Chapter Text
The lights were out in the quarters that Riley shared with (Y/N). He assumed that she had gone to bed, and he wouldn't have blamed her. The chronometer on the wall read 0100 hours.
Late shifts, he thought tiredly. I hate late shifts.
He didn't bother to turn on any of the lights. He did know his way around his own quarters after all. He gladly stripped off his uniform, and changed into the far more comfortable sleepwear that (Y/N) had set out for him. The uniform was unceremoniously stuffed into the basket destined for the Laundry and Recycling, or Lose and Ruin, as it was nicknamed by almost everyone on the ship.
The sheets where pleasantly warmed by (Y/N)'s body heat, and Riley finally relaxed, letting all of the tension and irritability seep out of him. He turned over, and pressed a goodnight kiss to her forehead.
He was woken in the middle of the night by someone stealing all his blankets. Still half asleep, he turned over to tug them back over himself. In the darkness, he groped for the edge of the covers, and froze when a very familiar voice spoke.
"Don't," (Y/N) muttered. "No...please, don't!"
Riley shook away the sleep from his mind. "(Y/N)? he said gently. "I'm right here."
She didn't speak. He gently shook her shoulder, trying to wake her from whatever nightmare she was experiencing.
"Please," (Y/N) whimpered. "...hurts." Her voice rose into a shrill whine and then broke.
"Hey," Riley said. "Hey, it's okay. (Y/N), I'm right here. It's okay."
She struggled against him, still floundering through her half-dream, half memory.
"(Y/N)," he said, letting go of her shoulders. "(Y/N), I'm here. You're okay."
Her eyes snapped open, but the room was so dark it didn't do her very much good.
"Kevin?" she said, trying to strain her eyes into the darkness. To her surprise and shame, she was crying.
"It's alright," he said reassuringly, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I'm right here."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I woke you up, didn't I?"
"Nah," he lied, his lilting accent music in her ears. His arms were tight around her, grounding her, and driving away the last remnants of the nightmare. She dried her tears on her sleeve.
They were silent, simply enjoying their feeling of security together. (Y/N) snuggled closer, revelling in the simple feeling of finally having someone who reach through, and pull her out of the sea of nightmares that resulted from her time on Deneva.