Instead of waiting for Salim, Jason chose to run away. He chose to abandon the man who had saved him countless times. He dared not think about that look on the Iraqi face when he realized the elevator was gone. And he was left behind.

Angered.

Disappointed.

Defeated.

"Zain is all I have left in this world. After my wife left us, I gave him my all. I wanted him to have everything I didn't."

Salim believed him with all his heart. And look what Jason had done to him at the moment the man needed him the most. Such a coward, like he always was.

"I can't end up like this."

Salim's voice kept haunting him.

"I was a fool to trust you."

Jason jolted awake, gasping, clothes drenched in sweat. He tried to calm his breath while the scene kept playing back and forth in his mind. Everything felt so real. The darkness of that hellhole. The freaking monsters with claws and shrieking noise. Salim. Oh, Salim. The American darted his eyes around like a lost child.

"Jason, are you okay?" A warm soothing voice pulled Jason back to reality.

Right next to him, Salim's also awake, his face showed concerns and worries. The Iraqi ran a hand up and down his friend's back to help calm him down. However, Jason's still too overwhelmed with the nightmare he had suffered. The younger man continually opened and closed his mouth but nothing coherent came out.

"You don't have to say anything, my friend. For now, just focus on your breathing."

Following the older man's guide, Jason's fear finally subsided. The moment he realized that it was just a dream, a sense of relief washed over the marine. He immediately pulled Salim in a tight hug, eyes shimmered with tears.

"I'm sorry." Jason muttered, almost inaudible.

For a second, Salim thought he heard it wrong. Why did Jason apologize to him? It's not like he had done anything except toss and turn, which he deeply understood. The experience in Iraq must be traumatizing for the marine. Even a local soldier like Salim had never endured such things before.

"I didn't mean to leave you behind. Back in that fucking vault, I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry, Salim." The younger man's babbling interrupted his thought.

Once again, Jason found himself choking for air. He clutched the Iraqi's shirt tighter like his life depended on it. Hearing his friend saying, Salim suddenly realized what the younger man referred to.

"Shh, it's okay. It's not real. You came back and saved me, remember? Look, I'm here, safe and sound." He gently soothed "It's just a bad dream, Jason. Happens to me sometimes, too."

"It's not just about the dream." Jason shook his head weakly, then stayed quiet for a while to gather his thoughts.

Salim was still rubbing the younger man's back. Silence fell upon them a little longer than his liking. But he knew urging the American to talk would do him no good, so he patiently waited for the man to open up.

"When we were separated, my team told me to keep going and forget about you." Jason started, voice trembled "I knew it wasn't right. I shouldn't even let what they said bother me. But... there's a moment my cowardice got the best of me. I was hesitant, and you could have died." He sniffed loudly, trying to complete the sentence "I don't want to repeat my mistake. Nobody deserved to die in that fucking hell, especially you."

The thought of losing Salim scared the shit out of him. After the operation started going south, besides Nicky, the Iraqi was the only company he had. In the end, the older man had become his closest friend, the one that knew every darkness in his soul. Having someone really accept his fucked up self just felt so unreal. Even his so-called family didn't care about his existence. That's the reason he joined the marine in the first place. At least, everyone would consider his death as a heroic act. But thanks to them, he had a chance to meet Salim. The Iraqi made him feel different. Respected. Loved. And once he had tasted it, he's not willing to let it go.

"We're just normal human beings. Anyone in that situation would choose to stay away from trouble." Salim caressed his friend's face endearingly "You could have died too, Jason. Both of us could have died, yet you chose to stay by my side. That's the bravest thing I've ever seen in many years of being a soldier."

"Your life's worth living than mine. I'm just a drug-addicted jerk who jumped into wars just to feel useful. Turned out, nothing has changed. I invaded your country. I killed innocent people. Fuck, what a demon am I?" He confessed, then frowned as memories of the girl at checkpoint resurfaced.

Seeing the marine so fragile like this made Salim's heart ached. But at the same time, he was glad that Jason trusted him enough to show him this side of his. He knew what the other said was far from the truth. Of course, Jason's past was a mess. But that didn't matter since he had been trying his best to reverse the situation. He refused to get emotional since it made him feel weak and insecure. He decided to ignore his feeling even though deep down, he cared about everything and everyone much more than any other. People could see Jason as the man who showed no regret. But no one knew how many times he had suffered alone, how many times he had punished himself for his mistakes.

"Stop thinking so low of yourself like that. Our mission is serving the motherland, we have no other choice. As far as I can tell, you are the most loyal man, not only to your country but also to your friends. It's an honor to meet someone like you."

After Salim tried to convince the younger man, their conversation died down once again. But this time, things felt more comfortable. Jason, still holding the Iraqi close, seemed lost in thought. The Iraqi knew it would take more time and effort for his friend to believe in those words. But he didn't mind repeating it every single day until Jason change his opinion.

"I suggest we get back to sleep. You still look really tired." Salim said after noticing the other yawned slightly.

"I'm afraid that my silly nightmare hasn't completely gone away yet."

"Nothing about your nightmare is silly, my friend. And don't worry, you can always rely on me." Salim grinned when he came up with an idea "How about a lullaby? When Zain was a kid, he used to insist me on singing him to sleep."

"You know I'm not a kid anymore, don't you?" He pouted, but smiled eventually "Sounds good to me, though."

Salim chuckled at the childish yet appealing gestureof Jason. He kissed the younger man's forehead softly, then helped him lay down.Once the other get into a comfortable position, Salim started to sing. Eventhough Jason couldn't understand Iraqi, the older man's voice somehow lulled himto sleep. While the marine snuggled closer to him, Salim ruffled his friend'shair tenderly, reassuring the man that nothing would harm him as long as he washere.