Reyes house, Late Night, Christmas Eve, El Paso Texas

[heromaniac]

The nightmare started out as the usual kind: Momoko walking down the streets of the city, any city, every city... except everyone is gone and all over the city streets are scrawls in paint, blood, or ash, "Where are you Blossom?" "Why did you leave?" "Save us" "We are dying" and more. She sees tattered clothes on lines, drapes fluttering through

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[weldedtomyspine]

"It's not," a soft voice said from the doorway. Jaime was leaning against the doorjamb. Who knew how long he'd been standing there?

[heromaniac]

Momoko started at the sudden reply, then turned to give him an embarrassed smile. "Well. The only thing better than a gift in a big box is one in a small box."

"Did I wake you?" She patted the seat next to her.

[weldedtomyspine]

"You should have," Jaime answered, walking slowly over to sit next to her and settle an arm across her shoulders. "Khaji'Da said you had elevated stress levels."

[heromaniac]

"Nightmares, Khaji'Da, but thank you for telling him." She leaned into Jaime. "I wanted to, but I wasn't sure that knocking on your door wouldn't wake anyone else."

[weldedtomyspine]

"It would have been okay." Jaime smiled. "They would have understood, you know." He leaned over and lightly kissed her hair.

"Wanna talk about it?"

[heromaniac]

"I know they'd understand, but it's impolite to wake people in the middle of the night. Especially Christmas night. Even if you don't have Santa here." Which she still thought was sad.

"The usual. Me not getting to places in time. Empty towns and people I didn't save." Momoko sighed and relaxed against him. "Tonight the starring roles were memories of Glacia, though, so they were extra bad. Probably because of last weekend."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime shifted slightly, tugging Momoko into his lap and wrapping his arms around her. before resting his chin on her shoulder. "You know what you're always telling me when I have those thoughts," he said softly, knowing that the words never meant for much comfort.

[heromaniac]

"Yeah."

Not your fault. You do what you can but you can't save the world. Everyone has a time. Heroes aren't just people who do, they're also people who just try. If you saved one person, that's more than would have been saved without you. No one blames you, not even the dead.

"You know what you're always feeling when I tell you those things." Momoko snuggled into him. "I think I feel worse about them this time because I'm not 'working' right now. Like I've run away again."

[weldedtomyspine]

"You never run away," he said softly, nuzzling lightly at her hair. "Too brave for that."

He sighed. "Sorry I haven't been more help on that front."

[heromaniac]

"I don't run away now. But I did." That had been one of her nightmares on the island, the time she'd run from stopping Him. "And it's not your fault my costume is being crazy."

...

"At least," she teased, "it better not be you trying to keep me 'safe'."

[weldedtomyspine]

"That would be very nefarious of me," Jaime chuckled. Then, more seriously, "But I know how horrible it's making you feel, and I wouldn't do that to you."

[heromaniac]

"I know. And it's slowing down on the changes, so I have hope that it's almost done deciding. Thank you for not laughing at the things it's tried."

[weldedtomyspine]

He couldn't help a little smile there. "Not in front of you, at least," he teased gently.

[heromaniac]

"Hey!" she squeezed him for that. "You didn't seem to mind the time it made me wear the stockings."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime grinned. Warmly. "I never mind when you wear stockings."

"Though that time with the corset looked a bit uncomfortable." But, well, pretty hot.

[heromaniac]

"Oh, now you're sympathetic about that," she snorted... though the sarcasm was a little muted by the pleased note in her voice.