Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Picture it. Winter of 2023. Toronto, Ontario.

It's the dead of night, the heater is humming softly in the Air BnB you and your boyfriend are renting. 

The TV is muted, showing some scene from "Married With Children". A faint scent of lavender air freshener fills your room and you nuzzle deep in the thin cotton bedsheets on the queen sized bed.

Suddenly, your mid-blue eyes shoot open to the faint creak of the wooden door. Your instincts respond to the theory that the Air BnB is under attack. You grab your favorite pillow-in its yellow pillow case with the three black stripes on it. You are ready to leap out of the bed and protect yourself and your boyfriend.

Your thoughts of protecting the rental are cut off by the sounds of footsteps. The steps are getting closer and closer to the bed, but you don't panic. You just sit there, making a mental note of the sound of a cane touching the hard, cold, wooden floor. 

You know those footsteps. 

And you relax. 

Slightly.

"Guy, what're you doing up so late?" you yawn.

"Nothing..." his voice murmured groggily.

If it weren't for the sounds of repressed sniffles within his voice, you wouldn't have raised an eyebrow.

You sigh and scoot over to the right of the queen sized bed, patting the left half. "Climb in."

"Okay..." 

You listen as he fumbles a bit in the dark room. But you can tell he has slightly leaned his cane against the left side dresser, at a 45 degree angle. With a limp in his step, he climbs in the bed.

"Did you have the nightmare again, Guy?" you ask, sleepily looking at your boyfriend's direction. His auburn hair is covering his left eye, leaving his right eye untouched. Even in a dark bedroom in an Air BnB, you can see the emerald green light in Guy's eye was a bit dull.  

Guy doesn't say much at your question. Sighing, he nods his head and brushes back the hair in his left eye. "Yeah..."

"Awwww, baby..." you try to coo gently. "There there, it was just a bad dream."

"I know, but..." Guy seems hesitant to talk, sounding like he'd burst into tears in the next five seconds.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe." you remind him, with a slightly sleepy smile.

"Pfffft, easy for you to say, Buzz." Guy scoffs, trying to hide his urge to cry by coping with sass.

Guy brushes some of your golden hair out of your peachy face. "You don't know what happened..." he adds, a little harshly.

"No, but I bet it was scary." you reassure, looking at Guy again. His cheeks are stained with tears, so is his favorite Chicago Cubs pajama top. "Do you want a hug?"

"Just...lightly." Guy winces a little.

Nodding, you gently lean over, slightly draping your arms over his back. "Is this good?"

"Mmm hmmm..."

"It's okay, baby. You're not there, anymore." you coo softly.

"But it felt..."

"I get it, Guy." you reassure.

He still seems upset, and the last thing your sleepy ass wants to deal with is Guy bursting into tears at 1:34 in the morning.

You yawn a little as you try to maintain a smile. 

"Guy?" you coo.

"Yeah, Buzz?" Guy asks.

"Can you look up?"

He does so, eyes already filling with tears.

"What is it?" he wonders.

*PBBBBBBBBBBBT*

His green eyes blink, stunned at the sudden raspberry you just blew

"Buzz..." he groans slightly.

"What?" you ask.

"What was that for?" he asks you.

"just trying to help comfort you so we both can go back to sleep, angel."

"Angel?" Guy scoffs. "You and I BOTH know that ain't true."

Chapter Text

Picture it: Winter of 2023. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

It's the dead of night, the heater is humming softly in the Air BnB you and your boyfriend are renting.

You're having the same nightmare again. You're in prison, being pinned down by the bigger man in your jail cell. You're begging and pleading. "No! Stop!"

But he doesn't listen. He never listens.

He just keeps using you. He's relentless. He keeps moving inside of you, thrusting over, and over, and over—

You jolt awake in a cold sweat. Your ears are ringing. The TV is muted, showing some shitty B-Movie. Your head starts hurting and spinning. You're breathing heavier.

