Katz & Dogs Oneshots

Darling, I'll Hold You

Prompt: Beverly comforts Will after a bad night terror.

After killing Garrett Jacob Hobbs to save Abigail, Will had been having horrible night terrors nearly every night. Because of this, his girlfriend Beverly had been staying the night with him and his dogs to make sure he was okay, because they had been getting increasingly worse and increasingly debilitating. This night, in specific, Will was having a nightmare about Beverly.

"Mmm. No. No. Please." Will muttered under his breath in his sleep. He laid on the right side of the bed, curled up holding Beverly, sound asleep, Winston at their feet.
"Please. No. No." Will continued.
"No. No. NO. PLEASE. NO. TAKE ME. PLEASE NOT HER." Will's voice rose, awakening Beverly. She turn her body to face Will.
"PLEASE LEAVE HER ALONE. PLEASE." His voice rose again.
"Will." She shook him lightly.
"No please. Please don't do this. Not like this. PLEASE." He continued. A tear fell from Will's eye.
"Will. Baby. Wake up. Will." She shook him some more. Will jerked awake with a deep breath and immediately began to cry. Beverly sat up and pulled him up as well.
"Hey. Look at me. It's okay." She put her finger under his chin to lift his head so their eyes met.
"Breath, baby." She wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Look at me. Breath in with me. 1-2-3-4-... good. Now hold. 1-2-3-4-5..." Will and her breathed in sync.
"Good. Now out. 1-2-3-4-5-6... Good. Again, okay?" She continued until his breathing resumed to normal. Tears continued to fall from his eyes, each of which she wiped with her thumb on her left hand, which was cupping his face gently. She pulled his face into her chest, kissing the top of his head.
"Shhh... it's okay, love. I'm right here." She spoke softly. She held him as he cried, letting him get it all out.
"They tr- they- you were- I tried-..." Will tried to speak through his crying and quickened breathing, but couldn't get the words out.
"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. I'm right here with you." She continued, running her fingers through his hair. Eventually, he got out all of his tears and calmed himself down. He sat up from resting again Beverly and looked at her with red, puffy, tear soaked eyes.
"Hey. You're okay. It's okay." She reassured. He nodded.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. He shook his head 'no' in silence.
"Okay. Come here." She held out her arms towards him. He fell into her, releasing all of the tension in his body the moment he was in her embrace. She held him for what felt like hours, but neither of them cared. Eventually, Beverly got up and started a fire. She grabbed some blankets and pillows and set them in front of the fire. She walked to Will, grabbed his hand and walked him to the fire. Will sat down and Beverly wrapped his in a blanket. Winston came and rolled up in Will's lap, and the rest of the dogs came and laid down all around him. Beverly went into the kitchen and made them hot chocolate and brought it out to Will. Beverly sat down and curled up with Will under a blanket in front of the fire, sipping their hot chocolates. Beverly stayed up until Will fell asleep again, and after she was sure he was asleep, she allowed herself to also fall asleep. They both slept peacefully through the rest of the night.
Beverly was woken first by the sunlight seeping though the large pane windows of Will's house. She got up slowly, making sure to not wake Will and let him sleep. She picked up their empty mugs and took them to the kitchen and placed them in the sink, and then she removed the sweat-stained sheets from Will's bed to be cleaned. She put food and water out for the dogs and let them all eat while she cooked breakfast for Will and her. While breakfast was keeping warm in the stove until Will woke up, Beverly took the dogs out for their morning walk. When she came back, she found Will, awake, still wrapped in a blanket, examining the breakfast she had cooked.
"Good morning sleepyhead." She smiled. He whipped around at the sound of her voice.
"Hi. I see you made breakfast." He nods towards the food.
"Mhm. Pancakes and hash-browns." She smiles.
"Mmm. My favorite." He grins. They sit down at the kitchen table to eat together.
"I'm sorry, Bev." Will says, suddenly.
"Sorry? For what?" Beverly asks.
"For last night. And every other night. You really don't have to do all that you do. I'm sorry you have to deal with me when I'm like that." He explains.
"Will, you don't have to apologize, ever. I'm here for you." She says.
"Thank you for all you do. I just feel bad. You shouldn't have to do that." He says again.
"Hey, darling, I'll hold you every night for the rest of our lives, if I have to. I love you, and anything I can do to help ease your pain is something I'm willing to do." Beverly explains. "I love you too." Will smiles.