Eris stood alone in the solitary darkness of the Tower, gazing up at the inky black sky, the only light streaming from the pale stars above and the warm city lights below. She let out a sigh, her breath clouding in the air, as she leaned further against the railing of the central Bazaar marketing place. Ikora, Hawthorne, and the people running the ramen shop behind Eris had already left for the night, most likely asleep by now. But that night, Eris herself could not find rest. A cold wind blew through the Tower, drifting the tinkling sound of wind chimes through the air. Eris shivered in response and pulled herself closer. Her mind thought back to last Festival of the Lost. She had been at this same location, standing at this same railing when the Drifter had come along. He had helped and comforted her through her grieving, and even convinced her to eat ramen with him. She wondered if he would show up again tonight. She sighed a second time, looking up and beginning to trace pictures in her mind using the stars above in the night sky Time passed by, Eris had no idea how long. It could have been a few minutes, it could have been half an hour. Still, she remained fixed at her spot, her green eyes gleaming in the silent dark of the night. The twinkling sounds of the wind chimes continued their journey through the air. Eventually Eris heard the soft sound of footsteps behind her. She dared not think the name of who she hoped it was as she turned her head to the side to catch a glimpse of the figure. The dark silhouette of the Drifter approached, the gentle light from the above head stars began to trace along his outline as he stepped from the shadows. "Hey, Moonlight." He greeted, making his way to her side, dodging the tables of wares that had been left out. "I wondered if I would see you tonight." Said Eris as a way of returning his greeting. Her eyes studied the features of his face as he leaned beside her against the railing. He looked weary and exhausted, and not nearly as enthusiastic as usual. "You are still having trouble sleeping, I presume?" The Drifter grunted, then said in a gravelly voice, "Yeah... every once in a while I'll have those good nights where I'll just conk out the second my head hits the pillow... other nights the nightmares just keep comin'... I guess this night is just one of those ones." Little dots of light twinkled in his brown irises as he looked up into the sky. Even in the dim light Eris could tell his eyes had a tint of purple underneath from lack of sleep. Eris crept closer to the Drifter, slipping an arm under the Drifter's own until they were side by side, their fingers tangling together as their palms met. The Drifter chuckled in response, happy to have something to hold. "Perhaps I can offer you some comfort then." Eris said at last, breaking the silence that lingered between them. "That'd be nice." The Drifter responded turning his head towards her with a smile, the lines under his eyes fading slightly. Eris smiled back, scooting further into the Drifter's side as a cold wind nipped at her face, blowing the cape of her cloak back in the breeze. The Drifter untangled his fingers from Eris's hand so he could bring his arm up and around her shoulders, pulling her closer to soak in his warmth, Eris happily consented. "Cold night, huh?" The Drifter finally said. "Not nearly as cold now." Eris replied, her face warming against the side of the Drifter's shoulder. She heard him chuckle again as he brought his face to the top of her head, nuzzling her affectionately. The stars above seemed to twinkle brighter, granting their cold yet comforting light to the two souls below. The two souls who had suffered through so much anguish and pain, to now find solace and refuge in one another. The two souls who would overcome any and all obstacles it took to stay together, relying on one another for strength and reassurance. With one another held close side by side, they knew they would make it through all the struggles life had for them. They stood together, combining their warmth, for a while longer. I hope y'all liked this story! 😊I really like the idea of them cuddling and keeping each other warm hehe, that'd be so sweet and nice🥺🙏 Edit: I forgot to say, to anyone interested, I now have a Twitter and a Tumblr page! The links are in my about me to anyone who wants to check them out😃