Hired Hand 21
Prince lends Danny a hand with the chores and Flynn comes across an unexpected surprise when taking a peak into the farmhand's shed.
Flynn began to feel like he was settling in. He had been at the ranch long enough to understand how the place worked. It was much different compared to living with the Razor Crew, especially when it was being run by Vale. This place differed in so many different ways. One of the biggest was the diversity on the ranch. There were all kinds of animals that inhabited the agricultural lands. Even the three bovines were different breeds. All of them had vastly different personalities as well. He had slowly gotten to know them and at this point the rodent knew all of their names and their quirks as well.
As he got to know the ranch, Flynn realized there were a lot of things that reminded him of home. Having a place in the Stables, sleeping in the same quarters as the others was a lot like bunking in one of the makeshift beds made in an abandoned warehouse. He was able to tinker in his workshop, but did so in moderation. While some things reminded him of home, there were still many things that he wasn’t used to.
Everyone on the ranch was rather open about their sexuality. Flynn was no prude and he even fooled around with TJ fairly often. But he hadn’t expected everyone on the ranch to be so open and eager. So long as the daily work was done it didn’t take much to convince someone to come to the barn with him. He was even openly invited to the barn by the others sometimes. It had been overwhelming at first, but the rodent adjusted and got to know most of them on a more personal level. Along with that, he was also still getting used to the dress code or the lack thereof.
Most of the guys wore little more than shorts while others like Danny, Prince, and the twins were fully clothed. It was Storm’s casual nudity that never failed to surprise him. The shorts worn by others didn’t cover much, especially on the bovines but the lack of clothing in general never failed to strike Flynn. Storm would call out and wave to him but Flynn could only stare at the stallion’s sheath and the sizable balls that swayed with every step. Nobody else seemed phased by Storm having it all hanging out. They didn’t mention it and were able to somehow ignore his nudity altogether. Perhaps he would get used to it when more time passed?
The ranch felt less like a place of work and more of a home nowadays. But Flynn hadn’t forgotten his previous home. He had been thinking about it a lot recently and felt compelled to finally call his older brother, Vincent. The phone rang a bit and the older rodent picked up. “Hello?”
“Hey, Vincent! How are things going?” Flynn asked, being glad to hear his brother’s voice.
“Flynn! Oh, things are going just fine. We’re always busy here in the shop. Hey, how are things going on the ranch?” Vincent asked.
“They’re going just fine. Everyone here is really friendly. I’ve got a place to sleep. We all eat together. It kind of minds me of the Razors. That’s kind of why I called,” Flynn admitted.
“Aww, you miss your old crew. You can stop by anytime. Glad to hear you’re doing well over there. I wouldn’t want to have to bring them boys and give them a hard time,” Vincent said with a chuckle.
Flynn chuckled as well, feeling much better now. “Thanks, Vincent. I’ll call you again soon. Tell the others that I said ‘hi.’ Don’t make me sound like I'm crying or anything like that. Don’t want them to worry.”
“Yeah, I get it. Alright, talk to you later, little bro.” The call ended and Flynn was left to wander about the ranch. He had finished the day’s tasks so he was free to go about the rest of the day, spending it however he saw fit.
[center]***[/center]
“Thanks for helping me out with this, Prince.”
“I don’t mind. After all, you’ve got your work cut out for you this time.”
The two laughed a bit as they began to collect clothing. Laundry had come yet again and that required them walking throughout the Stables, picking up discarded clothing on the floor, collecting them from the hampers and taking the bedding as well. Danny was happy for the help, he knew that Prince wasn’t a fan of gathering the dirty fabrics. Those belonging to the bigger guys like Owain had strong scents attached to them.
While he gathered the last of Owain’s clothes, Prince was doing the same for Ryan and Riley. He was muttering to himself while doing so. After getting all of their clothing he went on to gather the bedding. Danny had brought his own to the large hamper that was steadily becoming filled with more and more fabrics. Danny wasn’t looking forward to washing all of it on his own. It was a good thing that Prince would be assisting. After completing their task, the two left the Stables and went out to the wash basin. It was filled with water and soap was applied to it.
It was hard work stirring the clothes and they took turns doing it. While one of them washed the clothes the other was getting them out of the water and hanging them up to dry. It was another hot summer day and the light breeze in the air would make the drying quicker and easier than usual.
