Rory POV
I groaned quietly as I flipped onto my back, staring up at the night sky. We had been on this trip for four nights, and for every one of those nights and several before the trip, I had been unable to get to sleep. I was sleeping in Lena’s magically soft sleeping bag, I’d taken numerous mild relaxing medicines, and I’d tried everything from counting sheep to humming lullabies. Yet the insomnia still persisted.
Finally deciding to once again give up on hopes of sleeping, I fluffed up my pillow and lay back, relaxing. My breathing quieted until I could hear the chirping of a cricket, Lena’s soft snores five feet away, the humming of-
Wait a second, where was that humming coming from? I twisted around, straining my ears for the source of the sound. Had Lena changed the ringtone on her M3, and she was getting a call in the middle of the night?
Wriggling out of my sleeping bag, I stood up to go hunt for the source of the sound. I tiptoed over to Lena, but she wasn’t making the noise. So I tiptoed until I was standing above Chase. Lowering my head nearer to his, I realized that he was humming “Happy Birthday” in his sleep.
Looking at the smile that curved his lips, I remembered the dream that he’d told me about- the one where he was a grandfather, and it was his birthday. The Tale dream. The one that would come true someday.
Smiling, I began to walk back to my sleeping bag.
“Rory…”
I spun around, but Chase was still fast asleep. But I’d clearly heard him say my name. Was I in his dream? Or was he messing with me for some reason? I took a few steps toward him.
“RORY!” Suddenly, Chase bolted upright, his head smacking hard into my stomach. I promptly fell on my butt, gasping- he’d knocked the wind out of me.
“Rory! Are you okay?” Chase scrambled out of his sleeping bag, grabbing my hand to pull me upright. “Sorry!”
“I’m fine,” I managed, panting., as I staggered to my feet. “Just-give me-a second.”
‘Why aren’t you asleep?” Chase asked, his forehead furrowed.
“One sec.” I hurriedly sat back down. “I’d rather-sit, if you don’t-mind.”
Chase crouched down beside me. “What happened?”
“I couldn’t sleep, and- I heard you humming-”
“Humming?” Chase interrupted. “I wasn’t humming.”
“Um, yeah, you were. You were asleep at the time, though.” I had regained my breath.
“I was humming in my sleep?”
“Yup. ‘Happy Birthday.’ ”
“It’s not my birthday. Did I hit your head instead of your stomach?”
“No, you were humming ‘Happy Birthday.’ So I was looking for the humming, and when I realized it was just you, I was going back to bed, but then I heard you say my name- and before you interrupt again, you were asleep at the time, so you may not have realized it- and I came back over and you yelled my name and head-butted me in the stomach, and, well, you were awake for the rest of it.” I stood up. “So, now that that’s cleared up, I’m tired-” getting the wind knocked out of me seemed to have cured my insomnia-”and unless there’s something I should be concerned about, I’m going back to bed. ‘Night.”
“Night, Rory.”
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What I think Rory would look like Anime version. (I didn't make the photo)
