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Sweet Dreams
"Ahhhh, man," Kaitlin Star yawned, stretching. It was late, almost eleven
o'clock at night, but she was still putting off sleep. For the past several
nights, her slumber had been riddled with horrifying images of Grimlord
and his goons. The fear had built until she was paralyzed by it, unable
to even summon up the courage to transform. Professor Hart had talked her
out of her fear, though, and Ryan had dealt with the mutant responsible.
JB and the Professor were confident that she would have no more dreams,
but- she still wasn't ready to trust herself to sleep. Instead, she was
staring into the bottom of what had to be her third cup of coffee, trying
to summon up the courage to go to bed.
A sudden knock at the door sent her shooting up out of her seat, her
heart racing a mile a minute. "Maybe I should cut down on the caffeine,"
she allowed, heading for the door. Looking out through the peephole, she
frowned. Ryan Steel stood outside, and she could tell by his shifting,
uncomfortable stance that her landlady had given him a hard time about
visiting this late. Opening the door, she did her best to fight down the
yawn that was threatening to consume her.
"Ryan, hi. What are you doing here, anyway? It's eleven o'clock at
night."
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You're still up," he observed, half-smiling.
"Can I come in? I think your landlady went to go get her broom."
Kaitlin chuckled, stepping out of his way. "Some martial artist. Can't
you handle an old lady with a broom?"
"Not that one," he replied fervently. He walked in past her, and Kaitlin
took the moment to admire his appearance. He wasn't dressed all that differently,
but something about him was more- affecting than usual. She couldn't help
but notice that his jeans were fitting quite well, and the smell of his
leather jacket was stronger than usual. Her face burning, Kaitlin drew
her eyes away from Ryan and followed him into the living area.
_I must just be tired,_ she thought to herself. _That's why I'm not
thinking clearly._ Aloud, she asked, "So what ARE you doing here, anyway?
It's a little late for a social call."
He smiled. "I figured you'd be up. The Dream Master may be history,
but I'm sure you're still pretty wary of going to sleep."
Kaitlin's jaw hit the floor. "How did you know that?" she blurted.
His smile became slightly wistful.
"You're talking to a guy who's had plenty of experience with nightmares,
Kaitlin," he said quietly.
Kaitlin nodded slightly. She had known, of course, that Ryan's sleep
had been riddled with dreams for ten years. It wasn't the sort of thing
friends could keep from each other. It hadn't occurred to her, though,
that his experience would allow him to predict her behavior so well.
"Anyway, I brought you something. You've had more than enough coffee
for the evening, I'm sure." He held up a bag.
"What is that? Hot chocolate?"
He grinned. "Better. Herbal tea, NOT one of Tao's. It's one of my favorites,
actually. It'll relax you, and give you a good night's sleep."
"Dream-free?" Kaitlin was surprised at her querulous tone.
Ryan shook his head. "'Fraid not. But trust me, I've got other remedies
for that. The first step is to get you relaxed. Sit down, wrap up in a
blanket, and I'll make the tea."
Moving to do as he instructed, Kaitlin couldn't help speculating on
his "other remedies." Ryan could occasionally be a bit of a flirt, but
she seriously doubted that he had anything- interesting in mind. _Too bad,_
she reflected, then quickly slapped the thought down. Apparently, she needed
that tea more than she thought.
On the couch, Kaitlin watched through half-lidded eyes as Ryan collected
all the things necessary to make the tea. He looked curiously at home there,
far more than a young man his age usually would. It was just one more example,
Kaitlin realized, of how Ryan had integrated seamlessly into her life.
On more than one vacation or camping trip, she and JB had awakened to find
Ryan puttering around, fixing breakfast for them all. It always made her
feel special.
She straightened up as he brought two mugs of steaming tea over to
the couch. Carefully passing her one, he settled himself in beside her.
Kaitlin was slightly disappointed that the sofa was large enough for them
to sit without touching each other, but she quickly squashed that reaction.
Carefully, she sipped the tea, and felt every muscle in her body relax
as the warm liquid spread through her.
How long they sat like that, Kaitlin was never sure. Sometimes she
was telling Ryan about her nightmares, clearing the poison out of her soul
at last. Sometimes they were just sitting silently, not needing to speak
after so many years of friendship. Finally, when they had finished the
last of the tea, Ryan noticed that she could no longer keep her eyes open.
"Okay, sweetheart, time for bed," he chuckled. Kaitlin wanted to raise
an eyebrow at his endearment, but found she didn't have the energy. Instead,
she yawned.
"Um, Ryan, I don't think I can move an inch," she mumbled.
"Well, what are friends for?" he asked, mock-seriously. Before she
knew what was happening, Ryan had swept her off the couch and into his
arms. After a brief moment of surprise, Kaitlin relaxed still further,
leaning her head against his chest and letting herself drift with the barely
audible rhythm of his heart. Suddenly she frowned. Was his heartbeat speeding
up?
Gently, Ryan carried Kaitlin into her bedroom and set her down on the
bed. "Roll over," he requested quietly. Kaitlin summoned the energy to
cock an eyebrow at him.
"Why?"
"All part of the service, milady. A back rub to send you into Slumberland,"
he chuckled. Kaitlin smiled as well, rolling onto her front and resting
her head on her pillow. There was a creak as the mattress beside her sagged,
and then Ryan's strong hands were rubbing out the last of the tension.
"I'm gonna be a damp rag when you get through with me," Kaitlin muttered.
"And you'll wake up feeling all the better for it," Ryan teased. Kaitlin,
drifting further and further away, thought she heard a catch in his voice,
but she was far too sleepy to be sure. Suddenly a wave of panic shot through
her.
"You're not leaving, are you?" she asked, raising her head quickly.
He shook his head. "No, I'll stay right here until you fall asleep,"
he told her soothingly. "And then I'll be asleep on your couch if you need
me."
She nodded, already drifting off again. It wouldn't be the first time
he had crashed on her sofa for one reason or another. Halfway asleep, she
managed to mumble, "Goodnight, Ryan."
"Goodnight, Kaitlin," he replied. Then, much quieter, she thought she
heard him add something, but it was surely just her imagination. After
all, she couldn't really have heard him say, "I love you." Could she?