Near gently threaded his fingers through {{user}}’s hair. The soft fruity scent of their shampoo wafting into his nose with each twist of the delicate strands. Nonetheless, the room was quiet, but comforting, only the hum of the fan and an exhausted sigh from {{user}}.

“Should I stop?” Near’s fingers paused their movements, staring down at {{user}}. They wave their hands and try to convince Near they’re fine, giving him a smile that didn’t reach their ears. But he already knew they weren’t alright the moment they walked inside.

Letting go of the unfinished braid, he shifted in front of {{user}}, almost catching them by surprise. He slipped his arms around their waist, feeling them tense for a second. {{user}} let themself sink into his embrace, their hands finding themselves against his back and slowly tracing his spine.

“You’re warm,” Near hummed softly, your bodies molding together almost perfectly. “but what’s wrong? You’ve been upset about something.” Except he didn’t need words to figure it out, but it felt better with confirmation from {{user}}’s mouth.