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When dawn blossoms, Zoya's eyelids flutter open along with the sun. Her body is aching and sore from lying on the hard ground all night, a twinge in her neck and lower back, but it's more than worth it when she remembers spending it in Din's arms.
He's already gone when she wakes up, and when Zoya pushes herself up onto her elbows, stretching out her neck, she spots him standing silently near the edge of camp and surveying the horizon. His figure cuts a harsh outline against the rosy orange glow of the sun erupting from the skyline, onyx and unwavering and strong, light sparking sharply off the curve of his helmet.
Yawning widely, she clambers to her feet, stumbling awkwardly in her sleepy state. She knows that Din hears her approach, but he doesn't turn, keeping his eyes directed towards the sunrise. Remembering the feeling of him holding her underneath the starlight, Zoya steps up close behind him, sliding her arms carefully around his torso, setting her chin carefully on the cushion of his shoulder.
Movements awkward as they try and figure out how to act around each other with this newfound closeness between them as she presses carefully into his back, Din covers his fingers with hers.
"Good morning," he says quietly, voice rough and unused from sleep. The sound flutters lightly against the curve of her cheekbone, past her lips, a sense of longing growing in her chest, and she releases an exhale, relaxing forward into him.
"Morning," Zoya mumbles.
"Greef's watch fell asleep."
Zoya huffs out a laugh. "I saw that."
"How did you sleep?"
She doesn't answer for a long moment, but she tightens her hold around his waist. When light bleeds an inch further through the sky, twisting blades of gold and pink and ocean blue, Zoya smiles softly. "Better than I have in months, actually."
"Really?" He pretends to be unconvinced. "You slept better than you have in months laying on the hard ground?"
Zoya hums. "I don't think it was the ground that made me sleep so well."
"No?" He feels her shrug. "Then what was it?" Come on, say it.
"I think you can probably guess," she says, skillfully avoiding what he really wants her to admit out loud. "What about you? How did you sleep?"
