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Simon sat straight up in bed, mind still haunted by the images that presided in his sleep. The blood ocean. The voices. His near-death. It was all still there. He wrenched himself out of he and Grace's shared bed and went to the ship's kitchen/living area, not bothering to put on a shirt.
He didn't even bother to get a cup of coffee to drink as he sat at the table thinking about how he got on this strange ship in the first place. He'd unknowingly sent out a distress signal as he was being sacrificed to the god in the ocean, and they had answered it. Them being a strange hyperactive scientist and his rock alien best friend. They'd taken him in, gave him new clothes, food, and even a shower. And all he had to show for it was waking up screaming from things that Grace didn't understand, but still tried to help with nonetheless.
He often found himself staring into space during these nights, thinking about everything and nothing at all. His life before Grace. Before he nearly died. How he'd seen this funny blond who talked too much and slept too little and saw an angel. How they'd bonded over the course of their trip to Erid, the inside jokes, and the calm nights asleep together.
But he was also always reminded of the horrors he'd faced. The gills on his sides that fluttered when he'd breathe, along with the sharper than average teeth that now lived in his gums. The lack of a left arm. The nightmares, and god, the hallucinations. Oftentimes Grace would have to talk him down after a particularly bad night after he'd nearly bit Grace, convinced everything was just a dream from the blood, and that he was going to die anyway. Grace had been so patient with him that night, speaking softly and keeping their hands intertwined to ground him to reality.
“Simon?” A voice called out. Grace must've woken up from the drop in temperature in their bed and went to check on Simon. “You feeling okay?” He asked, sitting next to the ex-convict. “Just one of those nights,” he replied, wiping away the tears that had begun to form.
Grace hummed, taking Simon's hand as they sat in silence, the hum of machines and their own breathing being the only sounds in the room. “I'm just so tired,” Simon blurted, breaking the silence and making Grace perk up. “It's just- I've been through a lot, and I know I have, but I just want one normal night without any voices or seeing things or any of those God-forsaken nightmares. Can't it just be one night where I know I'm safe?”
Grace said nothing, just letting Simon rant while tears began to flow down his face. “I just want to be okay…” Simon said before his voice broke, giving way to quiet sobs. Grace moved closer and wrapped him in a tight hug as he cried, whispering reassurances and small nothings.
Simon pulled back from Grace's shoulder, rubbing the rest of his breakdown from his face. “It's late, we should be getting back to bed,” he said, getting up. He followed Grace back to the dormitory and fell back into bed, feeling the warmth of his partner's arms around him as he drifted off. “Sleep tight, Si,” he heard Grace mumble, tightening his hold.