She made it just the way Talulah liked it. She didn't need a reminder — she knew damn well how this Draco liked her coffee. Alina would never drink the stuff herself, though. She'd tried it once before and nearly dropped the mug and spat it all back out. Vile, she had called it. Vile, horrible, nasty, downright gross. And Talulah had laughed it off. She disregarded the Elafia's claims that Talulah enjoyed drinking hot mud.

I'm just built different, the dragon had told her. Just built different.

Even the grammatical butchering of that phrase was enough to irk the deer woman. Amusingly enough, however, it was what she thought about now as she made her stubborn lover a cup of coffee. Three o'clock in the morning. There was no better time for hot mud.

A packet of sweetener, a splash of almond milk, and the deathly black concoction was done. All she had to do was use the little spoon to stir it up, but Alina didn't even want to smell it.

Unfortunately, as the old adage went, you can't always get what you want. Alina simply can't get rid of the coffee maker outright (but God, how she really wanted to pawn it off one day). Just the same, Talulah couldn't get a good night's sleep. Not since moving in. Not since staking her claim in this house, in this neighborhood. It made Alina's heart ache. One day they'd find the root cause of this dreadful insomnia. These nightmares, these early-morning horrors. Tonight was not the night that they would make this discovery. But one day — perhaps one day soon — Talulah wouldn't have nightmares anymore. Alina can only dream of such a day.


"Your slop, madam," said Alina. She held the mug of coffee out to Talulah, who smiled, and carefully took it from her. Then she took a sip, and she sighed as the lifejuice traveled down her throat. Warmed her body from the inside out.

"That's good," Talulah whispered, apparently relieved.

"If you say so," Alina told the Draco, trying to smile. Then she sat down next to Talulah, and she rested her soft hand atop her wife's lap. "Another nightmare… I'm sorry, sweetie."

"Don't be sorry," Talulah told the concerned Elafia, "it's not like you're causing them."

"They didn't start happening until you moved in," Alina told Talulah, "that's what you said, right?" Talulah didn't answer. She just took another sip of coffee, sighing into her cup. "I'm not saying I'm the reason, but… I find that kind of suspicious, don't you?"

"I guess so," said Talulah. She sounded utterly resigned to the madness, in spite of this delicious coffee. Alina sighed, rubbing Talulah's bare thigh to help soothe her further.

"What was this one about?" She asked. "If you want to tell me."

"I can say it," said Talulah, nodding slowly. She frowned deeply, holding the coffee mug with both hands as she sat cross-legged in their king-sized bed. "But you're not going to like it."

"Honey, I don't like that you're having nightmares at all," Alina told her, gently. She leaned in close, pressing her lips against the Draco's temple in a doting, careful kiss. "And they're quite violent, too. You really scared me tonight, Tal. You really scared me…"

Talulah put her coffee mug on the nightstand, before she hugged her knees to her chest. Her expression darkened. Witnessing the anguish on her lover's face, Alina winced and performed a course correction.

"No, honey, I didn't mean it like that. I was scared, but I was scared because you were flailing and yelling in your sleep. Usually you just shake, but… you were flailing this time. Like you were fighting someone, or something, or…" Alina trailed off, opening her arms and pouting. "Hey, baby, come here…"

Talulah wordlessly sunk into her lover. She wrapped her arms tightly around Alina — tightly enough that the antlered woman was a little surprised — but she returned the hug with vigor, resting her chin on Talulah's shoulder, patting her spouse ever-so-gently over the back. She was here for her. They were here. She told her as such.

"It must have been especially bad," Alina whispered. She was helpless. Her curiosity was burning, and the smoke was filling her lungs.

"You died in my arms," Talulah told her. A five-word sentence that Alina had never prepared herself for. Even when Talulah said it, Alina wasn't sure that she had even heard her right.

"What?" She had to ask.

"In my nightmare," Talulah whispered. So quietly that she was almost inaudible. "You died in my… in my arms. I found you. In the snow," Talulah told her. And then she hiccupped, because the dam had another crack in it. The great wall of Talulah was starting to crumble. Alina could tell that Talulah had just gulped, like she was trying desperately to stop herself from crying. Desperately, and vainly. Her throat tensed.

"Oh, baby…" Alina rubbed Talulah's back, holding her tight. "I'm here, baby… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, okay…?"

"You're gonna make me spill my coffee," Talulah mumbled, eyeing the nightstand and letting out a few sniffles and clearing her throat.

