Dorian had originally planned on going back into his Astral Self. Sitting up atop of the rafters of the gymnasium as he watched the other students do their performance and silently judged them from another plane where they couldn't hear his laughter, applause, or remarks. His audition, however, had left him wanting to spend some time away from the familiar realm. He'd been warned several times by Mr.Strange about the dangers of the Astral Realm, but until today he'd never really experienced them. He'd stuck around long enough to see Danni's audition, peeking through the doors as he had for all his other friends, but once it had ended and Dorian gave his congrats, he'd slipped away to be alone for a while.
For the most part he'd gone to his dorm room, laying on his new sheets that he'd just changed in while reading a book in an attempt to escape what he'd seen in the Astral Realm. It was quiet without Danni and April here to fill the space. He curled up in his bed, turning to his side as the thought about how he may need to get used to this silence come next year. A tear began to form in the corner of his eye until he heard a loud thud outside his dorm room door. Dorian tossed the book aside and went to go see what it was, cracking the door to peek at the source but not seeing anything at first. He waited a beat, then opened the door and went to take a step out when he tripped over the body of one Percy Novikova.
Percy Novikov was covered in layers of his own sweat, blood flowing silently from his nostrils and staining the collar of his white shirt. He was somewhat coherent, but not really. He remembered the audition. He remembered stumbling out of there, his head pounding, his body screaming and feeling ill like he never had before. But he had been too proud to ask for help. Somehow, he had managed it back to Stark Hall, just to fall short - literally - right in front of his door. Or a bit to the side of it.
His vision was swimming as they focused on a pair of intense, beautiful eyes. He couldn’t identify who the person was, and Percy smiled groggily.
“Привет красавчик,” Percy mumbled, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out - for real this time.
Dorian hadn't noticed before, but now, having fallen over him, he could see the blood that traced Percy's cheeks. A mixture of that and sweat painting his collar, some having gotten on Dorian's own clothing. As he heard him mutter something (most likely another insult) towards him, he saw the lights go out behind his eyes. Panic quickly set in as Dorian didn't want others to see him like this and think that he had caused this. He didn't know why Percy had shown up at his doorstep (especially because for a brief moment he'd forgotten they were neighbors entirely and decided it was the hands of Fate at work) but he knew he had to help.
"If I had a nickel for every passed out teen I'd had to carry this week…" Dorian muttered to himself as he (for a second time) went to help an unconscious student. He tried to think of the best way to approach this, realizing he hadn't moved from where he fell atop of Percy and scuttling off in a hurry to stand up. Dorian circled Percy as if the unconscious boy were going to attack him any moment. Did he carry him? Certainly Percy was small enough to do so. Drag him? He was sure to get an earful later if those school shoes got scratched. The easiest option was to possess his body and walk it to the nurses. But last time he entered it he'd set off his powers and that was an entirely other can of worms.
Dorian took in a deep breath before finally making a decision. He'd knelt down beside him and tried to slide his hands underneath Percy to pick him up Bridal style. Though in doing so he may have accidentally grabbed his butt before immediately correcting his aim to just below it. His other arm looped itself underneath Percy's arms, having each fall back so that if he did wake up mid transport, he only had one good arm to punch him instead of two to choke him. Once he was settled in, Dorian walked as fast as a panicked gay man could towards the nurses office for a second time this week.
Percy had no concept of time when he opened his eyes again - he was mesmerized again by those intense, keen eyes he saw staring at his with concern. They were the most amazing shade of green that he had ever seen. They made the brightest emeralds seem dull and flat by comparison. They had the mystery of the choppy waters of the sea, with the beauty of the Northern Lights. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the owner of the eyes had his arms wrapped around him, carrying him bridal style. The arms weren’t as muscular as Percy would have liked, but he felt strong and secure nonetheless.
“У тебя самые удивительные глаза,” Percy mumbled. He wanted to raise a hand to rest on the cheek of his mysterious savior, but his body didn’t seem to be listening to him.
