My Protector

You're Kidding, Right?

POV: Catie

I frantically shake Kate in attempt to wake her up, because she is screaming and kicking in her sleep. A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she stopped moving in her sleep.

"C-atie..." She mumbled my name in her sleep.

"Kate, wake up! I'm here and you're okay!" I shook her again. I know how nightmares can be, and I sure as hell don't want her to go through that. I sat her up and pulled her onto my lap as I continued my attempt to wake her up. I felt her shift in her sleep. "Kate wake up baby! Wake up, I'm here, you're safe." I played with her hair as she woke up fully. She clutched onto my sports bra straps as she buried her face into my shoulder. "It was just a dream, don't worry. You're okay." I said quietly to her as she cried in my shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her in a soothing voice.

She shook her head no in my shoulder.

"Will you want to talk about it in the morning?" I whispered.

She did her best to shrug her shoulders as she trembled in my arms.

"Okay, will you be able to go back go sleep?" I asked another question as I rubbed her back.

She shook her head no.

"Okay, I'll stay up with you. Do you want to watch a movie?"

"You need sleep though. You can't stay up. But yes, I will watch a movie to take my mind off of whatever that was." She mumbled in my shoulder as she did her best to keep her tears to a minimum.

"If you're in a state like this. I'll be damned if I fall asleep. It ain't gonna happen, so how about a movie? Whatever movie you want to watch." I rubbed her arm soothingly. "Want a Disney one?"

She nodded her head yes in my shoulder, obviously giving up arguing with me because I'm as stubborn as a mule, so I put a pillow behind my back and pulled her to my chest and draped her legs over my lap so she was practically laying on top of me, but not quite.

I grabbed my Xbox controller off my nightstand and turned the console on so I can play a movie for my Kate. I can feel her tears on my bare shoulder, so I lifted her head up with a finger and looked her dead in the eyes as I looked for answers.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." She looked away from me, breaking the direct eye contact.

"Don't be, I'd do anything for you, and if this is what it takes to keep your mind off of things and make you feel safe, I'll do it." I gave her a sad smile, my voice still raspy from just waking up.

"Careful with that look you give, it steals heart beats." She gave me a sad smile and kissed my cheek before leaning back to look my in the eyes. Her cheeks still had tear stains painted on them, so I carefully wiped them off before kissing the last one away.

She smiled and buried her head back into my shoulder after I wiped her tears, but her face was facing the TV so she could watch the movie even though I know good and well that she is not focused on the movie, she's focused on her nightmare, but I know that I can get her to fall back to sleep if I play with her hair and rub her back. It works like a charm. "Why do you care this much?" She whispered, breaking the silence.

"Because I love you." I whispered back without thinking. Welp, might as well say it if it's true.

"Why do you love me?" She questioned. "I'm not a very lovable person."

"I can't explain it. Every one of your imperfections makes you more perfect for me. You make me fall deeper everyday though, just by doing the little things too. I stay up with you because I love you and you mean so much to me, never forget that. Yes, we've been together for a few weeks, but I don't care. I know that I love you." I kissed her forehead after speaking.