Calming them down when they have a bad dream.

For once, it wasn't his alarm or a phone call that woke him up. It took Jay a moment to process what sound pulled him from his sleep before his mind registered Hailey beside him.

The whimpers coming from her broke his heart, and he turned to switch on the small lamp beside the bed, not caring that the brightness hurt.

"Hailey," he said softly, moving back down on the bed. He could register his feet hanging off the bed as he tried to be face to face with his partner.

"Hey," he tried again, this time brushing her hair out of her face. The sensation of his fingertips on her skin jolted her awake, her left hand coming up to grasp his wrist. Her grip was tight, but not bruising, only telling Jay what he knew. Hailey was having a nightmare.

"Hey, hey," he whispered, his eyes locking with her blue ones, tears threatening to spill over. The look she gave him startled him, because she didn't look like the Hailey he knew and was falling in love with. She looked like a scared little girl, trying to escape the terrors of her own father.

No other words were spoken as she moved closer to him, her hand moving to wrap around his body, pulling herself close. It felt more intimate than anything they had ever done before, especially since they weren't even dating, but he always felt the need to protect Hailey.

Jay just moved his body closer, his arms wrapping around her body, just content with holding her, his fingertips tracing patterns along her back. He could feel her tears through his shirt, but it didn't bother him one bit.

This last case took a toll on her, he could see it, which was why he didn't hesitate to accept her offer to stay over. While a new development, Jay could sense it was bad if she offered so quickly and before he even came over to her house. He half expected to spend the night on her couch, but was surprised when she pulled him into her bedroom. But this was Hailey, and he would always let her take the lead on whatever their relationship was, so they never talked the rest of the night, just went about their ways getting into bed.

All he could do was hold her tight, giving her the comfort and security he knew she craved, even when she didn't allow herself to say it. He swore a long time ago he would always protect her, even though he knew she could do that herself. But Jay felt this need to put her happiness above his own, to make sure she knew that he would always be there in whatever capacity she needed, and if by some chance down the road that changed, Jay would give her the world.

When her breathing evened out and her body was no longer shaking, he moved to switch the light off, trying as hard as he could with Hailey's arms still wrapped around him. Instead, he shifted to his back, pulling her to rest on top of her as he loosened her arms so he didn't crush them before switching the light off. And as he drifted back to sleep, his lips found her forehead, placing the lightest of kisses there as he allowed his sense to become overtaken by everything that was Hailey Upton.

Hope everyone is safe and well. Next week should be back to normal with updates, so fingers crossed! To anyone struggling with online classes right now, you're not alone because I feel that pain.

Even while it is sadly the first Wednesday without our favorites, I am still planning on an update every Wednesday. If there are any ideas you want to see or stories you really want updated, leave a message and I will do my best!