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Max jolted awake, the roar of thunder outside perfectly aligning with the climax of his nightmare. It's been a long while since those events took place, and yet tonight the memories stayed fresh in his mind like a hen's newly laid eggs.
It took him a few moments to realize he was shaking, and even more to register the tears streaming down his face and matting down his fur. With one hand he wiped them away, and with the other he shook awake the dog sleeping next to him.
"Sam," he whispered as he nudged him a little too desperately, "Sam!"
Sam stirred and then sat up, rubbing at his eyes and then turning his attention to the lagomorph.
"What is it, little buddy?" He croaked out. Sleep was heavy in his voice, but hearing his voice at all comforted Max in ways he'd never admit. He wordlessly crawled into Sam's lap and nestled up to him, gripping his shirt as if he were drowning and the fabric were his only life jacket. Understanding all too well, Sam wrapped his arms around Max and pulled him in ever closer. He looked down fondly at his little buddy.
"You know, you have liquid boogers streaming out of your nose right now." A playful statement meant to lighten the mood, but Max wasn't up for it.
"Shut up, Sam."
And so he did. Silence filled the room, and to Max it was deafening.
"Actually," he amended, "keep talking. I think I just want to hear your voice right now."
"Sure thing, little buddy," Sam said. He sounded more awake now. "I think I'll recount one of my favorite stories from my puppyhood, one certain tale of heroic wardenship that granny used to love recounting for me from her earlier days leading the prison." Max nodded. Anything to get his mind off electromagnetic powers and explosions. Plus, stories about Granny Ruth were always well worth a listen. Sam started to tell his tale, and Max found comfort in his voice. He was there, he was alive, and he was breathing and speaking and chuckling and that night with the missiles and difficult choices and death was far away. Max was vaguely aware of Sam's heartbeat, since his head was pressed against his chest, and the reassurance that it brought him was immeasurable. After the story ended, the two sat in silence for a few moments. It was comfortable, but Max emanated a certain uneasiness before he spoke up.
"Sam?"
"Yes, Max?"
"...will you ever....leave?"
"Absolutely not." He punctuated it with a soft kiss to the top of the lagomorph's head. "The world, time and space, and even devilish forces have tried to tear us apart, and look at us. Still together even after more than several separation attempts have been thrown our way like hatchets at a white and red wooden target sign. I think that's proof enough that we'll always be together."
He lifted up Max's chin with a single finger to make him look him in the eyes. "No matted what the universe throws at us, I'll always be by your side."
Max was overflowing with emotion, so much so that after those words left Sam's lips, he felt he just had to kiss them. And so he did.
Sam gladly returned the gesture, and the two stayed there until they were reminded by their lungs that breathing was necessary for any being that wanted to stay alive. Breathless, Max pulled away and rested his forehead on Sam's. Sam rested his hands on Max's back in an embrace, and smiles decorated both of their faces like fairy lights on a gazebo in the middle of a flowery field.
Max was so comfortable in the moment that he felt sleep overtake him once more, and when Sam realized this he pulled Max closer to himself like a favorite stuffed animal (giving him another forehead kiss along the way) and laid down, pulling the covers over them both. The rest of the night was spent nightmare-free, and the freelance police slept as soundly as a child's lullaby.