{ 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 }

29

Elio woke up to tossing and turning.

His vision adjusted to the darkness and he watched as Oliver's face frowned in his sleep.

He began mumbling and groaning, asking for help every so often.

Elio grabbed onto his hand, drawing circles on his hand. "I'm here baby," He whispered as he sling his other arm around his waist for comfort.

Oliver, still in what seemed to be a nightmare, grabbed onto Elio's figure and clung onto him.

"Elio."

It pained the younger to hear such a desperate call for him. He didn't want to ask what had happened in the year he was gone, but the more he spent time with Oliver, the harder it became to keep his curiosity from surfacing.

Elio didn't like being the rock of the relationship. He didn't quite understand how Oliver ever did it before he left. Elio was emotional and irrational, he almost always cried out of the smallest of inconvenience and the most he wanted to do was cry now.

This was so hard. How was he to take care of Oliver if no one was taking care of himself?

And so the frustration got to him at that moment as he began to cry quietly, trying his hardest to somehow comfort Oliver in his nightmare state and comfort himself.

But the crying never softened and instead he had to let go of Oliver as he sat up in bed, sniffing into his bare arms, pulling the covers over his equally bare legs.

He had missed Oliver so much and begged God for him to bring his boyfriend back to safety and when he did, he had the audacity to complain in his own head.

He didn't understand what the man had gone through and he still stood tall and tried his best to adjust. All Elio ever did was sit and wait for him.

Suddenly, he felt arms being wrapped around him and he couldn't help but turn around and bury his head on the chest of his comforter.

"Baby, I'm here."

Damn you, he cursed the man's emotional strength. How did he do it? How did he go through so much and keep such posture?

Oliver carefully lifted Elio's face and watched as the younger tried to hide his tears. He couldn't help but feel guilty for those tearful eyes and the small hiccups escaping his mouth. He kissed away the tears and smiled down at him.

"I'm here."