Danny had finished hanging up one of the blankets. He sighed and turned around to see Prince stirring another blanket. Working steadily and almost rhythmically, the hog was making sure it would come out clean. He seemed to be rather dedicated to the task. Danny could understand why. The hog always liked keeping clean and kept his things orderly as well. That extended to whatever he was cleaning as well and the outcome spoke for itself. The clothes and blankets currently hanging were spotless.
Prince was rather focused and he didn’t notice Danny’s gaze. The human noticed that Prince was swaying his hips back and forth. The hog was chubby but not so much as TJ and soft fur covered his body. He put a lot of effort into keeping his pelt that way. Danny admired that and found him rather attractive as well. His eyes followed the sways of Prince’s hips and couldn’t help but feel a bit aroused from it.
The hog had become a lot more experienced when it came to sexual things and that was thanks to Danny himself. They had gotten a lot closer ever since then, becoming much better friends as well. Prince finished with the blanket and he was thankful that it was the last. He pulled the cloth from the water, feeling its weight from absorbing the water. Taking it upon himself, the hog hung the blanket up along the others. A sigh came from him as he turned around, finally noticing the human’s gaze.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You were moving your hips while cleaning the clothes,” Danny explained.
“I like to do things at a rhythm,” Prince defended but he quickly lightened up after hearing the human’s laughter.
“Well it definitely worked,” Danny said, noting that they were officially done with the day’s chores. Everything was hung up to dry and that left them free to go about their day. They walked away from the clothes together, knowing that it would take a while for them to dry on their own. Prince was still thinking about what Danny said. The swaying of his own hips was something he hadn’t noticed until it was pointed out. Now he actually noticed Danny keeping his eyes on his hips.
“Like what you see?” he asked.
“Yes.”
A blush came to the chubby anthro’s face. He hadn’t expected that answer. At the very least, Prince had to appreciate the forwardness. With more sexual experience under his belt he found it easier to be direct about his own wants. He was starting to get in the mood as well. It was a good thing they had the barn as the dedicated fornication area. It had been cleaned up and refurbished.
“Shall we take this to the barn?” Prince asked, making his own interests clear. Danny nodded and they headed for the building. They were again met with the impressive set up. A large couch, sturdy cots that could withstand the weight of two bovines on top of each other. And the tables were even sturdier. Those were all on the ground floor. The upper level had been cleaned out as well and Flynn had gone through the trouble of setting that up and making it cozy as well. Various large cots and things like old sleeping bags were laid on the floor. Where the ground floor provided many positions with the furniture, the upper level was good for lying down.
They were all covered with a sheet that could be lifted off and replaced to keep the soft surfaces longer lasting and without stains. Prince of course chose one of the bigger and soft cots, feeling the comfortable material. Some of them had come from the farm while others came from the Razor Crew, being delivered by some of its members. Flynn had a talent for reusing ordinary objects, giving them a newfound and useful purpose.
Danny joined him, lying on top of the hog’s warm and soft body. He reached underneath Prince’s shirt and began to rub his belly directly. The smooth fur was almost like velvet. Prince used a special high quality soap and its effects were easy to see and feel. The pelt felt so good to touch and Prince was already responding to his touch, letting out soft sighs from belly being rubbed in a sensual manner. It almost reminded him of Gordie. Reaching his hands higher, the human was rubbing the hog’s chest, gently kneading the pecs when being able to properly tease them. One advantage that came from being chubby was that there were a lot of opportunities to be groped and teased.
Prince let the human continue and felt himself melting from the touches. At this point Danny knew what he liked. The others were usually ready to get into it right away but Prince liked to be fluffed up beforehand. Even before the foreplay he liked to be touched, petted, and rubbed. Enough of this had gotten him erect and the tent in his pants was soon clear to see.
“Excited?” Danny asked while giving the soft pecs another grope. For added effect his thumbs swiped over both nipples. This really got the hog going and he bucked his hips.
“Very…” Prince said. “Let’s move things along.”
Danny nodded and moved his hands lower, going all the way down to Prince’s tented shorts. He began to undo the button. After unzipping, the hog’s cock sprung free and was in full view. Like TJ’s the flesh was thick. Danny could just barely wrap his hand around it. The pink flesh was tapered, getting just a bit thinner towards the tip. And the tip itself was quite the sight, having a swirl of flesh, like a thick vein, around the cocktip that ended in a sharp looking point.
