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“You’re tired, you should sleep.”

Naomi shook her head against him. “No, we don’t have much time to begin with, I can’t be sleeping while you’re here.”

“You can, and you will. Just a few hours, then I’ll wake you up, and we can spend some more time together before I go.”

Her pout warmed his chest, another feeling he only ever experienced when he was in her presence. In any other moment, his life was filled with only cold. But here, with her, there was only ever warmth.

“Sleep,” he commanded, gently.

Letting out a resigned sigh, she made herself more comfortable against him, her arm wrapping around his big body. He hugged her back, his tail wrapping possessively around her leg, and put his chin on her head.

“Make sure you wake me up, okay?” she asked, voice gradually getting quieter. “Don’t disappear.”

His lips brushed against her forehead, smiling sadly. “I promise.”