The Royalty gets a Bodyguard.

Alice shook her head. "I promise you that I am capable of taking down anyone who comes through that door- or, alternately, that window." She bit her lip and then reached out, patting their knee awkwardly. "I have yet to meet a single person who has not, at one point or another, suffered from night terrors. You're human. It happens."

Taryn looked over at her, a tiny, tiny smile on their face. They reached out their hand, placing it on top of Alice's. "You don't have to sit so far away," they said, finding themselves craving her touch, but not in a sexual way. In a reassuring way.

Alice moved an inch or two closer to Taryn, her hand warm underneath theirs, cupping their knee. Her other hand remained pressing into her thigh. Comfort wasn't an area of expertise for her, but she would at least attempt it for them. They had been oddly kind to her and she- well. She found that she was abnormally fond of them herself.

Taryn closed their eyes for a moment. "Would you mind curling up with me, or is that pushing way too far?" they asked, unsure considering the rather intense make out session that had been hours before. They opened them back up, looking at Alice's hand, which was slightly visible under their own.

A wrinkle appeared in Alice's forehead, not out of anger or condescension, but confusion. "Curling up? I'm not quite sure I understand what you'd like me to do, Majesty."

Taryn blushed, although the blush spread all over their entire face. "It means uh..like lying down with me," they said unable to hide the embarrassment from their voice. "And we are way past majesty."

Colour tinted Alice's cheeks and she looked down at her lap. "Ah." She'd never really shared a bed, not since she was a small girl and lived with her mother. The partners she'd had since leaving home were usually only for a night- not even that- and even with her long gone ex they hadn't been so close that they shared their space like that, outside of sex. But the idea of it was appealing and heaven knew, she could feel the weight of her lassitude pulling her down. "I- that could be arranged."

Taryn's small smile turned into a larger one. The queen bed was certainly big enough for both of them. They had never laid beside someone before, this was supposed to be something to be done by a husband, but at this point lots of things were supposed to be done by a husband that had been done already. They scooted themselves over a little, allowing Alice room to join them, feeling still shaken, but also an odd sense of contentment.

Alice loosened her ponytail a tad and settled down next to them. She laid there stiffly and looked up at the ceiling, not quite sure what to do with her arms or her legs now that she was actually lying down. The knot of her bound hair pressed uncomfortably into the back of her head.

"YOu can relax, be comfortable," they said, a little bit amused, as they looked over at Alice. "Come here," they suggested, opening their arms for Alice to move into. They weren't sure how this was going to go, but they wanted to try.

Alice thought about protesting that she was comfortable, but decided that was too outrageous a lie to be believed. She turned her head to the side to stare at them, eventually shuffling into their arms and tugging her ponytail loose so that her hair spilled onto the bedspread. Her arms were straight by her sides and her back as ramrod straight as when she was standing. She still wasn't quite sure what to do with her body in this situation.

Taryn's arms wrapped around Alice, one hand finding its way into her hair and stroking it lightly. "Relax really," they said quietly. Taryn hoped they weren't making her uncomfortable, although the awkwardness was a little amusing.

"I... don't know what to do here." She admitted reluctantly, hiding her face. She hated having to admit that there were things she was not perfectly skilled at, that she was not some level of capable at. When their hand slipped through her hair, she relaxed the smallest bit, but kept her face turned into the bedspread.

"Neither do I," they admitted too, giggling a little. "Hey so we figure it out together. But I don't think being as stiff as a board is how this works." Taryn continued to stroke her hair, trying to be gentle, unsure how to go about doing exactly what they had read briefly in books.

It was the idea of them not quite knowing what to do either that convinced Alice to loosen up, pressing a little closer to them, curling towards their body heat. She glanced at them through the black fan of her lashes, lifting her head a bit so she could actually see their face. "More like this?"

Taryn giggled. "I guess, are you more comfortable?" They asked, enjoying Alice's heat. The two of them not really sure what was going on helped them relax from the horrible nightmare. They looked down at Alice, and leaned in, kissing her forehead.

Alice wiggled a little closer, considered the question but her thoughts were derailed when they kissed her forehead. She blinked, wide eyed and surprised. "I... yes? Are you, Maj-... Taryn?"

Taryn smiled widely. "Yes, I am," they said, looking at Alice. "Are you alright?" They said, noticing the slight surprise. They hoped Alice didn't get upset because of what happened.

"I don't think I've ever been kissed on the forehead." Alice said. She'd tensed up a little out of surprise but relaxed again in their arms, resting her head on the pillow. "I hadn't expected it. But it- wasn't bad." She resisted the creeping desire to tuck her head into the crook of their neck, unsure where the impulse had come from and not sure how close to them was too close.

Taryn nodded. "Well, I dunno, I just kinda, you looked cute, so I went for it," they said admittedly. They weren't sure where the impulse originated, but they enjoyed doing it. Taryn yawned a little, but was quite set on staying up a longer to spend time with Alice. They really enjoyed cuddling with her. It was sweet and kinda silly.

Alice raised an eyebrow at them. "I'm not cute." She pointed out. "I kill people for a living. I'm the opposite of cute." Her insistence was made less credible when she sighed and hesitantly tucked her face into the curve of their neck at last, finally went limp and relaxed in their embrace, curled her hand around their bicep.

Taryn smiled a little wider. "Why can't you be cute and deadly?" they asked, closing their eyes as Alice tucked their face in. They were honestly surprised by Alice's limpness after that, not expecting her to really relax. It was nice though, and made them feel something they couldn't quite put into words.

"Because it doesn't work like that." Alice huffed, eyes closed. She pressed a faint smile into their skin, breath wisping across their neck. "I'm a feared assassin. That precludes the possibility of me being cute."

Taryn giggled. "Sure sure," they said softly, continuing to stroke her hair. "I think you can be both." They added. Taryn tightened their grip around her slightly, enjoying the moment.

"Perhaps some assassins can." Alice murmured. "I am not one of them. I am deadly and violent. Not cute." When their embrace tightened a bit, Alice- well, she would never use the word 'snuggle' or 'cuddle' to describe anything she did. But, theoretically, if she were the kind of woman who did use that word, she would snuggle closer to Taryn, eyelashes like a butterfly's kiss against their.