Chloe crept out of her bedroom and made her way down the darkened hallway towards the lounge. She didn't need to turn the light on to know that he was there; she felt his presence and was compelled to go to him.
He'd taken to sleeping on her couch in the weeks following his return from China. Why, she didn't know. Chloe guessed it was because she was probably the only person left that he could trust. She would never have gone as far as to say that she was his friend.
As she settled herself in the armchair, she heard Jack mutter something in his sleep. He hadn't, she realised, even gotten changed. The thought of him stumbling in through her front door, lost and in need of comfort, brought tears to Chloe's eyes. She desperately wished she could help him, hold him through the night, but by allowing herself to get to close she ran the risk of losing him again, maybe for good. And she knew she couldn't bear that.
Knowing he was there, and that he was safe, would have to be enough.
…
Jack opened his eyes, aware that he was no longer alone in the room. It didn't take his sleep-fogged mind very long to realise where he was, yet he had no idea how long he had been there.
He shifted into a sitting position, acutely aware of the headache now pounding behind his eyes. Blinking, he could make out a sleeping figure curled into the armchair. A smile tugged at his lips as he took in the dark hair falling across her face, one hand curled protectively around her body and the other hanging limply from the arm of the chair. He wanted nothing more than to go to her, lift her in his arms and hold her while she slept, but it wasn't his place.
It would have to be enough, just knowing that she was there, keeping him safe.
There was something he could do, though, something that would put his mind at rest and help him find the sleep that had eluded him for so long.
Standing up, Jack took a few short steps over to the armchair, careful not to wake her. He watched her for a few moments more, before dropping a gentle kiss to her forehead.