Hey guys! Kind of a short and sweet one, but an important moment nonetheless.

BPOV

I sit at the counter in the kitchen, reading some emails. Mom passes through on her way to bed.

"I'll call you boys in sick for this week," she tells me. "I think it might help him to have you around for a few days. I don't know what happened to that poor boy, but I can see that he's more at ease around you." She pauses. "Where is he, anyway?"

I gesture to the staircase. "Asleep in his room. I helped him get changed, and he was out almost instantly. The doctors said that he'll probably sleep a lot while he's recovering."

She nods slowly. "Well then the only thing we can do is give him time and help him as much as we can." She leans in and kisses my cheek gently before heading down the hall to her bedroom.

I'm still sitting, musing over the events of today, when a loud crash sounds upstairs. I take the stairs two at a time as a sense of dread stirs up in my stomach. I look in Sebastian's open door and see the shards of the broken lamp scattered on the floor.

"Sebastian?" A small whimper comes from the mass of sheets on the bed, and I realize that Sebastian is huddled somewhere under them.

"Please don't hurt me," he whispers, and something inside me breaks to see him like this.

"Sebastian, it's me, Blaine. I'm not going to hurt you. Look at me. Please?"

He cautiously peeks out from under the heap of blankets, and I see pure, unadulterated fear in his eyes.

"What happened?" I ask gently.

"H-He was h-here. He was going t-to hurt me." He stammers, glancing around the room nervously.

I reach out and carefully put my hand where I'm guessing his shoulder is, though it's hard to tell with all the blankets twisted up. "It's alright," I tell him, "No one was here. It was just a dream. You're safe."

Something clicks in his mind as my words reach him, but if anything he looks sadder. A choked, bitter sob rips through his chest, and I can't help myself anymore. I carefully reach out and wrap him tightly in my arms. He doesn't fight me; rather, he curls up into my chest and cries his heart out. It hurts to watch, but I have to, for his sake. Because right now it doesn't matter that he almost blinded me that one time. None of the terrible things he did matter. What does matter is that he is in desperate need of a friend, and I'm the closest thing he has.

I murmur to him softly and rub slow circles on his back, trying to soothe him. Eventually, he quiets, his sobs turning to soft whimpers as he trembles in my arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, "I didn't mean to break the lamp. It just sort of…happened."

I chuckle lightly into his hair. "It's alright," I tell him, "I never liked that lamp anyway."

He laughs a little too, but he's still shaking and holding onto me like his life depends on it. When I shift my weight, he whimpers and his grip tightens. "It's okay, I'm not leaving," I reassure him. "Why don't you come downstairs with me for a while?" Sebastian nods against my chest, so I carefully pull him to his feet.

In the kitchen, with Sebastian in tow, I grab bowls and spoons. He watches me curiously. I go to the freezer and pull out several tubs of ice cream, setting them on the counter. I turn to him with a smile. "Chocolate, vanilla, or cookies and cream?" I ask. "Or maybe all of them?"

He smiles back, just a little bit. "Chocolate and cookies and cream, please."

I nod. "Excellent choice. You know, my mom always says there's nothing in life a little ice cream can't help."

His smile widens as he takes the bowl from me. "I'd have to agree with her on that."

I grab my own bowl and lead him over to the couch. "I'm sorry for all this," he mumbles.

But I shake my head. "Don't be. I knew when I found out what happened that this wasn't going to be easy, but I signed on anyway. I knew exactly what I was getting into. I'd like to help, if you'll let me."

He looks up at me, surprised, but leans against me. "You've helped so much already," he says. "More than you could ever know, just because you've been there for me. You…" he flushes a light pink, but continues anyway. "You make me feel safe, like I can be myself. I can break down in front of you, and I don't have to worry about you being mad or making fun of me. That's…not something I'm used to."

I put an arm around his shoulders protectively. "I'll always be here for you," I tell him gently, and I smile. "Even if it's after midnight and you're breaking lamps and having a total meltdown, I'll still be here."

A small giggle escapes him, and he seems genuinely surprised by it. "Thanks," he says simply.

He leans his head against my shoulder, and I frown. "You look tired," I say, pulling him up from the couch. "Come on; let's get you back to sleep."

I clean up our midnight snack and lead him back upstairs, but when we reach his room, he looks in the doorway apprehensively, and his grip on me tightens. "Sebastian?" I say softly, and when he turns to look at me I see the anxiety in his eyes. "Do you want to stay with me tonight?" I ask impulsively. I'm almost sure he'll say 'no', preferring to deal with things by himself, but then I remember that that was the old Sebastian.

To my surprise, he nods slowly, relief washing over his face. "Alright then." I take him into my room instead and sit him down on the bed. "I'm going to go change; don't worry, I'll be back. Feel free to get comfortable." I go into the bathroom to get changed. I'm not sure exactly what I was thinking inviting him to spend the night with me, but it seemed to make him feel better, so I can't be too bad at this.

When I return, Sebastian is under the blankets, awaiting my return. I climb in next to him, and, though I want to pull him into my arms, I refrain. I don't want to scare him off. However, soon enough he shifts closer to me, laying his head on my shoulder, and I allow myself to put my arms around him.

"Thanks," he mumbles sleepily. Within a few minutes, soft snores come from him as he finally sleeps peacefully.

So what do you guys think! I look forward to hearing your feedback, so please review!

~TheSongSmith