Work Text:
When the screaming started, Caedes assumed the worst — and rushed over immediately. He moved quickly but silently, his heart pounding vigorously as he crept through his own house.
The guest room was only a few steps away, but with Cynthia’s agonizing screams echoing through the house and his vampire senses picking up every fluttering heartbeat, it felt like an eternity until he finally reached her.
But when he opened the door, there was nothing — no intruder, no attacker, no tangible danger. Just Cynthia thrashing around, screaming her lungs out.
Only when he sat on the edge of the bed, close enough to make sure she was truly unharmed, did his pulse finally settle.
»Cindy?«, he asked, voice lowered, gently shaking her shoulder in an attempt to wake her from her troubled sleep. »Hey, Cyn.«
At first, she didn’t wake, didn’t answer. Just twitched and whimpered in her sleep.
He was about to speak again when she jolted awake, scanning the room with eyes wide open, a look of absolute terror on her face.
»Hey. It’s okay.« He desperately wanted to soothe her, but didn’t know how, didn’t dare to initiate any more touch, afraid of startling her even more. So he raised his hands in a typical gesture of surrender to demonstrate that he was not here to harm her. »It’s me. You’re awake now. You’re safe.«
She was still breathing heavily when her gaze finally fixed on him. She blinked, lips parted wordlessly.
»You were screaming«, he explained, suddenly keenly aware of the sheathed knife at his hip. He hadn’t even realized he’d grabbed it, on instinct more than thought. Now, standing in the darkness of the guest room, still and harmless, it felt ridiculous. And yet, not entirely. He had been ready to fight ready to fight who- or whatever was threatening his best friend, no matter the cost. »I thought …« His words trailed off. He shrugged, smiling apologetically.
»Nightmares«, Cynthia sighed. »Just those damn nightmares again. I …« She took a deep breath and buried her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes as if to clear the remnants of her bad dreams away. »I'm sorry. I forgot to warn you before staying over. Peaceful sleep is … not really a thing for me.«
»It’s okay. Now I know.« He mustered a half-smile. »Sounds familiar, honestly.«
These days, he barely slept at all. His undead body no longer needed rest the way it used to, and he didn’t miss waking up in sweat-soaked sheets, dream fragments still flashing before his eyes.
Cynthia looked at him for a long moment, as if pondering what to say or do.
»Want to stay up together?«, Cae offered, his smile widening. »Until you feel a bit better, at least. How about a cup of tea? I’ll set up a kettle and try to think of a good distraction while we’re waiting for the water to boil.«
She wrapped her arms around herself and gave a shaky nod. Although her eyes still had that haunted look to them, her lips curved into a faint smile. »Yeah, I’d like that. Tea sounds nice.«
As she crawled out from under her blanket, Caedes stood up and reached his hand out to her, helping her to her feet as soon as she took it.
But before he could turn to lead the way, she pulled him into a tight hug. She hesitated for a split second before she added: »Not being alone sounds nice, too.«
The sudden closeness caught him off guard. He froze, unable to react at first, but finally, he managed to wrap his arms around her, too. He held her until the moment stretched long enough for him to wonder when letting go was appropriate.
Hugging her a bit tighter, he let himself enjoy being this close to her for one more cycle of breathing in and out. »Come on, let’s get you some tea«, he murmured before forcing himself to let go.
The kitchen light was soft, the silence warm. With the right person beside you, even sleepless nights didn’t feel quite so heavy. Not being alone wasn't just a comfort — it was a blessing. Even, or especially, in the most vulnerable moments.