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The box hit the foot of the bed with a heavy stud.
Umbrella glared at the cardboard from under a pile of blankets. It was early, way too early for visitors, and Firebrand was standing in the doorway, his silhouette blocking out the hallway light.
“What is this?” said Umbrella.
“An intervention.” Firebrand grunted. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed tight. his eye were locked right on Umbrella, tracking the way they sat up and let the duvet slide down to their waist.
He watched the line of Umbrella’s collarbone and the pale expanse of their chest with a focused, almost pained concentration. A faint hiss of steam escaped his collar, and the room temperature ticked up. He looked like he was staring directly into a sun he knew would burn him, but he refused to shut his eye.
Umbrella flipped the lid of the box. Inside was a set of heavy, oversized silk pajamas in a deep navy blue. They poked the fabric with one finger.
"Pajamas?" Umbrella looked up, catching Firebrand’s stare. "Is the big, bad Firebrand having trouble keeping his thoughts PG?"
"I'm having trouble thinking at all," Firebrand countered. He didn't flinch, even as his neck turned a shade of red that had nothing to do with his powers. He stayed planted right there, his eye wandering down to the waistband of Umbrella's boxers before snapping back up to their face. “I’m tired of walking into the kitchen and having to deal with... all of that... early in the morning.”
"All of what?" Umbrella teased, deliberately leaning back on their elbows to give him a better view. "I didn't realize I was such a distraction."
"You're a hazard." Firebrand snapped, though he didn't move an inch from the doorway. His eye dipped again, dark and lingering. "Put the damn clothes on, Umbrella.”
Umbrella let out a dry, sharp chuckle, shaking out the silk trousers. "Fine. If it’ll stop you from overheating every time I move, I’ll play along.”
"I'll take what I can get." Firebrand muttered, his gaze finally breaking just long enough to watch Umbrella stand up.
Umbrella stood up, the silk pants dangling from one hand. They made no move to cover themselves yet, instead stepping closer to the doorway until they were standing just a few feet from where Firebrand was rooted. The air between them was thick, vibrating with the sheer amount of heat radiating off Firebrand’s skin.
"You're still staring." Umbrella noted.
"Hard not to." Firebrand rumbled. He didn't move back. He looked like he was trying to memorize every inch of the problem he had just spent fifty bux trying to cover up. "I'm just trying to figure out if these are actually going to fit, or if I bought them too small on purpose."
Umbrella’s smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. "On purpose?"
"Keeps the silhouette... manageable." Firebrand said, He reached out, his hand hovering just inches from Umbrella’s bare shoulder. "Put the shirt on. Before I decide that the pajamas were a waste of money."
Umbrella huffed, a small puff of breath that did nothing to cool the room. They shook out the silk shirt, the dark fabric catching the light as they draped it over their shoulders. As they began to work the buttons from the bottom up, they kept their eyes locked on Firebrand’s.
Firebrand watched the buttons disappear one by one, his chest rising and falling in a heavy, rhythmic pace. When Umbrella reached the midpoint, leaving the top three buttons open to reveal a stubborn hint of collarbone, they stopped.
"Better?" Umbrella challenged, gesturing to the silk now hiding the view.
Firebrand took a step into the room, finally breaking the threshold of the doorway. He reached out and snagged the lapel of the new shirt, tugging Umbrella just an inch closer. The smell of smoke and expensive silk filled the space between them.
"Marginally." Firebrand growled, "At least now I might be able to finish a sentence without forgetting my own name. Get to the kitchen. The coffee’s getting cold, and I’m still not convinced you aren't going to 'accidentally' lose the shirt by breakfast."
"I make no promises~" Umbrella murmured, brushing past him with a lingering, silken rustle.
Firebrand stayed in the center of the room for a moment, staring at the empty bed, his hands still warm and his heart hammering a rhythm that was definitely not unprofessional.