He had just fallen to sleep when he heard the soft whimpering of his dog, and the first thing that came to Richard’s mind was that it must have been a pretty fierce thunderstorm going on outside. Ever since he was little, Baldwin would rattle and shake in the wake of a flash of lightning and the roaring thunder, even now when he was the size of a horse. But Richard didn’t hear any claps of thunder and there were no painful flashes of white light to make him regret the light drink he had just a few hours before. Not only that, but his whimpering wasn’t coming from his side of the bed, but at his end, and he cracked a single eye open and looked down into his dog’s big brown eyes. It took him a moment to collect himself, and finally he mumbled to his dog as he placed his great muzzle on his hand. “What is it, Baldwin?”

Per usual, Baldwin said nothing, for he was a dog, and the way his eyes shot over towards his side of the bed told Richard that whatever had caused him to whimper was laying just over there. The sleepy man finally turned over and immediately saw what the problem was, and he couldn’t help but groan at the sight of the woman that was laying daintily on the other side of the bed. He couldn’t remember her name, but he knew what she was here, and given the extent of their recent activity, it was no wonder that she was completely conked out now.

Which was a problem, because Baldwin trotted back over to his side and tried to nudge her with his nose. Rubbing his eyes and fighting off the coming headache, Richard rolled onto his back and gently caressed her shoulder in hopes of waking her. Of course, she gave a tickled sigh at his touch, but was too foregone with sleep to acknowledge Baldwin! Without moving, she whispered softly to Richard, and the candy maker could practically feel her lust as he continued to rubbed her shoulder and arm. “Mmmm... didn’t think you were ready for round two so quickly...”

“I’m not.” Richard said in a tone of voice that was alluring and sweet, despite the words themselves. And only then did she shift her head and look back at him, mildly curious, as he motioned to his Irish wolfhound that panted lightly. “You’re in his spot.”

She looked back at Baldwin, and she looked perturbed, before looking back at Richard was a coy smile. “Look, he’s a sweetie, but I’m not sharing the bed with a dog, Mr. Moreau.”

His half-asleep grin remained on his face, even as he rolled completely over and faced her entirely. He rested his chin in his hand, and the other moved to grab the blankets, looking to pull them over themselves and shunning poor Baldwin to sleep in his oversized bed that he bought him many years ago. Yet, with a simple flick, he pulled the blankets off of her, and then motioned to the door. “Very well. Don’t give me that look- you already insisted you weren’t sharing the bed with a dog. You may sleep on the couch, or see your way out. Your choice.”

The look she gave him resembled a child that had just placed a sour candy in his mouth, and had he not been half-asleep, he would have opened laughed at her. Whoever this woman was gave a sneer, before kicking the rest of the blankets off of her feet and storming out, grabbing her clothes on the way out. It didn’t take long for her to leave the condo entirely, announcing her complete departure with a fierce slamming of the door, and only then did Richard laugh. She might have trashed something on the way out, but he’d worry about that in the morning. For now, his window of falling back to sleep peacefully and getting a full night was closing, and he didn’t even need to command Baldwin to reclaim his spot before the dog cuddled up next to him. He wrapped both arms around the Irish wolfhound and returned to sleep, mumbling to Baldwin as sleep took hold. “Better a dog than a pig... oh dear, Baldwin... I slept with Miss Piggy...”

(Word Count: 723)