Distant cries wake me from my sleep, and the first thing I feel is something that tickles me on my nose. My eyes are heavy, and as I try to move my hands to my face to rub the sleep away, I feel that my right arm is blocked by something warm and soft.

It takes me two seconds to recall the events from before I fell asleep, and when I've played everything over in my mind, I try not to move and I'm suddenly nervous to open my eyes.

She's still here.

I don't know why I'm so fucking surprised by the fact that she still here. I know that I'm fucking excited that she's here still, and judging by how moving is difficult and how something is tickling my face, she's not only still here, but she's also laying on me with part of her body.

I reluctantly open my eyes, blinking a few times to determine my spot on the bed. The room is still dark due to the blinds, but the small stream of light that peaks through tells me it's not dark outside anymore.

In the distance, I still hear the cries, and only then my mind goes to Daisy. Her cries are soft, and I can tell she is not crying for long since those desperate cries sound different.

I move my hand to Jo's hair. Her head is laying on my chest, her arm thrown over my abdomen just underneath my ribs. Her legs aren't touching me, and her breathing is steady and soft.

She's still out completely, and I hate the idea of waking her up while she's so warm and relaxed.

So, I carefully shift, hoping that she'll move her head once she feels movement. Luckily she does, and she turns away from me to snuggle into the comforter while she lets out a soft sigh.

With a huge grin plastered on my face, I step out of bed, making sure to make as little noise as possible. As I open the door, Daisy's cries become a little harder, and it makes my legs move faster at their own accord.

The door of the room is ajar, and I find myself getting more eager with each step I take closer. It's insane how a little girl can have that much effect on me.

When I open the door, I don't have to get used to the darkness; in the corner of the room on the floor, stands the lamp that was on the dresser first. It's giving a very small amount of light, but just enough to not bump into things when you're walking around.

When I'm standing next to the cot, I find Daisy twisting and turning while soft yet persistent cries leave her lips. Her eyes are still closed, and in her fists, she's holding the rabbit I gave her the day they came home with me.

It's the first time I see her holding it, and I'm sure she has no idea that she's clenching onto it, but pride rises in me still. I hope that -when she is older- the rabbit will offer her a feeling of safety.

"Good morning, sweetheart," I mumble while taking the rabbit out of her fists before taking her out of the cot. I told her against my chest, and she stops crying while I feel her stretch. I kiss her head in greeting and then walk back to my room where I find her mother in the same position still.

"Let's see if we can wake your mummy for breakfast, yeah," I whisper against Daisy's head when I've positioned myself on my side of the bed once more. Daisy's still sobbing slightly, but her fingers in her mouth are occupying her from crying because she is hungry.

"Josephine," I whisper, my hand on her shoulder. "Jo, wake up."

Jo stirs and turns so she is facing us, her eyes tightly shut while a whimper leaves her lips, no doubt because she doesn't like it that I wake her. I can't help but smile. It's something new I learn about her, and it's cute.

She slowly opens her eyes, and I can see her eyes widen slightly as she realizes that she is still in my bed. Her expression oozes what I felt moments ago when I found out that she was still here.

"This little one is hungry." Her eyes focus on me and Daisy, and a small smile plays around her lips. I'm laying with my back against my pillow, and Daisy is laying on my chest with her face turned to her.

Jo nuzzles underneath the comforter a little more, her hair sticking out while her head still rests on the pillow. "Good morning," her hoarse voice whispers.

"Hi," I mumble, my eyes scanning her face. She looks well-rested and comfortable, and I can't help but think about how this must look to an outsider. The three of us, in my bed. And she is not freaking out or feeling uncomfortable. It's fucking awesome.

Daisy starts to squirm on my chest and not a second later she starts crying as well. She's done with sucking on her fingers, and Jo takes it as her cue to hold out her hands without sitting up.

I give Daisy to her and then watch with amazement as she lays Daisy on her side next to her before she pushes up her grey shirt. The moment her nipple comes close to Daisy's mouth, she eagerly latches on.

