He was having a bad dream again. Mark was sure of it. It was the tragically familiar tossing and turning that had first dragged him from the clutches of sleep, and he could now feel the small body against his chest writhing as whimpers emitted from under the covers. He sighed anxiously as he tried to cup his small friend against his chest, gently smothering the fidgets. "Shh..." He rubbed the borrower's tiny back. "It's okay... It's okay..." He heard a whimper, and after a little more fidgeting the form under the covers suddenly jolted and bolted upright with a gasp of terror.

But Mark was ready for it. He quickly pulled back the covers and wrapped his arms around the little guy, shushing and gently murmuring as the lithe chest heaved against his radius. "It's okay, it was just a bad dream... It didn't happen. You're okay, Ethan, you're safe..." The young borrower trembled as tears glistened in his wide eyes. He flinched at first when Mark touched his head with his fingertip, but then he sat still and started to cry a little as Mark tenderly ran his finger through the little borrower's fluffy hair.

"It's okay," Mark kept murmuring, "You're safe now." He snuggled the small miracle of life to his broad chest. "No one's going to get you. Not while I'm around." Ethan sniffled and nuzzled Mark's hand. Mark smiled softly and cupped his hand over his tiny friend, offering as much of a sense of security as he could.

Eventually, Ethan's frightened sniffles slowed, gently subsiding into the cold darkness. He still shivered, pressing against his gargantuan friend as he quivered and refused to look around. Mark gently ruffled the borrower's hair again, and slid his fingers up and down the scrawny back.

"You wanna tell me what happened this time?" He murmured. Ethan shook his head, not budging. "... Was it the cage again?" A hesitant bob of acknowledgement. Mark sighed sadly and turned over on his side, embracing the poor young boy to his chest. "It's alright. You're not in that awful place anymore," he murmured, "You're in LA, here, with me and Amy." Ethan gave a timid nod, but he still refused to remove his head from Mark's shirt. He gripped the fabric in tiny fists, refusing to budge even if Mark tried to move him. But Mark didn't. He simply exhaled quietly and resumed stroking the small borrower. But the poor little guy was still shooketh.

"You want in the pocket?" Mark offered gently. Ethan hesitated, and then he poked his head up at Mark with wide, shimmering eyes.

"... Y-yeah," he said in a small, frail voice. Mark smiled kindly.

"Alright." He turned back over on his backside and carefully moved his hands away. Ethan sniffled and crawled up to the pocket over Mark's heart, and he wordlessly slipped inside and curled up at the bottom. The huge, booming heart beneath him made him rise and fall with each beat, but something seemed to change. The borrower slowly relaxed with each ba-bump, and his tightly balled figure slumped into a loose curl. His muscles relaxed, and he out a small sigh as he finally melted into his safe haven. He was warm on all sides, comfortable, and he felt completely safe. No nightmares from the past could reach him here. He felt Mark put his huge hand over the pocket and smiled, welcoming the gentle pressure that reminded him that he wasn't alone. He had Mark, he had Amy, and he even had two of their friends and Chica the sweet doggo to keep him company. Chica was asleep in her dog bed, and Kathryn and Tyler were left to their own devices, and Amy was asleep still... but there was one person Ethan knew he could trust, as his eyelashes drooped sleepily over his eyes, and he felt the lull of sleep calling him once more.

And that person was his best friend.

Mark let out a relieved sigh as he felt Ethan relax and go still. It worked every time. He was still concerned about Ethan's rough dreams, and he could only hope that they would stop plaguing the poor boy. I hope he doesn't have to live like this for the rest of his life, Mark worried. The poor borrower was broken at such a young age, and if it hadn't been for Mark...

Well, some things are best meant to be forgotten.

He slowly pulled the covers back up and closed his eyes. He felt Ethan shift just a small bit, but he put his hand back over the tiny form and murmured, "Go back to sleep..."