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John Price was not a stranger to night terrors. They had been a regular occurrence for years at this point and nothing kept them at bay. He'd bought dream catchers last time the was in the states in a feeble attempt to put some sort of stop to those debilitating nightmares and even though they hung across his bedroom and above his headboard, he still woke up drenched in a cold sweat multiple times a night.
Things started to change after him and Johnny got together. The nights became a bit softer, a bit kinder. Gentle hands and sweet lips soothed him to sleep and carefully coaxed him out of his worst nightmares, reassuring Price that he was safe, that the person who loved him most in this world was right next to him. It was refreshing in a way that Price wasn't familiar with, there was a softness in his room that had popped up after abandoning him years and years ago.
Gone was the chaotic cacophony that usually filled his head, screams and gunfire that paralyzed him in the dark of night. It had slowly been replaced with bright smiles and blinding sunshine from their time on various lakes and rivers across the world. Memories of his time with Johnny that he latched onto flashed past as he slept. It was so damn refreshing to simply sleep and wake up with Johnny curled up against his chest, snoring softly.
Until the tunnel happened. When, for just a moment, Price thought that he had lost his own personal sunshine. That bullet tore past his Johnny with a force that knocked the younger man on his ass, dazed and unfocused and Makarov almost finished what he had set out to do. If it hadn't been for Kyle, Johnny would've been gone.
And that fear crept deep into Price's bones.
It ate at him just like all the other mistakes in his career had, it caused his heart to ache and lurch in his chest every time he though too hard about it. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't get that thought out of his damn head. The sight of Johnny whipping to the side, looking like he had gotten shot, was burned into Price's brain.
At night, the twisted part of his mind warped that image. Turned it into a world where that bullet met its target and ripped through the soft gray matter hidden beneath skin and bone. It showed Price the crystal clear image of Johnny's cerulean blues staring up at the ceiling, unblinking, unseeing, blood pooling around his head. A horrible sight that had Price throwing himself from his bed most nights and sprinting to the bathroom to empty his stomach.
Every single time, Johnny was there. He was gently brushing his fingers through Price's hair, petting over his back, soothing him so sweetly.
And that's where they found themselves currently.
"John, love, what's going on?" Johnny asked as he sat at the edge of the bed, a hand on Price's cheek as the man hunched over and stared at the floor. Trailing his fingers down, Johnny could feel the rabbit quick beat of Price's heart at his pulse point. The older man's breathing was sharp and ragged, eyes wide and flicking over the floorboards.
Price simply shook his head once, a sharp and jerky motion that had Johnny wincing a bit.
"I'm with you. Just come back to me, sir. Please," he urged, leaning his head gently on Price's shoulder.
It wasn't until Price started shaking that Johnny realized this was worse than they had gone through before. He sank down to his knees in front of Price, hands resting on his captain's knees as he forced himself between them. "Look at me, Jonathan."
That did it. Price's ice blue gaze shot to Johnny's, pupils so fucking small. "I'm sorry-"
"You stop that," Johnny's voice had no real bite to it as he placed his chin on Price's thigh. "Don't be sorry. Just talk to me. Which one was it, love?"
"The one of you. All I could see was you laid out on that filthy concrete-"
"But we aren't there, are we, darling?" he interrupted softly, voice kind as he kissed the older man's knee. "We're here at home, all safe and sound, right? I'm right here, I'm fine, sweetheart. It's just an awful nightmare. But that's all it is. It's not real," Johnny urged, watching as Price slowly relaxed with each word. The feeling of Johnny grounding him was starting to work to ease those nerves of his.
Price nodded, sucking in a few deep breaths as his fingers dropped to gently comb through Johnny's sleep rumpled hair. "I know. I know. It just felt so fucking real. And when I woke up, you felt so heavy on my chest and I panicked-" he cut himself off with a pained sob that had Johnny's face twisting in in pure sorrow.
"Oh, my love.. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm here. I'm right here," Johnny slid up and wrapped his arms around Price's neck, pressing his chest to Price's and their hearts slowly started to beat in perfect sync again. Price's heart rate slowed to something that didn't have Johnny worried for the man's health. "Come on, let's be awake for a bit, okay? I can throw some of those little cookies in the oven and we can have a little late night snack, how's that?"
Was it a juvenile response to this whole thing? Sure. But the soft, amused smile on Price's face was more than worth it. He'd put up with plenty of Johnny's "childish" antics over the years all with that same adoring look on his face and always participated without complaint.
"If that would make you happy, pet," Price hummed and let his arms squeeze low around Johnny's middle. His hands trailed over the warm, tan skin, imagining the blood rushing beneath it, feeling the way his muscles moved with every inhale. Johnny was fine. His boy was okay. A bit of time awake should do him some good, reset his brain enough to hopefully sleep peacefully for the rest of the night. Not like they had anywhere to be in the morning anyways. They could sleep in if Price's old bones allowed it.
"It would. And I think you'd feel a lot better after some sweeties," Johnny pressed a featherlight kiss to the tip of Price's nose, grinning as his beloved rolled his eyes and stood, keeping Johnny firmly in his grasp. Johnny's legs came to wrap firmly around Price's waist and the image of Johnny's bright smile and lively eyes quickly replaced the harrowing nightmare he had been subjected to minutes before.