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"Oh. No. Good point." He didn't have to ask her for help; as soon as he spoke she moved, and she didn't say a word. He hated needing help, but how she was dealing with it now - now he had asked her not to try to lighten the mood - made it as easy to swallow as possible. He could almost pretend it wasn't happening.

"Thank you," he mumbled all the same, because even if he wanted to pretend he was able he was not and she was making up for that.

Once she had put the shoes somewhere she moved to join him, lying down beside him but keeping her arms to herself. To compensate for this Bereck reached around carefully to curl his arm around her back. "You can put your arm around me if you're careful, and don't touch my other side... and if its not too bony to he comfortable you can put your head on my shoulder." He wasn't sure if she'd want to, but the offer was there.

Bereck made another of his quiet little pleased-amused noises and gave Alina a very soft squeeze. "You do too... not that I can smell you from here, but I noticed earlier. Creepy minus creepy equals nought, so we're not creepy in the least. You can't argue with mathematics."

Side still hurt.

Lots.

Bereck's eyes stayed closed and he started to stroke Alina' back just with his thumb, seeking comfort for himself as much as offering affection. "You always have made it easier for me to relax."

Sanguine, having put aside the glass of wine, came to settle on the pillow next to his head. Vena was still on the floor snuggling with Alina's little brown, and Marrow - after a few glances around the room - vanished between, off to explore the immediate area outside the office and see if he could find anything to hunt.

It was getting worse... he thought? Maybe he was just focusing on it too much. He tried to focus less. Just rest and... rest and be happy. "It's a good stage," he murmured, "and your nose is a good angle. I should measure again, because noses change. As do rears, and other angles. A lot of things to measure again... in future."

No. Now. - A fuzzy bit of him said that, but he swatted it aside. No. He knew that wasn't sensible, or really what he did want. What he wanted was to feel close and safe, and if he relaxed he would. He hoped. Wine and pain. Maybe wine had been a bad idea, but no, it had been nice and... and it would be alright. He wasn't alone. Alina was here, and he was safe....

Question.

Difficult question.

"I would rather spend it awake with you," Bereck replied after a pause. "When I do sleep, I would like to be with you where possible... but I don't want to spend valuable time that could be yours just sleeping. I don't need more than those few hours; I have proved perfectly well that I can function with what I was getting before. Time with you is more important than sleep."

"That sounds like a good idea...."

Bereck took in a slow breath and let it out again carefully.

"Not fantastic. I'll be alright though... and I'm sure we can schedule together. For sleep. And... well we'll see how things work out. I suppose that would be alright." He was fairly sure she had suggested something suggestive, but he couldn't latch onto the though too well just now. He hurt, and was rather woozy from the wine anyway. "Love you." Important to add, he felt.

"No," Bereck shook his head, "I shouldn't have any unless I really need it... the fact that I want it is bad enough. Itch I can't get rid of. It's always hanging around." Some level of addiction was rather inevitable given how long he had been on it, and how heavy these doses had been. Quietly, trying to stay hidden from anyone he knew, he had been reducing doses degree by degree. It was working alright... but it would be working better if his plans weren't being ruined by flares of pain that demanded more of it. Maybe he should just try to drop it all together, but then again he knew how well that sort of thing usually worked.

Her reassurance was... reassuring, even if he had a lot of facts and worries still dancing around in his head. Either way, eloquence was not present. "I need you to be you," he mumbled, giving her another light squeeze. "Be you, be around. I don't think I need any more than that, because it's already a lot. Tell me if I'm not being around enough, too. I know I get... distracted."

"Mmh? Well, I'll think of other demands later," Bereck muttered, squirming a little in a fruitless attempt to get comfortable. "It's all I want for now anyway," he added as he subsided and closed his eyes again. He was tired to this. He thought that a lot but it was still true, it didn't change.

"A nicer cane," the healer murmured vaguely, "hate the one I've got. Looks like it belongs to some doddering old man. Tch. Frivolous, forget I spoke." He'd get used to it; there wasn't any point spending marks on something else just because the current cane wasn't pretty. He did hate it though.

"Good. Thank you," Bereck murmured, starting to stroke Alina's back softly again. "Love you too. Go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." He would sleep himself if he could. If not then just resting here with her was a most acceptable substitute; she was warm as well, and the steady rhythm of her breathing was a comfort. He could get used to sleeping like this again; he could do so very easily indeed.