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A slow fade-in from slate darkness. Warmth radiating through his skin, down his limbs, heating the core of his chest. Comforting. Ryan almost wouldn't have guessed that just seconds prior, he had been caught in the throes of what he could only assume was a devastating nightmare, if his shaking arms and too-fast, shallow breaths meant anything.
He'd woken up like this before - well, not quite like this - but, still, he recognized the symptoms of fear and loneliness slowly dying down in him as he forgot whatever was troubling him. He almost always forgot his nightmares. The terror didn't always die down once he woke up.
Now, though, now was different. At first, he might've guessed he'd found a pillow or something to clutch onto, but it was unnaturally warm and enveloping. Then he remembered that he'd been on the road with his best friend for about a week and a half, now. Before he could jump to let go of the warm body that he thought he'd taken captive, a hand smoothed down his back, followed by a softly murmured mantra, "You're alright… you're not there, Ryan, you're not there…"
Not… there? His sleep-addled brain chugged along trying to come up with the meaning for that. Where was Min-gi trying to convince him he wasn't? Still, somehow, the hushed chatter next to his ear helped to soothe some of his jitters, as well as aid in clearing his mind a bit. It was even getting slightly easier to breathe. Disregarding for a moment the fact that his friend was… holding him, he attempted to wrap his brain around the phrasing Min was using. Was he… doing things in his sleep to clue Min in on something? Did Min have a better idea of what the nightmare was about than Ryan?
Before he realized it, Ryan found himself clutching tighter to his friend as his breathing slowly steadied. "There… you're okay, you're still in the van…" Ryan knew he must've done something very specific to get Min to speak this way. Using his voice felt somewhat unnatural to him now, especially since it almost felt warmed up already, despite him just waking up. How had he not noticed he was an active sleeper before?
"What was I… what did I… say?" Ryan stammered, his voice muffled in Min-gi's shoulder. The hand on his back stilled, if only for a moment, before running up to pet between his shoulder blades. "You… don't remember what you were dreaming about?" There was palpable worry in Min's voice, which only unsettled Ryan further. "... No. I ah… I never remember. Not the nightmares."
Suddenly, Ryan remembered that Min had two hands. The arm he hadn't noticed had been hugged snugly around his waist slunk away, and already he desperately missed it. Still, he wasn't complaining, after all, he was still being embraced. He didn't recall ever being held after a nightmare… and knowing he might've said or done things during them only made that knowledge sting when it had never before. How many times had he shared a room with someone else? Surely it must've happened in front of somebody.
"Well…" Min began, and Ryan knew he was trying to pick his words carefully. "You… were saying some things that I knew must've meant that… that you were up on stage." He sounded so hesitant, which certainly contrasted the position they were in. Up on stage…? But why would he have a nightmare about that? He loved being… oh.
"O-oh." Ryan finally muttered. Subconsciously, he clung to Min-gi a bit tighter as he recalled the memory that the dream must've been based around. "I… I see." Of all the things for him to fuss over in his dreams… and in front of Min… "Yeah…" Min winced, letting things trail off to silence for a few moments.
For the time being, Ryan returned his focus to his breathing. It was so much easier to fall back into a slow rhythm when there was another person's chest against his, rising and falling in its own calm rhythm. Not just any person. Though, admitting that it helped far more coming from Min wasn't something Ryan could really process right now. That Min was still holding him… that it felt so relaxing. He was comforting him even as he recounted their least favorite shared memory in his sleep. Why would he…?
"... I'm sorry." Ryan breathed. He just felt the need to apologize, for putting Min through that memory again with his sleep talking. Now he had to wonder if he'd woken the man up with it. "What? Ry, you don't have to apologize for having a nightmare," Ryan felt himself warm up just barely at the use of the nickname. Min was petting his back again… "It's not your fault."
It's not his fault. It wasn't his fault. "Um… just… what are you referring to, here?" Ryan hated how desperate he sounded for comfort. It wasn't something he ever needed in the past, right? Not that he deserved it, either. "Everything," Min concluded.
Things drifted back to the usual momentary silence as Ryan considered that word. That Min saying one word was so meaningful to him. Ryan's arms squeezed around Min-gi a bit. Min didn't blame him. He didn't...
"... Thanks." He croaked out, pressing his forehead into Min's shoulder a bit. It was so… comfy. Ryan almost would've said he wanted every night to be this way… almost. Minus the circumstances of it. The hand Min wasn't using drifted up his neck, fingers combing through his hair. A yawn tore through the silence, Ryan's shoulders tensing with it. Damn it all, Min-gi knew his off-button.
"You wanna try sleeping again?" Min hummed, scritching the back of Ryan's head. Ryan was finding it easier and easier to just nestle into his friend, to burrow against him. "... Mn." Was his tired response.
"I'll take that as a yes."