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Sometimes, Falco had dreams about his brother. About Udo and Zofia. About Galliard.
And about how Eren Yeager had killed them all.
He'd waltzed in to Liberio, and killed Udo and Zofia and everyone else.
Because of Eren infiltrating their hometown, Colt and Galliard had gone to Paradis to rescue Falco and Gabi. And they'd subsequently lost their lives fighting him.
And it was all because Falco had offered his help to a seemingly wounded soldier.
Perhaps calling them 'dreams' was a bit of a misnomer. They were more accurately nightmares. But Falco tried not to dwell on that.
He tried to hide these thoughts and feelings from Gabi, as he didn't want to worry her. Besides, he was fourteen -- old enough to not be having nightmares anymore.
However, one night, Gabi came over to stay with him. She insisted on sleeping in the same bed, because according to her, that was what boyfriends and girlfriends did. Falco didn't have the heart to tell her how awkward he felt (not that he was necessarily complaining).
Of course, that night, he had a dream about Colt again.
"It's okay, Falco, it's okay-"
"Brother! Brother-"
Usually, when the dreams happened, he would wake up crying. But that night, instead, he was woken up by Gabi.
"You okay?" Gabi asked quietly.
Falco, who was on his side facing her, sat up.
"Y-Yeah," he mumbled, yawning.
"Liar," Gabi huffed. "You were crying out for Colt."
Falco sighed. As always, she saw right through him. It was pointless to try and keep secrets from Gabi. But that was something he liked about her.
He decided to tell her about everything. The dreams -- the nightmares, his guilt, his sorrow... Everything.
How he missed his brother.
How he still had Udo and Zofia's limp bodies etched into his mind.
How he thought Galliard shouldn't have sacrificed himself for him.
He thought Gabi would laugh at him and call him a coward. Make fun of him for still dwelling on something that happened two years ago.
Instead, Gabi pulled Falco into a tight hug. It was then that Falco realised he was crying.
"S-Sorry," he croaked. "I--"
Gabi rolled her eyes. "Idiot," she said softly.
She then gently kissed him.
It wasn't their first kiss (far from it, in fact), but Gabi's kisses were usually forceful and frantic. This was much slower and much more... understanding. It was deep and passionate, with a hint of sorrow. Yet, at the same time, it carried an aftertaste of reassurance.
"You've got nothing to apologise for," Gabi told him. "It's not your fault. It's Eren's."
"But--"
Gabi kissed him again. "You know," she said, resting her head on his shoulder, "All those people may not be here anymore... And yeah, you're never gonna see them again and it sucks. It sucks a whole lot, in fact. But I'm still here. I'll always be here. With you. For you."
Falco couldn't help but cry even harder.
"Yeah... M-Me too," he said. "I'm... I'm here for you, too, Gabi..."
"Don't worry about me," Gabi murmured, hugging him tightly again. "And I know I'm not the same as your brother or Udo or Zofia or Galliard or anyone else. But... you're not alone, okay? You're never alone."
Falco sniffed. "Thanks, Gabi," he murmured back.
They stayed in each other's embrace until Falco eventually stopped crying.
However, when Falco tried to pull out of the hug, he realised that Gabi had fallen back asleep.
Falco smiled to himself as he pried Gabi off him and set her back down in bed.
"I love you, Gabi," he whispered, gently kissing her cheek.
"...Tell me that when I'm awake next time, jeez," Gabi commented.
Falco startled.
"I-- I thought you were asleep!" he spluttered, embarrassed.
"I was," Gabi replied, "But you woke me up when you moved me."
"...Sorry," Falco mumbled.
Gabi laughed. "I... I love you too, okay?" she said awkwardly. "But let's talk about that in the morning."
"Y-Yeah," Falco agreed, lying down again.
It was dark, so he couldn't see Gabi other than a vague silhouette of her backside.
And yet, it was oddly comforting... for reasons Falco didn't entirely understand. But that was okay. He didn't need to understand those reasons.
When they woke up later, Falco made sure to tell Gabi he loved her whenever he had the opportunity. After about the fifth time, Gabi threw her hands in the air and cried "I get it, already!" in an exasperated voice.
Maybe trying to be lovey-dovey in front of Gabi's family during lunch wasn't the best idea...