DC Headcanon's 6: Sparkle Sparkle!

Nightmares

Georgia shot up in bed, panting hard and looking wildly around his room.

He wasn't in a cell, disguised as a lounge room, or mocked by Union soldiers that all the roads were blocked going out of Atlanta so his husband and children were likely dead.

He was home, in his room in the Statehouse, the room he shared with Kentucky.

Georgia tried to control his breathing as he looked around the room to re-center himself; in the background he could hear a shower running, signaling Kentucky was up and getting ready for work. DC was asleep in one of his boyfriend's rooms, and IDC was in Washington, probably still asleep before getting up for the day ahead.

They were safe. They were all safe.

The southern state sighed and reached up to his chest touching the two pieces of metal hanging from his neck. He felt the raised writing on the tags and looked down to catch the words in the early morning sunlight.

Wright, Daniel

Kentucky County, Virginia

Troop 029

Kentucky always hated his dog tags, received years after he was last a soldier, right before the Civil War. It reminded him of fighting, being surrounded by death, and destruction all in the name of freedom. He always kept the tags hidden, until he attempted to leave Georgia before Atlanta burned, when he gave the tags to his husband as a reassurance that he would be okay.

Georgia had worn them ever since.

The shower snapped off, as Georgia fingered the tags. He didn't know what triggered the dream, the memory of being trapped and mocked that his family was dead. He felt hopeless, if they had let him go he would've done something drastic not wanting to face life without Kentucky or the twins. The only thing that kept him alive when he was trapped was the younger southern states, confused and frightened about being locked up, playing father to them in an attempt to fill the void his family left.

Georgia heard the electric razor turn on and he laid back down in bed. They were alive, they were fine. DC was with a boyfriend, IDC was in Washington, Kentucky was in the bathroom shaving. They didn't die, they were alive, his family was safe.

The bathroom door opened, and Georgia quickly pretended to be asleep as Kentucky walked out, sitting on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on. Georgia couldn't help himself and leaned over, resting his head against Kentucky's back. He smelled the musty body wash from Lush his husband liked buying, the flowery shampoo drifting from Kentucky's hair, and the slightest whiff of bourbon and smoke filling Georgia's senses.

"Don't go." Georgia whimpered.

"I gotta love, we got cars to fix." Kentucky whispered, putting his shoes on, then leaning back to drape an arm around his husband's torso. His eyes fell on the dog tags resting against his chest.

"I wish you'd stop wearing those." Kentucky whispered.

"They remind me of you." Georgia said with a smile touching Kentucky's cheek. He moved his hand up to Kentucky's wet hair patting the swoop style his husband always did, his favorite.

"Try to get some more sleep." Kentucky whispered. Georgia hummed and looked down sadly, his chest feeling hollow. He wanted to tell husband about his nightmares, but they didn't compare to the PTSD Kentucky had from both wars and living through the Civil War. Georgia felt his head tilted up, and Kentucky softly kissed him, the southern man humming happily against his lips. He could taste the toothpaste his husband used, and whined at the loss of his lips.

"I'll be home soon." Kentucky announced. With one final kiss, Kentucky finally left, leaving his husband alone in their room. Georgia laid back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling as it filled with early morning light. He fingered the dog tags and looked out the window that faced the backyard.

He felt so empty.