The touch, light as it was, still made Thomas shift and stretch slightly. He didn't come awake, not all the way, but he was a little more alert than he had been. He fought against it, of course, because sleep was a rare thing for him but it was going to be futile in the end.

Deep sleep turned into dozing and soon enough, Thomas was rubbing at his eyes with his hands, just barely hanging onto the last dregs of his snooze.