Was in the process of the first paragraph when it hit that it would make a good fic. ¬_¬ Stoopid Plunnies.
As with all SoG fics, it's Hakuba's POV ^^;;

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Shades of Grey: A Good Night
by Icka! M. Chif

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There are days when you slide into bed and you know it's exactly where you should be. The mattress is soft, there are no lumps or springs jabbing you in the sides. The blankets are warm and smooth, heavy enough to envelop and wrap you up in their warmth without suffocating. You stretch out and just feel the days tension flow away as your muscles relax and bones seem to soften as you sigh in utter bliss and bask in the realisation that sleep lingers at your door.

Those are the good nights.

Much much preferable to the nights when your mind is awake and refuses to shut down, to stop thinking and attempting to put everything together, there is no comfortable position in the bed, you are either too hot or too cold, the room is too silent or there's something obnoxious going on outside of your realm of control and you are up half the night and groggy the next day.

Worse are the nights of nightmares, filled with things you have read, things you have seen and things that might be.

No, good nights are rare and cherished for all their fleetingness.

And when you sprawl out, nestling into the covers and encounter a warm body already there, it's not just a good night, but a very good night.

You mumble a greeting as you reach out, both moving yourself over as you pull them closer, wrapping yourself around them. It's not cuddling, snuggling or any other term threatening to your masculinity, it's an acknowledgement for your want of contact, a tactile way of reassuring yourself that the person important to you is safe, unharmed. At least for the while that you're together.

You're a scientist after all. You mainly trust what you can see, touch and measure for yourself.

He's never complained and you've noticed as of late that he's started reaching out to you as well, no longer tensing at the touch out of fear that you won't let go. It's almost a joke now. You've caught him, by allowing yourself to be bound as well. The restraints you've placed upon each other have yet to chafe, and you find yourself hoping that this will continue into the future.

"Hey, yourself." He comments, amusement warming his tone as he shifts so that he's spooned against your front and that's just fine too. He's smaller, both in height and weight and fits very well against you as you bury your face in his short dark hair that smells so much like the wind. It's a good scent and reassures you further that everything is as it should be. Sometimes you curl up the other way, him resting against your back like a protective guardian as you fall asleep.

He's usually gone in the morning though, such encounters are private, belonging to the night and the shadows. Daylight encounters were full of sharp-tongued repartee, quick minded pranks, laughter and hit and run attacks. Enjoyable in their own way, but not nearly as tangible.

You mumble a question into his hair and he chuckles. There was no heist today, therefore he has another reason for showing up. "I got some more data for you." He assures you in that mercurial voice. "I gave them to Hirokini-kun to look over."

You make a questioning sound, mentally beginning the preparations of bracing your conscious back into high gear, but he quickly assuages you. "Nothing that can't wait until daylight."

"Huhn." You agree, shifting slightly so that your mouth is resting against the bare spot on his neck, between the hair line and the collar, less chance of inhaling hair while you sleep. He sighs, arms wrapping around yours as he relaxes as well. He'll sleep some before slipping out and you're grateful for it. It's dangerous for him to be here, but it's dangerous for him out there too. At least here it's peaceful and there are no men in dark coats with guns waiting for him.

Consciousness grows fuzzy around the edges as you fade into the blissful oblivion of Morpheus' arms. "... g'night..."

"'Night." He yawns back.

It's a good night.

-fin-

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