Don't own anything.
Steve
Everything feels wrong. The desert surrounding me should be waves crashing against the shore and bright blue eyes with laugh lines at the corners with two other people and a little girl playing in the sand. Gunfire erupts and a figure falls at my side. I shouldn't be wasting time. I should be returning fire but instead I kneel next to the figure where Todd's surprised face stares past me to the sky above us.
I jolt upright when I hear a voice screaming "NOOO!" only to realize it was me. I look over to Danny's side of the bed, hoping that I didn't wake him up this time, and look into his worried gaze. Damn. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep." I tell him. Judging by the look on his face, he knows that was a complete lie and isn't afraid to call me out on it.
Where I would normally try to look down, tonight I know it's pointless to try to hide, and I let him see my pain even though he most likely saw it before I considered showing him. He lifted his arms and I leaned into them. I would never admit it, but lying in Danny's arms always makes me feel better, safe, home. It takes a few minutes but before too long I relax and fall asleep again.
Danny
It doesn't matter how easy it is for me to read him, how he can never hide anything from me. There will always be those moments when his eyes shut down and every muscle in his body tenses until the memory passes. There will always be those nights when I wake to the sound of unfamiliar names screamed from his mouth.
Every time it happens he refuses to meet my eyes, like he's ashamed of his subconscious' betrayal. Tonight, like every other night, after the screams stop, I stay up with him until his even, steady heartbeat is enough to convince me he's really okay. Only then do I let myself fall asleep again and when I do, I keep my arms wrapped around him in the hopes that maybe he'll feel safe and the nightmares won't make a reappearance.
In the morning I'll wake and he'll be gone, outside with the sun and the waves. I'll make breakfast before work. He'll come back and eat while I do everything I can to make him laugh because when he does, there is a light in his eyes that is too quick to fade away. For now though, I let myself stop my vigil over him, close my eyes, and wait for morning to come.
I know it's short but I'm suffering from a mild case of writers block so I hope you like this while I wait for a better idea to present itself to me.
~Five-0Forever