Percy spoke, and the words startled Dorian for a moment. His grip slipping ever so slightly as he tried to regain his composure.
"Merde Merde Merde. He's broken! Percy's speaking gibberish…maybe if I…" He tried readjusting the position of his right arm so that Percy's head was more elevated than the rest of his body. Maybe he was too low before and that didn't let his tongue properly form words, or maybe Percy had a concussion.
"Oh pleeeease don't 'ave a concussion. You aren't allowed to sleep wit' one. Uhhh stay awake, or somet'ing."Dorian bounded the corner, lifting up his leg and slamming it down on the handle just enough so that it'd open the door before kicking it in.
"Nurse Annie! I've got anot'er one!! T'is time wit' blood!" Chances were she was bound to get busy today. After all…not everyone did well on their auditions.
Maybe Percy did have a concussion. He was vaguely aware that they were in some sort of a new room - but he didn’t recognize it. His savior was saying something, but the words weren’t making sense in Percy’s brain. He wasn’t even coherent enough to realize how strange that would be, that he couldn’t understand what someone was saying. His savior had soft looking lips. He wondered what they would taste like…
Nurse Annie huffed. “I
told them to use the Framework for these things, but nooooo!” she complained. “Get him down over there, I’ll be over in a sec,” she said. She was currently attempting to reset the bone of one of Dorian’s classmates - a kindly runt of a Frost Giant, yet she still managed to take up about six of the beds in the infirmary by herself.
Dorian cringed at the state of the Frost Giant. He didn't care
what people said, no matter how many times you see it, broken bones are absolutely disgusting to watch. It wasn't natural and always made his stomach a bit queasy. He didn't say anything back for fear of vomiting on Percy as he held him, instead electing to nod at her as he made his way towards the opposite side of the room as far from their giant friend as possible towards an empty bed. He went to set Percy down, halting just inches above the bed as he took in the sight of him. When he wasn't constantly spouting vitriol at him…he was really cute.
Dorian's stare lingered for a breath too long before he shook it off hoping no one would notice his now rose tinted cheeks. If anyone asked he was just flush from the run here. He set Percy down, pulling his sleeve up and over The palm of his hand to help clean him up a bit. Wiping away some of the sweat and blood from his cheeks and forehead.
"I'm not sure t'is was even an audition issue… I found 'im in t'e 'allway just in front of my dorm." worry laced his words as he kept an eye on Percy. Swapping between his face and chest to ensure he was still breathing.
" No lie Annie 'e's a bit of a jerk but…I 'ope 'e's okay…" Without noticing it, his hand had subconsciously began to hold Percy's like one would a loved one at a hospital bed.
There was a cry of pain from the frost giant, as Annie finished her work. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Annie said, hoping to reassure Dorian. “I’ve seen kids in worse shape than his come on through these doors.” She stood up and straightened herself out, before moving on over to come attend to the pair of young boys - only to stop in her tracks suddenly.
Percy had been staring at the stranger’s lips all the while he had cleaned him up. Without realizing it, he had moistened his own. And then, acting under a compulsion that was somewhat foreign to him - one that, had he been in his right mind, he likely would have never done - Percy used his strength to bring his upper body up and he kissed the stranger’s lips. A crooked smile appeared on Percy’s face, satisfied with his work, before he fell back all of the sudden onto the bed again, his eyes shut.
Dorian turned his head when the nurse spoke up, only to be caught unaware by a kiss as he turned back to face Percy. A plethora of emotions ran through him as his first kiss was now solidified inside of a nurses room in school with a boy who was barely conscious. As far as they went, it wasn't bad. His lips were soft, if not a bit too moist due to the sweat and blood, and there was the unfortunate undertaste of iron now inside of Dorian's own mouth. A consequence only born from accidentally biting his lower lip after the kiss had happened. He didn't know if the taste of blood was his or Percy's, and at the moment he didn't want to know. All he knew was that he needed to catch Percy quickly as he helped him gently lay back down onto the bed.
