He did not get his answer immediately: just the ongoing shivers and shudders, the occasional warm dampness of tears against his skin. Rory didn't know how long they stayed like that, trapped in that liminal space between wakefulness and sleep. He did not quite dive into the latter again, the worry keeping him awake, but he saw no reason to rouse himself completely until Jigano was ready to talk.
Finally his lover settled against his back, quieting, stilling. Rory's hand had kept up its absentminded stroking, fingertips trailing over the honeyed skin of a forearm. The time between that calm and the words seemed hours long—but surely that was just his mind bending reality to fit the lateness of the hour.
"A hard night," Jigano finally said, and Rory began to pull himself more firmly into the present. "Don't worry about it," he responded, sleep still weighing on his voice, but his eyes had flickered open. Most of his body still felt like lead, but his eyes were awake. They flitted from thing to thing in the night-dark room, and after a moment, Rory heaved a sigh. It was the kind of sigh that meant giving up more of his sleep, but there was no resentment in it.
He turned over in the bed, one arm curled beneath his head and the other reaching out towards Jigano. Using his thumb he wiped the tears from his face, and combed back his pale hair from his face. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
Finally his lover settled against his back, quieting, stilling. Rory's hand had kept up its absentminded stroking, fingertips trailing over the honeyed skin of a forearm. The time between that calm and the words seemed hours long—but surely that was just his mind bending reality to fit the lateness of the hour.
"A hard night," Jigano finally said, and Rory began to pull himself more firmly into the present. "Don't worry about it," he responded, sleep still weighing on his voice, but his eyes had flickered open. Most of his body still felt like lead, but his eyes were awake. They flitted from thing to thing in the night-dark room, and after a moment, Rory heaved a sigh. It was the kind of sigh that meant giving up more of his sleep, but there was no resentment in it.
He turned over in the bed, one arm curled beneath his head and the other reaching out towards Jigano. Using his thumb he wiped the tears from his face, and combed back his pale hair from his face. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
