𝐍𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 → 𝑭. 𝑯

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍: 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆

𝙖𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡 𝟯𝙧𝙙,𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵

JULIETTE DIDN'T GET SLEEP THAT NIGHT, BUT SHE REMAINED STILL AS TO NOT WAKE UP FIVE. Whenever she did sleep, she felt herself shiver as the wind from the past began to crawl up her spine and her mind, infiltrating her with memories. Her eyes would shoot open and she'd spend the next thirty minutes awake before repeating the cycle.

A part of herself knew that the moment sleep invaded her, she'd wake up screaming. She fought the force that told her to twist back and forth, but she didn't. She didn't want to wake Five, who slept like a baby – happy and content.

She held on like a soldier who was the final soul in the trenches. She was grasping onto her last bit of sanity, but unfortunately, she fell like a house of cards by a light breeze. She lulled to sleep from the sound of Five's heartbeat and the soft whisper of his breathing that she hadn't heard in years. One moment, her head was on his chest, listening to his breathing, feeling his arms around her and the next she was thrashing around in her sleep, crying.

Five was a light sleeper – he had to be when he was younger due to random training sessions, in the apocalypse whenever random storms came on, and when he was in the Commission in order to keep himself and Juliette alive. He could wake up with the single sound of a door opening. He was the opposite of Juliette who was a deep sleeper – a large crash could happen in the same room, fireworks could go on outside, the world could end and she would stay fast asleep.

Unfortunately that also meant her dreams were more than real and even harder to get out of.

Five shot up from the sound of screaming, quickly realizing who it was from. His arms quickly secured around her, stopping her thrashing and throwing of fists, pulling her up into a seated position with him.

"Juliette!" He shook her within the embrace. "Juliette, wake up! It's not real!"

Her eyes shot open, looking around the room rapidly before her eyes ended up with Five's. She didn't say anything, but just wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned against him. He rubbed her back and put his hand on her cheek, using his thumb to rub against it. Her breathing stilled and her anxiety began to lower.

She was safe.

"What was it this time?"

Juliette closed her eyes, "My mom."

Her underlying guilt about her time at the Commission was nothing new. She was the one to point out errors, putting it on the desks of Case Managers to give to field agents. Before Ella ever had her visions, Juliette had dreams. Dreams about the people she had killed, her old family and friends being caught in the crossfire of her job, Five being a target she accidentally signed a hit for. And while Ella's visions were horrible, Juliette considered them merciful. It was nothing compared to actually living it.

But it wasn't the full truth. There were others.

Others.

By others, she meant Adella, Patrick, Silas and Oliver. And when she knew it was them who were staring at her, covered in blood, she knew it was because of her guilt. Guilt that she left them, guilt that she just went to see them and ran, guilt that she hadn't told Five.

"Are you real?" She whispered.

"I'm always real." He smiled. "You never have to doubt that."

Five's forehead was pressed against her before his lips connected with hers for a sweet chaste kiss. No other words were shared. It wasn't needed. Five laid Juliette back down on his chest, allowing his fingers to cross through her hair. He looked at the clock across the room and the time read 6:05am.