Let It Be Your Shirt (Story 3 of Sev & M)

Chapter 4

Marcus stopped a block and a half away from the apartment. It was the second time this week he had stalked out of it and away from Severine. He kicked the brick wall beside him, cursing. It was stupid to be jealous of Nora and yet he couldn't help it. Since they had told Nora the truth about themselves she had seemed to get a sixth sense and was able to pick up on their emotions as easily as they could each other. Or maybe they had just been friends long enough now that they could read each other easily. Regardless Nora was Severine's best friend. And it's only natural to tell your best friend everything...right? He sighed, kicked the wall again, and started walking. A dark thought started to rise to the surface and no matter how fast he walked it wouldn't sink back down.

Maybe he hadn't shown Severine that he cared enough. They didn't argue often but they had been through an excessive amount of stressful situations together. He had thought he was doing enough: reminding Severine he could tell him anything, being there when he woke up from the nightmares, constant little gestures of affection, but maybe that wasn't enough. Maybe Severine needed more than that. Something more permanent. He stopped walking, a new thought playing over and over again in his mind. After a moment he smiled to himself, turned back towards the apartment and practically sprinted back to Severine.

When he got back to the apartment the lights were off in the kitchen and living room, he had thought Severine would still be curled up on the couch but it was empty. He checked the bathroom and Severine's room but they were empty as well. His room was the only place left. He pushed the door open and saw a lump on his bed, a cover over it steadily rising and falling. Walking over slowly he saw Severine was curled up in the middle of the bed. Moving the covers back he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Severine had ditched his work clothes for pajama bottoms and one of Marcus's hoodies. Severine stirred.

"I'm sorry."

The smile fell from his face. Severine had been having nightmares infrequently since the incident but they hadn't been bad enough for him to call out or talk.

"M...Marcus, I'm sorry," Severine shivered in his sleep, burying his head into the arm of Marcus's hoodie.

His heart stopped and he sank down next to the bed. Him? Severine was having a nightmare about him? He reached out and grabbed Severine's shoulder with a trembling hand.

"Severine, wake up!" he said, shaking his shoulder roughly.

To his surprise Severine buried his head into the sleeve of his hoodie again then shook it and looked up. He blinked at him sleepily several times then rubbed his eyes. He must have just started dreaming, normally it took several attempts to wake him.

"M, you're back," he said, a note of surprise in his voice.

Marcus cupped his cheek in one hand. "Of course I'm back. I will always come back."

"Why are you shaking? What happened?" Severine asked.

"I'm sorry Sev. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have stormed out like that. I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at myself. I never meant to make you think I was mad at you," he said.

"I did think you were mad at me at first but after you left and I thought about it, I realized why you were mad. I should have come to you sooner with what was going on. I'm sorry," Severine said.

"You were just starting to have a nightmare when I came in. You were stuttering my name and saying sorry, like you do when you dream about your father and it damn near stopped my heart. I never thought I would be the cause of one of your nightmares," he started, "I don't ever want to be the cause of one of your nightmares. I promise I'll try better keep my jealousy to a minimum and not storm out of situations anymore."