Winter Dreams

It’s the dead of winter, and you can’t sleep. Since it’s late and you don’t want to disturb anyone, you decide to play a game to pass the time. Sitting down in a nearby chair, you put the cartridge in and turn it on.

After a while, you hear the door quietly open, and find a pair of frightened yet tired eyes staring at you. Holding his arm with his hand, Asriel timidly started. “Umm… I, uh, had another… nightmare.” he said with a guilty glance at the floor. “Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?” A Flowey nightmare, you presume. He’s been having them less now that he’s been living on the surface for a while, though still has them occasionally. You can see the weary smile grow on his face as you tell him that he’s welcome to stay with you anytime.

Climbing into the bed, you pull the covers up over the two of you. You both lie on your sides, facing each other. Asriel wallows around, trying to find a comfortable spot, and eventually decides to rest on your arm. One of his ears flopping onto your hand, you can feel his fur slightly tickling you as he adjusts his head, smiling. He grabs your waist with a gentle tug, and a soft grip. You let him pull you closer, slowly edging towards him until your stomach is touching his. You can feel the small flame of life inside of him as it fills you with a soothing warmth.

In between the occasional mumbling from Asriel, the room is silent, a single lamp casting a soft glow onto the bed. Eventually, even Asriel is quiet, letting you hear his soft and mellow breaths rising and falling. Looking at his serene face, you can’t help but smile.

Making sure not to wake him up, you move your free hand towards his head. Momentarily pausing after he grumbles a bit, you continue, finally reaching your destination. You place your hand on the top of his head, and start softly stroking it side to side. Asriel is normally embarrassed when you do this, but you know he secretly likes it. Petting him always helps him calm down. Among the field of velvety fur, you can feel two hard nubs slightly protruding from the corners of his scalp. Asriel has always wanted horns, so he’ll be glad to hear they’re finally coming in. As you rub your hand through his head, Asriel lets out a small groan of approval, followed by a quick smile. Feeling his muscles loosen up, you know he’s not going to have any bad dreams this time.

Outside of the serene room, snow continues to fall, covering the dried grass with a thin veil of white. You watch as each snowflake hits the ground, melting into the blanket forming below. Slowly, your eyes close, and you drift off to sleep with him.