Shao stirred, his body aching and numb, yet strangely comforted by the soft, warm scent surrounding him. It was sweet and faintly caramel-like—soothing in a way that dulled the pain in his head and eased the tremors in his chest. The cold tile beneath him didn't feel as biting anymore, not while that scent cocooned him like a blanket.
For a moment, he let himself stay there, eyes closed, lulled into quiet by the rhythmic rise and fall of someone's breath.
He felt a weight near his legs, then a warmth at his side. Gentle, almost too gentle. The kind of touch that didn't demand anything from him, just existed there to offer a sense of presence. His body knew before his mind did that someone was holding him, and he wanted to stay like that a little longer. It felt safe.
But then something snapped.
His eyes flew open.
