Work Text:
Sleepless nights. They lead him to many stages in his life. Finding his best friend, falling in love, getting heartbroken. Killing. Saving. Death. Death was laced into his bones now. The feeling of pressing the trigger over and over again still motion memory in his fingers. He woke up every morning groggy, sweat dripping down his back. Nothing to console the shakes that wracked his body. Nothing to take away the death that ached in the darkest corners of his nightmares. At this point he’s used to it. The feeling goes numb after seconds of eyes open in late nights. Numb pinpricks across his skin to take away the feelings, the gloom settled over his mind.
His morning routines were the same. It could be due to his time in the military or his need for any sort of control during his long days. Fighting off shakes he would take a cold shower, brush his teeth, his hair. Clothes put on soon after, straying away from the time in which he lingered with nothing. Vulnerable and naked, scars showing off to merely the corners of his tiny apartment. His veins are then pumped with any sort of caffeine he needed that morning. Depending on what his missions were for the day he would drink heavier. Usually had three cups of coffee before Gavin was standing at his door, rocking on his heels, peeking around corners just to make sure his best friend was in a good mood that morning. Little did the blonde know he was usually the reason a good mood would strike. Especially after bad nights.
Bad nights, like the one he’d been having now. He tossed and turned until his groggy mind finally woke from a pill induced sleep, his head hanging heavy on his shoulders when he sat up. Eyes open, counting down from ten before his body was even caught up with him. He’d done this so many times before it was etched into his brain. Like waking up before dawn every morning, riding a bike, and killing. A metal hand raked fingers through his dark, sweaty hair. He couldn’t bring himself to look much further than the flicker of his clock across the room. Red numbers glaring back at him.
Surely Gavin would be awake right? He usually was this time of night, scouring the city for anything to peak his interest. Dan’s shaky fingers quickly shot Gavin a message.
[text; dannyboy] nightmares again come over?
[text; gavino] I’ll be over in ten. Unlock your door…or window works too
With the promise of his best friend in ten minutes he didn’t bother shooting another message, fingers far to clumsy in their shaky state to bother with much. He gathered himself clothes, just enough to cover the scars Gavin hadn’t seen and ushered his sluggish body to unlock his door. He stood for a moment, his mind trying to make sense of everything around him, but it failed and he ended up fast first on his couch, cringing. His body fell back into a light sleep seconds later.
“Daniel my boy. Ray has decided to join our kip!” Gavin’s harsh voice echoed through the eerily silent flat. The two skidded to a stop when Dan, belly down, was asleep quietly.
“He’s sleeping Vav, I thought you said he was up?” Ray laughed a little, moving around the wild haired blonde to get a better look at their friend. “Oh look at that cute face.”
Dan groaned, turning it away from the light that had been flicked on, moaning ineligible words to Ray.
“Dan lets go get in your bed. We’ll have a cuddle pile and you can sleep. X-Ray and Vav will protect you.”
Gavin’s voice was soft, a voice that was never used around his other friends. He could so easily manipulate his voice to be soothing, but he was real with his best friend. Everything about Gavin leaked concern and Dan hated it. But he couldn’t deny his friends offer. Even his bones were tired and he had no idea if he could go another night with no sleep. Getting into bed with the two boys was so tempting that he nodded his head into the couch cushion.
“I get the middle?” He wondered as he sat up finally, body swaying from side to side.
“’Course you do, you’re Dan the man.” Ray said with a wide grin.
Soon they were all cuddled under the covers of Dan’s bed, warmth radiating out of each of them. It was soothing the shakes under Dan’s skin as his eyes lulled and he fought sleep until he couldn’t anymore.