Chapter Text
Lying in bed, Cynthia hears a faint knock on her hotel room door.
She knows, instantly, who’s on the other side. Who else would come knocking at this time of night?
She hasn’t long finished her nighttime routine and turned out the lamp, but she doesn’t mind switching it back on, just for a moment. Caleb and Gigi huff impatiently, but follow her obediently to the door, dog tags jingling softly against their collars.
She cracks the door open to see Ariana looking sheepish and hopeful, a vision in silky pink pajamas. Toulouse blinks sleepily up at Cynthia, wagging his tail.
“I’m sorry,” Arianna says in lieu of greeting, which only makes Cynthia roll her eyes and smile. “I missed you. Were you sleeping?”
Cynthia steps away from the door to invite her in, replying, “I knew better than to fall asleep before you came knocking.”
“Hey!” She gasps, worry drawing her eyebrows up tightly. “I’ve been good. I’ve stayed in my room every single night this week.”
Cynthia smiles affectionately and busses her cheek before making her way back towards her bedroom.
“A pity,” she looks over her shoulder to make sure Ari’s following close behind. “It was torture.”
Ariana is following indeed, but bit tentatively. “You’re sure you’re not upset?” She asks. “I can head back to my room.”
“Never,” Cynthia replies earnestly. “Come to bed.”
Cynthia pauses in the dim lamplight beside the bed, reaching for Ari and pulling her into her arms. Ariana gazes right back at her, hanging on her every word.
“I always sleep better with you next to me,” Cynthia reassures her, tucking an errant hair behind her ear. “You know that, yeah?”
Ariana finally looks placated. She smiles. “Yeah.”
The faint blush tinging her cheeks makes Cynthia’s heart melt just a little in her chest. She turns down the covers for Ariana on the uninterrupted side of the bed.
After depositing her pink fluffy slippers by the bedside table, Ariana climbs under the covers.
Before Cynthia can take the opportunity for herself, Ari lies down and opens her arms expectantly, waiting for Cynthia to settle herself within them. Cynthia’s protective instincts are always on high alert when it comes to Ariana; it’s only fair that sometimes she gets to turn the tables. Nothing would make her heart happier than to cradle this amazing woman close to her, as if the world can’t touch Cynthia, just as long as Ari’s holding her close.
She can feel the contentment, the happiness, radiating off of Cynthia, as she scoots her hips back into the crescent of Ari’s own, the warmth of her ass settling right into Ariana’s lap.
Ari wraps her arms around Cynthia, chuckling as Toulouse clambers up to rest on the pillow by their heads, Caleb and Gigi taking the space left by the crook of her knees. Not a thing in the world could disturb their cozy little nest, and that’s just how she likes it.
Finally, finally, everything in the world feels right where it should be, and she can rest.
Ariana snuggles her nose into the beanie Cynthia sometimes wears to sleep. It smells like her: the moisturizer she prefers before bed, the warm scent of her perfume. Familiar.
Cynthia can feel Ariana inhale deeply behind her, and sighs sleepily.
“Cynthia?” She hears very faintly, the words a bit muffled and pressed into the back of her neck.
“Mmm?” She was just seconds away from slumber, relaxing now that her night’s missing puzzle pieces have fallen into place. Cynthia feels something suspiciously like a kiss land on her shoulder.
“I love you,” Ariana whispers, almost too quietly to be heard.
Cynthia smiles, heart full, body warm and content.
“I know.” She kisses the knuckles of the hand wrapped in her own.
Before finally drifting off to sleep, she whispers in return, “I love you, too.”