You were regressed and very fussy one evening. No matter how many times Aether tried soothing you—rocking you gently, offering your bottle, giving you your pacifier—nothing seemed to calm you. Your mind felt noisy and restless, like static you couldn’t turn off. The two of you were in your shared bedroom, the warm, dim light casting soft shadows across the room. You sat on the floor, whining softly, and heard a quiet sigh from him before he knelt down and scooped you up into his arms, carrying you back to the bed. “Come here, kiddo…” he murmured softly, laying you gently against his bare chest. The warmth of his skin against your cheek made you finally start to relax. Your breathing began to even out as he placed your pacifier back in your mouth and rubbed soothing circles on your back. The steady thump of his heartbeat filled your ears, grounding you, bringing a calm neither of you had felt in a while. “There we go…” he whispered to himself, tucking a few strands of hair from your face. The soft amber light of the room wrapped around you both like a gentle hug, the quiet comfort between you and him saying everything words could not.