Chirping Crickets

“You ready for bed?!” Asriel asked over the sound of chirping crickets outside.

“Yeah, almost!” you called out from across the room, changing into your night clothes.

“Well hurry up, ya nerd! Otherwise, you’re gonna miss out on all of this!” he jokingly yelled, gesturing at his velvety neck fluff.

Ever since you had moved out into your own home with Asriel, he had been been getting more self confidence back. He’d started to be able to get out, make new friends, and enjoy his life more. You were happy for him. And the little attitude he cops could be a pretty cute at times. He reminded you of what he envisioned himself as all those years ago… Maybe minus the tattoos and rainbow colored attacks.

“Coming, coming.” You relented, climbing into the bed. “So, how was your day today?”

“Eh, pretty good, if a little uneventful. How’s your job as ambassador going?” Asriel asked. “Must be pretty tough.”

It really was. You got cases on a daily basis, ranging from small disputes to huge conflicts. Sometimes they would take weeks to resolve. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it to see Asriel’s smiling face greet him at the end of the day.

“It’s not too bad. Aside from the literal mountain of paperwork, that is,” you reply, downplaying it with a weary yawn and a chuckle. “Anyway, I’m ready if you are. Let’s hit the hay.”

“Yeah, but one more thing…” He said. Unexpectedly, he pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing, throwing it to the floor. “That feels so much better! Man, it’s so hot tonight...”

Initially surprised, you broke out into a laugh, you finally answering, “No, I think that’s just you. I’m fine.”

He shrugged. “Well, whatever.” Turning off the nearby lamp, he gave a muffled sigh himself as he pulled the sheets up over the both of you. “G’night.”

“‘Night, Az.” You said, wrapping your arm around his exposed backside, pulling him to face towards you. “Oh, and one more thing…”

Before he could even ask what it was, you pressed your nose against his oversized snout, rubbing against the soft fur on the tip of it.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” He blurted out, confused and embarrassed. Even in the dim moonlight, you could see the blush on his face. It was nice to know that even now, you could still get him worked up.

“Oh, nothing.” You replied with a devious smile, turning over, letting your back face him. Not expecting him to do anything else, you closed your eyes. But to your surprise, this time he was the one that grabbed you from behind. He pulled you closer, squeezing both arms around your chest. Lowering his head, he placed your chin on top of it, burying his face in your neck. You could feel his neck fluff rubbing against your chest. Reciprocating the expression, you locked your arms around his shoulders, grabbing a tuft of fur in each hand.

“You’ll always be there for me, right?” Asriel asked with a smile on his face.

“Mmhmm.” You softly hummed.

Letting the chirping of the crickets rock you to sleep, you slowly closed your eyes, as did he…

Eventually, the noise of the insects died down, leaving only the quiet whistling of the winds blowing through the small town where the two of you slept.

Tonk.

What was that..? Eh, probably noth-

Tonk.

There it was again. You decided to open your eyes to investigate. Everything was pitch dark. What time was it? You looked over to your digital clock, the only source of light in the room. It read three AM.

Tonk. Thunk.

Rubbing your eyes, trying to get them to adjust, you looked around the room searching for the origin of the noise. You heard another thunk ring out right next to you. It was Asriel. This worried you, as you knew he was a very sound sleeper. “Az.” You said, nudging him. “Az. What’s wrong?”

He ignored you, and continued to toss and turn in his sleep, banging his head on the bed frame again. “Az!” you yelled, this time shaking him. “Az, get up!” Instead, Asriel’s convulsions only increased, resulting in some more nicks on the backboard. You tried to grab his shoulders, but he struggled, breaking your grip, and banging one of his horns into your face. Only at your shout of pain did he wake up.

He laid there, panting for a moment before looking around the room, his eyes finally landing on you. Then he noticed the mark of your cheek. “Oh, god. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” he nervously rambled, stumbling over his words. “I didn’t mean to… I-I-”

Grabbing him by the arms, you looked into his eyes. “Az, I’m fine.”

Finally taking a deep breath, he tried to reassure himself. You could feel him shaking.

“I’m right here. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

“B-but…” he began, “I’ve tried to hurt you so many times as Fl-”

“Stop right there,” you commanded. He complied, shutting his mouth. “That was a long time ago. And besides, you weren’t yourself back then.”

“I guess…” he trailed off, sounding unsure. In response, you grabbed his head, placing it against your chest. The two of you fell down onto the bed, making a small bounce before finally coming to rest on your pillows. You could feel his velvety coat rubbing against your chest again, his increasingly slow breaths warming your skin.

“You’ll always be there for me... right?”

“Mmhmm.”

The two of you fell into sleep once again.

You could feel the sun shining in your eye. It was Saturday morning. Making sure not to disturb Asriel, you quietly crept downstairs. After what he went through last night, he deserved some rest.

Slowly making your way to the kitchen, you fire up the stove and crack a couple of eggs, along with some bacon.

About an hour later, you could hear padded footsteps coming from the staircase. Asriel grumbled a “g’mornin” before resting on the couch. “What are you cooking? It smells good.”

“Eggs and bacon,” you answered, “just for you.”

“You really are something special…” he said, shaking his head, his sarcasm back in full force.

“And would the prince like his eggs over easy or sunny side up?”

“Eh, either is fine.” A couple minutes later, you took his breakfast over to the table, where Asriel had already moved.

“Eat up!” you triumphantly declared, before digging into the dish yourself. As you were eating, you noticed Asriel was hardly touching his food.

“Az, about last night…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it!” he said with a smile. “It’s fine.”

“...I just want you to know that if you ever have any problems, don’t hesitate to come to me.” You spoke while staring straight at him, a serious look on your face.

With a bit of a blush, he stammered out an “O-Okay,” before going back to his eggs and bacon with a little smile.