There's times when sleep evades him.
Sky lay, awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling, counting the movements of a tiny moth which lay just to the right of his eye-line, hanging from the ceiling. Around him the room was dark and, for the most part, silent. Occasionally, the slight rustle of sheets on Bridge's bed, turning in his sleep would intervene. Reminding him he was not completely alone, as it was, in the night. Small comfort, but with slumber so hard to come by tonight, it was company Sky needed. He had no want to be lonely.
He turned his head, tearing his eyesight away from the fluttering wings, to look across at his room mate. Or at least, at his shadowy out line, turned away from him. Shufling quite a lot tonight though, and within a few minutes, Bridge kept to schedule by turning back toward him. It was the rustling that woke him, but he didn't blame Bridge. He just wasn't getting to sleep properly recently.
In the darkness, Sky could just make out the features of Bridge's face, though they didn't look right. They were scrunched up, like a grimace, as if he was in pain. Not a natural look for the guy, and certinly not one Sky enjoyed seeing on his face. He remembered back when, not so long ago, the look on Bridges face when he slept could often be worse. Not to mention when he had shouted, or cried, or woke in a cold sweat, or three combined. And Sky remembered waking up right along with him.
Sky hadn't really been aware of Bridge's powers back then. Kats explanation was an emotional back up, of all the aura's and feelings he got off of other beings. Ended up in his dreams, and with all the criminals around, that waqsn't a good thing. She had hoped he would end up building up a resistance, but 'til then, Sky, as he was the star cadet after all, was instructed to care for the budding ranger.
For the first few nights, he thought he had followed orders. Whenever Bridge woke, he was there, to tell him to calm down, that the entire thing, whatever it was he had witnessed in his mind, was just a dream, and to get back to sleep. It never worked, and neither bridge nor Sky got much sleep those first few weeks. But then Bridge had had a real bad one. Woke up crying, hard as a baby. Sky had got up to put a hand on his shoulder, wake him up from the last bits of the dream, but instead bridge had taken his hand, and held it carefully in two gloved hands. Still sobbing, but a little quieter, sitting there, eyes still closed, still trapped in whatever horrors were giong on in his head. And Sky started to understand. He had been bringing Bridge back to reality, but he hadn't been told to do that. He had been told to "care for him".
So that's what he did. Whenever Bridge had these night terrors, Sky would let him know that he wasn't alone. A hand on his gloved ones, a hand on his shoulder, a comforting voice in his ear. None with the intention to bring him out of the sleep. Instead having a presence of some sort either. Bridge had ended up slowly going back into a, thankfully pleasant sleep, and the next morning he had been completely unaware of even having had a nightmare. He stated he couldn't remember anything odd having taken place during the night, and had been pretty jubilant about the fact.
And it kept on like that for a little while. Until another really bad one hit, and a little physical contact seemed to be having very little positive effect. Sitting on his bed at his room mate sat up, he got caught in a hug. Whatever it was he saw in these dreams, it was clear he did not want to be alone. Sky had frozen up at first. He just was not a very touchy feely person, and at that stage, he and bridge weren't even near how close they were today. But seeing how much better it made things for Bridge, he stuck it out for a few minutes, ell the last of Bridges cries faded. Than slowly, very slowly, he peeled Bridges two arms from his back, and lay him gently back onto the pillows.
That ended up part of routine too. Whenvever he had one of the worse dreams, Sky didn't hesitate to hug the guy, and eventually the awkwardness faded. As the dreams did too, over time. But not before Sky became as emotionally close to bridge as he had ever got to anyone in the daytime, because of how grateful the guy was for what he did in the night.They were always going to be friends, whether Sky liked it or not, from the moment Cruger picked him to watch over bridge Carson. Once he had fallen asleep there, lying with bridge in his arms, but had luckily woke before bridge and returned to his own bed.
Bridge knew nothing of the hugs, the reassuring hands on his shoulder or on his own hands. He was oblivious, all he knew was that his nights of sleep were getting better and better. And it tore Sky up more than a little. He had grown to love Bridge whether he could admit it or not. The fact of the matter was, Bridge had needed someone to remind him he wasn't alone in the night.Sky had been lonely, even if he didn't realise it, before Bridge toppled into his life. Sky had needed someone to remind him he wasn't alone too.
The way Bridge's face was twisted now... He decided to get up and see if he was alright. Moving to sit on his room mates bed, he checked his forehead. A little warm and moist perhaps, but fine. But bridge reacted to his touch. Sitting up quickly, eyes still closed, breathing quietly. Still that look of quiet discomfort on his face. Maybe the remainders a dream, Sky thought, and took him carefully into his arms. Bridge immediately relaxed a little. Sky moved to lay the sleeping ranger back on his pillow, but drawn by the weight, went right down onto th pillow with him, his legs twisting awkawrdly onto the bed behind him. He winced at the slight bounce, but Bridgge was still asleep. He had forgotten how difficult it had always been to put bridge back down. Like the guy hadn't wanted to let go. It had grown harder near the end, when Sky hadn't particularly wanted to either.
Lying there, he could see up close, even in the darkness, the now soft, much more happy features of his friend and team mate. Every detail. Quickly and shyly, loosing inhibitions for just one second, Sky gave him a quick kiss, so slight it might neveer have happened. He lay there then, making sure there was no reaction. He decided to wait for a few minutes, just to make sure bridge would sleep properly... then a few minutes more... and quickly, he fell away from consciousness aswell.
After a few minutes, hearing Sky's breath slow down, Bridge peeked one eye open.He had woken once in Sky's arms, but had gone back to sleep and said nothing about it to the man himself. Because the fact of the matter was, no-one had stuck with Bridge quite as long as Sky. No-one cared for him, gave up sleeps for nights on end, just to make sure his own dreams weren't filled with darkness. No-one had made him feel like he wasn't alone for a long time, 'til Sky came round.And if losing a nights sleep, faking a bad dream, meant he could be closer to him, bridge was willing to make the sacrifice.
Smiling, Bridge returned his room mates earler kiss, then snuggled further on into his arms.He didn't even sleep, he just lay there.
There's times when sleep evades him.Tonight he couldn't be happier about it.