@jabberwockis-lupus from [x]
She was always going to be a light sleeper so Peko had had some awareness as she felt Hajime move but figured he was just shifting in his sleep to get comfortable. But the howl... that was unexpected. Guttural and full of sorrow, it chilled her to her very core and her instinctual reaction was to cling to something safe. That safe thing was Hajime but this could only be a good thing, right? Her arms wrapped tight around him, one hand threading through his hair and scratching behind his ear as she whispered and murmured what she hoped were soothing things. Hajime had done the same fro her when she’d had a nasty nightmare a while back, it was her turn to reciprocate.
She kept going until she saw his ears fold down and his eyes clear a little. He was awake but probably still shocked. She could feel his rapid breathing as they sat there in their close embrace and waited for him to speak first.
“I’m fine.” She answered, voice a little wobbly. “I promise, I’m fine.”
She took one of his hands and manipulated his fingers to rest two of them against her jugular to let him feel her pulse. It was a little faster than it should be but she had just been startled by his howl.
“See? Very much alive and very clean.”