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There was a cloth-covered lump by the foot of Vincent’s bed.
He’d gotten home earlier than expected that night, announcing his presence the moment he entered the door.
When he was met with silence, Lovely nowhere to be found, he had tried not to panic. Convinced himself they had just headed to bed—when he found their door slightly ajar, he couldn’t ignore the pang of anxiety that went through him.
He had stepped into his room for only a moment—not expecting to find anything but trying to cover every base before letting himself fall into complete panic—but came to a complete stop at the sight in front of him.
The back of Lovely’s head was barely visible above the blanket that they had tightly wrapped around themselves. A pillow was between their arms, underneath their head; sleeping, even if it didn’t seem to be restful.
He kneeled next to them, letting out a sigh of relief—until he took a closer look at them. He watched the slight movement of their body, examining the way they were curled into a ball. Like they were trying to make themselves as small as possible.
Before he could decide what to do, their phone lit up beside them as an alarm went off. They jolted awake, their blanket falling across their lap as they sat up.
Now face to face with them, Vincent noticed several concerning things.
There was dried blood running down their chin; though they weren’t bleeding currently, it was clear that they had been.
The pillow they were laying on—now in a white-knuckle grip, held against their chest—was one of his. The color of the pillowcase, contrasting against their white pajamas as they held it in front of them like a shield, made that clear.
Finally, the moment they saw him, they shrunk into themselves. Refusing to meet his eyes, they seemed almost ashamed at the fact that he’d seen them.
They broke the silence by talking at the same time—
“I’m sorry, I just—“
“Lovely, are you—“
—And both fell quiet once again.
After a moment, Lovely let out a laugh. Kept laughing, even as it sounded hollow. Before they realized it, their laughter had turned to sobs as tears ran down their face.
Without thinking, Vincent reached for them; gently pulling them closer and tossing the pillow aside so he could better wrap his arms around them.
“Sorry, I know it’s—it’s weird,” They said, words muffled as they buried their face in his chest, their body shaking with sobs against him, “Had a nightmare, needed to feel—“
They cut themselves off with a whimper as he stroked their hair, nuzzling their teary face against him. They didn’t finish the thought, but he could tell what they meant.
“Safe?” He finished, phrasing it like a question even though he knew. They nodded against his chest, and he sighed. He knew the feeling, desperation for any sense of safety you could find.
Vincent moved his hand away from their head—only making it a second before Lovely let out a distressed noise. He felt their hands wrap around his wrist, softly pulling it back towards them as they leaned their head backwards; seeking out his touch.
“You don’t need to sleep on the floor, Lovely.”
Their eyes rose to meet his, looking pained, “I know. It isn’t even—it’s not like it’s a big deal, but I just…”
They trailed off, fresh tears beginning to fall down their face; it took a moment for Vincent to realize what they were talking about, but the moment he did he let out a gentle oh.
“That isn’t what I meant,” He said, bringing the hand that wasn’t on the back of their head to their face; wiping away their tears and giving them a reassuring smile, “It’s alright if you need to feel safe, Lovely. I can leave if you want to sleep.”
Understanding dawned on their face and they let out a sob, shaking their head and gripping his shirt tight. Startled, he stared down at them, watching them tremble and hold onto him like he’d disappear if their grip faltered for a second.
“Please don’t—please stay,” Their words came out in a gasp. Like the air had suddenly left them in their panic.
“I’ll stay,” He said quickly, trying desperately to reassure them—hating that he had caused their distress, “I’ll stay for as long as you want.”
They stayed in the same position for several silent minutes, the air between them occupied only by Lovely’s uneasy breathing.
Slowly loosening their grip, they lifted a hand to their face and intertwined their fingers with his. Running their fingers against his palm, relishing in the grounding, gentle touch.
His gaze was soft, eyes never leaving them as he brought both of their hands to his face and pressed his lips against the back of Lovely’s hand. They gasped quietly at the contact, staring at him as warmth flooded their cheeks.
“Stay with me tonight?” They asked, hesitance washing away as he gave them a smile, adjusting their hands so their palms were against each other.
“Of course, Lovely. Anything you want.”