"You can't do this every night, Alar."
"I slept last night."
"Sleeping every other night is not enough, and we have finals tomorrow. You need to be sharp."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You're running on fumes and stubbornness." I moved to stand in front of him. "I know you're worried, and that you want to protect me, but you can't protect me from my own dreams even if you hold me in your arms, let alone from over here. But I much prefer falling asleep with you holding me." I offered him a hand up.
He didn't take my hand. "I don't like this."
"I know. But you are going to bed anyway. I'm not accepting no as an answer."
I could be just as stubborn as he was, and I wasn't compromising on this.
He resisted for another moment, then sighed. "Fine. But you have to promise to wake me up if you have a disturbing dream."
"I promise."
Reluctantly, he climbed into bed, but instead of lying down, he sat propped against the headboard with that watchfulexpression that told me he wasn't planning to sleep anytime soon.
"Lie down," I said.
"I am lying down."
"You're sitting."
He gave me a look that might have been exasperation or amusement, it was sometimes hard to tell with him, but he shifted lower, settling his head on the pillow.
I reached for the tea and drank it slowly, grimacing at the taste. I would never get used to it, even if I had to drink it for the rest of my life.
"I still wish you wouldn't do this," Alar said quietly.
"I know, but you chose to fall in love with a shaman in training, and that means all kinds of compromises. Watching me drink this tea is probably one of the easiest ones you'll have to make."
He smiled and pulled me into his arms. "You can be very convincing when you put your mind to it."
"I only speak the truth."
"Right." He kissed the top of my head. "Sometimes, your truth cuts."
I wondered what he meant by that, but the tea was already working, and warmth was spreading through my limbs.
The edges of the room began to soften.
"I love you," I said, because I was about to drift away from him into a realm he couldn't follow.
"I love you too." He kissed my forehead. "May your dreams be pleasant and uneventful."
"From your mouth to Elu's ear."
"Come back to me," he whispered.
"Always."
I closed my eyes and let go.
The transition was gentle at first.
