Summary: Struggling to sleep, the reader asks Steven to read to them. When that doesn't work, they cuddle up in bed until they fall asleep in one another's arms.
Tags: fluff, established relationship, pre Moon Knight series, trouble sleeping, mentions of nightmares, cuddles
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The sheets tangled around your limbs, sticking to you no matter how viciously you tried to kick them off. In fact, each attempt to free yourself from the cocoon only seemed to make the matter worse.
When you finally managed to free a foot, the apartment was too hot and stuffy. Opening the window only let in the noise of the city below, taxis constantly honking, drunks crashing into the bins, dogs barking at the moon. Did it never stop?
Throwing your arms onto the pillow, you buried your face in the too-hard cushion and groaned. You just wanted to sleep, needed to if you were to have any chance of making it through your killer shift tomorrow, but the gods of sleep had forsaken you. But at least the sheets smelled good, the comforting scents of your boyfriend - his sweet, soapy shampoo and light aftershave - wrapping around you to bring some comfort to your restless mind.
Not much, but some.
You flipped onto your side, then your back, then back onto your side, growing increasingly more irate. Why couldn't you just sleep, dammit? Frustrated tears pricked at your eyes, another desperate groan filling the otherwise quiet apartment.
Gentle fingers brushed your cheek and you opened your eyes to find Steven crouched at the bedside, concern bleeding from every pore. "Hey." He smiled softly, the action easing a little of the tension from your body. Just being close to him relaxed you. "You alright, love?"
"Can't sleep."
He chuckled to himself, and you hated how sad it sounded. "Couldn't be me, right? I never have that problem."
Shifting on the bed, you sat upright and took in the dark circles under his eyes. You couldn't help but feel a little guilty about that. The last few weeks had been bad for Steven, worse than normal. You'd had to take a trip for work, dragged half way across the country for some convention that would have been better held over Zoom - or not at all - and while you were away his nightmares had come back with a vengeance.
He'd all but refused to sleep since, terrified that his body might wander off in the middle of the night or, worse, that he might accidentally hurt you while sleep walking. No matter how many times you assured him that you would be okay, no matter how many provisions you'd agreed and put into place, Steven still feared what might happen if he let himself sleep.
You patted the space beside you, holding back a laugh as Steven clambered clumsily over you, his body stretched across you and the mattress as he paused to brush the sand from his feet. Co-ordination had never been his strong suit, though it was suffering more and more with each day he went without a proper night's rest, but he soon found his place at your side.
Steven nudged you with his elbow before shuffling closer, turning to rest his chin on your shoulder while his hand reached out to find yours. "Sorry you can't sleep. Will a cuppa help? Some of that nice camomile tea you got me?"
"You finished that yesterday," you pointed out, disappointed because that really did sound good. Making a mental note to get some more the next time you went out for groceries, you leaned into Steven's side and asked, "Maybe you could just read to me, a bit?"
"Think I'll bore you to sleep?"
You frowned. "Of course not. You have a relaxing voice, Steven. I love to listen to you talk."
"Oh, um, thanks. Okay then. Yeah."
He pressed a light kiss to your shoulder, hiding his bashful expression as he shuffled off the bed to grab a few books from his desk. The thick volumes bounced on the mattress before he spread them out between you. It was a wide variety of choices, though that was hardly a surprise. There couldn't be many people in London as well read as Steven, certainly not on such a variety of subjects either. French poetry. The hierarchy of Egyptian Gods. Underwater ecosystem and how best to care for fish. Mythology of Mesopotamia. Landmarks of Europe.
With no real preference, you let him choose and were not surprised when he opened the book about Egyptian gods. He flicked through the pages, revealing highlighted sections and scribbled annotations on the paper's edge, before reaching his last spot. The rest of the books were piled on the bedside table and Steven sat back against the headboard, waiting for you to signal he should start.
You shuffled down, curled comfortably and laying your head in his lap. It was a testament to how far you'd come that he didn't immediately stiffen - always so fearful in the early days of your relationship that he'd do something wrong - and instead let one hand drop to gently trace his fingers down your arm.
Eyes drifting shut, you let the warmth of Steven's body beneath you soothe yours, let the gentle rise and fall of his voice quieten your mind. Despite reading from a textbook, he made it all sound so interesting. His enthusiasm was infectious, and you often found yourself smiling at things you didn't entire understand just because he was so passionate about them.
But the problem was, the longer you listened to Steven read the further sleep seemed. While your body was relaxed, your mind was more alive than ever, drawn into epic family dramas and intrigued by even the most fastidious, overly detailed descriptions of archaeological digs.
"This isn't working, is it?" Steven asked suddenly, apparently more aware of your state than you were.
Rubbing your heavy eyes, you looked up and muttered, "Not really. You're too interesting, Steven. Stop it."
Even from this slightly awkward angle, his shy smile was near blinding. "Maybe you should try counting sheep. That's boring, right?"
"Did that already. Also tried to recite the states in alphabetical order and every James Bond film backwards."
"How many did you do?"
You shrugged. "I don't know. Like three?"
Steven laughed, setting his book aside. "Alright. Time for drastic measures, I think."
You tried to form a protest as he flicked off the lights but he took no notice. Scooting down the bed and beneath the tangled mess of covers, he pulled you against his chest. His deceptively strong arms wrapped their way around you, all encompassing, his heartbeat slow and steady in his chest. "This always helps me sleep, when you do it."
Smiling against the soft fabric of his t-shirt at the admission, you said quietly, "But I always fall asleep when we cuddle, too. Win win for me. Maybe not so much for you."
"Yeah," he confessed. "But you need some shut eye, and I probably do too."
He was worried; you could sense it despite what he claimed. Pulling back just enough to meet his dark gaze in the moon light, you said, "The doors are locked. Anything sharp has been put away. If you do sleep walk tonight, you won't hurt me or yourself. The worst you could do is feed Gus some more or sit and read."
"Can't read in the dark."
"Then you'll turn on a light. I promise nothing bad will happen to you tonight."
"What about the dreams? The nightmares? Can't control those."
You hummed, pulling him closer. "I'll protect you from those, too. If you ever need to wake me up, do it. I'm right here, Steven. Nothing's gonna change that."
It wasn't long before Steven's breath evened out, his chest gently rising and falling against you. You pressed a kiss to his forehead and closed your eyes, finding peace almost immediately and finally falling asleep in the arms of the man you loved.