Jo throws the comforter over her as well, and then her blue-grey eyes find mine. She gives me a small smile that colors her cheeks, and I do not doubt that she's thinking about last night and maybe also about how easy she just pulled her shirt up without thinking.

I slide down and lay on my side as well, so we are in the same position and facing each other with Daisy in between us. "Hi," I mumble again, enjoying the sight of her rosy cheeks.

"Hi," she responds before she bites her lip. She's shy but not in a way that shuts her down; she keeps her gaze on me.

"How are you feeling?" My eyes flicker from Daisy to her, and I fight the urge to pull them both to me. She's here, in my bed, and I think that's enough for her for now.

"Good." The corner of her mouth lifts slightly which only confirms that she's thinking about last night indeed. "I'm comfortable."

I smile and nod. "Good. I'm happy you are."

"Thank you for letting me stay here. I really didn't mean for that to happen."

I shake my head, waving her apology away. "No worries." I scan her expression for a moment before taking a breath. "It was a nice surprise when I woke up."

And then, she giggles. She giggles, her nose pulled up a little and her eyes shut for just a moment. I can see that all the tension leaves her body, every little thing she was worried about seems to fade.

And it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

I watch her with a smile on my face, and when she recovers, she says, "I'm sorry. This is making me a little nervous."

I chuckle, knowing what she means since I feel it too. It's not awkward perse, but it's definitely new and therefore, it's different. "Don't worry. Me too. But in a good way, yeah?"

She nods her head without thinking, and some of the tension leaves my body. "In a good way," she agrees.

Comfortable silence fills my room and Jo looks down at Daisy, whose hand lays on the swell of her breast. She is drinking contently, not paying attention to anything around her.

I let my eyes wander for just a bit, to Jo's other breast. Her shirt is hiked up, and I can just see the swell peaking out underneath.

I've never sexually looked at her, and especially not when she breastfed Daisy. But the events of last night have changed things. And right now I admit that I am looking at her differently. I'm looking at her as if she's a woman I'm interested in. Right now, I'm looking at her just how I see her; a sexy, young woman whose breasts are fucking awesome.

And yes, my cock agrees which is fucking inappropriate.

I quickly pull my eyes away and focus on her face once more. She is still looking at Daisy, and I don't think she noticed how I looked at her just now.

Her hand rests underneath her head, her other one lies on Daisy's back, her thumb moving up and down soothingly. She's beautiful.

And my cock once again fucking agrees.

I clear my throat and roll onto my back, closing my eyes for a second to keep myself in check. I can't think like this, because it will make everything so much more difficult and given what she's told me yesterday, she will never feel comfortable with me laying next to her with a raging hard-on.

"What time is it?" Jo breaks the silence, and I turn so I can grab my phone in hopes it will offer more distraction.

"Almost eight," I answer, noting that I have a few messages in the group app that I have with my friends and reminding myself to answer it later on.

"Wow," Jo gasps surprised. "She slept for over eight hours then."

I turn to her once more and throw my phone on the mattress in between us in the process. "Guess she was tired from a day with my family."

Jo smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I don't think that's it. I think I wake her during the night because I have nightmares."

"You have nightmares?" I frown, moving closer to her a little bit. I've never noticed how she has them, not even now that she slept next to me.

She nods. "I do, and I think she hears me and that's why she wakes up. I can always comfort her by feeding her, but I don't think she wakes because she's hungry."

I take in the information while nodding. "Did you have them last night?"

She looks down at Daisy once more, her hand now moving over her hair. "No." Her answer is short and her tone doesn't give me any indication of how she feels about that.

"That's a good thing, yeah?"

She looks up and nods with a small smile. "I think so."

It's clear that she doesn't know how she feels about this; I detect hesitation in her voice. Since I don't want to leave the bliss we're in now, I decide to change the subject slightly to give her time to think about everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours.

