let me in

❂

Warmth.

It cradled Gage as he stirred awake, cocooned in gentle sunlight that trickled between his eyelids and kissed the corners of his tired eyes. For a moment, he thought he might be back in the castle courtyard, dozing in the same patch of sun he favored as a boy, before the world changed. But then he drew a deeper breath—this air was different.

New.

Sweet, fragrant with blossoms he couldn't name, and full of sounds he hadn’t heard before. He stirred more, only slightly.

A soft breeze rolled by, stirring the wildflowers at his side, and Gage inhaled its sweetness like a starving man. He flexed his large paws against the grass, claws anchoring down, half-expecting to wake up yet again, to find himself back in the cold reality from which he’d escaped but that did not happen, not yet. Slowly, he closed his eyes again, allowing himself a moment of naive indulgence as he savored the peace, knowing it would not last forever. His jaws parted in a lazy yawn, and he tucked his chin against his leg, a happy rumble in his chest.

Surely this was a dream, nothing more than a fleeting vision meant to lull him toward rest he had not truly known in ages and he welcomed it with open arms. It was a dream he wished to stay in a little while longer—if only to remember what warmth felt like after so much cold.

---

@Fennick
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Awakening in a dream. 

Fennick dared not hope this was a new world he'd found himself in. This one was far too kind, far too warm, far too gentle. His eyes opened slowly, and he stretched, luxurious and lazy, in the patch of sunspot he'd found himself in. It was too perfect of a world to be real, and yet, Fennick had not died again. Even if he had, would he deserve heaven like this? 

He'd left his work undone. Failed spectacularly. This was not something he had earned. 

After a few moments of allowing himself the indulgence of keeping his eyes shut, of pretending to be asleep so that he did not have to rise, a familiar scent graced his nose and drew him to his feet with no hesitation. 

That was one of the benefits to his new body, he supposed. His nose could tell him far more than it used to. 

It was no surprise to envision his bodyguard. Gage had been a fixture of his dreams for as long as he could remember them, though he dared not say so aloud. But here, in these private fantasies, he'd always allowed himself to indulge. 

The man looked far different now, but there were similarities between the two forms. Gage had always been large, strong - built in a way that made Fennick's cheeks warm and had him wondering how his hand might fit into one of the guard's larger ones. If their fingers might entwine comfortably, or if Fenn's would be engulfed by the other man's own. How they might feel running through his hair or resting on his waist. He was still powerful, large, towering in a way that made Fennick feel...

Improper. A King should not lust after a guard, whether they had a kingdom to run or not. This was all incredibly, painfully improper. 

And yet. 

The former King followed his nose and was pleased to find it had not led him astray. He could leave this dream-Gage to rest, as he deserved, but this was Fennick's dream, and he could do as he wished. 

"You plan on sleeping the day away?" he questioned, looking down at the man with a fondness that he would have worked hard to conceal in the waking world. 

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