Archive of Our Own ^beta

It is rather distracting, Odile has noticed, to have someone leaning against your shoulder while you’re trying to read. Especially if said someone is no one other than Siffrin.

Granted, she probably could have moved him - and likely should have, preferably before he’d fallen asleep - but now it was too late. She couldn’t move him now. He was like a cat in that regard; much like one shouldn’t disturb a sleeping cat, they shouldn’t disturb a sleeping Siffrin, either. So she was stuck like this.

Not that it’s particularly bad or anything. Siffrin is a warm presence against her side, their soft breaths puffing against her neck as he slept. Even now, nearly a year after they defeated the King, he was still occasionally plagued by bouts of tiredness. The effects of craft exhaustion still lingered.

Isabeau, Mirabelle, and Petronille had taken Bonnie to a nearby store, leaving the two of them behind. She thought they might go to an antique store, but Siffrin had quietly told her he was feeling tired, so they stayed. It gave her time to read, so she supposes she can't complain too much. After everything with the King and Vaugarde being frozen, it was nice to simply relax.

Siffrin shifts slightly and she looks down at him, wondering if he's waking up. But they simply press themselves closer to her, head tucking into her neck. She huffs a soft laugh and slowly moves one arm around to wrap around his shoulder before gently pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

A lot had changed since Siffrin nearly broke the world in his desperation to stay with them, and much of it in ways she hadn't expected. Siffrin and Isabeau getting together was an obvious one, even if it still took a few months. But the two of them coming up to Odile as Siffrin quietly confesses a crush on her? Never would she have imagined it.

She was surprised, and - though she'd never admit it - a little flustered, and were it not for the look on Siffrin's face (he'd been so terrified, worried she'd hate him), would have perhaps tried to recall every recent interaction, wondering if she'd missed something. But he was moments away from breaking into tears, and she couldn't stand to have him suffering for long.

Besides, she...had never planned to admit it, not when Isabeau was so clearly smitten with him, but in all the time of teasing him, she'd gotten a little crush of her own on Siffrin. She'd thought she was done with romance, and then Siffrin would have a pleased little grin after an awful pun that got a loud laugh from Isabeau, and all she could think about was how cute he is. She's not blind, of course. She gets what Isabeau saw in him. And when they found out about what happened with the fight with the King...all she could think was how endearing it is that Siffrin loved them all so much, he trapped himself in a time loop just to stay with them all. She'd fallen for him somewhere along the way, but she didn't think anything would come from it.

But there Siffrin was, avoiding her eyes as he quietly confessed a crush on her while Isabeau held his hand. She'd been surprised, yes, but she couldn't help the relief, the happiness that she felt.

And so when Odile admitted that she felt the same, she gained a partner. Only one, though - while she cared for Isabeau, neither of them felt that way about the other. So they agreed that Siffrin would simply be with them both, and that was that.

It'd been a few months now, and Odile could still hardly believe it. Granted, not much had actually changed. She still wasn't big on touch, so Siffrin went to Isabeau for cuddles. But having him leaning against her was nice, admittedly. Brief moments of contact were enjoyable, she’d found, and certainly seemed to help Siffrin too. Finding out he’d actually been craving contact but just wasn’t used to it had been a little surprising, but perhaps she should have been able to tell.

Oh well; there was no point in wondering if she should have done things differently, before. She’s already done that enough.

Odile’s pulled out of her thoughts by the door opening in the other room and Bonnie yelling out a “we’re back!”

She frowns, wanting to tell them to be quiet but unable to do so without risking waking Siffrin herself. Luckily, they all show up and soon are able to see the position the two of them are in. Isabeau coos, immediately coming over to them.

His hands reach out as if to touch, but he hesitates. He opens his mouth but stops as Siffrin shifts slightly before blinking awake, pulling himself away from Odile a little. Already, she misses the warmth.

“‘sa?” Siffrin mumbles upon seeing him, a hand coming up to wipe at his eye. He notices Odile then, and frowns. “Oh. Sorry for sleeping on you, Odile.”

She chuckles. “That’s alright, Siffrin. You clearly needed it.”

He frowns, but doesn’t protest and instead turns to Isabeau.

“Are you still sleepy?” He asks, and Siffrin nods, a sheepish look on his face.

They’re hesitant to leave Odile’s side, especially when she is, admittedly, very comfortable, but Isabeau’s opened his arms and he’s also very comfy. So when Odile’s arm drops from his shoulder, Siffrin slides off from where he’d been sitting beside her and sinks into Isabeau’s embrace.

Odile watches, a fond look on her face, as the two wander off, talking quietly amongst themselves. With Siffrin still sleepy, there’s a good chance the two are headed for the bed to fall asleep in a tangled pile of limbs. There’s a chance she’ll join them later - somehow they seem to have slipped past her usual aversion to touch.

For now, however, she’s content to get back to her reading while listening to Bonnie cook something for lunch.