"Good," Alina whispered, "sweetie, coffee is so bad, I'd be doing you a favor…"

"Shut your mouth… don't disrespect my coffee…" Talulah pulled back so that she could look her wife in the eye. Alina saw that Talulah's own eyes were red. But she was smiling now, at least. Wiping at her burning face, deeply pink from all the stress and embarrassment.

"I'm alive," Alina reminded Talulah, poking her tummy and drawing a stifled chuckle from the flustered Draco. "I have to live so I can judge the things you put in your body."

"You're so mean to me," Talulah told her.

"Drink your coffee, Tal." And the Draco did exactly that. She sat back and quietly drank from her favorite mug, while Alina stood up and started pacing the room, picking up the pillows and blankets that had fallen to the floor amidst Talulah's unconscious thrashing. She frowned at the clock on the wall, because she didn't like what it was showing her. She had half a mind to move the hour hand back a few inches out of spite. Turn back time.

"At least we don't have anything to do today," Alina reasoned, and Talulah nodded with a guilty frown. They knew that her night terrors didn't care what day it was. This could have happened on a Monday or a Thursday as easily as it would happen on a Saturday or Sunday.

"I'm sorry," Talulah mumbled. Alina came up to her wife again and kissed her on the forehead, reaching out to run her fingers through Talulah's hair. She was careful not to scratch her own fingers on her wife's horns… making sure that she soothed her dearest however she could. Whatever it took.

"Don't say sorry," she told Talulah, "you had a nightmare. It happens."

"Happens to me more than anyone else," Talulah responded.

"We'll work through it. We'll change your diet?" She offered. "Starting with the coffee."

"Ha. You wish…" Talulah took another sip, then gave Alina a certain pouting expression. She puckered her lips, giving the deer woman that kiss me look, and Alina happily obliged even in spite of the caffeinated beverage.

"What else can I do for you?" Alina asked, reaching out to rub Talulah's bare arms. "Please tell me how I can make it better."

"How you can make it better?"

As soon as the question left Talulah's lips, she looked down at her own lap. She seemed meek, Alina noticed. A far cry from when they first met.

"Just… hold me for a while, please," Talulah mumbled.

"Oh, is that all?" Alina smiled, holding out both hands again.

It was only moments later that the two were in a loving embrace once more. That familiar, affectionate, devoted hugging. Alina was the big spoon this time. She had a feeling that that's what Talulah would have wanted, even if the Draco didn't say it aloud.

Like this, Alina could run her hands along Talulah's bare body. Welcome her, and hold her intimately close, just the way she loved. She could caress her and moan from just the sensation of her warm skin beneath her fingertips. She could trace the invisible shapes and patterns of love along her body. Talulah sunk into the mattress, humming with immense relief as she settled into Alina's arms, keeping her eyes closed so she could better coast in the comfort.

Perhaps daringly, Alina leaned in even closer to nibble on Talulah's earlobe. The Draco shuddered. "That tickles…!"

"I know, that's why I'm doing it," Alina whispered, snickering. She went at it again, kissing her wife in just one of her many sensitive spots, causing Talulah to wiggle away from her.

"Ahhh! Linaaa…" The Draco whined. Alina didn't need to see her face to know that she was blushing.

"Just want to remind you that I'm here," Alina told her, sweetly, "and that I'm not going anywhere, Lula. I'm not going anywhere…" She lay her hand on Talulah's thigh, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Unfortunately, my dear dragon, you're stuck with me."

"You're the one who's stuck with me, Lina…" Talulah mumbled, before quietly yawning. Alina pressed her lips against the back of Talulah's neck, drawing another sigh from the placated dragon. She spoke in between her kisses.

"I'm always happy." Smooch. "To be stuck." Smooch! "With you."

She tucked Talulah's tail between her inner thighs, and Talulah gently sighed. Despite being the more snakelike of the two, the Draco felt as though she was being constricted, in only the best of ways. She basked in the warmth of the Elafia's arms, content with being the little spoon. Content with being spoiled for passion like this. This was her treasure…

"I love you," whispered Talulah.

"I love you more," Alina promised. "Get some sleep, baby."

"...and if I start shaking and thrashing again?" Talulah's question was laced with worry, and it was a worry that Alina immediately put to bed.

"Then I'll just have to hold my big, bad dragon even tighter," the deer woman teased, laying her palm flat against Talulah's bare tummy. "So that there's no more shaking."

"Oh, Lina… thank you… mmm…"

Talulah yawned again, trailing away. "Guh'night…"

Alina giggled. "Good night, baby. Sleep well…"

And she did.