It was only after Vanitas had spent hours sitting idly in prison that he came to the realization that he'd known Noé longer asleep than he had known him awake.

It was strange, mused Vanitas, how fast you could warm to someone you'd just met. He glanced down at the other man, who was curled up on the cold and dirty floor of the cell. Noé's cherry eyes were closed, as they had been ever since he'd collapsed outside the airship. As a doctor, Vanitas was disheartened by the fact that he hadn't noticed Noé starting to look sick, but his mind had been elsewhere. After all, he had just fallen headfirst out of an airship and tumbled through the clouds to Earth. So it was reasonable, he thought, that he hadn't noticed the poison starting to take effect. It was only once they had been thrown into a cramped, rusty jail cell that the events of the previous evening had started to piece themselves together in his mind; the vampire Florifel's eyes dripping with tears as thick and black as oil; Noé wrestling to get her off; and finally, her digging her fangs into his neck. That was when he had been hit with the poison. Vanitas could still see the blood dotting the other man's collar.

As Vanitas studied Noé's sleeping face, the brown-skinned man jerked once in his sleep, his lips parting slightly. There was a pink tinge to his cheeks. Vanitas leaned over and placed a hand on his forehead. It was warm, but he had definitely cooled down since their arrival at the prison.

"You'll wake up soon," murmured Vanitas. It was the first time he'd spoken since being tossed into prison. "Eglantine's poison never lasts more than twelve hours, and it's been… well, probably about eight."

Noé didn't respond. Vanitas paused for a moment, finding his eyes stuck on Noé's eyelashes, the gentle curve of his face…

Without thinking, he shuffled over and lay down beside Noé. "As a doctor, I'm responsible for making sure you're in good health," he declared to no one in particular. "And if I keep your core temperature up, the poison will leave your system faster. So I guess I have no choice in the matter, do I?"

He leaned in, resting his head on Noé's chest and draping an arm around him. Noé breathed a quiet sigh, and a smirk spread across Vanitas's face.

"Oh, shut up, you," hissed Vanitas. "I'm just trying to keep you warm. It's damn cold in this cell."

Yes, he thought to himself. That must be it. He liked Noé, but no more than an accomplice, or maybe even a friend.

After all, he'd known him longer asleep than he had known him awake.

end