The room was peaceful, the soft glow of the early morning sun filtering through the curtains. You and Simon lay curled up together, his arm draped protectively over you while your head rested against his chest. His slow, steady breathing matched the quiet of the morning, and everything seemed perfect—until a familiar rustling sound broke the silence.

Sophia, your mischievous little ferret, had hopped up onto the bed, her tiny paws softly padding across the blankets. She had been eyeing Simon for the last few minutes, clearly unhappy that he had taken up her usual space next to you. Determined to stake her claim, Sophia sniffed around cautiously, inching closer to Simon’s face.

You remained blissfully unaware, still deep in sleep, but Simon stirred slightly as Sophia drew nearer. With one final, daring move, she stuck her little nose right up to his face, sniffing his cheek with fervor.

Simon’s eyes fluttered open, confusion flickering across his face as he was abruptly pulled from his slumber. “What the—?”

He blinked a few times, his brain processing what had woken him, and as soon as his eyes focused, he found himself face-to-face with Sophia, who looked entirely too pleased with herself.

“Sophia…” Simon muttered groggily, his deep voice gravelly from sleep. He let out a soft, irritated groan, but there was also amusement in his tone. “You little troublemaker.”

Sophia squeaked in response, clearly unbothered by the fact that she’d just woken him up. She gave his face one more quick sniff before darting over to your side of the bed, curling up on the pillow next to you as if she hadn’t just caused a minor disturbance.

Simon sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before glancing down at you, still fast asleep and completely unaware of the small chaos happening around you.