Talk Nerdy to Me

Chapter 25: Permission Granted

Summary:

Ra grants Chris permission to try and chase away the PTSD nightmares, and JYP visits the Zoom lessons.

Notes:

PTSD is a strange disorder. Often being safe, or at least safer, can make the mind to terrible things to itself.

Chapter Text

Chris ended the live, feeling like it had gone well. Many Stay were concerned about his wounds, especially after the interviews in Paris. He had reassured them the wounds themselves weren't serious, and that the bedbug fiasco was a lot worse.

Like Han had feared, however, they had noticed how angry he was. Some had even correctly guessed that he had been in a fight, though over what seemed to be something of a debate. He considered telling them a little more to keep that from spiraling into something else, but rejected it.

The last thing they needed was for Ra's father to put two and two together and realize they were the ones she was traveling with.

He stood and stretched, poking his head into Ra's room through the adjoining door to check on her. She was fast asleep, but mewling pitifully in that soft, breathy voice. Even unconsciously, she tried not to call attention to herself. He hadn't heard it until his head was in the room.

Chris walked up to her bed, crouching down onto his knees next to her. He called out to her softly. She didn't wake. Lost in the dream, he suspected. Debating within himself what to do, he absent-mindlessly touched the back of her hand. Her fingers wrapped around his, slow like a night flower blossoming. Her murmurs stilled.

He let one corner of his lips lift into a little half-smile, looking at how she held his hand in her sleep. Her face had been tense and was now smoothed in rest. His eyes traced her features. Soft, rounded face, fine flyaway hair, a nose that looked amusingly like Felix's, and ears that pointed just slightly, like she'd been a fae in a past life. This close, he could see the dusting of freckles, standing out more in the moonlight than they did in the day.

His eyes dropped down to her lips, parted in sleep. Too easy, she'd noted when she had drawn Felix's lips in the same way. Chris bit his own lower lip. He was usually fairly straightforward in his thoughts, though he did have a bit of anxiety like Han and Ra did. But now they were pinwheeling around in his head like a hamster wheel, running and squeaking in circles, not giving him a moment to grasp hold of them long enough to examine them closely.

His knees were starting to protest crouching. He ran his thumb over the back of Ra's knuckles, and then slid his hand out from her loose grip. She didn't move to take it again, deep in sleep.

Chris would normally stay awake now, working on this project or that. He had enough work to do preparing for comeback. But his eyes felt heavy, and he knew he wouldn't be able to work as tired as he was now. So he walked the expanse across the hotel room adjoining doors, and slid into bed. He was asleep in minutes, his ear perked up to listen for Ra in distress.

The next morning, the sleepy Stray Kids took Ra out onto the streets of Beijing for a true Chinese breakfast at a street vendor. They wandered around together, just taking in the early morning air of a foreign city. Felix and Hyunjin both took to either side of Ra, pointing out shops they would have gone into if they were open yet.

They found a cat that those who weren't allergic petted. Lee Know learned that Ra liked cats (and dogs). She found herself looking through photos of his three cats on his phone as they wandered back to the public transit.

"I miss having pets," Ra admitted as they rode back to the airport. "It's been years."

"What was your last one's name?"