Nightmares are FUN.

[thornofcamorr]

mmLocke is dreaming. Who knows what brought it on - the arrival of the twins, maybe just restlessness, maybe the magic Jaenelle used on him, but it’s a dream nonetheless. Bug’s standing there. Bug. Bertilion Gadek, with a crossbow bolt through his neck. “Locke,” he says in a hoarse voice, a dead voice. “Locke, save me. We’re Gentlemen Bastards. We

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[cursed_bent]

Valen reenters the room through the window, expecting Locke to still be asleep. He freezes for just a moment when he sees Locke wrapped in the blankets, shivering, then jumps forward. "Locke, are you all right?" He wraps his arms around Locke through the blankets, pulling him to his chest and rubbing his shoulders to warm him up.

[thornofcamorr]

Locke leans back into him, eyes haunted a little bit, still shaking viciously. "I - shit. I don't know. Nightmares. Damn fucking nightmares."

Even his voice is a little wobbly, and he hates it.

[cursed_bent]

Valen leaves off rubbing his shoulders and just holds him as tight as he can, nearly pulling Locke into his lap because he's big enough to do that. "It's over now," is all he says.

[thornofcamorr]

Locke very nearly clings to him, though he's doing his best not to. "For now. Gods. It's my fault, it's my fucking fault they're all dead, damn me-"

[cursed_bent]

"Two of them are here, you told me yourself." He kisses the side of Locke's head, and for a brief moment is glad that this happened now and not while Locke was still too injured to move much. "Did you actually see the others dead yourself?"

[thornofcamorr]

"Bug's dead," weakly. "Jean - gods, I don't know, I don't know what happened to Jean." He shivers again. "It's my job to protect them. I was supposed to protect them. And I fucked it up and they died."

[cursed_bent]

"Then he could still be alive." He holds Locke more tightly. "Never believe that someone is dead until you've seen the body or they might prove you wrong."

[thornofcamorr]

"Gods - at least there can be one life I didn't end by my stupidity."

[cursed_bent]

"It sounds to me like things would have ended badly no matter what you did, maybe worse. At least you made it out. He probably did, too."

[thornofcamorr]

Locke leans back into him, trying to stop shaking. "I hate this," in a slightly weak voice.

[cursed_bent]

"Yeah, I know." He wants to do something to help but he has no idea what would help. So he just pulls him close, presses his cheek to the top of Locke's head, and holds him tight.

[thornofcamorr]

Honestly, neither does Locke. Other than getting drunk, and he's not even sure that would until the passing out point, which he's not in the mood for. He makes a face and sighs, trying to regain himself a little bit. "Gods, I'm sorry. Melting all over you. Feel like an idiot."

[cursed_bent]

"It's all right," Valen assures him, kissing his hair. "You should try to get some rest, some real rest. You'll feel better." And claustrophobia or not, Valen isn't going anywhere the rest of the night.

[thornofcamorr]

He takes a deep, shuddery breath. "What if they come back?"

Locke can deal with most things. But not the nightmares, not when he can't escape from them.

Locke will be a little angry and a little touched when or if he finds that out.

[cursed_bent]

"I'll be here," he says. "I'll try to wake you up." He rubs Locke's back comfortingly.

[thornofcamorr]

He tenses. "You need to be outside, don't you?"

But it's not as firm as he wants it to be. It's awfully distracting to have Valen there and being so ...Valen.