In This Moment I Lie Here With You

Riftan woke up with a startled hum, feeling his body slowly rouse from the deep slumber he had sunk into after a long day of training, paperwork, and inspections. The thought queried through him, wondering why on earth he was awake when it wasn't close to dawn and he was completely comfortable. Blinking through bleary eyes, a muffled yawn escaped him as he laid back down into bed, shuffling his face closer to the strands of red hair, feeling sleep pull him back under again, sleep escaping him with a soft sigh as his body drooped-

Something crawled over his hip.

What the hell?

'Mew'

Huh? With a groan, Riftan raised his head, unwrapping an arm from around Maxi to reach down his side for the squirming body that had climbed up the side of the bed and was now clambering over him. Riftan held up the tiny black kitten, Roy, who mewled quietly, big eyes crinkling as it cried to be let down, pink tongue sticking out in deference.

"Did you climb up all by yourself?" Riftan murmured laying Roy on the blanket, rolling onto his back as he gently slipped out his arm from under Maxi whose snoring grew quiet as she shifted, mumbling incoherently because of the moving around. Riftan waited with a bated breath and relaxed when she remained asleep. Rubbing his eyes to wake the sleep from them, he picked up Roy who was rolling over the blanket with a quiet purr, stretching his slinky tiny body but once Riftan picked him up, he meowed his displeasure.

"Not happening, Roy. You got your own bed." Riftan sighed, quietly throwing the blanket off him as he climbed out of bed and strode towards the basket where Ron and Lora were asleep, curled up in ways kittens would be. Riftan chuckled at the sight as he took in the slumbering kittens and Roy huffed against his chest, stretching in his hand as he kneeled beside the basket and tried to place Roy in the basket-

'Reow'

"You need sleep. Fairies need sleep too."

Roy just continued to dig his nails in his palm and fingers refusing to be put away and Riftan sighed, leaning back until he was sitting on the carpet near the fireplace and dragging the basket gently to his side but not too close to the fire. Riftan leaned against the lounge chair, stretching his back as he yawned, still feeling Roy cling to him and purr in contentment as he sat cross-legged on the floor.

"You silly cat. No wonder Maxi adores you all."

He watched Roy curl up in his palm against his abdomen, tail curled around his body as he slowly fell into a sleep.

"You sleep while I sit here rather than in my bed." Riftan muttered but truthfully, he felt content enough as he stroked the kittens back as Roy's purr grew louder. He listened to the rhythmic purr of the kittens as they slept and he gently stroked Lora and Ron while they slept in their basket. Ron barely moved but Lora shifted, purring loudly, blue-grey eyes blinking sleepily before curling up against Ron. The crackling of the fire eclipsed their quiet breathing as their purrs grew silent and Roy fell into a slumber cradled against his chest. Carefully he leaned over, gently detangling Roy from his hand and placing him in his bed beside his siblings. Roy thankfully didn't move or wake up except to shift into a more comfortable position. Riftan gently rubbed the back of his ear before leaning back against the chair and stretching his legs out as he sat on the thick rug.

Despite feeling tired, he didn't feel the urge to fall asleep just yet. He was quite alright and the fire was nice. He stretched his arms above his head, rolling his head back to loosen the muscles and something nudged the back of his neck. Frowning, he reached back behind him and pulled a book from the seat of the chair with a bookmark placed quarter-way through. Believing it was one of Maxi's magic books, he curiously opened up to where the bookmark was placed-