The Protector

XXX

The irritating sound of knocking against wood infiltrates my dull dreams, dragging me away from a less than peaceful night's sleep. Forced to wake up rather swiftly, a pissed groan leads to checking the clock. We've slept in far longer than I meant to, but it isn't all too surprising. It's already lunch, which explains why someone has come to get us from our pit, even if I do hate the concept.

Rubbing at my eyes with the only hand I can feel due to Mallow sleeping sweetly on top of the other, the rapping continues - I'm about to stab someone. I can't get up to answer the pest since I've been tied down by a bunch of limbs sprawling over the top of me like determined vines.

"What?" I quietly hiss, hoping they can hear. "Reaper, are you planning to come down at all today?" He isn't bothering to muffle his voice, so the sleeping beauty beside me snuffles, burying her face into a ticklish spot on my neck. "Fuck off, Pleb. You woke me up just for that?" I can hear him rolling his eyes. "We went to bed really late this morning, and not for the reason you're thinking so wipe that stupid smirk off your idiotic face."

"I'm not smirking." Oh how I want to slap him with a branch. "Yes you are, I can bloody well hear it. We'll be down shortly, bugger off." A small growl slips past, the little one beside me chuntering something I can't decipher. "Yes, Ma'am"

"Dick." I hear him chuckle while walking towards the stairwell, leaving me moody and hungry. My body has picked up on the fact that we missed breakfast, and is now complaining rather loudly like a stropping child that wants McDonald's. Honestly, sometimes my appetite bothers me also.

This is going to be painful to do, "Marshmallow, wake up, Baby." I tap her cheek, which she pushes away to ignore. "Marshmallow..." Running my finger down her nose with the light touch of a feather, it wiggles back at me. Her leg uncurls from around my stomach, tightening around my thigh while her little fist rubs at her eyes. "What?"

"We need to get up, it's lunchtime. I need to get some food into your belly, as well as my own." Tickling her sides, she rolls over with a whine. "I want to sleep..." Resting her head on my arm, she begins slipping back into the unconscious. "Mallow, we really need to get up." Her head shimmies under the pillow, a low chuckle rasping my throat from the sleepy gruffness.

"Fine." Pulling myself away from her, she whines some more from the loss of warmth. Before she's able to complain too much, I turn her to face me before hauling her into my arms. Even half asleep, her instincts tell her to cling like a sleeping Monkey. I move us into the bathroom, like a dead weight, she sags into me. It is admittedly rather nice to have her so close.

Carefully placing her on the counter, I have to hold her up while getting ready for the day. She refuses to release my arm since it is her only support as of the moment, a lot of bending is involved to reach things without tugging her about too much or she'll fall off of the surface and won't catch herself with being half awake. I pass her the pink toothbrush before setting up my own blue one. Her eyes remain closed, her wrist limply pushing the brush around her mouth likely with minimum effect.

Picking up a comb, I start on detangling all of her knots before plaiting it to the side, then brush my own back into two braids I secure at the back with a pin. She hums, playing with the tuft at the end of the bobble, lazily observing as I wash off my face. I've developed purple bags under my eyes that Tilly could use for shopping, my skin is also growing paler and I'm already close to the same shade as milk.

While I get into the shower to scrub off the remnants of last night's festivities, she hops off the counter and toddles into the bedroom. Before long I feel clean and am walking to the wardrobe to find her looking over herself in the long mirror with a scowl. "You look lovely." Pausing as I'm passing her in my towel, I kiss her cheek, easing some of her worries about today's outfit.