Antauri woke up when he heard the door open.
Whoever came in walked over to him. They didn't open their eyes until the person opened his bed and came in. He watched Chiro get in and hold onto them. Antauri even felt something wrap around him and looked down. Right, they'd forgotten a couple of the others made Chiro a fake tail. He must've forgotten to take it off before bed. Its orange glow was prominent and it lit up their faces.
They saw the tear stains on his face. He put his hand on Chiro's face and gently caressed it with his thumb. He could only guess he had a nightmare.
"'Tauri…" He mumbled.
Antauri kissed his forehead. He kept him close and intertwined their tail with his. Chiro held onto him tighter, like Antauri was going to leave. He could tell how bad his anxieties were at that moment. Their hand moved from his cheek to his hair. They slowly but softly caressed his hair.
"It's okay, Chiro." Antauri whispered his reassurance. "I won't be going anywhere. I'll be here for as long as you need me, dear."
Chiro's hold on him loosened. He had a small smile on his face. He rested himself on their head. Within moments, he fell back to sleep.
They looked at him until he too fell asleep again.