Author's Note: A birthday fic for kgirlskillen74 on Tumblr who wants to read about how Severus REALLY likes sleepy cuddles.
Sleepy Sneepy Snuggles
"You're tired." She gives him a Look.
"Am not," Severus growls from where he is perched at his desk. He is so tense that his shoulders are nearly up to his ears, and his face is a frightful scowl.
"Oh really?" She meets his defiant stare with one of her own and then, slowly, she opens her mouth to yawn as widely as she can.
"Oi! Tha' was bloody 'nfair, 'n you know it!" Severus' Northern accent begins to bleed through his normal clipped tone.
"See? Now I know you're tired." she says, patting her knee. "Come on, then."
"No. I have several more hemorrhage-inducing papers to mark," Severus growls, but he's looking at her intently.
"I'll run my fingers through your haaaaiiiir," she says in a singsong tone of voice. "Now. Come. Here."
He stares at her for a long moment and then sighs long and loudly, and he does what she has asked of him. He lies back stiffly with his arms over his chest like a vampire in a coffin, but she merely smirks with amusement at this as though it is an old joke between them.
"Oooh, so tense," she says, running her fingers through his hair and pressing them against his scalp in firm, slow circles. Her fingers travel downward to his neck and shoulders.
He moans with pleasure as the tension slowly recedes, and she watches with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile as his shoulders slowly relax and he's practically boneless underneath her.
"There, now, wouldn't you say that's much better?" she asks, poking his nose gently with her finger.
Severus yawns and sits up, kissing her softly and looking deeply into her eyes. "That was so much better than...better."
He takes her hand and pulls her to her feet, and they slowly make their way down the hall to their bedroom. They wash up and ready themselves for bed, then slip into the cool sheets until they find each other's warmth. He wraps his arms around her and she sighs into his chest, smiling as he kisses her forehead and slowly runs his fingers through her hair
His eyes are half-lidded now, but he seems not to mind it. His lips are turned up into a dopey, sleepy smile. He takes a deep breath and breathes in her scent, his grip on her loosening slightly as he begins to doze.
"I love you, Severus," she says, stroking his cheek and pulling a strand of hair away from his face.
His eyes are still closed but he grins with the pleasure of hearing such tender words spoken aloud. "My precious love," he sighs, and it is not long before his breathing evens out as he falls ever deeper into slumber.