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It was an especially cold evening, which faded into an even colder night. You laid under a bundle of furs on the bed, while Muriel sat in front of the crackling fire, a fur draped over his shoulders, wittling away on some wood, as usual. You could see Muriel almost nod off, and you looked at him sympathetically. Muriel didn’t sleep that much, and he always let you have the bed when you needed sleep. But it was so cold, and he was so clearly tired. You knew he’d never take the bed, even if you offered, but you wanted him to be more comfortable. This was his home, after all.
“Muriel?”
“Mm?”
“You seem tired, do you want to take the bed tonight?”
“I’m fine.” Muriel spoke with certainty, but you could see how tired he was. You tapped your fingers against the sheets, trying to think of something else. You got an idea, but it was a longshot.
“Okay, how about… How about we share the bed, then?” Muriel stopped what he was doing, glancing over, raising a brow. “Hear me out-” you continued. “We’re both tired, and it’s cold anyway. Staying close would conserve body heat, and we’d both be comfortable…” You trailed off, sure that Muriel would turn you down.
“...Makes sense.” He finally said, standing. Oh. You weren’t expecting this. A strange surge of excitement bubbled inside you, at the prospect of being that close to Muriel- but you pushed it aside, scooting back until your back was to the wall, pulling back the furs to make room for Muriel.
Muriel made his way over to you, sitting down on the sheets, laying down on his side, facing you. You could see a blush creep onto his face, and he couldn’t meet your gaze, as he pulled the furs over himself as well.
It was awkward. Neither of you could meet each other’s eyes, and the silence was deafening. Muriel tired to shift slightly, and ended up pressing into you slightly. “S...Sorry…” He tried to scoot himself back, but it was hard. The bed was small, and he, well, he wasn’t. The only way you wouldn’t be in too much contact was if Muriel was practically falling off the bed, and you didn’t want that either. You wanted him to be comfortable.
“It’s okay,” you started, shifting a bit yourself. “You can be closer to me, if you want.” Muriel’s blush seemed to intensify, but after a moment, he seemed to relax a little. He exhaled a breath he’d apparently been holding, and he situated himself again. His chest was pressed lightly against your front, and you realized something immediately. Muriel was hot. His skin was incredibly warm, and you instinctively leaned into it. Muriel’s breath hitched, and you realized what you did. “Sorry! You’re just warm, and…” You trailed off, about to back up, before a hand on your shoulder interrupted you.
“It’s fine…” Muriel glanced away. “...It’s cold, so…” You paused, almost dumbfounded, but then gave a soft nod. You leaned into Muriel’s chest, nuzzling your face into it. The hair tickled your face, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Muriel’s arms were in an awkward position, both pressed as close to his body as possible. You gently put your hands on the one closest to the bed. “Here’s let’s try this…” You brought his arm up, positioning it slightly abover your head. “And…” Then, you placed the other over your shoulder. “You can move them if it’d be more comfortable.” Muriel took a breath, and then slid his arm that was over your shoulder down to your hip.
“Is… Is this alright?”
“Perfect.” You smiled, snuggling into Muriel.
You stayed that way for a while, before you felt your arms getting stiff. You shifted slightly, slowly bringing your arms up and around Muriel’s head. “Is this okay?” You whispered. Muriel hummed with a nod. You shut your eyes, and slid your fingers through Muriel’s hair softly. You mindlessly massaged into Muriel’s scalp, gently scratching. Muriel made an, interesting noise at that. It was like a mix between a purr and a moan, but it was definitely a good sound. “Do you like that?” You asked softly.
“...Yeah…” Muriel said, and he sounded half asleep. You hummed, continuing to massage and scratch into Muriel’s scalp, being careful to be gentle. Muriel seemed to press into your touch instinctually, letting out a soft sigh out his nose.
You opened your eyes slightly, observing Muriel’s face. It was peaceful, impassive. You caught yourself smiling, happy to see Muriel like this. He was usually tense and closed off, but this felt relaxed and opened.
You scooted yourself up slightly, to where your face could almost meet his. You pressed your face into what little of Muriel’s neck was still exposed, the cold metal of his chains chilling your chin slightly. You nuzzled your face into his jaw, continuing to massage his scalp. Being with Muriel like this, it made you really happy. You didn’t even want to sleep anymore- you didn’t want to miss this contact, since you figured once Muriel woke up, he’d retreat back into himself. You were going to utilize it while you could.
“Muriel?” You whispered. Muriel made a soft groan as a response, it rumbling throughout his chest. “I… I really like being like this with you. Being close to you… Thank you, for letting me.” Muriel didn’t respond for a moment, but then gently pulled you a bit closer.
Maybe Muriel liked being close to you too? You didn’t know. But, after that, you stayed with him like that, until you finally fell asleep.