Morning came gently.
Kaiden felt awareness returning in layers rather than all at once. Even before his vision cleared, he felt it, a subtle charge in the room, a quiet liveliness humming through the air like mana responding to an awakened combatant's call.
Warmth surrounded him from every side, familiar and grounding, bodies pressed close. Breath brushed his neck, his chest, his shoulders, soft and steady.
When his eyelids parted and his eyes finally focused, the first thing he saw was smiles.
They hovered above and around him, wide and unguarded, eyes bright with affection and relief that hadn't dulled overnight.
There was no teasing in them, no hunger pushing forward ahead of concern. Just love, open and proud, like they were happy simply because he was awake again. Hands rested on him without urgency, palms warm against his skin, fingers loosely intertwined with his where they'd stayed through the night.
