Author's Note: To clarify, because I realize I might be the only one who does this, when I refer to Nia's dream ability, I write the word dream with a capital D. When I'm just talking about her normal dreams, I use a lowercase d.
That is mildly important information. So remember it XD
Summary: Nia has nightmares. Basic, but does this plot ever get old?
Spoilers: You kind of have to know who the Children of Liberty are but not... really? I mean, you'll be confused for like two sentences you'll be fine.
Nia hated nightmares.
She knew that wasn't very unusual. But if anyone else dared to complain about their nightmares, she would remind them that her powers were literally. Dreams. And that meant that, even when they weren't Dreams, her dreams were incredibly vivid.
Nia could also remember basically every detail. Which was good, from a power standpoint (prophetic Dreams wouldn't be very useful if they became hazy and forgotten after Nia woke up), but mostly bad when it came to nightmares.
Because Nia could remember the gleam of the Children of Liberty's masks in the dim light, and the red spurting from Brainy's nose as a bat connected with his face, and she could hear his screams of pain ringing in her head like a dinner bell (though it did about the opposite for her appetite).
Nia didn't jolt upright when she woke up from nightmares (because bad Dreams didn't count as nightmares), but she did awake with a start, her mind racing and covered in an uncomfortable layer of sweat. She stayed curled on her side, so tight that she probably could have fit on just her pillow while barely spilling over, feeling her heartbeat pulse through her body.
Brainy. As she felt her body shake, Nia found that she was almost afraid to turn over to his side of the bed and to see if he was okay. But she knew that actually looking at him, whole and unbloodied, would reassure her, and so she twisted in the blankets and peeked over.
There was no one there.
Nia felt Brainy's absence like a shockwave through her body and in seconds she was sitting up, her heart rate spiking aggressively again. Where was he?
Nia tumbled out of bed and took a second. Their apartment was big enough, but it wasn't big, which meant that there were only a few places Brainy could be. Nia went for their kitchen/living room first.
And there Brainy was.
On the floor.
Blood on his face.
Surrounded by the Children of Liberty, one of them raising their bat and bringing it down on Brainy's head.
Nia screamed.
And then she woke up, still screaming. She thrashed so hard that she actually tumbled off the bed and crashed to the floor. Her elbow hit the hardwood and the back of her head whacked the dresser, but the pain was enough to jolt her out of her panic.
Two crisp claps echoed in the room and Nia could immediately see a warm glow hitting the wall from the lamp. Brainy was around the side of the bed moments later and Nia pushed herself forward, needing to make sure that his head hadn't really just been smashed in.
Again: her nightmares were vivid and they didn't. Fade.
"Nia," Brainy said softly as her fingers grazed over his face before she fell back to the ground with a breath-stealing thump. "I'm going to ask you a question but I am only going to accept one answer. Alright?"
"Was that the question?" Nia asked blearily, her voice scraping in her throat. She coughed, feeling the burn from her screaming.
"No," Brainy replied. "The question is, do you wish to talk about your nightmare?"
Nia's head fell back to the side of the bed and she let out a deep breath. "How do you know I had a nightmare?" she mumbled, stalling for time. Talking about nightmares was awkward, if she was being honest. And she didn't want to see Brainy's gaze go all dark and concerned before he switched over to science mode and tried to psycho-examine her. Again... awkward.
"I have 9 reasons," Brainy answered promptly. "Would you like me to list them?"
"Sure...?" Nia said slowly, squinting at him in the dark. Her heart rate was starting to go down, and even though he was acting all professional and stiff the sound of his voice was soothing her panic.
"Elevated heart rate, dilated pupils, rapid breathing, sudden awakening, checking to see if I was alright, screaming, yelling my name in your sleep, significant amounts of past trauma, history of nightmares..."
Brainy stopped talking, and Nia, who had been counting along almost unconsciously, frowned. "That's only 8 reasons."
"Indeed," Brainy agreed, and then his face softened in the warm lamplight. "The 9th is that I know you, Nia, and I know what you look like when you've just had a nightmare."
Nia wasn't sure why, but the way he said those words cause a sob to suddenly wrench itself out of her chest. All at once she was curling in on herself and banding her arms around her knees, rocking back and forth on the floor.
"Shhhh..." Brainy whispered, moving forward and taking her into his arms. "Shhhhh..."
