Benjamin was jolted from his sleep, sweat dripping from his body. By the time he realised  where he was he was sat bolt upright in bed next to Toby, his boyfriend, who had just started to stir from his own slumber.

“What’s wrong?” Toby asked groggily, sleep still trying to draw him back in. Rather than reply, Benjamin pulled Toby up into a hard embrace, squeezing him to him and not letting go for dear life. He couldn’t tell Toby what was wrong, he couldn’t tell him what had awoken him so suddenly, it was too painful. Toby wasn’t sure what was going on but simply wrapped his arms around his love and let Benjamin take whatever he needed from their embrace, and guiding them back down to the bed, never once letting go.

Benjamin felt his heart beat slowing, back to its normal steady pace. The thoughts that had awoken him starting to fade back into the nightmares from where they had come. Toby rubbed Benjamin’s back as he drifted back off to sleep. Holding him tightly to keep him calm as they both succumbed back to the sandman’s grasp.

Morning came and as Toby stirred into life, he awoke to find the bed next to him was cold and empty. Sounds of the radio coming from downstairs, and the distinctive smell of bacon wafting into the room. Toby climbed out of bed and grabbed his dressing gown from the back of the bedroom door and wrapped himself up in its soft embrace before following his nose to the kitchen. He found Benjamin standing by the frying pan wearing just his own matching soft baby blue dressing gown. He was singing and dancing along to the radio while preparing breakfast, not noticing Toby watching him adoringly from the doorway.

Toby sneaked up from behind and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend as he sung along to whatever tune was playing on the radio. Benjamin jumped at the sudden contacted before leaning into his partner who had started nuzzling into his bare neck which he Toby knew drove him wild. They had been together for two years and had been living together in their cozy little house for six months having decided to get a place of their own when Toby’s lease was coming to an end on his apartment.

“I didn’t hear you get up,” Benjamin said while still wrapped in Toby’s arms. “I could say the same thing about you,” Toby retorted before releasing him to carry on preparing the breakfast, “Couldn’t sleep?” Benjamin didn’t answer the question, he wasn’t sure he knew how, instead he simply said “Why don’t you make the coffee, the foods nearly done.” Toby let him get away with not answering for the time being, but was determined to find out what had Benjamin so rattled last night. He knew something was wrong and wanted to help, but if Benjamin didn’t or couldn’t open up to him, Toby wasn’t sure he knew how.