Alfred x Maria - I Can't Sleep

Alfaria - I Can't Sleep

Maria gasped for breath as she woke up from her nightmare. She still saw horrifying images of the monster that had been chasing after her in her dream. She sat there, wide-eyed, afraid that this monster was real and that it would come after her again. She shuddered at the thought.

~*Flashback*~

Yesterday, Alfred had invited his friend Maria over for a sleepover at his house, and she accepted his invitation. Her sleeping arrangements had already been planned; she was to sleep on the couch out in the living room. Maria and Alfred had fun playing one-on-one basketball with each other until Mrs. Hedgehog called them in for supper.

After a delicious supper, the two friends decided to watch The Lion King. It was their favorite movie to watch together, since they loved to sing along to the songs. Maria would always sing "Circle of Life" by herself, and then she would take the parts of the young Simba and Nala in "I Just Can't Wait (To Be King)." In "Be Prepared," she and Alfred would usually switch parts, with one of them being Scar, and the other doing the hyenas. During "Hakuna Matata," they would get up and dance and act silly. Finally, the two would sing together on "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," which was their favorite song out of all the others in the movie.

After the movie, Alfred had noticed that Maria had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He carefully got up off the couch. While doing so, however, he gently took Maria's head in his hands and laid it on a pillow. He covered her up with a blanket that was on the couch, and adjusted it to her needs. He lingered a while before going to bed himself, since he wanted to see how beautiful Maria looked while she slept.

Indeed, she did look beautiful. Her golden hair lay all around her, framing her tanned face. There was a satisfied smile placed on her lips, and her blue eyes, though closed, gave evidence that she was dreaming happily. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and Alfred was tempted to put his head on her chest and feel her heart beating. She looked ethereal in appearance; she almost had the likeness of an angel.

Alfred took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly. Her skin felt like silk against his lips. He could almost swear that her smile grew after he did this.

Sighing happily, Alfred walked away from the couch and went into his room to get dressed for bed.

~*End of Flashback*~

Maria was still sitting on the couch, afraid. She could tell Alfred about her nightmare, but she didn't want to disturb his deep slumber. However, he was her friend and would do anything to help her feel less scared. She could not think of a reason why she shouldn't go into his room and seek his guidance.

Draping the blanket over her shoulders, she slowly tiptoed to the hallway, and then recognized the door that led to Alfred's bedroom. It was cracked open, so she didn't need to turn the doorknob. She cautiously pushed open the door and scanned the room for Alfred.

There he was, lying in his soft, downy bed. His usually spiky brown hair was now a matted mess. Soft snoring could be heard as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. He looked so cute when he was sleeping like this!

Ach, pull yourself together, Maria, the wallaby's thoughts scolded her. You came in here to tell him about your nightmare, and not to stare at him while he is sleeping!

Maria drew in a breath and shook Alfred's shoulder softly. "Alfie..." she called in a whisper.

Alfred mumbled something unintelligible, and then opened his tired green eyes. He was surpised to see Maria standing near his bedside so early in the morning.

"Mia..." Alfred whispered a little irritably. "What are you doing in here? It's 2 a.m."

"Alfie, I can't sleep..." Maria replied. "I had a nightmare, and I'm scared..."

Alfred's jade green eyes softened and his heart warmed to Maria's request. He smiled a tired smile and sat up in his bed. He patted the spot next to him, indicating that Maria should sit on the bed.

Maria's heart started to flutter; she could feel her cheeks heat up. She obeyed Alfred's silent command and sat next to him on his bed. It was very soft, warm, and cozy.

"So, Mia, tell me about your nightmare," Alfred said in a sympathetic tone.

Instantly Maria spit out all that had happened in her bad dream, from the dark forest to the monster. After she had finished retelling her nightmare, she started to shake out of fear again. Her blue eyes widened, and she started to whimper like a scared puppy.

"It's okay, Mia," Alfred said, placing his hand on top of Maria's. "I'm here now; you have nothing to worry about."

When Alfred's hand touched hers, Maria felt something like a spark go through her body. Her heart started to beat wildly, most likely out of excitement. A rosy blush tinted her cheeks, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. Was... was this love?

"Are you warm, Mia?" Alfred asked his friend. "Your face is pink."

"N-no, Alfie," Maria stuttered. "I - I would like to stay with you the rest of the night, if that's all right."

Now Alfred's cheeks were invaded with a faint blush. "Um... I guess that's fine, Mia."

