Family Comes First- ASOUE

Chapter 87: Just a Bad Dream

*No POV*

"Don't keep the devil waiting, old friend."

Jacques shot up in bed, waking up in a cold sweat. He groaned and raised up two hands, rubbing at his temples. He hated night terrors. They were always just replays of horrible moments in his life that seemed to last eternally, and sometimes he would have given everything to have the cliche, childish ones people would talk about in some books he'd read. Anything to escape the reminder that it could be argued he was living a nightmare.

The Baudelaires and the Quagmires had been safe on the Queequeg for a week now, and the small group that had been working in their favor on land would be starting on their arrangements this week, now that the issue of Count Olaf was dealt with. Permanently, that is. Just another unfortunate event adding to the growing catalog of possible nightmares, another piece of evidence towards the hypothesis that life sucked.

"... Sweetie?" He heard beside him. Jacques lowered his hands into his lap, a smile forming on his exhausted features. There were definitely some points that proved his pessimistic theory wrong, and Olivia Caliban was a strong and wonderful point.

"Did I wake you?" He asked. "I'm sorry, pum'kin."

"Oh, no, you didn't wake me..." Olivia said. She sat up too and gently grabbed one of his hands, kissing his knuckles lightly. "Are you alright? You look tense."

"Just a bad dream..." He mumbled, pulling his hand out of hers and pulling her close like a teddy bear.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can go make you some tea; I know it calms you down." She tried to get up, but Jacques pulled her back down towards him and rested his head on top of hers.

"Please don't go... Just... Stay. A little longer."

There was a long silence, but it calmed him down immensely. He buried his face into her neck. "I wouldn't want to trouble you with making me tea anyways..." He mumbled.

"Nonsense," she insisted. "If it'll make you feel better, I will gladly make you a cup. If you don't wanna be alone you can come with me."

He chuckled, lifting his head up and resting his chin on her shoulder. "I'm a grown up, I can be left alone, Livie... I just needed to hold you a little more. Since you're so insistent on the tea, I'd like some though..."

She smiled and kissed his temple. "Let me up then... I'll be back as quickly as possible, Honeypie." She said, shutting the door behind her.

Jacques sighed. He was lucky to have her, no doubt about it. Nobody was able to make him as calm as she could in such a quick amount of time. She was so understanding and helped him when he got like this. Olivia seemed to fit into his life like a puzzle piece. It was just perfect, and he wouldn't know where he would be without the sweet librarian. What kind of life would he be leading if he wasn't waiting for his girlfriend to come back with some tea and hugs to calm him down from a night terror? He didn't want to know, and never wanted to find out.

He dug into the back of his nightstand's drawer, pulling out a small box and opening it just to look at the ring inside of it. It was elegant and just modest-looking enough to not have her freak out about how 'unimaginably expensive' it must've been. It was absolutely perfect, much like her. When he thought that he never wanted to find out about life without her, he meant it.

The engagement ring was put away by the time she returned with two cups of tea, and the two leaned against eachother as they drank in comfortable silence. Once they finished the cups, Olivia put them on her nightstand, assuring him that they'd wash them tomorrow and that he was more important to her. They laid back down, snuggled up in eachother as she murmured little words of encouragement and love to him.

"Pum'kin?" He asked when she started fidgeting with his hands silently.

"Yeah-hmm?" She hummed.

"We should go on a picnic date sometime. I know you like picnics..."

Olivia giggled. "That I do... It sounds very fun. Let's talk about that more tomorrow. Get some sleep, handsome. I'll always be right here..."