Cleao screamed. Bolting upright in her bed gasping for air she realised she had been crying and was soaked. Thunder and lightning crashed outside of the inn's window and she cringed. The door to her room was flung open as a shirtless Orphen burst into the room looking ready to kill someone. Majic stood in the doorway looking worried. Cleao's head whipped around to look Orphen in the eyes. She was scared, that much he could tell but there was no one here. Majic sighed and said something about tea before leaving them in the room alone.
"Cleao? What happened? We heard you screaming at the top of your lungs." Orphen walked towards her wearily and spoke in a quiet manner so as not to freighten her.
"Uh. It. It was a- a nightmare." Cleao lowered hear head in shame. He was going to lecture her then leave her alone for the rest of the night. When the lightning and thunder sounded outside Cleao jumped slightly.
Seeing this Orphen knew that her nightmare wasn't normal. It must have shaken her up a lot for her to not only scream but jump at the storm raging outside as well. Sighing Orphen walked the rest of the way to the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. He looked into Cleao's wide freightened blue eyes and saw a silent plea for him to stay.
"It's okay, everything's okay." was all he said before enveloping her in a reassuring hug.
Cleao collapsed against his chest when he embraced her. She rested here head along his collar bone and placed her hands on his bare chest as she let fresh tears fall. Neither noticed Majic enter the room and place a tray of hot tea on the table in the room. He left quietly closing the door behind him as it was unlikely that Orphen was going to emerge before morning. He knew from experience that dealing with nightmares was no quick job.
Once the tears had stopped Cleao pulled back slightly to look into Orphen's brown eyes. What she saw in those eyes surprised her. She expected to some annoyance but all she saw was concern. He was worried about her.
"What is it?" he murmured.
"I, You're worried about me." she wanted to hit herself for her smoothness right then but when she looked down Orphen reached for her chin and tilted it up.
"Cleao look at me. Of course I'm worried about you. I woke up in the middle of the night to you screaming. I thought you were being attacked. But what's causing you hurt isn't something I can use my magic against. I don't really know what to do about it which is why I'm worried because I don't know how to make you feel better." During his explanation he had begun caressing her cheek with one hand and secured her around the waist with the other.
Cleao smiled gently at him. "Don't worry I'll run you through how to deal with this. You can do what my mother always did when I had nightmares."
"Okay what did she do?"
"First she would lay on the bed next to me." Orphen raised a brow but did as she asked.
"Second she would let me snuggle up to her or she would hold me close." Orphen reached forward and pulled Cleao down to rest on his chest.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah," at this Cleao blushed, " She would Kiss me to reassure me that I was safe and sound with her.
Orphen nodded before tilting her chin and lazily kissing her on the lips.
"So, how did I do at reassuring you?" he whispered.
"You do it a little differently to my mum but you know what? I think I like your way better but only when you do it." Orphen smirked at the small smile playing on her lips.
"Hmm, me too." leaning down he kissed her again before settling back against the pillows. Cleao giggled and sighed in contentment as she slipped into a peaceful slumber in Orphens arms.