part 2 of a rare and deadly 2x fic update combo because i didnt wanna leave steven dead for another X months
Riley wakes up with a jolt. He's in complete disarray mentally; his perspective keeps shifting. He's covered in blood, no he's not, he's dead, no, he's Darkrai, wearing the suit the pokemon-fragment keeps clothing his body in, no, no, damn it. He's Riley and he is okay. He repeats this to himself, and though it fails to sink in enough for him to fully come back to himself, it works enough to remind him he came back for Steven. He's only had a couple seconds to regroup his thought, but Riley's already scrambling up into a kneeling position, hands fumbling for Steven's neck. Please let there be a pulse, the dreams can't affect reality that much, please, he thinks, momentarily feeling as if his hands are once more slipping against blood.
There is a pulse, identifiable against Riley's shaking fingers.
Riley allows himself some modicum of relief. Steven stirs from the touch, shifting his head from where he'd fallen asleep to look up blearily at Riley, attempting to blink himself awake. Riley stares at him, mouth partially open but completely blanking on what he should be saying. One of Steven's hands reaches up towards Riley's at his neck. Before it gets there, Riley's leaning forward and pressing a kiss against Steven's mouth.
It's not particularly lovely, more firm and very desperate, but Riley acts on impulse and figures it's the best available way to get his message across. It lasts. Riley kisses Steven again when he regains control over himself, this time apologetic and much softer. Steven gets half a second to respond in kind before Riley cuts him off, dropping his head and staring firmly at the back of the couch.
"Sorry," he mutters hoarsely. He wants to kiss Steven again, possibly not stop, because he feels as if some firmly shut gates have opened and he's finally allowed to get something better out of this godawful ordeal, and he wants it. Riley wants this so badly, some second level of friendship where he knows Steven will always come for him— he knew on some level beforehand, that Steven was like this, but now it's stronger, somehow proven by the lengths Steven willingly went to— and where he can put himself in someone else's hands and not be afraid. But he can't and this stupid, horrible, asinine problem he's got himself into is exactly why he can't — shouldn't— let himself kiss Steven again and pretend as if it couldn't go wrong.
It's Riley's own damn fault he had to watch Steven die, he'll be fucked if he deserves Steven's love now.
Steven's fingers curl around Riley's at his neck, stilling Riley's still-shaking hands and bringing them back down. "It's fine," Steven replies quietly. "It's fine."
"It's my fault you ended up in my head." Once he says it, Riley realizes that he doesn't know why he's so certain Steven himself even remembers being a part of his nightmare. He just is.
"It was an accident, Riley." Apparently Riley was correct in his assumption after all. "No one's actually hurt, it's okay."
Despite Steven's best efforts, Riley refuses to be placated. He's only just coming down from panic, his head's still buzzing. "Steven, but. If something goes wrong, if you get too pulled into this like I am, you. You don't deserve that." Some part of Riley's logic wants to take Steven and keep him the hell away in the interest of protection, but it's only strong enough to influence what Riley's saying. His actions are firmly in the camp of keeping Steven as close as possible. He refuses to let go of Steven's hand, or to move from where he's awkwardly kneeling over the former champion.
"Riley. I promise you. I'm going to stay with you. We're going to fix this. Stop panicking. I do't care what you say, Im not going to let you fret and think you have to be alone for your or my safety. I love you. Alright?" Steven's voice is remarkably even. Riley more processes the tone than the words. Close enough.
"Yeah." Riley exhales slowly, not entirely managing to relax, but something similar. Steven ducks into Riley's field of vision (not a very difficult task, even though Riley's looking down, as Steven's a couple inches shorter). Greyblue eyes blink up at Riley.
"It's right. We already established we can solve this." He's too close and at too awkward of an angle to kiss Riley but Steven Stone is not stopped by trivialities. He ends up lightly bonking their foreheads together (earning what could almost be called a laugh from Riley, if you squinted) before Riley obliges and grants Steven the room to kiss the corner of his mouth.
He plans on doing something else, but his aspirations are dashed by a wide yawn interrupting him.
"Oh. It's late," Riley belatedly observes. He's only just reazling that Steven is not used to waking abruptly at godawful hours of the morning, as well as the fact that it is some godawful hour of the morning. "Go to bed."
"Ri—" Steven complains at him as Riley extracts himself from on top of Steven to stand in front of the couch, only stumbling once along the way.
"No, go to bed, preferably away from me." He tugs at Steven's sleeve (they hadn't even changed out of their day clothes, Riley notes. Jeez), and Steven gets up with only a lone mutter of complaint. He prods Steven off towards his own bedroom. Steven really doesn't need the prodding at all, Riley's just enjoying the proximity of hovering at Steven's shoulder.
Once Steven disappears behind his door, however, Riley's left staring and looking lost. Huh. Well, that certainly was a ride. He can feel his ears reddening as the previous sequence of actions dawns on him. A hand scrubs the side of his face. Maybe if he tries hard enough, he'll rub off the embarrassment.
No, unlikely.
Riley hunts down the guest room, conveniently located on the opposite side of the house. He's had enough of Steven popping into his dreams for the night and doesn't plan on it again. Nor does he really plan on sleeping either, he's dealt enough with that for now. Instead he goes and fetches Lucario.
She pops out of her pokeball and immediately sits next to Riley, head on his knee and looking up curiously at him. She can tell something happened, but she can also tell it wasn't entirely bad, per se. Unfortunately for Lucario's curiosity, Riley offers little explanation aside from an "It'll work out," said to himself as much as it is the pokemon. He scratches behind her ears and she huffs. 'I trust you,' she replies.
"People are do that sometimes, I've no idea why."
'A joke? From you? Things must have really turned up.' Dogs can't giggle, but Riley gets the feeling that if she could right now, she would. He lapses into silence, void of a reply except for a small smile. One could say that, maybe.
He'll just while away the night like this and leave himself in Steven's (and Cynthia's) hands for their next step.