Despite how it looked, the swirl-shaped tip was actually soft and squishy to the touch. After teasing it for a bit, Danny began to slowly run his hand along the rest of the erection. The other was pulling the shorts down until they were off completely. He did the same to himself and Prince was left to watch Danny shed the lower half of his outfit as well. There was a supply of things like towels and lubrication provided. He grabbed a bottle and handed it to Prince as he took off his underwear. “Would you mind?”
The hog obliged himself, getting his hand wet and slick with the substance. Danny was bent over and presenting his ass to the anthro. Prince only had to lean over a bit. One of his hands was planted on the human’s backside for balance and his dominant hand was already pressing against the soft hole. Danny jumped a bit from the cold fluid that touched his sensitive entrance. A small chuckle came from him and then a shiver from Prince neatly tracing his finger along the ring, coating it with a layer of lube.
After getting the outside ready, the prodding began. It was careful, slowly spreading the rim until the first finger slid inside. Danny moaned from the feeling, arching his back a bit as the finger slid in deeper. The lube made it so easy and when reaching as deep as possible, the finger eased back out. When it came time to push back in, Prince did it with two fingers this time. Pushing them both in smoothly, he felt the soft hole squeezing down on his digits.
Knowing how thick he was, Prince carefully used his fingers to prepare the other male. Hearing Danny’s moans kept his shaft throbbing and it even began to leak from the sheer anticipation. Another finger was added and the three of them were pumping back and forth, spreading the slippery fluids along the tender insides.
Danny felt all of this and continued to moan from the growing pleasure. The fingers finally retreating fully left him feeling empty. But he knew that feeling wouldn’t last. They changed positions on the cot. Danny got on his hands and knees, being ready for the hog to enter him. Prince got behind but took a bit of time to reapply lubrication. He slathered his hand in it and then rubbed it all over his cock, groaning from the feeling. After a few pumps that got his length completely coated, Prince wiped his hands and then placed them on Danny’s backside.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready,” Danny confirmed.
With the permission given, Prince carefully pushed himself inside. Being much thicker than his fingers, the hog’s cock was spreading Danny further. The spiral shaped bulges and the soft spearlike tip produced a unique feeling that sent a shiver down the human’s spine. It was sliding in deeper and without much issue thanks to the lube. The two of the moaned inches disappeared from view. Prince felt himself being hugged by the soft and hot walls. He shivered as well and made sure to sink all of his length inside before moving on.
“You feel so good,” Prince moaned as he began to drag backwards.
Danny felt the porcine shaft moving back and forth. Slowly at first, the hog rocked his hips. The lube did well to make it easy for him as well. All of it was eased in and then back out again. Keeping hold of the other male, Prince felt more of those squeezes and the pleasure was rising as time passed. Their sounds were growing louder, including the steady smacks of his body running into Danny’s.
“Faster…” Danny asked, feeling himself throb and leak without direct touch.
“As you wish,” Prince said. A smirk spread across his face as the grip grew stronger. Putting more of his weight down, the hog began to hump faster and harder. His moans became much louder from the even tighter feeling that came from sliding in even deeper. The more he did this, the more comfortable that Prince grew. Playing the dominant role was something he grew rather fond of. Danny’s body felt so good and he was leaking so much precum into it as well. Swinging heavily, the plump hog balls were producing a lot and all of it was flowing into Danny.
Being the one in the sub position, Danny was enjoying so many factors at once. The length that was being thrust into him. It reached deep enough to touch his prostate. In response, his anus would clench down on the anthro’s erection. The precum was warm and plentiful, a feeling he had gotten used to. It made things even easier for them both. With an excess of slick fluids, the humps came with no pain or strain from being stretched from the fat girth.
Repeated touches to his prostate made the pleasure climb for him as well. Even without direct touch his cock was throbbing hard and leaking heavily. It was making a mess of the sheet but that was its purpose. Danny just embraced the feelings that came from having sex with Prince, voicing the enjoyment that came from being rutted. He wasn’t sure if he could last much longer like this.
“I think I’m getting close,” Danny announced.