You grab your cane—a subtle reminder that what he did was all your fault. You weren't even strong enough to push him. You head to the bathroom and shut the door, locking it.

You slide your back down on the wall, feeling powerless. Your heart is pounding so much, you can hear your heartbeat in your ears. You tug at your auburn hair as you start crying. You really don't mean to cry right now, but you couldn't help it. Despite your massive 7'0 height, you feel so small compared to everyone.

After what seems like forever in a day, your sobs turn into sniffles. You wash your face with cold water. Your eyes are red from the tears with bags under them from the exhaustion. Your favorite Chicago Cubs top and cheeks stained with tears. Your auburn hair covers your left eye.

You take a deep breath and open the bathroom door. It creaks open, which probably foiled your attempt at not waking up Buzz. You head back to your room. Your cane hitting the hard, cold wooden floor.

You enter your shared room.

"Guy, what're you doing up so late?" Buzz yawns. He was holding his favorite pillow in its Yellow and Black case. Did he think you guys were under attack? Whatever. You hold back some sniffs that want to escape and try to play it cool.

"Nothing..." You mumble. You're really try to play it cool, but your boyfriend unfortunately has a really good bullshit detector and sees right through you. He scoots on the bed, leaving the left side for you.

"Climb in."

"Okay..."

You try to find the bed, but you stumble a bit. You lean your cane against the dresser and limp towards the bed, eventually finding it.

"Did you have the nightmare again, Guy?"

That was the question you always felt dread hearing. You don't want to admit you still have trauma from it. You want to say that you got over that stupid incident and have since recovered

But you haven't.

You brush the hair covering your left eye behind your ear and answer him honestly. "Yeah..."

"Awwww, baby...There there, it was just a bad dream." Buzz tries to be gentle with you, it's comforting in a way, but not a lot. You're hesitant to speak up.

"I know, but..." Your eyes fill with tears again as you choke back a sob that threatens to escape. You don't want to cry, not in front of your boyfriend. You're supposed to be the strong one of the relationship, dammit!

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe." He says. You doubt it. For all you know, your assaulter could've escaped and is currently seeking you out.

"Pfffft, easy for you to say, Buzz." You joke, hoping that the faux sass helps convince him that you're fine, when really you're not. You brush some of his blonde hair away from his face to really look at him. You got lucky you started dating someone who's sweet and beautiful.

"You don't know what happened..."

"No, but I bet it was scary."

You look a little defeated at that. It was, in fact, scary. You blink some tears away as to not embarrass yourself in front of your boyfriend. "Do you want a hug?" Buzz asks. You feel yourself wince. You really don't want to be touched right now, but this is your boyfriend! "Just...lightly."

He nods and carefully drapes his arms around your back and then asking if it's good. You let out a hum in response.

"It's okay, baby. You're not there, anymore." He coos. He wants you to feel safe, but you don't feel safe.

"But it felt..." Real. It felt so real. You swear you could feel the way your assaulter touched you, the way he slapped you, the way he-

"I get it, Guy." Buzz reassures. He knew you were always scared from this nightmare. You were still upset because of the phantom touches on your body from your assaulter He calls your name & you acknowledge him.

"Can you look up?" You do as he says, your eyes going blurry as tears fill your eyes once more. "What is it?"

He blows you a raspberry. You were gonna be honest, that was completely out of the blue. You groan at it, hating that you found it hilarious.

"What?"

"What was that for?"

"Just trying to help comfort you so we both can go back to sleep, angel." God, do you like the petnames he gave you. You pretend to hate it though.

Angel?" You scoff, playing the petname off. "You and I BOTH know that ain't true."

Chapter Text

You sigh as you roll over to check the time. 2:45 am. Well shit.

It's way later than you expected.

And there's no way in hell you'll be well rested by morning light.

With that sad epiphany, you roll over.

"Try to go back to sleep." you coo, trying not to get angry.

