The Librarian

"Nico?" I asked, stepping into the doorframe of his bedroom. I was unable to sleep with the impending threat of war lurking at the edges of my vision.

"What's wrong?" he looked even more awake than I was. He shifted over in his bed, inviting me to join him.

"Do you really want this?" I asked him, sitting beside him and pulling my knees to my chest.

"Want what?"

"This war. This... everything." I gestured vaguely.

"Of course I don't want it. But if it's going to happen then I'm going to do my best to minimise the damage. I don't think anyone really wants this, except maybe my dad. He did just lose his wife, though."

"That's not a reason to start a war."

"I suppose not," he sighed and propped himself up beside me. "Do you think you'll get any sleep tonight?"

I shook my head, "I don't think so. Is it okay if I stay here?"

"Absolutely," he said, leaning over to press a kiss to my brow.

I smiled, "thank you."

And then sometime, somehow, I eventually embraced sleep.

Notes