Maria felt her heart leap for joy. However, despite all the energy within her heart, she was consumed with drowsiness, and let her head rest on Alfred's shoulder. She then felt Alfred's arm being placed around her shoulder, and his chin being laid on her head.

She sighed happily. She loved it when Alfred was comforting her, holding her hand, or just being there for her when she had a rough day. He was her guardian, her protector, the older brother she never had. He would always get her out of a bad mood with a simple hug, a movie, or a shoulder massage. Even if he was stressed with a lot of work, he would drop everything and rush to her side if something bad happened. He was sort of like her real-life superhero, in certain terms.

Alfred sighed happily, too, but for a different reason. This reason was somewhat linked to love. Alfred loved how Maria's light blue eyes reminded him of a calm beach on a warm summer day. Her long golden blond hair was soft to the touch, and when the sun's rays hit it, it seemed to sparkle. He loved how her velvet nose would crinkle up when she was thinking about something, or when she was moody. He loved that shyness that she always showed around him whenever he talked about how pretty she was. Even though they disagreed sometimes, he would still love all the good qualities that surrounded her.

"Mmhnn," Maria mumbled. She snuggled against Alfred's shoulder a bit, and then asked, "Alfie... can we lay down? My back is starting to hurt..."

Alfred hesitated a bit, but complied with a simple, "All right."

He laid down on his back, and Maria did as well. Then, Alfred tried to close his eyes and get some sleep. However, he could not seem to catch up on the sleep that he wanted. Instead, he decided to stare at the ceiling for a bit. Maybe that would help him fall asleep faster.

As he stared at his ceiling, his mind wandered. Why had he let Maria on to his bed in the first place? Oh, yeah; she had a nightmare. She wanted to be assured that everything was going to be all right, and that the monster wasn't real. But why was he hesitant about it? Maybe... just maybe... it was because that... he liked her. However, this was not the "hey-let's-be-friends" sort of liking. It was a different kind of liking. It was the kind that made him blush madly whenever he saw Maria doing something cute. He didn't mind hugging his best friend... but he wanted to do something more. He felt this yearning in his heart for... for a kiss. He had never kissed anyone before, and neither had Maria. He didn't even have the courage to kiss her on the cheek. However, he felt that he should do this soon, in order that he could reveal these feelings that were ready to make his heart burst. He really wanted to tell her that he -

Alfred suddenly detected movement beside him, and felt something being placed on his chest. He uncovered his blanketed torso area and gasped. Maria's head was laid softly on his chest, and a satisfied smile was placed on her lovely features.

Alfred's cheeks flushed to a deep crimson. His heartbeat increased drastically, and he thought that he was going to have a heart attack. Maria was sleeping on his chest, and he had no idea what to do!

Maria felt Alfred shift under her. She opened her tired light blue eyes and said, "Alfred... you don't have to feel so nervous about this. Just pretend that it's a puppy or a kitten sleeping on you. That might help you."

"A-are you sure?" Alfred stuttered.

Maria kissed his cheek and said, "I am very sure, Alfie." Then she snuggled to his chest once again.

The kiss seemed to calm Alfred down. He now took normal breaths, and his heartbeat returned to its usual pace. He smiled down at his friend and began to stroke her messy hair lovingly. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all...

Alfred felt his eyelids grow heavier by the second. However, just as he was about to fall asleep again, Maria lifted her head off of his chest and turned to lay on her side.

Alfred knew exactly what she wanted him to do next. He moved himself closer to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed his chin on her shoulder. He heard Maria sigh in contentment, and he sighed as well. It was so nice to feel her tummy rise and fall with every breath she took. It was a rhythm that nearly put Alfred to sleep...

A minute or so later, Alfred felt something warm and loving brush up against his lips. He opened his eyes a little. When he saw what had softly  touched his mouth, his eyes widened. Maria's lips were barely in contact with his!

However, remembering that he was not panicky and nervous like Milo, he didn't protest. He simply let his head rest on Maria's shoulder, and allowed the rhythm of her breathing to put him to sleep.

Soon, Maria detected that Alfred was fully asleep. She smiled and put her ear up to his chest. The beating of his heart made her eyes droop and she started to fall asleep herself.

But before doing so, she whispered, "Good night, Alfie..."

And so, the two best friends fell asleep happily in each other's arms, and the nightmare was all but forgotten...

~* END *~