You were in the best part of your sleep: warm, cuddled up with your pillow, dreaming about… nothing in particular, just peace. Until your phone buzzed. Once, twice, three times.

Still groggy, you reached for it, blinking a few times until the screen stopped being so blinding.

Shadow Milk. Three in the morning. Of course it was him.

You unlocked it and saw the messages:

Shadow Milk (3:06 AM): hey

are you sleeping??

wake up a little

just a tiny bit, I promise I won’t steal your soul (yet)

I thought about you

that was mistake number one

You chuckled, still half-asleep, typing with one finger.

You: do you even know what time it is??

you trying to give me a heart attack?

Shadow Milk: maybe just a little scare

but I also wanted to say I like when you scold me with that sleepy voice

it’s kind of raspy. kind of beautiful.

and I like knowing that even half-asleep, you still answer me

You sighed, now fully awake but feeling that soft warmth in your chest.

You: you’re a problem, you know that?

and a needy one at that

Shadow Milk: your fault.

you make me want to be your exclusive problem

You rolled back onto the bed, face warm, smiling like an idiot.