That night, (Y/N) had thought they would get a few decent hours of sleep. Boy, were they wrong. Just like every week, their rest was plagued by the horrible memories of the Wither Storm. Flashes of terrifying moments, words that were said in a fit of emotions, all the emotional and physical torment the whole ordeal had put everyone through, but above all, (Y/N) remembered the close call that Magnus had with his life when Jesse had crafted the Formidi-Bomb. The only reason that the Rouge had survived such a harsh knock was because Ivor had been around with a potion of regeneration, thus making Magnus be able to recover decently quickly. They shot awake after this flash of a memory, shaking, cold sweat and tears dripping down their face, and their heart racing faster than it ever had before. '5:16 AM' (Y/N) noticed their alarm clock read. They picked up their water bottle with shaking hands and popped it open, taking a long sip from it. Holding it in their hands, The (H/C) terraformer would begin to think, rationalizing their fear. Sure, the Wither Storm incident happened  a long time ago, but it was the most terrifying experience of their life, so they were pretty much bound to get nightmares.

"Maybe I should..." They pressed their lips together into a thin line, wiping their eyes of tears and going to reach for their phone that sat on their nightstand. They considered taking up the offer that the Rouge had given them, to just call him if they ever needed something. "Magnus wouldn't even be awake right now, right...?" They muttered, however, knowing him, Magnus was likely awake at this ungodly hour, probably working on some explosive trap. Against their better judgement, (Y/N) picked up their phone, opened up their contacts, and clicked on Magnus', letting it ring for a few moments. Worry bubbled up in their chest as the phone rang, a thousand thoughts through their mind every second. What if Magnus didn't answer? Was he okay? What if he was in danger? What if he was hurt? Even worse, what if he was-

"Hey, (Y/N), what's up?" Magnus' voice on the other side of the line snapped them out of their trance. They cleared their throat and began speaking, wincing at how raspy their voice was. "Magnus, yeah, hey, um, I was just calling to check on you." It was obvious in their tone that he had been crying moments before, but they would be damned if they went back to bed without knowing if Magnus was alright. "Oh? Can I... Do you mind if I ask why?" The Rouge's tone was filled with a mix of worry and confusion, and (Y/N) knew that they essentially backed themself into a corner, as they were never particularly good at lying. "Well, truth be told, I had a nightmare about the Wither Storm, and how you almost-" (Y/N) got choked up again, their (E/C) eyes being suddenly flooded with tears, vivid images of the memories coming back to them in a flash. "Oh, (Y/N)... I'm so sorry. Here, just hang tight, okay? I'll be at your place in five." He promised, his tone softer and laced with empathy for his best friend. "Okay... if you need it, the spare key is-" "Behind the big potted plant, got it." Magnus quickly finished the sentence. "Yeah. I'll see you soon." (Y/N) smiled faintly and the call ended.

After a little while, (Y/N) heard their front door unlock and footsteps patter down the hall. It was Magnus. The terraformer winced and rolled over, looking towards the doorway where Magnus soon entered, smiling down at them with a worried expression, though relief was evident in his eyes, clearly from seeing that (Y/N) was decently alright. "Hey, (Y/N)." He said softly as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice soft and comforting, a stark contrast to his usually stubborn and chaotic demeanor. The terraformer knew the answer to his question, but felt it wasn't appropriate to answer honestly and worry Magnus even more. But, much to their dismay, (Y/N)'s mouth worked faster than their brain did. "No," They muttered, their eyes looking down and away. "I'm not." (Y/N) admitted, and they glanced up to see Magnus' expression soften, and he put a comforting hand on the other's shoulder.

"I'm here, (Y/N). I'm right here." He whispered and soon pulled them into a hug. "I'm not gonna go anywhere for a long time." He rubbed circles into the (H/C) Terraformer's back, more than happy to just be there for them. He continued to whisper sweet nothings into their ear, as he could still feel the other shaking slightly. "I promise, I'm here. I've got you." For a while, (Y/N) didn't speak, and neither did Magnus. All that could be heard were slow, heavy breaths, and soft words spoken with an unfamiliar emotion. At some point, Magnus had noticed that (Y/N) had drifted off into sleep once again. The Rouge would be lying if he said he wouldn't feel bad for leaving them alone. So, in a moment of weakness, Magnus laid (Y/N) down, and lay next to them, still holding them close. Seeing the other asleep, peaceful in his arms, filled Magnus with a protective and warm feeling, something that he had never felt before. It was an odd sensation, but it certainly wasn't one that Magnus would try to fight. He had an obligation to protect (Y/N) from everything that could cause them harm, even if it was just a nightmare that had startled the Terraformer. Magnus swore to protect them. To protect his best friend. "I love you, (Y/N)." He murmured, smiling as he observed their sleeping features. "I love you..."

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