Reaper's Pet

Chapter 12

"Hey, wake up," she heard a familiar voice say as she tossed in her sleep, pressing the panda tightly against her chest, trying to escape the nightmare. "Willow, wake up!" Opening her eyes, she sat up abruptly with a gasp seeing Jack beside her bed.

His bare chest glistened in the darkness from sweat and his eyes where bewildered as he looked at her, still breathing abnormally. She could still feel her own heart racing, and her breath came in uneven bursts.

"What?" She yawned, her voice thick with sleep, as she slowly relaxed her grip on the stuffed panda, wondering if he had a nightmare. "You okay?"

His eyes widened for a second.

"am I okay? it's your nightmare who woke me up," he mumbled scratching his neck as he looked down as he tried to calm his breathing. "I can't sleep when you keep waking me with your fear, so scoot over." Before he got a chance to pull up the cover she pointed at the bathroom.

"You're not getting into my bed drenched in sweat like that," She yawned, guessing he had one of his own but felt it was easier blaming it on hers, which was fine if it meant he asked for help. Peter had done the same when he was afraid after a movie or game, saying he would sleep with her since she was afraid and he would protect her instead of just admitting it. Somewhere in the back of her head she knew she was allowing a guy to sleep in her bed, but the fact he was clearly this out of it made her ignore it.

Jack didn't argue but followed her out to the bathroom where she placed him gently on the chair and found a cloth. Drenching it in cold water she turned with a yawn and was suddenly really aware of the fact Jack was only wearing sweatpants and was finally starting to breathe normally. And the fact she had been really close to wipe him down herself in her drowsy state. Looking down she handed him the cloth and with red cheeks took a step back.

It's cause you promised Ian to help, and it's clear he's afraid she said to herself while waiting for him to do it. She noticed he had trouble reaching certain parts of his back and with a shaky exhale, she took the cloth from him. With trembling fingers, she carefully guided the cloth over his smooth, toned back, doing her best to focus on the task at hand.

So not the time to see him in this light she thought banging herself in the head mentally before mumbling he should probably get something to drink too.

"Why are you acting like I'm the one who need help when you where the one having a nightmare?" He mumbled, rubbing the scar in his palm, but did as she said as she reached him the glass she had by the sink.

"It's way too late to argue, please just do it, for me." She mumbled, before yawning loudly as he took a sip.

Exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open, they shuffled back to her bed. Willow felt herself being gently pushed across the mattress, and she managed to slip under the covers with a heavy sigh.

"scoot over," Jack mumbled as he settled under the covers beside her. She tried to pull her feet away from his, as they brushed against hers.

"You're freezing!" she mumbled wishing she had more clothes on than her t-shirt and shorts as he cuddled into her back again.

"I'm death, what did you expect?" he mumbled softly, his breath tickling her ear. She turned her head to look at him, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. His scent of peppermint enveloped her senses before she quickly averted her gaze. "I'm not gonna do anything, I promise." His voice was soothing and reassuring.

"Just try and get some sleep," she yawned, glancing at the watch on the nightstand that indicated it was almost four in the morning. She closed her eyes, attempting to drift off, as Jack's breathing finally had become steady. However, it wasn't long before his peaceful breathing turned into restlessness. He began to toss and turn, his hands reaching out as if searching for something, or someone. Opening her eyes, Willow observed the rapid movement beneath his closed eyelids, accompanied by quickened breathing and whimpering sounds. She remembered Ian's explanation about Jack's nightmares and was surprised over how bad it actually seemed to be. Gently, she brushed a lock of hair away from his forehead. His hand shot out and grasped hers, holding it tightly as if seeking comfort in his unconscious state. "Jack it's okay," she mumbled unsure what to do other than letting him hold onto her hand. "I'm here, I'm right here, you're okay" She slowly inched closer, ignoring the trashing and placed her other hand on his chest for a second before with a nervous sigh pulled him closer, gently rubbing his back. It took only seconds for him to not trash around in her arms and his breathing slowly went back to normal, and she let out her breath.