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Your eyes shoot open and stare into the darkness of the bedroom, your body buzzing with a sudden jolt of adrenaline. What had woken you up? As you begin to sit up and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes you were abruptly aware of a frantic murmuring from the spot behind you. In your groggy state you couldn't comprehend what could possibly be in bed with you and you turned around with a start, eyes wide with terror. When your eyes landed on a familiar mop of mussy red hair you instantly calmed down. Grumpy from fatigue, you groaned and glared at Saeran's back. "Jeez, babe," you yawned irritably, "you woke me up. What are you doing?" After he didn't seem to react whatsoever to you, propping yourself up on your elbow, you scooted closer to investigate his rambling. It was then that you noticed his knees were pulled to his chest, hands clasped to his head. He was shuddering violently and mumbling rapidly under his breath, a light sheen of sweat glistens on his forehead. "Sae-Saeran?"
This wasn't the first time he's had a nightmare. In the last few months since you'd started living with him, he had a nightmare about once every couple of weeks. Usually he'd wake himself up, maybe even step out of the room to gather his bearings, unsettled and panting, but never had he talked in his sleep or seemed as frightened as he appeared just then. You gently place a hand on his bare shoulder only for him to cry out and jerk away from your touch. Alarmed, you reached for him again and shook him slightly in an attempt to wake him. "Saeran?! Wake up, it's just a dream!" His shoulders heaved and he curled further into himself. It was then you heard him crying.
"M-MC...!" you make out from his incomprehensible stammering. Frightened by this behavior and uncertain of what to so, you sit up, deciding to take hold of him and flip him over, pulling him to your chest.
"I'm here, Saeran, I'm right here," you lull. He stiffens under your hands before snaking his arms around your waist and burying his head into your chest, breathing heavily and quivering. You held him tightly in your arms, running your fingers through his hair and rubbing small circles into his back. Your heart sinks when you feel his tears soak through your pajama shirt After a few minutes of listening to his breathing gradually becoming more even, he releases a shaky sigh and gazes up at you through his bangs. You smile at him and sweep his unruly hair out of his eyes, planting a kiss on his forehead. "Are you alright?" you ask softly, mesmerized by his sparkling eyes and flushed face. He grimaces, laughs dryly and averts his eyes from your loving gaze.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he huffs, wiping his eyes on one of his arms which hadn't loosened their grip on you. "God...how pathetic..." You frown and tuck a lock of hair behind ear.
"No, that wasn't pathetic of you; that was human. And don't you dare invalidate your emotions like that again..." you trail off, eyes tearing up at his self-depreciation. Silence hung between you two, occasionally penetrated by a sniffle or a ragged breath before you break the spell. "What was it about this time? The dream?" His arms tense again and his breath hitches. A few beats pass by before he speaks.
"I-it was about me...and her and...and you-" he tries desperately to mask his trembling voice, but to no avail. "She-she grabbed me and beat me and held me down...and then she grabbed you. I-I-I couldn't move, I couldn't scream, I could only watch, watch as she took you...took you...away from me!" His voice breaks and he starts hyperventilating, burrowing his face into your chest. "I...I thought I'd lost you-" he manages through his tears, voice muffled by your shirt. You clutch him firmly and press a kiss into the top of him head, biting back tears of your own.
"It's okay," you whisper, "I'm right here; I'm not going anywhere." He shifts and plants a kiss onto your cheek, locking eyes with you.
"I love you, MC," he chokes out, pushing you onto your back and crawling further up the bed until he was hovering over you, soft green eyes ablaze with emotion, burning your heart, scorching your soul, tears dripping onto your face and sliding down your cheeks. With your arms draped around his shoulders, he leans down and peppers your face with kisses. "I love you so much! Don't you ever leave me. Please..." He sits up and pulls you into his lap, weeping into your shoulder. For a moment, he just holds you, shaking and sobbing and attempting to regulate his breathing. "Please," he mutters, his voice low and laced with hopelessness, crushing you to his body, "don't ever leave me...I don't know what I'd do without you." You cling to him impossibly tight, hooking an arm underneath his and burying your hand in his crimson hair.
"I love you too, Saeran. I'm not going anywhere." He pulls away slightly and frames the side of your face with his hand, puffy, soft green eyes staring into your teary orbs.
"MC..."he captures your lips in his and you melt in his arms. Pulling away to catch your breath you giggle and rest your forehead against his, eyes locked affectionately with his.
"I love you with all my heart, Saeran, and I'll always be with you."