"Tomorrow is your first therapy session," I begin, scanning her reaction carefully. When I don't see any reaction in her expression, I continue. "How do you feel about that?"

She bows her head slightly while she takes a deep gulp of air. "Nervous," she breathes. "I don't know what to expect except for the fact that they'll ask questions about what happened to me. And I know I need to talk about it so I can leave it behind, but it scares me. The idea of going back to what happened and talking about it with someone that I don't know scares me."

After the words have left her mouth, she looks up at me. Tears well in the corners of her eyes, and it breaks me. I hate seeing her like this. "And I don't think I can take Daisy with me which means she needs to stay with someone I don't know," she adds, her arm moving around Daisy a little tighter.

I frown, not understanding her last assumption. I was fully intending to take care of Daisy while she is away. Does she hate that idea too? "Why?"

"Well, I think they have some sort of daycare facility at therapy, but I don't know them at all and-"

"Wait, Jo," I interrupt, my hand moving to her side. "I thought that Daisy's staying with me while you are there. We can bring you to the facility, and we'll be there to take you home as well."

Surprise consumes her face, and I can instantly see a little of her doubts fade. "You'd do that? You don't mind?"

I furiously shake my head, moving up from my pillow a little and leaning on my arm. "Of course, I don't. I actually thought that was the plan. If you're okay with that?" I sheepishly chuckle, suddenly realizing how my assumption can come across as impertinent.

And then, a beautiful smile that oozes relief breaks through her worried expression. She softly laughs, but it's covered partly by a sob. "Gosh, yes."

I chuckle and then throw another glance at Daisy who is still drinking. "Want some breakfast?" Jo smiles, wipes her tears from her face with her hand, and then nods. "Okay," I say, and then get out of bed, forgetting that I'm only wearing boxers. Only when I'm standing in front of my closet which I walked to on autopilot, I realize that I'm holding trackies in my hand.

I turn to Jo, fully ready to apologize, but she isn't looking at me. She is still on her side -her face now turned away from me since I'm standing at her side of the bed- and she is softly humming to Daisy.

In my bed. On her side.

Like happened a few times before the last twenty-four, a huge grin spreads across my face. But this time, it's combined with a different feeling than I'm used to.

Normally, I always feel relief. Relief because they are safe and happy, but right now, it's different.

With the kiss Jo and I shared still fresh in my mind, and the image of both of them in my bed, it's again the feeling that will lead to love. Is it liking? Do I like them? Like definitely feels way too simple for what I feel.

Fancy? Do I fancy her? Hell no, that just sounds too childish and innocent to describe what I feel.

"Hero?" Her soft voice pulls me from my thoughts, my trackies hanging mid-air still because my thoughts consumed me for a moment.

I turn to face her and then see her sitting with her back against the headboard. Daisy is laying on her chest, and Jo is patting her back so she can burp. "Yeah?"

"You're not just Daisy's hero. You're mine too." Her cheeks color slightly, but her eyes show determination.

I don't think she means that I'm her Hero. She means I'm a hero for saving them, but I can't fight the immense pride that rushed through me because she uses my name -even though she didn't mean it that way completely- in the same sentence as mine.

I step into my track pants and then walk to the side of the bed. I lean forward, and kiss first Daisy's head and then Jo's forehead. She doesn't flinch and her expression doesn't change.

I linger slightly when I've kissed her forehead, my nose just inches from hers. Her eyes flicker from my lips back up, and although I want nothing more than to kiss her again, I don't because I feel like she is still in her moment of feeding with Daisy.

Instead, I bump my nose against hers which makes her giggle in surprise. "Eggs?" I ask her while standing to my full height again.

"Okay." She nods, her expression happy and cheeks pink. Cute as fuck.

I turn and walk out of my bedroom, not bothering in putting on a shirt and with a stupid, huge grin -that hurts my jaw- plastered on my face.

Who the fuck am I kidding? It's not innocent and it's most definitely love.

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