Work Text:
This won’t do, Amber realizes, when she turned on her back for the ninth time in barely a minute. The bed feels too big and too cold now that she’s lying alone on it, even the three soft blankets stacked on top of each other can’t give her the comfort her body needs.
Amber sits up, sighing heavily. Tomorrow she’ll need to wake up early, take the train and fetch the new archery training equipment from the fabric, as she doesn’t trust their transportation means as per last time. (They were very thorough with the refund process, Amber will give credit where it is due.) And that is only the beginning of the day, for Tuesdays recently became the day everything needs resolving.
Face hidden behind both hands, Amber groans, lacking the courage to look sideways to the digital clock. She wonders what time it is, maybe 1, 2 a.m.? No, it shouldn’t be so late, the corridor light is still on.
Wait, the corridor light is still on.
There’s another reason Amber fails to fall asleep yet, one that has less to do with the roaming thoughts in her head and more with the habits she grew used to having after a year living together with her companion. Perhaps that’s why the mattress feels so unwelcoming upon laying, the pillow isn’t as soft as the chest where she rests her head every night. Oh, and the warmth. Amber shivers when the night air flows from the slightly opened window to her bare arms – Ajax’s embrace chases away her coldness more than any heavy blanket could.
Amber envelopes herself in the outer cover, crawling out of bed in careful motions. Her feet prickle when they touch concrete, but Amber is way too eager to get out of the room to put a pair of socks on.
Slowly, she makes her way to the door, opening it ever so carefully. Amber tiptoes through the corridor straight to Ajax’s office, where the white glow is mellow and holds the promise of a tight hug and a comforting smile.
Her hands hovers the doorknob, hesitating, for if Ajax’s still working this late, it must be important. Amber doesn’t want to interrupt, but she is having trouble sleeping, and Ajax is always willing to help her in anything she needs. Making up her mind, Amber decides to knock twice, announcing her presence before turning the handle to open the door.
“Ambs?”, his voice is so full of concern that Amber feels her eyes start to wet. “What happened?”
Ajax had a pile of documents in front of him, notebook open and exhibiting an Excel table with too many equations Amber didn’t even know which was meant to do what. He had a tired look in his eyes, but still glanced at her with such tenderness it made Amber’s chest tighten.
She quickly took the steps to be beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and taking a deep, deep breath, one that inhaled all the love and care and exhaled the tiredness and frustration. Amber pressed tightly against him, resting her forehead on the side of his head, wanting to relish in his presence a bit longer, a bit more, before she had to return to that empty bed.
“I can’t sleep”, she breathes into his hair, the curls waving softly under her words.
“Why not?”, Ajax’s hands were in her hips, tracing up to her waist and pulling her closer. He sounded tired too, and Amber was filled up with guilt just as fast as she was happy from seeing him. Lately, Ajax’s been working so much, even though he always makes time to greet her sometime during the day.
Amber knew whatever answer she’d give would sound selfish, but, still, she couldn’t stop the words from rolling out her tongue. “I miss you”, she says, nuzzling her nose on his orange hair. Ajax tilts his head up, so Amber kisses his temple too. “The bed isn’t the same without you, I can’t sleep without you by my side.”
It sounds petty, she knows, but Amber’s feeling sleepy and clingy now that she’s there in her beloved one’s arms.
“I’m afraid I can’t join you right now, baby, I still have work to catch up with”, Ajax presses his lips on her chin as an apology, but Amber shakes her head.
“Can’t I stay here with you? I’ll be quiet, I promise”, she pleads.
Ajax’s eyes long into her, into her bright, begging brown eyes, and he only has half a mind to refuse. He misses her too, misses the way her body leans into his and makes him feel loved, cared, tended for. The way Amber’s sole presence washes away his worries with such ease.
He looks over the room, searching for a stool she could sit at, but Amber beats him to it, lowering herself on his tight and hugging his neck with both of her arms. It is an awkward position, but he discovers he can easily circumvent her body to reach his tools on the table.
“Is this ok?”, Amber asks. Though her head is buried in his chest, past the initial shock it feels comfortable having her weight against him; her soft breath tickles just as much as to remind him of her loving presence.
“It’s perfect”, his words melt on the crown of her head, where Ajax presses a light kiss. He takes a hand and ruffles her strands slightly, chuckling from the sound Amber yelps in surprise. “Now rest, I’ll be here with you all night.”
Amber wishes to have a response equally sweet, but her eyelids are heavy now that she feels hugged by both the fluffy blanket and one of Ajax’s arms supporting her back, the sound of his fingers tapping on the keyboard lulling her to sleep.
“G’night”, she manages to muster, before her tiredness takes over, sleep winning over her desire to consciously enjoy Ajax’s embrace for longer.
When Amber wakes up, she’s on the bed again, though this time she’s pressed against a familiar chest that rises and falls in an equally familiar rhythm. She takes a moment to appreciate the rare sight, the way Ajax looks so peaceful in his sleep, even though the purple under his eyes shows he was up probably until dawn.
Amber looks over his body at the digital clock on the bedside table, noticing it’s almost time for her to get up and start the day. She sights dejectedly, but vows to herself she will take a day off solely to laze around with her beloved, for both of them deserve a well-earned break.
Amber presses a kiss on Ajax’s forehead, trusts the Sun to carry her wishes that he has a good morning and, with a heavy heart, leaves the warmth she so much adores.