nonsexual intimacy. // accepting.
38 : just sleeping together.
peace, tranquility —- how rare it was to rest comfortably beneath its veil, a sea of clouds, a bird’s melody as it sang from within the lofty branches of trees that scraped the sky, a gentle breeze passing through in quiet greeting. for so long, chaos and turmoil plagued their lands, offering no respite for even a single moment. the wicked did not rest —- and thus, neither would they.
peace had escaped her for many years. upon fleeing to eorzea’s shores, traversing through the lands to find her way to gridania, she sought sanctuary, a chance to find a moment’s rest from the terror that shook the earth, just so that she could breathe, so that she could catch her breath, and for a time, she had. she had a goal, a plan to live out the rest of her days, though the enormity of the burdens and tasks set at hand had been far beyond anything she could have ever imagined, and she knew that for naja, it was quite the same. he shared such similar burdens, and she knew just how much he ached, how his muscles and bones must cry, how weary his mind must be, for exhaustion nestled beneath the very layers of her skin, creeping into every crevice of every bone in her body. she would never complain, and naja dared not speak out of turn to deny the world its salvation either.
in all of the time cherry had known him, from the moment they had come into one another’s lives, she never expected for them to come so far together, for them to have forged the bond that they had. he crawled beneath her skin like a parasite, at first, though she very quickly warmed to his presence, although that was a fact that she would never confess to, especially not to naja, if only to keep his ego at a healthy level. in truth, she did quite adore him, and she almost, deep within the core of her heart, wished that she could tell him so. realistically, she could, but it was a certain stubbornness and a stone - willed pride that made her refuse. her actions, however, spoke loudly enough where her words kept naja in the dark, although he may not glean the kind intentions behind some of her acts, for her sharp and witty remarks, her swiftness in pinching his cheek and slapping the tops of his hands.
she trusted him, more than she trusted many others. he had been one of her first true friends, as unlikely of a friendship as it was. there was much they had shared with one another, and at the end of it all, it led to such genuine love for him. she felt safe with him.
safe enough that, now, she leaned against his shoulder as they sat together by their campfire, eyelids fluttering as she fought to remain conscious, although her yawns and occasional nods of her head as she drifted off betrayed her when she denied being tired. cherry had seated herself beside the xaela with the initial intent to pester him, but she did not realize just how exhausted she was. he was such a comforting presence, and it was all too easy to fall asleep where she was.
a soft whine escaped her as naja shifted, although he was only reclining back to find a more comfortable position. the expression she wore was drowsy, but even still, a pout remained upon her lips. her mind was lucid enough, not having completely fallen to the claws of exhaustion, that she mentally fought with herself over deciding to lean on him once more. cherry harshly reminded herself of all the other overly intimate manners in which they had lied together, so how could she refuse this, simply because it was so comforting ? if anything, she should accept this more readily than anything else. eyes remain fixated upon him now in contemplation, full lips pressing together before unfurling as a sigh fell beyond them. her hands were soft, tentatively gentle in their touch as she shifted to lie down, nestling softly against his form and resting her head lightly upon his chest. she closed her eyes and allowed her breathing to slow, but her body remained ever so stiff, if only for a moment. fatigue finally won her over and she relaxed, forgetting her worries and all of her woes, curling ever closer in the security that washed over her. sleep was quick to find her, because, for once, she let herself find trust, faith, in someone other than herself —- if only she allowed it more often.
