The dream left Nell shaken.
She woke with a start, her heart pounding, the echoes of that strange nightmare still clinging to her mind. Darkness had surrounded her, pulling her under, and no matter how hard she reached for Callen, she couldn't grasp his hands. The sensation of falling had been so real that she had woken up gasping, her body tense with unease.
For a moment, she lay in bed, trying to shake the feeling. But the quiet of the unfamiliar house only made it worse.
Without really thinking, she got up, padding softly toward the living room.
Callen was right where she had expected him to be, sitting on the couch, a book resting open on his lap. He looked up as she entered, immediately noticing something was off.
"You okay?" His voice was low, laced with concern.
Nell hesitated for only a second before she nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. "Yeah… just a weird dream."
Callen didn't look convinced. He gestured toward the couch beside him. "C'mon, sit."
She didn't argue.
As she settled down next to him, he studied her face. "Bad one?"
She let out a breath, nodding. "It was… strange. I was being pulled into darkness, and you were reaching for me, but I couldn't grab your hands. I kept falling, and then—" She exhaled sharply. "Then I woke up."
Callen watched her for a moment before he shifted, draping a warm, steady arm around her shoulders.
"You're not falling anywhere," he murmured, his voice reassuring.
Something about the quiet certainty in his tone made her let out a small breath of relief.
She didn't realize how much she had needed that comfort until she instinctively leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder.
Callen didn't hesitate. He just tightened his arm around her, anchoring her in the moment.
After a beat of quiet, he glanced at the book still open in his lap.
"Want me to read to you?" he asked softly.
Nell lifted her head just enough to meet his eyes, something flickering in her expression. He remembered how much she had enjoyed it the other night, how it had relaxed her, and from the way her body was still tense against him, he had a feeling she needed that again.
"Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Callen didn't say anything else. He just shifted slightly so she could get comfortable against him again before he picked up where he had left off, his voice low and steady as he read.
It didn't take long. Within minutes, Nell's breathing evened out, her body relaxing completely against him.
Callen kept reading for a little while longer, even after he was sure she had fallen asleep.
And when he finally set the book down, he just held her a little closer, watching over her as she slept.