Work Text:
Dustin sat on a log, staring at the campfire a few feet from him, his body was shaking and his eyes were still dry from crying. He had another bad trial, a horrible horrible trial. Dustin can deal with himself getting hurt or even killed, but everytime he watches her die, everytime he sees El get slaughtered, it hurts him, even though Henderson knows she'll be okay he just absolutely hates seeing her get hurt.
"Dustin?" A voice comes from below him, snapping him out of his terrible thoughts, his eyes dart down and they meet with hers, with El's, she was laying on the ground with her head against his lap, her head tilted up to look up at him. A small bit of redness crept up onto Dustin's face, he didn't even notice she was here. "Are you okay?"
His mouth opened to speak, but words couldn't leave him, he just stared at her before slowly nodding and letting a single noise leave his mouth. "Mhm." El gave him a small and quick smile before going back to a more neutral face, her head now tilting forward. "You were just shaking thats all.. was it because I'm he-" "No No" Dustin quickly cut her off. "No I.. I feel better with you here"
A blush now crept up on El as she let out a sigh and a yawn, she was tired but who could blame her? Suddenly she felt pressure against her head, her hair to be exact, it was Dustin, his fingers running through her hair. It was an instinctive decision but one he knew he wanted to do. Now both of them sat there completely red in the face
"Thank you." El spoke quietly as she rubbed against his lap trying to get more comfortable as Dustin continued to play with her hair, softly combing it with his fingers, a smile sat on his face, an honest to God smile. This felt nice, this felt very very nice in a place that was quite the opposite.
El let out one last yawn as her eyes now begun to shut, her breathing getting calmer and calmer, before she could fully drift a few words escaped her mouth. "I.. I love-" and just like that she was out for the first time in gods know how long she was getting proper sleep. Dustin kept caressing her, his smile stuck to his face.
"I do too"