Exhaling heavily in relief, Steve instantly wrapped his arms around her when she came to him, holding her a little more tightly than the situation strictly warranted. Hearing her tell him it was okay─ well, it really wasn't, in his mind, and he could hear that she didn't really believe it, either. But he couldn't tell her it wouldn't happen again, because for all he knew, it might.
Finally, he murmured, "It's been a long time since I've had anyone around to comfort me from a nightmare. Once I was old enough, I didn't even let my mother know, I just... dealt with them, and moved on." He wasn't going to tell her what the dream had been about, that part of the reason he'd left was because of her; he knew how self-conscious she was about the scars on her back, the visual reminder of what she'd endured, and telling her he'd dreamed about it ─ even if it hadn't been the scars themselves that had been part of the dream, she would feel like it was her fault he'd dreamed the whole thing in the first place.
In a way, it was because of her, but nothing like how she would think. He loved her, and never wanted to see her hurt, and his mind had played on that fear, putting her in the place of the only other person it could whom he'd loved unconditionally, who'd been hurt like that.
Steve pressed a lingering kiss to her head. "It's just gonna take some time for me to get used to having someone comfort me after a nightmare, that's all. But... I'm glad you'll be here. I always want you here with me."
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Finally, he murmured, "It's been a long time since I've had anyone around to comfort me from a nightmare. Once I was old enough, I didn't even let my mother know, I just... dealt with them, and moved on." He wasn't going to tell her what the dream had been about, that part of the reason he'd left was because of her; he knew how self-conscious she was about the scars on her back, the visual reminder of what she'd endured, and telling her he'd dreamed about it ─ even if it hadn't been the scars themselves that had been part of the dream, she would feel like it was her fault he'd dreamed the whole thing in the first place.
In a way, it was because of her, but nothing like how she would think. He loved her, and never wanted to see her hurt, and his mind had played on that fear, putting her in the place of the only other person it could whom he'd loved unconditionally, who'd been hurt like that.
Steve pressed a lingering kiss to her head. "It's just gonna take some time for me to get used to having someone comfort me after a nightmare, that's all. But... I'm glad you'll be here. I always want you here with me."