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Sage had chuckled softly in response to her comments, a smile forming on his face. "The best ways," he agreed quietly, as he'd rested against her. As she continued to speak, he was only half listening....he was drifting off slowly, though he knew what she was saying well enough. Her tone spoke more than her words did, really. His only response was just to tighten his hold on her slightly right before he drifted off. He didn't have the energy or chance to speak, but then again he didn't have to. She knew what he felt without him needing to tell her. That was part of why he loved her so much. She just got him, in a way no one else ever could. But he got her too, and that was why they'd fallen so quickly. So deeply. He wouldn't have it any other way. Her voice lingered in his mind as he slipped into sleep, echoing in his dreams and keeping the nightmares away. He was grateful....a night of rest without any sort of bad dream or thought was still somewhat rare, so when he woke up the next morning actually feeling rested, a small smile drifted across his face. He wasn't ready to get up though...he never was. So he just curled in, away from the light, burying his face into Joras chest. They had time still.
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Jora was already awake when she felt Sage move, not quite shifting, just tucking himself in tighter against her. The weight of him pressing into her chest made her smile, soft and slow. Her hand moved on instinct, brushing through his hair again, her touch lazy and rhythmic—like the waves lapping at the island’s shores just beyond their windows. She didn’t say anything at first. She didn’t need to. His breath was warm against her skin, his body familiar and heavy in the best way. This was her favorite kind of morning: no rush, no alarms, no emergencies. Just them, wrapped in warmth, in the comfort of everything they’d built and fought for. Her fingers slid down to trace the curve of his shoulder gently, still half tangled in the blankets. “Sleep good?” she murmured eventually, her voice still husky with sleep. She didn’t need the answer—not really. She could feel it in him, in the peace that had settled over his usually-tensed muscles. He hadn’t had a nightmare. Not last night. Not this time. And that made her heart ache in the gentlest, happiest way. “You were quiet,” she added softly, dipping her head a little to kiss the top of his head. “That’s rare.” They had time. She wasn’t going anywhere. And for once, the world could wait.
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Sage had heard Joras voice, though he's sort of only half understood it. He could guess what she was saying though, so he mumbled some sort of half unintelligible good morning. He was still honestly just half asleep....but he did want to at least attempt to respond. Her hand in his hair and slipping down his shoulder woke him a bit more as he came around, and he sort of just hummed in the positive in response to her question. "It was a good night," he noted quietly, voice still heavy with sleep. But it had been a good night....and he was grateful for it. He needed the rest. He moved to stretch slightly, nodding with a groan before settling down again. "I needed it," he noted with a small chuckle. "I can't remember the last time I slept that good." Maybe it was a sign. Maybe he was getting better. Fixing whatever was wrong with him. He hoped it was. For now, he didn't want to think about it too much. He just wanted to be here, in the moment, with his wife and relaxing in their bed. Their home. It really was just perfect....he'd fight however hard he had to in order to keep it that way.
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Jora smiled softly at the way his voice came out—gravelly and warm, still laced with sleep. His words weren’t sharp or sarcastic or even properly formed yet, but they didn’t have to be. She understood him just fine. She always had. “Mm. You did,” she murmured, brushing his hair gently back from his forehead as he shifted and stretched against her. She could feel the difference in him, even before he said it. The way his shoulders weren’t drawn up tight like they usually were, the way his breath moved slower, steadier. He’d finally gotten a night of peace. And maybe that meant he really was healing. Her fingers continued their quiet path down his back as she let the silence linger for a moment—one of those soft, weightless silences that only existed between people who didn’t need to fill it. “I’ll take the good nights however we get them,” she said quietly, resting her chin against the top of his head. “You earned that rest, Sage. Every second of it.” She kissed his hair again, holding him close and safe. “And if I have to fight off bad dreams with my bare hands to keep giving you more nights like that…” she paused, a smile tugging at her lips, “well, I’ve fought worse.”
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