49. "A dream catcher? Honestly? I'm not a child."
Zen rubbed his eyes gently as he prepared to get in bed. He was wearing his silk white pajamas, and had pulled his hair up into a bun. On the other side of the room, Luciel was looking through his closet, pulling out different shoe boxes.
"I don't think you'll find a shirt in there." Zen mumbled, though, after having stayed with him for a week, he was quite aware that the other didn't sleep with one. Seven immediately shrugged off his grumpy attitude, knowing that the actor hadn't slept well for a few days.
"I promise, this will help you sleep!" Seven said, opening another box and sifting through its contents. Zen sighed and rolled his eyes.
"I could probably sleep better if you would let me sleep by myself." The man groaned. Seven had been insisting on sleeping with the other after finding out he was having nightmares. A grown man could usually handle such things, and it was a bit silly still how crippling they could be on him, but since Zen often had psychic dreams, he never knew if they were real or not, and he would often wake up panic stricken and near tears.
"I don't remember you saying that when you woke up in my arms this morning." Seven snickered, making the white haired man blush furiously.
"You forced the hug on me, and I think I remember hitting you pretty hard." Zen reminded the other, who winced at the thought of his hits.
"Hehe, right, well, I can assure you I won't have to do that tonight!" He said, finally pulling out what he had been looking for. It seemed like a spiderweb inside a wooden circle with feathers draping from it. The craft looked like it had been made by a five year old during summer camp.
"What is it?" Zen questioned, hoping Seven didn't expect him to put it in his hair or something. It looked like it wanted to be put out of its misery.
"It's a dream catcher! It's an ancient Native American object that is said to filter out the bad dreams of children who couldn't be taken care of." He explained, before walking over to the bed, about to place it on the nightstand next to Zen's side, but was stopped by the other grabbing his wrist.
"I'm not a child, Luciel." Zen reminded him, looking up at him with red eyes. "Do you actually believe in these things?" He asked. Seven grew a bit sheepish.
"I don't know if it works, I only have good dreams." He laughed, before pulling out of Zen's grasp, which hadn't been that tight.
"But, what's the harm in trying? Seriously, I see what these nightmares are doing to you." Seven said, a bit seriously, which shocked Zen a bit. The redhead gently placed the Dream Catcher on the nightstand and looked back at Zen.
"I don't like seeing ya so depressed. I know it may not work, but the idea of it might." Seven said, before patting Zen's head, much to his annoyance. Seven began walking to the other side of the bed, while Zen eyed the dream catcher. It still looked like a miserable excuse for a child's craft, but he decided there was nothing wrong with leaving it beside his bed.
"Whatever, just don't be surprised when I have another nightmare." Zen mumbled, pushing back the covers to get in the bed. Seven was already on his side, a laptop in his hardly ever slept, which concerned Zen a bit, not that he would voice that concern.
"If you do, I'll be right here to hold you." Seven said, sounding a bit too serious for Zen's comfort, but he decided to let it slide, and simply laid down.
Zen opened his eyes again after what seemed like a few minutes, but the room had grown dark, Seven's laptop no longer providing a night light. Zen could feel his heart racing, and immediately recognized it as one of his psychic dreams. He tried to look around, but found warm arms wrapped around him.
"What? Seven? Get off me!" He yelled, but his voice went unheard by dream Luciel.
Zen grew anxious, scared of what was going to happen. He looked towards the dream catcher, but it wasn't on the nightstand anymore. Zen closed his eyes tightly, longing to get the nightmare over with, before he felt Seven shift behind him.
"Are you asleep?" He whispered. Zen rolled his eyes. He couldn't communicate with Seven, but that seemed like a stupid question.
Seven then pressed himself closer to Zen, making his body shiver. God, what was going to happen? Was Seven going to-?
"I can feel you shaking, I'm sorry I can't do more to protect you." Zen felt Seven's face on his back, and it suddenly grew wet. Zen grew confused.
Was Seven crying?
"What do you mean? You don't need to protect me." Zen said, but he was still unheard.
"I know you hate it when I hug you, I know you probably think I'm really creepy, but you mean a lot to me." Seven whispered, before Zen felt warm lips pressed the back of his neck. He gasped and shuddered, unsure of how he felt by the sudden kiss. It was a bit creepy, he had to admit, but he had never seen Seven this vulnerable either.
"I hope we always stay friends, even if I can't be with you, I always want to be by your side." He whispered.
"Of course we'll always be friends." Zen could feel his face and neck heating up. This wasn't a nightmare, was it? This was his filtered out dreams.
This was something he wanted.
At that thought, Zen's eyes flew open, and he found himself still in Seven's bed. He looked around. Luciel wasn't wrapped around him yet.
He looked towards the nightstand, and saw the dream catcher still sitting on the nightstand. Zen sighed, before laying back down, this time, facing towards Seven.
He watched the other as his chest rose. He must not have stayed up much later than Zen, even though he said he had to work. Maybe he had finally exhausted himself.
Suddenly, the redhead began moving, and Zen quickly shut his eyes.
"Are you asleep?" Came Seven's voice. Zen grew stiff. He could say something, and stop whatever was going to happen, but he kept quiet, his face turning slightly red, but thankfully hidden by the dark.
Seven's arms wrapped around Zen, and they were very close. He could feel Seven's staggered breaths on his face, and begged the goosebumps he felt not to give him away.
"I can feel you shaking, I'm sorry I can't do more to protect you." Seven whispered, and though his tears were not on Zen this time, he could hear the quiver in his voice, and Zen knew the other was crying still.
"I know you hate it when I hug you, I know you probably think I'm really creepy, but you mean a lot to me."
This was it, this was when Seven kissed him. But he wasn't turned around this time, where would it happen.
Zen soon felt warm lips pressed against his forehead, and he didn't move, didn't jerk away in disgust, didn't reveal that he was awake. He simply allowed the other to kiss and hold him. He felt weird, but he knew this would help Seven, in a way. And it was helping him too, in the very least, at least he wasn't having a nightmare.
"I hope we always stay friends, even if I can't be with you, I always want to be by your side." Seven whispered, before Zen felt soft hands run through his hair. He could feel his heart flutter, and he thought about speaking, telling Seven That they would always be together. But that would be too embarrassing. Zen didn't think he could let Seven know he liked the feel of his lips on his forehead and neck, or that he liked his arms wrapped around his waist.
Zen felt another kiss being pressed in his hair, before Seven rolled back over, probably not wanting to fall asleep with the other in his arms, especially after what Zen had said earlier. Zen opened his eyes when he knew that Seven was settled back down. He watched him sleep again, or at least laying down, if he wasn't asleep. He wished he could share these things with Seven, that they would always be friends, that he didn't find it all that weird when they hugged, that he wouldn't mind if he kissed him again.
When a good amount of time had passed, Zen began to grow tired again. He yawned, before looking back towards Seven, who was now snoring lightly, confirming he was asleep. Zen felt his heart race a bit, before he was suddenly scooting closer to the other, and wrapping his arms around Seven's waist.
He could lie it off, said he had had another nightmare and did it in his sleep, or just quickly move away before Seven woke up, but he wanted this right now. He wanted to let Seven know he cared, even if he was asleep.
He closed his eyes, and buried himself in the other's soft hair, and knew that he wouldn't be having another nightmare again, not with Seven by his side.