dappledleaves | THE WORLD: PSL LIFE

[Sinclair laughs softly, some sense of worry easing out of him.]

Okay. Then...when I'm worried, or anxious...I'll call you first.

Always.

[ Oria squeezes his hand for a moment. He's good at driving with one hand. No big deal. ]

Tell me anything and everything. I'll be here to listen anytime.

[Sinclair squeezes Oria's hand back in turn.]

I will.

[There is so much reassurance in those few words]

[ He likes the reassurance that came out of this and the rest of the drive is full of nice feelings. They can go shopping next time together.

After a day full of "recovery", night falls and it's time to sleep. Sinclair and Oria sleep in Oria's room, in his king-sized bed, snuggling and cuddling to their content. Oria is comfortable sleeping like this. It's just like their time in Fragment, but the warmth is a little more real.

And so are their dreams. ]

[Sinclair had been telling the truth earlier; he had been okay. Time with Oria was always good for chasing those feelings away anyway. But the incident stirred up some buried feelings he didn't know he had been keeping bottled up. There's a grainy photo of him and Oria, take from a far distance. From their skating date at a restaurant.

Then it was a snippet from a news article about the Severine Patriarch he had come across while browsing on his phone, whispers on a buried forum about True Crime cases involving the Sinclairs and...

Bad dreams don't always need a reason. But these small things build, and he finds himself tossing and turning at night.

His dreams are warm at first in an aching sort of way. It's memory of his family. laughing in the kitchen as they rolled dumplings together. Beatrice had smiled at him, asking about Oria, making him stammer and blush until he ran for the door to open it. Oria was coming of course, because it was suppose to be a family dinner--but when he opens the door, Oria falls into his arms covered in burns and blood, and a scream catches in his throat.

"E-Emil..."

Then there's screaming all behind him punctured by a whistle. He turns, shaken..and sees the hallway dyed with blood.

Ah. This was...again. His sister's body rolls down the stairs. His parents' corpses strewn across the floor. And Kromer croons for him, her voice singsong.

"My Sinclair."]

[ Oria eventually wakes due to Sinclair tossing and turning. He can't see anything in the dark and isn't sure why Sinclair is tossing and turning so much, but he wraps an arm around his torso to pull him close to spoon him. ]

[Sinclair will never be able to forget the smell of blood and death. The nightmare takes a turn, reality overlapping with his own fears. Oria's taken away from him, despite his desperation to get him away and Sinclair is just weak and useless and unable to do anything as Kromer promises to cleanse the world.

"Sinclair...you had a chance. How many times must you waste it."

Then he sees that man raise a giant hammer over Oria's head and--

He screams, but nothing comes out.

No. No. No..

Sinclair's eyes snap open, his breathing ragged and shaky as he wakes up to an all too familiar room, with an all familiar presence wound around him, a strangled scream caught in his throat.]

O...Oria...?

Mm... I'm here, Emil.

[ Oria buries his face into the nape of Sinclair's neck, quietly breathing in and out normally in comparison to Sinclair's. ]

I'm here... it'll be okay.

[Sinclair swallows, reaching down to press his hands over Oria's, and feel anchored and secure. His skin is a little clammy, and he feels cold, despite Oria's arms around him]

Is it...? Are you really...?

[He can't calm his heart at all, even as he tries to focus on the pattern of Oria's breaths]

[ Despite the clamminess, Oria keeps his arms around Sinclair. It looks like he had a nightmare and Oria will do his best to make him feel safe and secure again when he's here. ]

I'm real.

[ He says very firmly, lightly pinching Sinclair's stomach over the shirt. ]

You're cold, so I'll warm you up too.

Hey. [Sinclair squirms a little at the pinch, more for the sake of squirming than actually feeling anything. He exhales softly, shivering a little as he tries to turn into Oria's hold. He needs to see and touch Oria for himself]

It really is cold...

[ Oria lets Sinclair turn in his hold, and gives him small kisses all over his face. Oria isn't much warm himself, but that's normal. ]

Is it warmer now...?

[ He speaks with a near drawl because he just woke up, and nuzzles a little into the side of his face. ]

A little bit...

[Sinclair cups Oria's face, leaning in for those small kisses. Ah. Warm. Breathing. Real. His breathing is steadier now but his heart is still racing. And if Oria kisses Sinclair's forehead, he'll probably realise it's a lot warmer than usual]

[ He wants to give more affection, so he gives a kiss on the forehead too. It's just that... it's a lot warmer than the other areas and it stands out because Sinclair said it was cold despite everything. He's definitely awake now. ]

... Emil, I think you're getting a fever.

Am I...? [Sinclair curls his fingers against Oria's shirt, clinging stubbornly] I don't get sick.

[Well, not in recent years, really]

Your forehead feels really warm. It could be due to stress too.

[ Oria sounds worried in the dark. ]

I can grab a thermometer real quick... but I don't think you'd want me to leave. Well, I don't want to either.

Don't go.

[That gets Sinclair extra clingy, and he hugs Oria a little more tightly. He doesn't want to be alone right now]

'm fine. Haven't had fevers since I was like. Ten.

[ Oh.

Well, he definitely can't leave Sinclair alone now. Thermometer can always be obtained later. ]

Alright, I wont. You're a healthy guy, so you'll be fine...

[ With the free hand, he gently pats Sinclair's back. ]

[ Sinclair nods, burrowing his face into the curve of Oria's shoulder. Enjoy the koala Oria.]

Mm. Perfectly normal. Temperature is your imagination.

[ He's still cold though]

I wouldn't say it's my imagination, but you're still a bit cold otherwise.

[ Sinclair clings onto him more than Oria expected. He... doesn't hate this, actually. He continues to gently rub his back. ]

So I'll keep warming you up.

[Sinclair nods a little, letting the cadence of Oria's breathing settle his own heart. It's nice that Oria is letting him cling so much.]

Your warmth is nice...

[Even if Sinclair is both hot and cold. It's a pain]

Right? I like yours too. You feel like a fire in a cozy fireplace sometimes.

[ Oria kisses the side of Sinclair's head. ]

[Sinclair hums with tired laughter, resting a hand against Oria's chest. Warm. Steady. He could feel Oria's heart beat like this]

Do I? That's good...not too warm I hope.

[ Oria's heart beats steady—a little slower than average, but it's steady. Sinclair should know that this is normal. ]

Very cozy and comfortable. If I could, I would hug you all day.

[It's comforting; just that slightest bit off from the norm that reassures Sinclair this is real]

Mm? I'd like that. Even if it makes me sound like an oversized teddy bear.

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