You really can't help it, and you know Guy didn't choose to have the nightmare, but fuck, you both needed your sleep.

Guy sighs and shakes his head.

"No, I don't feel sleepy at all."

You whisper "damnit" under your breath, wondering if Guy heard it.

"Just try, okay?" you ask, fluffing up your pillow before laying your head on it.

Guy nods and tosses a bit, trying to get comfortable.

"It's not working." Guy sighs.

"You were only laying down for 10 seconds." you snark.

All is quiet.

"Look, I didn't mean to sound mean...I'm just tired."

"Sorry, Buzz." Guy sighs.

You nod and brush back Guy's auburn hair to look in his eyes. His green eyes are big, wide and with a faint trace of fear. A big contrast from bloodshot, but damnit, your blue eyes keep drooping as you study your boyfriend. After a bit, you lay back down.

"Just close your eyes." you suggest. "Let your mind relax."

Guy nods. "Okay."

You can hear him keep tossing and turning, with a few grunts.

You open an eye. "Let's try something else."

"Ideas?" Guy asks, on his right side, facing you. The tear stains on his pajama top have dried up by now and the tears on his cheeks are only faded memories of good, long crying.

"Oh! Imagine a forest." you light up.

Guy nods and squeezes his green eyes shut.

"Big, tall pine trees...fluffy berry bushes..." you continue.

"Mmmhmmm!"

"Birds chirping, squirrels scurrying around, bears snoring away in a nearby cave..."

Your eyes close, so you can't see how Guy is doing.

"There's a small lake nearby..." you pause to yawn, eyes growing heavier. "...with a gushing waterfall...."

All is quiet. So your sleepy brain thinks he's fallen back asleep.

"Uh, Buzz?" Guy chirps up, in a whisper.

Fuck.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick...that gushing waterfall got a bit too real."

You sigh as your peepers to the world flutter open. Fuck...

You try to stay calm though cause damnit, you love your boyfriend.

So you wait up, listening as he fumbles in the dark for his cane, listening to his footsteps as he heads to the bathroom, wincing slightly at the slamming of the bathroom door, then waiting a few minutes before the door creaks open again.

"This AirBnB really needs new hinges for the bathroom door..." you mutter as Guy makes his way back to the bedroom, leaning his cane at a five degree angle-

*CLINK*

His cane drops on the floor, but he seems unbothered as he yawns slightly and climbs back in bed.

"Let's try a different scenario." you muttered. "You and me...late at night...camping..."

Guy nods and lays down, tossing a few times before settling on laying on his right side, to face you.

"...the moon is out and shining, the stars give off a sleepy glow..." you begin. "The fire is crackling..."

You let out a yawn.

"...it smells like a pine tree forest...we're curled up on a log..."

Damn, your own narrations are putting you to sleep. Therefore, you pinch yourself.

"What else?" Guy asks, auburn locks getting in his eyes.

You lean over and brush his hair out of his face. "We're...roasting marshmallows...laughing together...the fireflies are glowing and the frogs are croaking. The nightlife is waking up."

"Mmmmmmmm..." Guy purrs as you brush his hair and tuck it behind his left ear. 

You let out a longer yawn. "And these two former hosts are more than ready to crawl in their sleeping bags and drift off."

"What else happens?"

You sigh. "Well, I help you grab your cane, we crawl in the tent and listen to the wildlife until...we succumb and...get invited to slumberland..."

You let out a loud yawn as your eyes flutter shut.

By the time your eyes flutter open, you see Guy. Faaaaaaaaast asleep, hair in his eyes, drooling on his pillow and murmuring unintelligibly. And, like usual, he's snoring.

You sleepily roll over to check the time. 

3:31 am.

Smiling, you lean over, gently brushing auburn locks out of your boyfriend's face.

Then, you plant a kiss on Guy's forehead.

"Night night, Guy, don't let the frostbite bite..." you whisper before turning in.

You wonder if he heard your voice, despite being far-gone in the realm of slumber.