It was only then he'd noticed the sudden quiet of Annie. He didn't want to look back, he could
feel her eyes on him. What would she think? Would she report him to his dad's? To Percy's mom's? His stomach sank as he took a step back from Percy, hands still interlocked.
"Is t'at a side effect of a concussion or somet'ing?"Nurse Annie considered this for a moment. “No, I don’t think that’s a side-effect of a concussion. There’s a GSA club at school that could answer your questions better,” Annie said. “But as far as I know, you’re just born that way.”
Dorian wanted to
die of embarrassment as Nurse Annie spoke. He wasn't questioning his sexuality but he certainly was questioning what he was still doing here. Dorian tried not to meet her gaze as he waited awkwardly for Percy to feel better. He'd feel wrong just leaving him there, and he was certain Diana would kick his ass if he did.
"Mutant, Gay, and Proud." he said trying to force a smile. He ran his thumb over Percy's as he leaned himself against the wall.
"Any chance this is extra credit? Two students in two days. I'd say it's a record."She rolled her eyes. “The actual record is twenty-seven in one day,” she said bluntly. “Now, do you know his name? I need to pull his records. It could be just over-exertion, illness, something to do with his powers, etc etc.”
Twenty-seven?! Dorian just about leaped out of his body when he'd heard that number. Either there was a massive attack at school or someone was a kiss ass. He tried to compose himself before answering her question, managing only to blubber like an idiot as he spoke.
"P-percy Novikova. 'e's a freshman t'is year and brot'er of Diana." ”Novikov,” Percy mumbled.
Nurse Annie didn’t register the conflict in the surnames. She was familiar with Diana. She had helped Diana out after a few archery injuries - and some teleporting related ones. She stepped away from the patient and went over to her computer, typing in her password and pulling up the records. The boy was a linguist and a temporal teleporter. She unfortunately wasn’t an expert in time-travel related injuries - she’d have to get a consult from the time travel professor.
“I need to ask Ser Nemo to come and take a look at him, to make sure he didn’t get the temporal teleportation version of the bends,” Nurse Annie explained. “But my guess is that this is just over-exertion. Bed rest and fluids. Thank you for bringing your boyfriend here. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Dorian's head snapped towards Percy as he spoke. He was clearly delusional since he was getting his own last name wrong. Either that or he didn't have the strength to finish the last syllable.
"Poisson-Pas? Does he need to?" His mind raced to the broken tea cup still hidden in his room, barely registering what the nurse had said.
"Best rest sounds eas- wait non! Not my boyfriend! He actually kind of 'ates my guts…" It was then he noticed they were still holding hands, or that it was even happening at all. He snatched his hand away from Percy's, letting it fall off the bedside as his arm lay limp for the moment. His free hand made its way towards the other, feeling the warmth left on his palm from holding his hand.
Nurse Annie wasn’t buying Dorian’s protests. She sighed. She had let him take his friend back earlier after bringing them here and unconscious - it helped that Danni had had some amazing puppy dog eyes. Nurse Annie didn’t feel great about it then. And she didn’t feel amazing about it now. “If he hasn’t recovered by tomorrow morning, then he needs to go straight to Ser Nemo,” Annie compromised. “I will be coming by to check on him.”
Dorian tried to give her his most reassuring smile.
"We got April back up to a 'undred I'm sure I can do t'e same for 'im." His false bravado faltered for a moment as he realized he would now need to house Percy somewhere. Technically his dorm room was the best place but Dorian didn't exactly have a key to it, and he wasn't aware how Teddy would feel about it. He couldn't exactly keep him in his room though since Danni and Percy didn't see eye to eye. Dorian fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt before finally deciding.
"I'll bring 'im back to 'is room and keep an eye on 'im. If 'e seems to get worse or if t'ere's no change by t'e morn I'll get Poisson-pas myself."”Нет рыбы,” Percy whispered, starting to somewhat come to.
Nurse Annie shook her head. “Go, before I change my mind,” she dismissed, waving him off.
