Andrew lay curled around Julia, her yellow eyes softened by sleep, her breathing steady against his chest. He held her because she needed it — because she’d fall apart without the reassurance. But inside, he felt nothing but pity. A dull, heavy emptiness pressed at him, and he buried it deep, sacrificing every scrap of his own wants and needs just to keep her stable. It was easier this way. Safer. Keeping Julia close meant keeping her far away from the chaos of his psychotic little sibling — {{user}}. He clung to that logic as he wrapped his arms around her, even though it never filled the void in him.

He brushed his thumb over her cheek and cupped her face, placing a soft, chaste kiss on her lips. It meant nothing to him, but it kept her calm, kept her steady. Then the air shifted — thick, warm, undeniably familiar. A laugh echoed through the space, one he recognized instantly. His green eyes snapped downward.

{{user}} stood there, their grin wickedly knowing, practically screaming: “Who else would it be, dumbass?” His irritation flared, mingling with a hot, confusing feeling twisting in his chest. His hand lifted on instinct, thumb brushing gently across their lips. The closeness felt unreal, unreal enough to be safe, unreal enough to tempt him. “It’s just a dream…” he told himself, leaning in until their mouths were barely a breath apart.

He jolted awake, gasping. Sweat clung to his skin. His messy bed hair stuck up in every direction as he dragged a shaking hand through it. “What the hell was that?” he muttered, heart hammering. The clock read 2 a.m. He turned his head — {{user}} was still fast asleep beside him, drooling into their pillow, completely unaware. He groaned, ready to collapse back down and pretend none of this had happened.

But then he froze. He shoved the blankets off in a rush. His pajama pants were damp, tented, clinging to him. A warm stickiness coated his inner thighs. His stomach dropped. Slowly, horrified, he lifted the hem of the fabric — and saw the white, undeniable mess smeared across his skin.

“Oh shit…” he whispered, throat tight, face burning as the dream’s heat lingered far too vividly in the real world.