“Hold on then…” Prince said. He gripped the human’s body even tighter and practically laid himself on top of him. With the intent of pushing them both over the edge, the hog slammed himself inside with more power than before. The sounds of his body rocking into the soft ass and the fat balls knocking against his rear were just as loud as their growing moans.
Getting lost in the heat and passion of the sex, they could both feel themselves getting closer with every thrust. The clenches were getting tighter and Prince thrust against them roughly, creating a feedback loop that soon paid off in the form of them both cumming at about the same time. Danny was left shaking as he came onto the sheet. The only thing stronger than his own orgasm was the rush of heat and stickiness from Prince cumming hard into him.
Danny’s climax had ended but Prince’s was still going. His and TJ species were known for having long and plentiful orgasms. Holding himself up and basking in his afterglow, the human let the porcine completely drain his balls. The excess was leaking out of him, when the last spurt of Prince’s seed came. The hog all but collapsed on top of the other male, panting hard from the feeling of satisfaction.
“Whoa!” Danny exclaimed. His knees and hands were already weak and he couldn’t support the weight of himself and the much heavier male at the same time. Prince continued to lay on top of him but gently cuddled up to him. Danny let himself be spooned by the soft furred hog and sighed softly.
“Maybe a bit of warning next time…” Danny said with a smile.
“No promises,” Prince responded while gently wrapping his arm around the other male.
[center]***[/center]
Flynn felt much better after talking to his brother, knowing that things were going well for the Razors. He went about the rest of the day with no clear goal in mind. Hours tended to slip away in his workshop but the rat had learned to take a step back and do other things. One thing as good as tinkering the hours away was actually enjoying the things he fixed and refurbished.
Going by the barn he had taken a peek inside. He heard the sounds of heated sex and looked upwards onto the upper level. Danny and Prince were too preoccupied to notice him walking into the barn and he didn’t want to interrupt them. Knowing that they were making good use of his additions brought him an added sense of pride. After admiring his craftsmanship for a bit longer he went back out again.
Just as he wondered what to do next, Flynn was invited to play a game of soccer by Owain. He could act as goalie along with TJ. Storm and Beau were on one team while Marlo and Owain were on the other. It was pretty sudden for the rat but he played along and acted as goalie for the clydesdale and bovine hybrid.
Time seemed to slip away as he cheered on the team he was assigned to. When the opposing team had the ball he was meant to keep them from scoring into the makeshift goals. The game turned out to be a lot more fun than he expected. Both sides were neck and neck. He did his best to block the shots coming his way but some made it past. To make up for that, TJ had missed a few of his own blocks. Now tied and needing one more point to win. Being determined to not let the ball pass if it came, Flynn kept himself ready for anything.
The ball was kicked back and forth between the players, all of them wanting to be the one to score and win for their team. Marlo kicked the ball towards Flynn and he managed to block it. Then it was Storm’s turn to send the ball flying towards TJ. The pig just barely kept it from going in. Flynn had gotten completely sucked into the game and cheered on Owain as he headed for the goal again, ready to score on his boyfriend.
But Storm then raced in and stole the ball from the bull. Not wasting the opportunity, the equine dribbled it all the way to the other side of the court. Flynn was waiting for it, being ready to stop it from scoring. Storm went for another hard kick. The ball soared towards him in a straight line at first but then curved. It was much too sharp and Flynn wasn’t able to react in time or reach the ball with his outstretched hands.
Storm, Beau, and TJ were the winners. The losing team was given praise as well. Flynn was given his props for being such a good goalie and his efforts were recognized. They all remained friends when the game was over and Owain’s team simply vowed to win the next one to settle the overall score.
[center]***[/center]
The next day Flynn was walking towards the workshop. On the way there he noticed the door to the shed open. Knowing that it was used as the ranch hands’ quarters, he dared to peak inside. What he finds is a sleeping Sebastian. He recalled seeing the cat outside last night when he got up to use the outhouse. Knowing that he and Gordie rotated the night watch, it wasn’t hard to figure out why the feline was still resting.
Not being able to help himself, Flynn gently snuck inside of the shed and he closed the door behind him. Creeping quietly and carefully until he reached the bed, the rodent sat down and began to gently pet the black cat’s fur. Stroking just behind the ears caused him to purr.
