Kieran wakes the next morning just after sunrise, while Mirabella is still sleeping peacefully and tucked snugly into his side. For a while, he is content just to lie there watching over her, taking comfort in the soft, steady sound of her breathing and relishing in the way his body tingles everywhere she is in contact with him. Even his morning hunger and thirst fail to make him want to do anything but what he is already doing, until eventually it occurs to him that if he is experiencing such intense biological needs, then it must be even worse for her. He did not undergo his first shift last night, nor does he have an entire body to heal.
Carefully shifting his weight to separate his body from hers in a manner that hopefully will not disturb her just yet, he hops down from the bed and l
