𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 - 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭

the nightmare felt too real.

your breath came in ragged gasps, your heart pounding painfully in your chest as you jolted awake. the room was dark, save for the faint glow of the moon filtering through the blinds, casting soft streaks of light over the walls.

your skin was damp with sweat, hands trembling as you gripped the sheets, trying to steady yourself. but the lingering terror from your dream still clung to you, refusing to let go.

it took a second before you registered the warmth beside you—the steady rise and fall of rin's breathing.

he was still asleep, lying on his side, his face relaxed in a way that only happened when the world wasn't watching.

you should have let him rest.

you should have handled this on your own.

but when another tremor wracked through your body, you couldn't stop the small, broken sound that escaped your lips.

rin stirred.

a slow inhale. a slight shift. then—

"...what's wrong?"

his voice was rough with sleep, low and quiet, but still sharp. his instincts had kicked in instantly, the grogginess fading the moment he realized something was off.

you swallowed hard, shaking your head. "nothing. it's fine. go back to sleep."

rin didn't move for a moment.

then, without a word, he sat up.

he reached over and flicked on the lamp, filling the room with a warm, dim glow. his teal eyes met yours, scanning your face, taking in the way your hands trembled against the blankets.

"...nightmare?" he asked.

you hesitated before nodding. "yeah."

he exhaled through his nose, glancing toward the clock. it was just past 2 am.

instead of lying back down, he shifted so that he was facing you completely, resting his elbow on his knee, watching you closely.

"tell me," he said simply.

you blinked. "what?"

"the dream." his voice was softer now, lacking its usual sharpness. "what happened?"

you hesitated. you didn't want to burden him with your fears, with the images that still haunted you. but the way he looked at you—patient, steady, waiting—made something in your chest unravel.

so, you told him.

you told him about the suffocating darkness, the feeling of being lost, the overwhelming fear that had gripped you so tightly you couldn't breathe. you told him how it had felt so real, how even now, sitting beside him in the safety of your room, your heart was still struggling to calm down.

rin listened.

he didn't interrupt, didn't brush it off as childish. he just sat there, absorbing every word, his gaze never leaving yours.

when you finished, there was a long pause. then—

"you're okay," he murmured.

you exhaled shakily. "i know."

"no." rin leaned in slightly, his fingers brushing over the back of your hand. "you're here. you're safe."

his touch was light, hesitant, like he wasn't sure if you'd pull away.

but you didn't.

you let him anchor you, let the warmth of his skin chase away the lingering chill from your nightmare.

the room was quiet for a long time after that.

rin didn't tell you to go back to sleep.

didn't tell you that everything was fine.

and his presence alone, somehow, that was enough.

──────────── ⋆☆⋆ ────────────

minutes turned into hours.

neither of you had gone back to sleep, but neither of you had tried to.

at some point, you had shifted to lean against him, your head resting lightly against his shoulder. he didn't seem to mind.

"...do you ever get nightmares?" you asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

rin was quiet for a moment before he replied. "yeah."

you tilted your head up to look at him. "what do you dream about?"

his jaw tensed slightly, his eyes flickering to the side. "losing."

your brow furrowed. "a game?"

"everything." his voice was low, almost too quiet to hear. "losing myself. losing the people i..." he stopped, exhaling slowly. "you get it."

you did.

because this was rin itoshi.

a man who had spent his entire life chasing a goal so far ahead of him it sometimes felt impossible to reach. a man who had sacrificed too much to be where he was now.

a man who had never learned how to stop running.

you sat up slightly, turning to face him, your fingers playing absentmindedly with the fabric of your blanket. "i don't think you'll lose yourself."

rin let out a quiet scoff, but there was no real annoyance behind it. "you don't know that."

you looked at him, really looked at him, at the tired shadows under his eyes, at the way he always carried so much weight on his shoulders.

and then, without thinking, you reached up, cupping his cheek gently.

rin froze.

your thumb brushed lightly against his skin, your touch soft, grounding. "i know you," you murmured. "and i know that no matter what happens, you'll always be you."

his breath hitched.

his hands curled slightly against the sheets, like he wanted to do something, say something, but couldn't.

you smiled faintly. "and if you ever feel like you're losing yourself... i'll remind you who you are."

rin stared at you.

the air between you was thick, heavy with something unspoken.

and then—slowly, carefully—he reached up, covering your hand with his own.

his fingers curled around yours, holding you there for a second longer before he turned his head slightly, pressing the faintest kiss to your palm.

your heart stopped.

it was barely there, just a light brush of his lips against your skin, but it was enough.

enough to make your stomach flip.

enough to make the air feel warmer, thicker.

enough to make you realize that somewhere between comforting you and opening up to you, something had shifted.

rin exhaled softly, his forehead pressing lightly against yours.

"go to sleep," he murmured, voice quieter than before.

you swallowed, your pulse still racing. "you'll stay?"

his grip on your hand tightened.

"i'm not going anywhere."

and with that, you let your eyes drift shut, feeling the warmth of his presence beside you.

the nightmares were still there, lingering in the corners of your mind.

but with rin's hand wrapped around yours, his breath steady against your skin—

they didn't seem so scary anymore.

𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