After a bit of this, the sleeping feline rolled over onto Flynn’s lap, definitely enjoying the petting. Flynn just sort of spaced out from there. His hand was simply moving back and forth to gently stroke in the same spot. The repetition made it easy for his mind to wander. He was just enjoying the quiet room’s peace until he felt a pair of hands on his pants.
The rat looked down with wide eyes to see Sebastian undoing his pants. They came down and the underwear were pulled down as well, exposing his shaft. Flynn had no idea what to do. Sebastian was still lying on him and from what he could see, the feline was still asleep while doing this. Before he could decide what to do, there was the feeling of his warm and uniquely textured feline tongue. It ran right over his cock. The first one caught him completely by surprise but another came right after.
Flynn could hardly believe it himself but the sleeping cat was gently lapping at his length and the contact was causing it to harden. Now the rat really didn’t know what to do. The tongue continued to run along his inches until he was fully hard. Even then Sebastian didn’t stop. His head moved a bit, allowing his tongue to reach other spots.
Putting the shock aside, Flynn could only assume that Sebastian was dreaming about ice cream or something similar. The motions of his tongue were getting smoother and more deliberate, as if the feline caught the taste of something he liked and wanted more. Maybe that “something” was his precum. It had begun to leak out and down his underside, being then caught by Sebastian’s aimless tongue. From there the feline’s licks grew more passionate, seemingly wanting more of the rat’s essence.
The licking kept up for a bit before Sebastian opened his muzzle, smoothly engulfing the tip and following inches without missing a beat. He suckled on the hard flesh before bobbing his head up and down. It happened slowly at first but then the feline was already picking up the pace. While sucking on the shaft, his tongue was still running along the shaft. This time it was wrapping and curling around the rodent’s girth.
Flynn did his best to not make any sudden or loud noises. The right thing to do was to stop the cat, but it just felt so good...and Sebastian needed his sleep, right? He couldn’t just wake the other anthro up and risk ruining his sleeping pattern. Using that excuse as justification for staying put, Flynn let himself relax and enjoy the other male’s moving mouth.
A small moan slipped out while feeling the muzzle sliding up and down his erection. It was done so smoothly. Despite the tongue being a bit rough, the licks were surprisingly soft and gentle. His entire cock was given plenty of attention and he could feel himself getting close from all of this. He was on the cusp of blowing his load when Sebastian’s mouth suddenly eased off.
A yawn came from the cat as he rolled off of Flynn’s lap. He rolled over some more, stopping on his stomach. The sleeping feline stretched and ended up with his lower half still raised a bit. The black cat was wearing his oversized jacket but nothing else and his cute rear was sticking out.
Having his mind hazed with lust and a need for release, Flynn looked at the cat presenting himself and was unable to resist the urge. Taking his pants and underwear off completely, the rat climbed onto the bed and got behind Sebastian, lining his throbbing erection up with the soft pink hole. Panting from need the rodent pushed his throbbing length against the cat’s tailhole, barely able to hold back from just shoving it in, both he and Sebastian strongly gasped as he penetrated him.
Given how pent up the feline had left him Flynn didn’t even consider the night guard’s sleep anymore and slowly pushed his inches inside the accommodating hole that gently squeezed his length.
Flynn did his best to at least remain quiet but the pleasure made it hard. Sebastian stirred when the rat finally hilted. The rat held himself still, hoping the cat wouldn’t wake up. To his luck Sebastian simply murred and relaxed again.
Given the sounds of content from the sleeping feline Flynn began slowly working his hips back and forth, pumping his length into the cat and hitting a lot of his soft spots. He felt the hole adjust and was able to hump harder and a bit faster as well. Sebastian’s body was being softly rocked and he began to stir again. Flynn was getting lost in the pleasure, forgetting to not wake the other male, he thrust hard against the prostate.
Sebastian had tried to remain “asleep”, but that strike to his prostate broke the facade. He couldn’t even pretend to properly wake up as he moaned and cried out for more from the rat. “Oh, Flynn! Oh…fuck…more!”
Flynn was too focused on his approaching orgasm to really question why Sebastian was suddenly fully awake, but the verbal encouragement spurred him on to thrust even more intensely. He gave the feline just what he asked for; working his body as hard and fast as it could go, the rat repeatedly slammed into the feline’s prostate. Sebastian ended up yowling as he came hard onto the sheets. Following right behind, Flynn thrust a final time and seeded the black furred male’s tailhole. Feeling the walls clenching down on him, Flynn thrust against them still, extending his climax and milking plenty of extra ropes from his drawn up balls.
