Saturday // Peterick Oneshots

38. Insomnia, but Worse

Anxiety! Yay! FUTCT era.

Pete awakes at roughly one in the morning. It had taken him forever to fall asleep in the first place, and now he's awake again. His heart is beating out of his chest and the noises coming from outside the bus are too loud. He hadn't had a nightmare, he's still on the brink of drifting back to sleep but something stops him. He rolls over and burrows back into the warm covers of his bunk. He waits.

Nothing.

Frustrated tears prick at his eyes not too much later. He buries his head under his pillow, blocks out all noise, but his stomach is turning. He breathes as deeply as he can.

"Pete?" he hears, muffled.

Great, now I'm hallucinating! He curls into himself, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Pete!" A hand falls on his shoulder and he jolts.

Pete lifts his pillow, coming face-to-face with very tired Patrick.

"Are you okay?" Patrick asks softly. His hand is warm on Pete's shoulder. "I heard you rustling around and-and...well, it sounded like you were hyperventilating."

Pete swallows the lump in his throat. "I can't sleep."

"No shit." Patrick sighs. "Insomnia?"

"I don't know. It's never been like this before." Pete lays his head back down on his pillow. Patrick lays down next to him and moves his hand from Pete's shoulder to his side. "I was asleep for an hour, I think, when I woke up for no reason. I didn't have a nightmare or anything. But I can't go back to sleep." Pete shut his eyes. "I get close, but I just...I can't."

Patrick pulls him into a hug. Pete shudders, tears returning.

"Patrick," he whimpers.

"You're okay, I've got you," Patrick says into his ear. He wraps his arms around Pete, curling around him protectively.

Pete grabs onto the front of Patrick shirt and pulls him as close as he can. He rests his forehead against Patrick's collarbone. "I just want to go back to sleep," he mumbles.

"You will." Patrick presses a soft kiss to the spot just above Pete's ear. "Is there something on your mind?"

"I don't know. I feel...kind of anxious, but I don't know why."

"Okay." Patrick readjusts his arms, shifting until he and Pete fit together perfectly. "You're safe, I promise. I'm right here."

Pete closes his eyes. Patrick pulls up the blanket around them, and some of the tension in Pete's shoulders releases. Patrick begins singing.

Pete drifts to the edge of sleep again. This time, with Patrick holding him and singing to him, he falls asleep and stays asleep.

Patrick finishes the song, holding Pete tighter than before. He buries his nose in Pete's hair, takes a deep breath, and presses another lingering kiss to his scalp. "You can rest, Pete," he whispers. "I won't let anything happen to you."