A/N. Allelujah's nightmares and Lockon's smile. Set before season one

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have, never will, just borrowing the characters.

Charming Repose, Hesitant Smile

Sometimes he slept; quiet and safe, away from it all – the death and destruction and blood on his hands. He could simply not exist in the real world and the world could be at peace, if only in his head. It was only sometimes though. Usually if he slept he dreamt, vivid dreams of the past, the possible future, of the darkness and the secrets hidden within.

'This is what we are,' Hallelujah would whisper in his ear, 'This is what we do – kill them and live.'

Allelujah, however, would shake his head, 'No, there has to be another way, something- anything-'

But the blood was already on his hands, tears in his eyes, shaking as he dropped the gun.

'It had to be done.' Hallelujah's cold arms wrapped tight around him, possessive, strong and unrelenting as he pulled Allelujah to his feet, pushing and dragging him along the hallways, corridors, cold steel and blood, reassuring empty words, and he was just a puppet and the blood was everywhere in the darkness – everyone's – and all he could see was his – Hallelujah's – smile in his reflection on the glass.

'Kill them all and we live.'

The gun in their hand – his hand – which he couldn't remember picking up again, cold, real, comforting and familiar as he sank into the darkness, his finger on the trigger and voices he knew asking why, telling him to stop, don't do it, don't-

"Hey, wake up."

The hand on his shoulder wasn't cold, and the voice was different, unfamiliar, and Allelujah opened his eyes-

"You okay?"

-and found himself not in space, not on a ship with a gun in his hands, but in a small, cluttered room, light from the streetlamp outside filtering in through the gap in the curtains and it all felt very foreign and strange.

'A dream,' Hallelujah whispered, 'this is a dream.'

"Allelujah..?"

He shook his head, this was real, "Just a dream."

The other man did not look convinced but didn't question his response, instead deciding to sit on the floor, leaning against the bed and shutting his eyes, seeming content to go back to sleep right there. The action was…bizarre to say the least and left Allelujah feeling slightly confused. He had joined this group, Celestial Being, and now he was here with this man who said his name was Lockon Stratos, another Meister, but it was nothing like Allelujah had expected.

It was just strange; the normalcy, friendly words, and warm laughter. The smile he'd been greeted with, wide and infectious that Allelujah could not help but return. A quiet shadow of a smile, but a smile none the less.

"Just go to sleep, Allelujah. It's late and we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

He stared at the older man through the darkness of the room and wondered why he was here; he had his own room, didn't he? It didn't make sense.

'He's crazy,' was Hallelujah's reply.

"Life doesn't make sense."

Allelujah's jumped, not realising he had spoken out loud, he was too used to being on his own.

Hallelujah laughed.

Not alone.

Lockon laughed, looking back at him, green eyes filled with amusement and warmth, "But it doesn't matter. Don't worry. Just make the most of the peace and quiet while it lasts and get some rest, the world will still be here when you wake up and so will I."

"But…why?"

"Because I want to," that was the only answer Allelujah received, the other man still smiling, "so just go to sleep."

Maybe he had just been too tired, but this time when Allelujah closed his eyes the dreams did not come and Hallelujah was silent. And maybe he had woken up alone, something that had had made him almost sad for reasons he could not explain, but the smell of fresh coffee and a loud crash followed by cursing brought a smile to his face. It even made him laugh. It was all something so strangely normal, different from running and hiding and fearing himself and what he could become.

He thought he could get used to this.

Hallelujah said nothing at all.