(Karsten)
Tired of the ordeal, Arata fell asleep in my arms. I would have loved to fix her a hot bath but she was too tired.
"Arata!" I called her glancing down at her sleeping figure.
Her shirt barely held on because of the way I had torn it open. The spill of red was scattered on her shoulders and some strands even fell on her chest.
For a while, I laid her down on my lap and shifted her curtain of hair from her serene face, watching her innocently sleep there.
My fingers simply brushed her fluffy cheeks, they reminded me of the cotton candy I used to eat as a kid. I was sure she still loved eating that.
So trusting, I didn't even deserve her trust.
"I will always keep you safe, Arata," I slowly murmured to her.
Once the sleep began to consume me, I picked Arata up and tucked her into her bed. She momentarily awakened and then snuggled under the blanket.
Placing a tender kiss on her temple I dragged myself away from her.
