Nightmares

The silence of night was broken with a gasp.

The noise was not fleeting or forgettable. It was long, drawn out and shuddering, like a man having been kept underwater for far too long. It was a sound borne of fear and relief and self-loathing all in one. And all Gamzee could do was fall into Karkat's waiting arms.

Most nights were like this now. Karkat, with his insomnia, would lie awake and simply wait, the only trouble being that Gamzee would show no outward signs of terror. He would not shake or call out, just remain as mobile and obnoxious a sleeper as ever until the moment came when he would bolt upright and and gasp. A beat or two would pass before the tears came and Gamzee would almost throw himself into Karkat's ready embrace, knowing his lover wouldn't judge him for being so weak, so childish as Gamzee saw it to be.

Karkat could only wait until Gamzee found strength enough to get a hold on himself, until the sobs quieted and the tears ceased as the shoulder of Karkat's shirt grew wetter. It would take the most of an hour, but eventually Gamzee would sniffle and pull away, rubbing his flushed cheeks.

"Nightmares again?" Karkat asked softly, brushing a damp strand of hair from his lover's cheek. Whimpering, Gamzee nodded, his indigo gaze kept focused on the rumpled sheets as he dried his face with shaky fingers. "The killings again...right?" When Gamzee gave no reply, Karkat simply wound their fingers together, stopping the Capricorn from rubbing his face raw.

"That's all made up, Gamzee," he assured the boy, whose breath came heavily, hitching in his chest and leaving him trembling. It was understood the dreams were only dreams, that Gamzee would never do such a horrible thing, but still the terrors plagued him. And then Gamzee would demand only one thing from Karkat, the only thing that kept the Capricorn sane anymore.

"Tell me I'm good."

And Karkat would whisper it over and over, an endless prayer that Gamzee could always believe it, if only for that night. They would lie together, tight in their embrace, and the words would continue on until Karkat found sleep at dawn, long after Gamzee had.