Protected

Chapter 2

                                                                                   * Dean's POV *

The sound of quiet whimpers wake me from a dreamless sleep. I slip quietly out of the stiff bed and make my way to the couch where Livi is thrashing in her sleep, tears staining her face as she flinches. 

Something in the back of my mind shifts, and I feel immediately, and strangely, protective of the small girl. I place my hand on her shoulder to wake her. She jolts up, her eyes watery and wide. She shifts her gaze to me, an embarrassed blush bringing color to her wet cheeks. Livi turns away from me and brings her hands to her face, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

"Livi, are you okay?" I know it's a stupid question to ask, but the way she looks at me now drew the question from me. She shakes her head and pulls the blanket up to her chin, clutching it in her small hands so tightly that her knuckles turn white. Impulsively, I sit beside her and pull her closer to me. To my surprise, she willingly moves to me and crawls up into my lap, resting her head in the crook of my neck. I can feel her shake as she cries, and I don't quite understand why, but a strong sense of sadness overwhelms me. Seeing her like this hurts me, although we haven't known one another for more than a few hours. I wrap my arms around her, stroking her hair softly. She feels like a child in my arms. A child who needs to be protected. 

"What's wrong, Livi?" Her name slips easily out of my mouth. I feel Livi tense under my arms, but she doesn't pull away. I silently curse myself for asking yet another stupid question as Livi buries her face deeper into the crook of my neck. 

"I-I had a bad dream," she whimpers, her breath warm against my skin. Her words are shaky and she speaks like a little girl, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I hate to think this way when Iv'e only just met her, but it's adorable. It makes me want to protect her. To care for her. 

"Awe, it's okay now, I'm here, you're okay," I rub her back softly to comfort her. She sighs and shifts her weight to get more comfortable, drawing an involuntary groan from my lips. The red-headed girl giggles quietly and tugs at the ends of my hair. I bite my lip to keep from reacting. 

"My dream was really scary..." her mood plummets instantly, and she tightens her arms around my shoulders. 

"What was it about, dear?" I ask as gently as I can. She whimpers and moves closer to me. 

"Do-Do I have to, Dean? It was really scary.." She shudders against me and shifts again, this time more uncomfortably. I nod against her and sigh. 

"I can't help if I don't know what happened," I rub her back steadily to ease her as she begins to tell me about the nightmare, the lisp of a young child painting her words. I clench my hands into fists, gripping the fabric of her shirt as she tells me about the man who made her life hell. I hate that someone as fragile as her had to go through something like that, even in a nightmare. She finishes her story with glassy eyes. I frown and gently push her back until she is looking straight at me . 

"Livi, I promise, as long as I'm here, you'll be safe. I'll protect you." I gently brush her tangled hair from her face. She leans into my hand and closes her eyes. With the pad of my thumb, I wipe the last of tears from her face. She smiles weakly and rests her head back in its place in the crook of my neck. I hear a small yawn escape her lips, although she does her best to hide it. A smile finds its way onto my own lips and settles on my face. She's adorable. No denying it. 

"Livi?" I ask through my smile. "Are you getting tired?" I stroke her hair, easing back into a steady rythym. Livi shakes her head and blinks against my skin.