Title: Squeeze
Author: dizzy - in - the - izzy
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I probably ever, make any money off the things I write on this site.
Summary: The memory of the Stewmaker still haunts her, and comfort comes from an unexpected source.

A/N: AHH okay so this is what happens when you go into work way early so you end up sitting there just doing nothing and yeah this happens ahh The Blacklist and this pairing and idk man I'm just all jacked up... this just came to me and I really kinda like it and it's short and kinda sweet okay! Takes place between Stewmaker and Courier.

It's dark.

She walks down a hall, her eyes focused on a single point on front of her. She tries to look around, grasp her surroundings. She's vaguely aware that she's wearing her work clothes, but she's not wearing shoes… and her hair feels different. She tries to reach up, but her arms are heavy. She struggles against her own limbs, frustration building in her chest. Her feet stop on their own accord.

Her chest tightens.

It feels like everything is closing in around her, the walls pushing against her sides as gravity pushes down on her. She tries to scream, but her lungs bubble up and her nose stings.

She can smell the chemicals.

The chemicals from the bath, the one meant for her. The bubbling in her lungs reaches her ears, and she feels her throat begin to close. She's not sure, but she feels like she's floating. Her feet aren't touching the ground, her arms not at her sides. The black pushes against her, and her body begins to burn. Now she really tries to scream… but she can't, and she panics and her mind spins and-

"Keen!"

The yell scares her out of the dream, and she lands hard on something. Her eyes won't open, so she counts to ten and takes deep breaths. She can feel a hand on her back, a warm hand, and she focuses on that as she tries to open her eyes.

"Keen, are you okay?"

It's Ressler, and the gruff of his voice brings her back to reality and she opens her eyes. He's crouched next to her, one hand on her back and the other hovering near her face. He pulls the one hand back, uses it to stabilize him as he wobbles. He's not wearing his jacket, and his top button is undone.

She swallows.

"I…" it comes out breathy, almost a whisper. She nods, feels the muscles in her back move, and she almost wants to cry.

"You fell asleep at your desk, and you were crying out… bad dream?" he mumbles, and she nods again. He straightens up, and gently pulls her with him. She's vaguely aware they're moving as he leads her out of her office. She shuts her eyes as his arm goes around her shoulder, and then the air changes. She realizes they're in the break room. It's bright here. She squints.

He moves her to the couch, and then heads over to the fridge. He comes back with a bottle of water and a wet paper towel. He places the wet towel on the back of her neck, and she feels some water droplets travel down her back. She takes the water from him, and squeezes it.

"Do you… do you need to talk about it?" he asks, and she shakes her head without thinking. Her bangs fall in her face, and she lets them stay there. They cover her eyes; cover the dampness that's pooling there.

She doesn't want to cry.

"It's okay now," he says, his hand moving up her back gently. She shivers from the touch and squeezes her eyes tightly against the tears.

"Thank you," she chokes out, and the hand on her back moves. She's suddenly tucked into his side, and his scent overwhelms her. She bites her lip, her eyes still squeezed shut.

"You're welcome," he whispers, and the sound comes from right above her head. He squeezes her shoulders and it undoes her. The tears she was holding back spill over, and the sob in her chest escapes.

In that moment, she hates herself.

"You're okay, shh," the whisper comes from above her, reminding her of when he first comforted her. She brings her hand up and grabs at the hand on her shoulder. He squeezes back.

And she feels a little better.

A/N: I don't know, it's my first attempt. I tried. I really did.

Reviews are always appreciated.

-Izzy