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”Thank you, Yuma.”
Yuma woke with a terrified scream, jerking his body up so violently he fell off his hammock. With a shriek of pain and shock he landed on the floor, cold sweat soaking his shirt and his body still trembling from that... that...
”Astral?” Yuma crawled onto his knees, frantically, looking around in the dark room. ”Astral!”
”Yuma?”
The voice was a bit alarmed, and when Yuma looked back towards the hammock he had fallen out of he noticed Astral floating closer, a worried expression on his face. ”Yuma, are you alright?”
Yuma didn’t think much when he threw his arms around his blue companion. He wasn’t intangible anymore, he wasn’t untouchable, he was – he was right there. Yuma tightened his embrace, burying his tear-stained face against Astral’s neck, painful noises escaping his throat.
”Yuma?” Astral questioned gently as he put his arms around the boy, one hand pressing on his back and the other soothingly stroking the back of his head. ”Did you have a nightmare?”
Yuma was still shaking, choking on his sobs as relief washed through him. He mumbled something between his breaths, the words muffle against Astral’s shape.
”Yuma?” Astral tried to lean back and give him some space to speak, but Yuma wouldn’t let go. Instead, he positioned his head so that his lips were free. He took a deep breath.
”You’re still here,” he whispered, voice trembling.
Astral blinked. Of course he was. Where would he otherwise be? He decided it wasn’t the time to ask though, so he simply kept patting the boy’s head, kept touching him to prove he was there and that he wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t sure how long it would be like that, but for now he was sure he would stay by Yuma’s side.
”I’m here.”