Alain groaned when he felt small hands shaking him awake. A tiny voice called to him from beyond the sleepy fog.
"Alain?"
Opening his eyes, he saw Manon leaning over him. Small tears shimmered at the edges of her eyes. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his own. "Manon, what are you doing awake?" He asked, holding in a yawn and trying to swallow the slight irritation creeping into his voice. It was late, and they had walked farther than even he had anticipated before finally setting up camp.
"I can't sleep, Alain." She said, avoiding his gaze.
"Why?" He was getting a little more worried now.
"It hurts . . ."
"What hurts?"
" . . ."
Alain sighed and unzipped his sleeping bag, shuffling over and patting the new empty space. Manon didn't wait for him to say anything. She climbed into the welcoming cocoon and pressed herself against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, noticing she was rather tense.
"What hurts?" He repeated.
Manon was quiet for a moment. She buried her face deeper into Alain's skin. "Cramps . . ." She mumbled in a voice so low he barely heard her.
Heat flooded through Alain's cheeks, but he pushed it away. Before he knew it himself, his hand was on Manon's lower back, gently massaging her aching bones. She moaned quietly beside him, her body relaxing.
Alain didn't know how much time had passed, but he could hear Manon's little snores below him. He smiled, yawning discretely to himself.
"Goodnight, Manon . . ." He whispered, sinking back into his own dreams.
