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We all have our off days, and this just so happened to be one for you. You felt uncharacteristically depressed, and didn’t really feel like chatting to the quiet mountain man you’d been staying with for some time. Instead, you found yourself sat on his bed, a fur draped over your shoulders, staring at the ground, consumed by your thoughts.
Muriel noticed that you’d hardly said a word all day, but he wasn’t quite sure why, or how to approach the topic without giving away his concern. He decided to keep a close eye on you, but otherwise not push.
That was, until he saw the first tear roll down your cheek.
While he’d been carving wood as usual, he’d spare frequent glances to you, to gage any emotion on your face. When the first tear rolled down your cheek, it didn’t take him long to notice. His brows knit in concern, and he put aside the half carved hunk of wood he was holding.
“Are you alright?”
His voice shook you out of your thoughts, and you met his eyes briefly, before glancing away. “Uhm, yeah, I’m alright…” You wiped your tear with your sleeve, also attempting to hide your face. You felt your lower lip tremble, and knew that tear was just the beginning. You let out a choked sob, trying to stifle it behind your sleeve, but it obviously didn’t go unnoticed.
You heard shuffling, but didn’t look up at Muriel, who had made his way over to you. You felt a gentle touch against your arm, which if anything, made you cry harder.
Suddenly, a new weight was added to the bed beside you, causing you to lean into it, finding yourself pressed against Muriel’s side. Before you could pull yourself away, Muriel gently pat your back. “...It’s okay.” He said, trying to reassure you. He knew he wasn’t good at this, but it pained him to see you sad. “I’m… Here for you.”
It’s something he had heard Asra say to him many times, and more recently, something you’d say to him when you were worried for him. He thought it may be reassuring, as it was to him when you said it.
You paused for a moment, but leaned into Muriel’s touch. You let out another quiet sob. “I-I’m sorry…” You apologized.
“There’s no reason to be.” Muriel said, pausing, seeming to search for the right thing to say. He was never very good with words- or with people for that matter. At a loss for words, he let out a sigh from his nose, before gently draping an arm around you. The closeness made his face flush, but if it made you feel better, it justified it to him.
You nuzzled into Muriel’s side, allowing yourself to cry more freely now. You felt safe being near him, and wanted nothing more than to curl up in the big man’s lap and cuddle, but you thought that’d be pushing your boundaries a bit, and you didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness.
Eventually, your crying subsided, just leaving you feeling tired. You shifted, causing Muriel to stir slightly, looking down at you. You met his eyes, and smiled reassuringly. “I’m okay, I’m just tired, and want to lay down.” Muriel gave a nod, and stood. You gently touched his arm to stop him. “Ah, but… I’d like it if you stayed next to me until I fell asleep, if that’s not too much trouble…”
Muriel looked somewhat surprised for a moment, but then nodded, waiting for you to lay down before sitting beside you again. You faced him, gently touching his hand. “If it’s okay, could you… Put a hand on me? Just… So I know you’re still here.” Muriel shifted slightly, getting into a more confortable position, leaning over you, against the wall, gently putting a hand on your shoulder.
You laid between him and the wall, as you looked up at him sleepily. His gentle gaze met yours, and he gently circled his thumb against your skin. “Get some sleep.” He gave you what was almost a gentle smile. Almost .
At some point, you’d fallen asleep, and once you awoke, you looked up to see Muriel, still beside you, wittling a chunk of wood again. Once he felt you stir, he looked over his shoulder at you. “Goodmorning. Do you feel better today?” You couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, a lot better.”