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Jace didn’t like sleeping.
As (un)surprising as it is, he gets nightmares. Often.
He used to take lengthy missions, late-night patrols, or training sessions late so maybe, hopefully, he’d be tired enough for a dreamless sleep. Most of the time it worked.
Except for when it didn’t. Then he had to start taking more drastic measures.
Sometimes getting drunk helped. Sometimes it made it worse.
Going home with someone usually did the trick, but even he couldn’t score someone every night.
Sometimes he just got so tired of the same old imagery he would go over his energy and awareness runes so many times that there was a constant buzzing in his blood. Even then, pictures of dead Downworlders or his father/Valentine would hide in corners of his room, behind him in the mirror, ready whenever he blinked.
So Jace didn’t like sleeping.
Simon loved sleeping.
He loved curling up under the covers, the yawns and goodnight kisses. He loved having someone to wrap around in the middle of the night. He loved waking up to another body pressed against his back, a solid weight anchoring him back to earth. He loved sleepy morning cuddles, morning-breath kisses, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with a fond smile, ready for a new day.
When Jace and Simon started dating, new and afraid and hopeful, Jace thought his sleeping habits would be the deal-breaker. He didn’t know what it was like when he had a nightmare. He knew he didn’t scream; someone at the Institute would’ve come busting in if he had. But he figured he must thrash around or something.
The first night Simon slept with him was right after sleeping with him. He was tired enough that he didn’t think about it, slinging an arm around his waist and falling asleep with his face pressed in Simon’s neck.
But for some reason, that night, he woke up screaming.
He couldn’t even remember the dream, but it had something to do with Simon and Jonathan and that was never going to be a good combination. But Simon was there, one hand rubbing circles on his back and the other holding him close, gripping him tightly until Jace stopped shaking.
And he did it again and again. He never asked what the dreams were about, never complained about losing sleep. He was just there; no conditions, no interrogation. Jace couldn’t be more grateful to have Simon in his life.
He didn’t wake up screaming that morning. He thought he was getting chased in the dream; that was the most he could remember. He woke up gasping, fingers curling and nearly ripping into the sheets. Panic raced through his brain before he could register he was safe, in his bedroom, his boyfriend wrapped around him.
Just as he thought he was going to hyperventilate, a pair of soft lips pressed against the back of his neck, just above his spine. He jerked, but relaxed when Simon pressed another kiss on the back of his head, and another behind his ear. By the time he finished, Jace was breathing easier, and his shoulders weren’t as tense. He shifted, turning over so he was facing Simon.
“Sorry for waking you.” Jace whispered, not wanting to break the silence between them but still feeling guilty for waking him up. Simon rolled his eyes, reaching out a hand and laying it on his cheek. He stroked along Jace’s cheekbone. “Whatever you need, Jace. I’ve got you.”
Jace’s heart swelled. He couldn’t find the words to tell Simon how much he loved him in that moment. It was too soon to say it out loud yet, so he settled for wiggling closer and kissing him softly.
He could deal with the nightmares, as long as he has Simon to wake up to.