Morty had always been somewhat of a light sleeper.

One foot in either realm as a safety precaution, mind clear and focused, incense and prayers to banish the evil spirits. Lessons that his grandparents instilled in him from an early age, as they regaled him with many, many stories of seers that could not find their way back from the other side.

When he felt Lyra toss and turn in the bed next to him, he woke up almost instantly. It is happening again.

He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, rubbing whatever sleep had been resting there away. With a heavy exhale, he pushed himself up on his forearms and turned to the woman beside him who was clutching on to the blankets with a vice grip.

He knew better than to wake up someone who was having such a nightmare, so he gently placed his fingers over her wrist as she held the blanket, breathed out a mantra and waited. The trembles stopped, and Morty held his breath as he waited for the inevitable moment when she woke up.

The brunette shot up in bed, a deep gasp rattling throughout her body as she released the blankets from her death grip. Her eyes frantically took in the bedroom around her as she realized she was not wherever her subconscious had taken her, but at the home of her boyfriend's, lying in bed.

"Lyra?" Morty whispered as he slowly reached for the blankets clutched between her fingers.

"Morty!" She sobbed out as she released the fabric and tossed herself in his arms, tears soaking the collar of his shirt as she cried copiously and desperately.

Morty was used to this by now. There are energies in the gym, strong energies that attract spirits with all sorts of intentions. Despite being very strict about the dietary habits of his Pokémon and his trainers', those wild presences are uncontrollable.

He, himself, does not mind it too much. He is well-trained to deal with them, he almost welcomes them, as he then can lead those who are truly lost into a path of light. It is, however, challenging for regular people, who have not a lifetime dealing with those presences.

Many girlfriends he had before broke up with him because of that. Because of them. It wears them down slowly, as the lost hours of rest makes them irritable and his helplessness with the whole situation can grow frustrating. Lyra, however, is steadfast in her resolution to conquer the ghosts, in an attempt to "love him whole", or however she puts it.

As much as he admires and respects her for it, he cannot help but think that it might be for naught: as the weeks go by, it gets harder and harder to stand the nightmares. They grow plentiful and more terrible, and he does not know how to really help her overcome it.

Now, however, she is awake, and so Morty knows the routine. He wrapped her in his arms and let her cry it out. One palm on her back as she shook with her cries while the other smoothed over her messy hair as he hummed in her ear.

"It's alright. I'm here. It was a nightmare. Do you remember what this one was about?" Morty muttered as he pulled her hair off the back of her sweaty neck, gently twisting it around his fingers.

"No. I just remember the feeling." She inhaled deeply, trying to catch her breath while she clutched at his t-shirt.

"Your heart is still racing." The blond gym leader replied softly as her heart thumped against his own chest.

Lyra pulled her head off of his shoulder and looked into his sleepy blue eyes, her own eyes still filled with tears. So sad, so scared.

His heart broke and he wished he could help. He has banished possessions before, and perhaps this could work in the same manner. Get inside her brain and make them stop, be the force between her and the evil spirits that lurked the darkness around his home.

"Thank you, Morty." The brunette whispered as she nuzzled her face back in the crease of his neck, holding onto his t-shirt with a looser grip.

He felt her eyelashes flutter against his skin and he knew she was starting to relax again.

"I've got you; I promise. Do you want a cup of tea or anything? I know sometimes that helps." Morty offered it softly, remembering that he had relaxing and sleep-inducing blends on the cupboard for this exact purpose.

Nevertheless, he continued to gently twist her hair around his fingers in an attempt to soothe her, hoping to keep her mind from whatever had plagued her dreams.

Lyra shook her head. "No, I'm going to be alright. I guess it's close to dawn by now anyways."

The blond man shoots a look to his curtain-covered window. There it was, the first rays of sunlight sneaking from beneath the fabric. Despite them not really stick to landing, it has been a good night, if she only woke up now.

"Do you think you could just rub my back for a little bit? Before we actually get up for the day?" She asked as she snuggled further into him.

"Of course. Whatever you'd prefer." Morty nodded as he moved further into the bed once more, getting comfortable, and shifted her in his arms to keep her close against him, listening to his calm heartbeat.

He ran his fingers through her short hair as she rested her head on his chest, and he does not mind that his shirt was still soaked with her tears. He would change it in a little bit when she was asleep again.

Morty felt the flutter of her eyelashes slow down, her breathing even out, and her hold on his t-shirt loosen considerably. He waited a few moments until he was positive that Lyra is actually asleep before he gently slithered away from her weakening hold, moved out from under her body, covering her with the blankets once more and got out of bed.

He pulled off his t-shirt, stained with the girl's tears then made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He decides that he will surprise her with a nice breakfast after her rough night.

Morty knows that he would never be able to free her from those nightmares, but he still wants her to be happy and safe. So, this sort of treat had to do, and he hopes that helps.

Nevertheless, they had higher hopes for the next night.