"Wha? Ah!"

"Ib? Ib! Are you alright?"

The little girl recoiled from the blinding light, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I-I had a-another!"

"Hey, hey," Garry sighed, wrapping a caring arm around her and helping her to sit up, "it's okay, I'm here. Calm down sweetheart, it was only a dream."
"I-I was s-so-" Ib sobbed, "I-you were!"

"Woah, it must have really gotten to her this time. She wasn't this upset with her last nightmare..."
the older boy frowned, shaking it off to focus on comforting her.

"Hey, you know what you need?" He flashed her a reassuring, if slightly tired, smile, shrugging off his large ragged coat.
He wasn't necessarily the bravest of men, but his heart was definitely in the right place. Polite, caring, and exceedingly loyal, he'd do just about anything to make sure a friend was okay.

"Wh-what's that?" The girl sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
"A cuddle." The smile had bloomed into a full on grin by the time he'd finished gently lifting her into his knee. He snaked his arms around her waist, hugging her close to his torso. His thick green coat now draped around her shoulders, Ib's shaking body beginning to calm in the warmth of his embrace.

"I- I'm sorry... It was... The monsters from the gallery..." She stuttered, still shivering slightly, burying her head into the man's shirt.

"It's okay," Garry whispered, planting a soft kiss on her forehead, "this whole place is full of nightmares, but I'll keep you safe, I promise. Hey, look, it's pretty late, maybe you should try and get some more sleep. I promise, the monsters won't get you again."

"I will," Ib yawned, stretching her arms and snuggling back into her friend's chest, "if I can stay with you."

"Oh," the boy smiled once more, a little taken aback by her request, "of course you can."

He carefully eased her down from his lap, shuffling into a more comfortable position to sleep in.

Once he was happy, he motioned for her to join him, and she did, her head resting once again on his chest, his arms forming a protective barrier around her.

The coat was pulled across them both to form a blanket, but he made sure the girl was tucked in warm and safe first before sorting himself out.

"Goodnight Garry," Ib whispered, closing her eyes.

"Goodnight Ib," he murmured, as she began to grow heavy in his arms.

"I promise. I will keep you safe."