the beds.
Damn.
"I'm fine," he says, trying to ignore the strain in his own voice. "It's fine, Tim, go back to sleep."
It's a bit stupid, he knows, trying to act like everything is fine. He's already told Tim about the dreams. Tim has nightmares of his own, he knows; of clowns and theatres and that terrible helplessness, the feeling of being forced to watch someone else be torn apart.
But even though things are better between them now, there's always a part of Jon that feels the need to tread lightly; a part of him that worries that one day Tim will wake up and realize that Jon is a monster, that he's not to be trusted, that he should be pushed away.
So Jon curls himself into a ball, trying to make himself as small and quiet as possible, and hopes Tim will listen to him and just go back to sleep.
He's so focused on his own breathing, on trying to push the memory of the dream out of his mind, that he doesn't hear Tim get up, and he startles when Tim's voice comes again from just next to the bed.
'Budge up," Tim says.
"What?"
The mattress sags suddenly, and it takes Jon's sleep-addled brain longer than it should to realize that Tim has sat down on the edge of his bed. Before Jon can protest, Tim lifts the blankets and scoots under them, giving Jon a gentle shove on the shoulder as he does.
"Move over a little, I'm going to fall off the side."
Jon does, mostly because Tim is already there and Jon wouldn't put it past him to actually roll off the bed just to prove a point. Tim settles himself in the space Jon's made–in a better mood, Jon would needle him about how much movement it seems to take for him to get comfortable, but as it is he just lays still and tries to even out his breathing.
Tim finally begins to settle, near enough to Jon that he can feel his body heat. Jon feels him roll over one last time, and then a gentle weight comes down on his shoulder as Tim reaches over to place an arm around him.
"Is this okay?" he asks.
Jon can already feel his muscles relaxing, the shakes leftover from the nightmare already subsiding.
"Yes."
"Okay."
Tim lets his arm fully settle around Jon, his chest a warm presence pressed gently against Jon's back. Jon takes a deep breath, and Tim's arm tightens around him, just a little, in wordless comfort. Jon reaches up to where Tim's hand rests near his collarbone and squeezes back.
"Thank you," he whispers.
"Shh, boss," Tim replies. "You're welcome. Go to sleep."
And Jon does.
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So in love with the Bdubs narrative...
"I stopped trusting Impulse, my secret girlfriend, ages ago because he's flirting with everyone, so it makes sense to side with the guy who's offering me a truce in the form of a clock."
"You can't kick me out of the base just because I'm on my red life. I built this place and I will simply not leave."
/neglects to mention he's still boogeyman when Tango brings him back. Like. why didn't you ride out the boogey curse until next episode and THEN ask to come back, you dummy (affectionate)
"It's fine to kill a teammate because he just set his spawn point in this room and all his stuff will be right here <3"
"Yeah I'll kill my fellow red ally because you promised me a life."
"Impulse, you would never kill me, right?" "... We're soulmates. We share hearts this season... Same team, Bdubs."
"When it was my turn to murder, I targeted the only guy who'd already died (a few minutes ago) because he was already on the way down emotionally; anyone else would have experienced an emotional roller coaster."
"It's okay that I stole from you a while back because NOW I'm coming with useful information. My morality is in the clear."
"I would turn on both my Day 1 allies so fast."
/crying over getting backstabbed, "What have I EVER done to SWEET IMPULSE??"
The entire rest of the episode snarking about how it's no fun to be backstabbed and Tango just "🙃 Thoughts and prayers, that must really suck. it must be the worst to get betrayed by someone you trusted. oh wow. oh man. who would do that? that's awful."
"I'm shooting my mom but it's just a prank."
"I won't defend you from Dad but I might try to stop you two from fighting."
All his allies like "I've just accepted the fact that I can't trust you while Etho's around because you'll betray me for him." / "Yeah, that's fair." They continue to let Bdubs stay in their base. He brags about how Etho lets him play pool in his basement and eat ice cream for breakfast. He would die for this man.
The fact that it's considered predictable that "of course Impulse gave you a clock again" so Cleo just sighs and asks to see it. Yeah of course Impulse clonked Bdubs on the head with that thing for another season, driving home I have not forgotten with every part of his being...
Nobody can trust this greasy little man and yet they adore him. He's just a sweetheart. Cinnamon roll. Everybody's angel. Haha he'll slam a sword through your stomach, loot your body, and walk off. He's never done anything wrong in his life btw.
I love the way Bdubs plays.
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Listen, I'm sure Gwen and Miles will be cuddlebugs when they're together and things are fine and dandy, but before that, give me that angsty cuddling, you know?
like Spot is defeated and they walk away with various degrees of trauma from it, they've reconciled and yet maybe not quite. The hurt is still there, but at least, everything is explained and they know they love each other, and on this night, they need to be together and comfort each other. They find a bed (could be either Gwen or Miles', probably depends which place will be more... private?) and just. cling to each other.
idk if anyone will argue, but Miles is the little spoon okay? he buries his head in the crook of Gwen's neck, Gwen holds him tightly and they might both be shaking and silently shedding a few tears from the trauma of fighting Spot but also from the pain between themselves and everything that has happened. The closeness and tenderness soothes and comforts them however and Miles eventually falls asleep. Gwen remains awake a little while longer, she watches and caresses Miles' face while he sleeps, she thinks to herself how sorry she still feels for how she hurt him and how she'll never abandon him again, she wants to protect him at all costs etc. (I'm sure Miles already told her at this point he understood why she did what she did and he's forgiven her but Gwen will still think it, it doesn't go away that quickly and she knows his wound is still fresh too despite his words) Eventually Gwen falls asleep herself and they just remain holding each other in their sleep the whole night. When morning comes they feel a little better and converse a little easier with each other and perhaps share a kiss or two, then when it's daylight they finally feel a little awkward about the intimate position they're in and they blush and get up but the ice has been broken, they will still need to talk more and figure everything out but that night of cuddling and comforting each other made them both feel really good and relieved and in love and anyone want to write this or draw fanart please be my guest, lol, meanwhile I shall hope for something even close to this actually happening in Beyond, they better deliver on that angst and emotional pay-off you know? I do hold my trust in the writers though 🙏
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Winter 08: Consequences (56/56)
James gulped, was silent for a while and then shook his head, "No... sorry, it's too hard, too confronting... I'm not ready for that. Not yet, anyway. Please don't take it personally... I just find this extremely hard to talk about."
Sadie hugged him, "That's okay, you don't need to. Just know you can if you ever want to."
"That's good to know, Sade. And will you promise me not to do something this stupid again? If you feel overwhelmed, or alone, or unimportant, or whatever, please just come to me, okay? I understand, and I'll let you hide here in the bubble and have a cuddle." He said, tightening his embrace.
"Yes," she said, settling into the hug, "Like I said yesterday, I want to stay in the bubble. After this day, I'm just going to stand by that."
James closed his eyes, "That's fine by me. Sleep well, Sade."
"Goodnight, James."
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