Dorian beamed a massive smile towards her, his dimples in full effect. He scooped up Percy like he had before and began making his way towards the Dorms again, looking down to keep an eye on him every once in a while. If he was honest he looked like an angel as he slept in his arms, mumbling nonsense every now and then. But each time he did he couldn't help but focus on his mouth, thinking back towards the kiss and wondering if Percy would even remember it.
Once he'd made his way back he stood there at the door, staring at it when he realized he had no way in. He paused, doing a small dance in place as he knew what he had to do but didn't care to do it right now. He took a deep breath in, placing Percy on the floor before jaunting over to the Astral Realm just long enough to pass through the door and make sure Teddy wasn't inside. Dorian shifted back inside of Percy's room, unlocking it from inside as he opened the door and brought Percy into his room.
Percy’s side of the room was extremely organized, neat, and tidy. In some respects, it almost looked like an example room from an IKEA showfloor. On the desk stood his collection of classical literature, propped up between two bookends. Directly above the desk drawers was an assortment of items for tea and coffee - nothing incredibly expensive, but still a little bit nicer than what would typically be found in a dorm room. His blankets were folded neatly on the bed, his matching set of red silk pajamas placed on top of the pillow. Also on the bed was a well loved stuffed teddy bear with an ascot - clearly something that Percy must have had since he was a small child.
Directly in front of the window was a keyboard, with pieces of sheet music affixed to the stand. The song Percy was currently working on was by
Chopin - Nocturne in E Flat Major. The rest of his possessions were out of sight, having already been sorted into their designated drawers and whatnot.
Dorian thought
his side of the dorm was neat, but Percy's was on a whole other level. He felt bad putting his bloodied clothed self on such a neatly done bed, so for now he rested him on the floor, looking around as he tried to figure out what to do. After a bit of pacing, he'd finally decided…he'd need to change his clothes. Lucky for him there was a pair of pajamas sitting atop a pillow, just what the nurse ordered. As he went to fetch them he noticed they were silk, extremely smooth to the touch and Dorian couldn't help but feel a little jealous. A part of him wanted to try the shirt on, checking the size to see they wore the same one before deciding against it.
"Gray what 'ave you gotten yourself into?" He asked himself as he stood at the foot of Percy’s body, wondering how he was going to get him undressed and dressed. If Teddy walked in, or worse if Percy woke up, he'd just die. So he needed to be quick. Locking the dorm room before coming back and taking off Percy's shoes, then socks and pants, he wasn't about to change his drawers so that he'd have
some decency left, and then removed his shirt. He quickly slipped on the silk pajamas, folding the dirty clothes and placing them off to the side on the floor before lifting Percy and putting him in his bed, tucked under the impeccably solved sheets.
Dorian lingered for a moment, rocking in place as he watched Percy lay there motionless. He took a step back, and snagged a book off his shelf. When he opened it his eyebrows knit in confusion, he didn't recognize the language immediately so it wasn't any of the few he knew, but it reminded him of the writings he'd seen back on his vacation in Greece.
"Weird. Must be a collectors t'ing." he decided before putting the book back and picking up the Teddy bear. He gave it a quick squish before smiling at it and placing it in Percy's arms.
"Cute. Little gremlin likes plushies too."”“Подарок,” Percy muttered. His arms tightened around the teddy bear, as a scowl overcame his face. And then the expression vanished, as Percy fell into some sort of a deeper state of unconsciousness. There was a sound coming from down the hall though, one that sounded like a stampede was coming through - probably Teddy, the way the feet were slamming against the ground over and over again. Dorian would need to make his exit quickly if he wanted to avoid Percy’s roommate.
Dorian felt his time was short, he gave Percy one last look as he rolled his eyes to himself mentally telling himself to get it together. He quickly ran towards their adjoining wall, going ghost as he jumped to phase through and land on the other side where his dorm lay. He faded back in with ease as he looked back towards wall, a mixture of feelings coming over him once more.
