Judai sighed heavily and ran his hand over his face. He had been awake for two hours now. The first hour he had spent lying in bed. When his attempts to fall back asleep had proven fruitless, he had sat up and rested against one of the beams supporting the bed above his. The edges of the wooden post were digging into Judai's back in a way that was far from comfortable. Not to mention, the mattress which was normally pretty comfortable now felt like concrete beneath him.

Yet, despite his discomfort, Judai didn't want to move. However, he didn't want to try to go back to sleep either. Every time he closed his eyes, Judai was haunted by the images from his nightmare.

Pictures of his friends dying in front of his eyes while he was unable to do anything flashed before his eyes whenever he so much as blinked. Judai had woken in a cold sweat, his hands shaking and stomach turning in revulsion. He had actually slammed a hands over his mouth after he had women, fearful that he actually would throw up. What was worse was that he could not shake the impression that the horrifying images were his fault. It had taken all he had not to start crying.

Normally, Judai would have taken a walk in the cool night air to soothe his nerves. However, it was far too cold to go outside tonight. Nor did he want to pace the room for fear that it would wake the small form curled under the blanket next to him. It had been hard enough to ease himself up into a sitting position without disturbing his partner.

He looked down at his companion and his troubled expression eased a little.

Shou rested on his side, his fingers curled slightly as they rested atop the pillow. Without thinking about it, Judai reached over and gently tucked a few stray strands of hair back into place. Shou's eyelids flickered slightly at the touch. Judai smiled fondly and let his fingers linger there for a second longer.

Shou's eyes opened and peered up at him sleepily. Judai laughed quietly as Shou sighed softly and reached up to grab his hand. He pressed a kiss against his palm before threading his fingers through Judai's own.

"Why are you still awake?" Shou's whispered. Judai didn't answer, just gave a strained smile and squeezed the hand clasped in his own. That was all it took for Shou to understand. Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around Judai.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Judai sighed softly and wrapped his arms around Shou's waist, holding him close.

"No. I just..." Judai trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Shou's hold on him tightened slightly.

"Okay." Judai ran his fingers through Shou's hair. He felt Shou press his lips against his neck in a brief kiss. Despite his solemn mood, Judai smiled. When they had first started dating, Judai had been surprised by how quickly Shou become comfortable with the role of boyfriend. Although he was shy about showing affection in public, Shou was always more than happy to accommodate Judai's affectionate nature when they were together privately. To be honest, Judai preferred it this way. He enjoyed being able to see a side to Shou that no one else was privy to. It gave every moment they spent together a deeper sense of intimacy.

"Why don't you lay down again?" Shou's quiet suggestion took Judai off guard for a moment, but he nodded his head. He pulled away, making room for Judai to slide back into his spot on the bed. As his head hit the pillow, Judai couldn't help but shudder at the possibility that he might have the dream again. Shou must have noticed, because as soon as they were both under the covers, his arms were wrapped tightly around Judai once more.

Judai welcomed the embrace. Every little touch, like Shou's fingers rubbing gently at the spot between his shoulder blades, was a soothing reminder that his nightmares were not reality. He didn't need to be so frightened of these dreams because, while they were upsetting, he would always wake up to find that Shou and their friends were alive.

Judai nuzzled the crook of Shou's neck, a contented hum slipping from his throat. He was rewarded with Shou's soft laugh and the feeling of fingers running through his hair. It was a soothing sensation and Judai found himself sighing as he finally allowed himself to relax. As the tension left him, Judai became acutely aware of how tired he actually was. His eyelids slowly began to slip shut and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.