Nia's entire body trembled with the force of her sobs and she felt like she couldn't get them out of her mouth fast enough. She gripped onto Brainy's shirt with her hands, choking on her own breath. Now he was rocking her, his palms rubbing firm, soothing circles on her back.
Suddenly, Nia was just exhausted. She was tired of the worry and the fear, and she was tired of the fact that she couldn't even dream like a normal human. It had to be in full technicolor, 4D, and it hurt. It just hurt so much to know that all of what she had dreamed about that night really could have happened to Brainy.
Her tears started to slow. "You were- were trapped somewhere," Nia began in a wavering voice, and Brainy's hands froze for a second before they resumed their motion on her back. "And the Children of Liberty were all around you and- and hitting you with bats, and- then I woke up, but you weren't there. And so I went to the kitchen and my dream had been- been real, but then it turned out that I was still sleeping and I woke up again."
"It wasn't real," Brainy murmured once he was sure she was finished. "This is real."
"I know," Nia mumbled, rubbing her cheeks on his shirt because she was too tired to raise her arms. "But it could have been real. The Children of Liberty hurt so many aliens... why wouldn't they have hurt you, too?"
Brainy's breath ruffled her hair and then his chin came down to rest on the top of her head. She was pretty sure this position couldn't be comfortable for him, but he wasn't one to complain about things like that. "Because," he replied. "I had you to save me. I was... never scared of the Children of Liberty because I knew that you would always be there to protect me, Nia Nal. Just as I would -will- always be there to protect you."
Nia nodded. She knew that it would always be possible for someone to get hurt, no matter who was there to protect them, but it was nice to hear that Brainy had that much faith in her.
"Would you like to move back to bed?" Brainy asked softly, his arm twining around her shoulders in a more bracing way. "My knees are beginning to ache and I believe you hit your head on the way down."
"My head's alright," Nia said, though she was pretty sure she'd have a lump tomorrow morning. "But yeah, let's go back to bed."
They curled up together on top of the mattress and Brainy pulled the large comforter over the both of them. Nia loved the way sleeping on comforters made her feel like she was resting in a cloud. She also loved the way Brainy stepped out of his comfort zone in that moment and bridged the distance between the two sides of the bed to hold her.
"If I may ask," he said, voice low. "What brought about these nightmares? We dealt with the Children of Liberty many months ago. It is... unusual for one to have such an aggressive recession into a past fear with out some sort of stimulus to prompt it."
Nia shrugged blandly. "There are threats all the time," she said. "Every day I leave this apartment and go to CatCo knowing that you could be laying your life on the line without me even knowing. Is that enough stimulus for you?"
A frown creased Brainy's face and he sat up suddenly. "So... I am to believe that the cause of your nightmares is... me?"
"No, no!" Nia hurriedly sat up, too, and wrapped her hand around his forearm. "Good grief, that's not what I mean at all. It's not like you're the one instigating all of the dangerous situations you get put in. You're a superhero, Brainy; I love you for that. But you're still... in danger, all the time, and it just..."
"What can I do?" he asked seriously, turning to her. "What can I do to help you? I do not wish to see you like this, Nia."
Nia opened her mouth, floundering for an answer. "Text me," she settled on finally. "Text me when you leave for the field, and text me when you get back. Just so I- I know what's going on. I promise I won't insist on coming unless you need me, and I won't be super overbearing asking if you're okay. Just... text me when you leave and when you come back, and tell me honestly if you're alright or not. It'll... it'll take the not knowing out of it, at least. Is that something you can do?"
"Indeed," Brainy answered immediately. "I will set a reminder to activate immediately before and after I am on field duty."
Nia let out a breath and tugged him back with her to lay down. "Awesome," she agreed. "Sleep now?"
"Of course," Brainy agreed, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Nia Nal."
Author's Note: Hey yooooo GUESS WHAT THERE'S GONNA BE BRAINIA TONIGHT I HAVE LITERALLY BEEN CHECKING THE TIME EVERY HALF HOUR FOR THE ENTIRE DAY AND NOW I'VE ONLY GOT AN HOUR AND HALF TO WAIT YASSSSSSSS :D :D :D :D
Okay also the original last line of this story was "I will be here when you wake up" but thennnn that inspired a different story I want to end with that (so there's your sneak peek lol).