When it came to an end, Flynn was nearly drained of his seed and energy, collapsing on top of the panting black cat. They remained like that for a while until there was a knock at the door.
Hudson was already peeking his head in when Sebastian spoke. “Uh, Flynn is taking the day off.”
“Oh? Good idea. He’s been working hard lately,” Hudson said. He was quick to close the door, pretending that he hadn’t seen the rat with his pants down and balls deep in the night guard.
“T-thanks for the save...sorry if I disrupted your sleep...” Flynn said gratefully.
“Think nothing of it. I can take another nap so don’t worry about it...” the feline said with another lazy sigh.
“…but I do wonder…you were actually pretty good...you were hitting all the right spots and made me cum rather quickly…yet you didn’t seem to want to top me all that much…why is that?”
“I-I-I….” The rodent blushed intensely.
“Oh…so you’re just shy…” The cat smiled, “We will be sure to fix that…you don’t need to be shy to ask for what you want…us here on the ranch will be more than happy to help with your needs.” Sebastian assured him in a slight teasing tone.
They just enjoyed the moment for a while, deciding to make small talk after Flynn pulled out of him.
“So…when did you actually wake up?” The rodent asked and this time Sebastian was the one to blush really hard.
“Don’t tell anyone…” The cat looked really embarrassed
“I promise.” Flynn swore as it was clearly something that bothered the feline.
“After I fished out your dick from your pants.” Sebastian admitted.
“You actually did that while asleep!?” Flynn asked, astonished.
“I was having a wet dream!” the cat excused blushing. “It’s not something I usually do, I swear!”
“So, it's kind of like…sleepwalking but…” Flynn asked, watching the cat blush harder.
“You get…frisky?” Flynn put it in mild terms and the cat nodded while his face was buried in a pillow.
“Oh okay…” Sebastian was surprised how quickly the rat seemed to accept it.
“The razors were kinda quirky too…so this isn’t something completely unusual to me.” Flynn assured and the cat calmed down.
The two had a laugh together and as Flynn had the day off settled down to nap alongside the cat. ‘Yeah…everyone here’s just as quirky as the gang’
He felt at home here now.
[center]***[/center]
Danny found it hard to sleep, even with Sebastian to snuggle up with. So he took a walk to clear his head. While walking past the Stables he saw something in the distance. Being curious he approached and recognized Hudson’s older son, Rusty.
The husky had been seemingly absent from the ranch, being busy preparing and packing up for college. As he quietly approached, Danny noticed that the husky was just sitting on the edge of the pier. A creaking board made the canine’s ear twitch and turned around, giving the human a friendly smile.
“Oh. It's you, Danny.” He padded the wood and Danny sat down next to him.
Neither of them said anything for some time. It was easy to see that Rusty just wanted to enjoy the night ambiance. The light gurgling of the lake, distance chirps and hums from the animals in the distance. Fireflies were out and illuminating the lake’s surface and the darker forest in the distance.
“I’ll be gone in just a few more days. Less than a week...” Rusty finally said. His tone was even and he was facing away from Danny. The human wasn’t able to tell if the husky was happy or sad.
When the canine did face them there was that friendly look on his face. “Sorry.”
“Why are you saying sorry?” Danny asked.
“Sorry for not getting to know you that well...” Rusty said, his ears flatting flat. His smile faded and he looked out over the lake again.
“We could get to know each other now,” Danny said, looking out in the distance as well. The moon was full and its light was shining down on them both.
They made small talk, trying their best to make up for lost time. Rusty told of his interests and what he liked to do in town. Danny in return told about himself. It was rushed and superficial but the human did feel like he knew the canine somewhat, certainly much more than before. He was feeling tired again and stood up, wishing Rusty good luck at college before walking down the pier again.
“Wait, Danny.”
The human turned around to meet the husky’s gaze. “When I go. Keep an eye on Niles for me, will ya?”
“Sure thing,” Danny promised. The canine nodded and then resumed watching the lake while Danny returned to his quarters. He quickly found himself cuddled in between the feline and Flynn who had come by due to having trouble sleeping alone sometimes.
Danny didn’t mind the rat’s presence as he quickly drifted off to a peaceful sleep.