"Clay.. Clay.. Clay!.. CLAY—"

He gasped and shot up from where he lay, which was in her bed, finally retreated from the subconscious hell he was put under.

Again. For how many times he'd refused to count.

He took a few deep breaths before wiping the little bit of sweat that had accumulated on his face during his involuntary panicking.

Seconds after that he'd look around almost frantically as if he either lost something, or was longing for something, until he felt a gentle hand rest upon his slightly sweaty one.

And right after that, it's like it all went away.
Simply because he knew exactly who was bringing his hand such warmth.

"It's okay.. you just had another nightmare." 

It'd been nearly a month since the green haired troll had saved his second younger brother with the rest of his brothers, and they were basically reconnected at that point.

But ever since then, he'd been having reoccurring nightmares that he'd thought would have finally stopped since they were all back together, and as of right now he was unsure of how to deal with them.

The only thing that's been getting him through was Viva accompanying him through all of it. At first, it was his own habit of going to her for comfort when it would either get annoying or scary, and eventually it would turn into her just going to stay with him for the night; even if he'd insist that it was okay she wouldn't have it and basically pushed her way inside, wanting to be there through every mumble, sweat and shout.

She'd also refuse to let him sleep in the admin building that he previously claimed as his bedroom anymore and instead in the comfort of her own room, which he honestly didn't complain. Though it was very pink, sugary and sweet, it all reminded him of her.

Breathing and looking much calmer now, he turned his attention over to his healer, who offered him a small but warm smile.

No matter if it made him feel better he still couldn't help but feel like a nuisance.

"Shit.." He ran a hair through his hair that was messier than usual, sighing heavily in the process, "I.. I'm sorry Viv‐"

"Heeeyy hey hey, no no no," She immediately shushed him before turning to reach her hair somewhere to cut on a nearby light; not only to see him better, but to properly identify his expression and body language, which of course was one that she hated to say was slowly dissolving apprehensiveness.

"I don't wanna hear it, it's not your fault."

She also noticed that though his breathing was calm, it was still a little quickened and he'd adjust the tshirt he was wearing every so often. 

He was hot.

She was about to move until she heard his soft and calming voice that delivered the right kind of tingles in her ears.

"I just.." he sighed again, licking his lips before hesitantly meeting her gaze, not wanting her to be able to evaluate how ashamed he was; but he also needed the soothing ease that just looking at her gave him.

"..I don't like putting you through this. Me constantly waking up in the middle of the night and.." he couldn't even get himself to finish as he trailed off and looked to the side.

Viva just studied him for a little and thought of a million things in her head to retort back to him, but the only things doing the talking for her at that moment were her eyes.

Watching his pace of breathing move from slightly slower to quicker as well as his thoughtful staring into space rang a bell in her mind as she finally took her gaze away from him, looking at just about anything in front of her until she finally found the words that she wanted him to hear and pretty much needed.

"..I'm putting myself through this," She replied a little louder, her tired voice becoming more noticeable. 

She then started moving the blanket they were under off of her lap and sat up on her knees, tying her hair into a slightly messy ponytail.

"and I'm not gonna be backing out anytime soon."

Slowly but surely that got him to turn his gaze back towards her, less hesitantly now, watching her sit propped on her knees as she stared back at him with not an upset look, but more of a soft firmness, wanting to show that she meant what she said and was sticking to it.

He looked less strained which made her feel slightly better, and she felt warm in general with how he was just hitting her with the expression of a confused puppy. 

Smiling, she suddenly turned around and climbed off of the bed and down onto the floor, walking out of the room and leaving him there to just drown in his own thoughts once again.

Though fortunately this time.. they were just of pure wonder and reflection. 

He looked down at his hands on the bed and tapped them gently. 

As much as he hated these nightmares, they'd allow him to not even realize, but remember something that had his heart doing a few cartwheels here and there.

Viva was truly something special.

She didn't have to be there with him every night. She could've left at anytime she pleased and just not come back.

But she clearly had a huge spot in her heart for him, considerably just as much as her previously long lost sister and father. Hell, she went through so much he sometimes felt like he didn't even deserve her!

He then thought about how he wouldn't know where he'd be or how he'd be if she hadn't suddenly bumped into him one night and dragged him away from the dangers that were before them, that being their old enemies the Bergens.

He'd thought about how a little after that how she was crying so much because she had just lost two trolls near and dear to her and wasn't sure she'd ever see them again, how he'd comfort her despite only just meeting her and not really knowing how to do that in general, still being young and trying to get an understanding of the new world around him that wasn't his brothers; he was also a child that didn't receive all that much comfort growing up aside from only a few moments where he wasn't to be putting on an act or practice putting on an act for millions of trolls to watch.

But the last thing he wanted to see was someone else in pain, so he did all that he could to reassure her and basically just let her weep in his arms when he couldn't find any other words of comfort, letting his warm embrace do the rest of the talking for him.

It was like that for a while, and eventually she'd begin to do the same for him when he started to feel bad about himself and the situation he was previously in.

He then thought back to now, with how she offered him comfort every night throughout his dastardly nightmares.

They were just.. always there for each other. They were all they had.

Sure, they'd eventually rally up a kingdom of lost trolls who lost their way escaping the bergens as well, but the connection that they'd built with one another was truly different and irreplaceable.

It was.. healing. 

His ear twitched and his thoughts were halted when he heard his companion walk back into the room with a glass of water.

He didn't even realize there was a small smile curved upon his lips until she tilted her head slightly, beginning to smile herself.

"..What?"

"Youuu.. okay?" She asked in a soft voice, chuckling a little, walking to a certain part of the room to flick on a switch.

"Yeeeeeah, why?" 

He let out a soft breath after that as he felt cool air begin to hit him.

She turned on the fan.

"I just saw you smiling," she'd reply as she walked back over to her bed, climbing up the ladder while still holding his water and moved the blankets aside.

She got slightly cozied up before handing him his water and threw the blankets over her as she watched him take a few sips.

"Oh, yeah, I was just–" he shrugged looking down at the cup, tapping his fingers on it, "thinkin about sumn."

"That isss?" She questioned slightly playfully. On one side she was curious, but on another she figured she would continue to try and distract him a little more to help the memory of the nightmare slowly fade away and ease him back into a peaceful slumber.

He shrugged again, the smile involuntarily coming back.

"How pink your room is," he joked, drinking the water.

He was originally going to say her, just her, but something had stopped him from doing so and caused him to change his answer last minute.

This earned him a playful push from his bestest friend as she took the cup from him after he'd hand it to her from finishing.

"It's not just pink and you know it." She teasingly flicked his hair as she watched him stretch, a strained but genuine laugh escaping his lips.

"I know."

After a few minutes of gentle teasing and conversation with one another, Clay decided he was ready to try and go back to sleep, Viva immediately reaching her hair to turn the light back off.

They got cozied up under the blankets and it didn't take them long to begin to doze off at all, being in the comfort of one another's presence.

The green troll felt his body tingle though when he felt hers press into it ever so gently, as well as her arms easing their way around his waist and her face burying into the crook of his neck. 

He opened his eyes ever so slightly to see her peaceful, beautiful face nuzzled into him. 

He allowed his hands to guide themselves around her body as well and pulled her closer almost protectively, pressing his face into her curly, silky hair that smelled as sweet as her.

He felt more than grateful to say hours later that he got through the rest of the night just fine.