Adore Me || Warnette Oneshots

04 - nightmares and lavender tea

prompt.

╰┈➤ ❝ [after a nightmare which keeps juliette up at night, she sneaks down to the kitchen to have a late night snack, not knowing that aaron would wake up soon after looking for her OR aaron comforts juliette after having a nightmare which keeps her up at night.] ❞

warnings: nothing. it is slightly angsty, but fluffy at the same time.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

nightmares and lavender tea.

juliette.

I have a complicated relationship with sleep.

Most of the time I enjoy sleep. I love the sense of rest. I love the quiet. I love the stillness. I love that my dreams become real in a matter of seconds.

But I also hate all of these aspects.

The idea of being so raw and vulnerable. The quiet leaves you and your thoughts to create some reality. The awareness and overthinking stillness does to one. The things I may have experienced I would need to relive, even if it's just a couple of seconds.

I love sleep, yet I hate to admit I'm scared of it.

But Aaron makes it different. His arms wrapped around me in comfort, our usual position of me either nuzzling into his neck or chest and him whispering sweet I love you's to me as he played with my hair. But sometimes, it's just not enough to keep the nightmares away.

I wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, my chest heaving rapidly as I grasp it. I curse myself internally. This is the third time this week.

A thin layer of sweat glistens my body, my vision is still blurry with unshed tears, and I'm overwhelmed with my surroundings and emotions.

My vision clears after a couple of aggressive rubs and I look to my side to find Aaron still sleeping soundly. His breathing in contrast to mine is calm, as if those gentle waves you'd find early in a beach.

Aaron isn't typically a heavy sleeper for a matter of reasons, such as needing to always be up for me. While he may find this a benefit, I wouldn't say it's a particularly great trait on his behalf. These nightmares aren't that common for me, but I still feel guilty every time it affects him as well.

I need to get out of this room and escape the thought of sleeping once again.

—

Quietly, I sneak down to our kitchen. It's a different type of quiet down here. It's not necessarily an uncomfortable type of quiet but one that makes you feel so small. So much empty space while I take up such little of it.

I brew the kettle and wait patiently for it to heat up.

Aaron recently bought me a collection of teas that supposedly help with sleep and relaxation. I obviously paid him back with kisses, cuddles and lots of explicit activities. Aaron always says that I don't owe him anything but I always feel I do, as if I'm just a burden he has to look after. I know that's not true but I can't help the feeling.

I stand there, quiet, as I think about various things. What if I woke up Aaron? What if he's annoyed I'm up again for the third time in a row? What if he really starts to believe I'm just a burden? What if-

It's then when I feel something grab ahold of my waist.

I yelp at the contact and spin around hastily, meeting a pair of emerald-green eyes. Emerald green eyes I know and get lost in so easily. Aaron.