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Jacob woke up to the bed shaking next to him. It wasn't an earthquake or anything, this was too small.

Also… there was a quiet sound with the shaking. Crying. There was crying next to him.

When was the last time Jacob had someone crying next to him? Let alone in bed?

"Julian?" Jacob murmured, realizing that the only person who'd be beside him in bed was Julian.

Julian stopped moving and the crying cut off. "Sorry," He whispered, voice quivering. "Just give me a minute."

Jacob wiped his eyes and reached for the bedside lamp. He clicked the light on, and a soft, warm yellow light blanketed the bedroom.

He sat up in bed and looked over at Julian. The man was hunched over the side of the bed, holding a tissue to his face to over his eyes, hiding his tears.

Jacob shuffled to sit behind Julian's back, but hesitated to reach out to him. "What happened?" He asked instead, hoping Julian would open up or relax soon.

"Dream," Julian said stiffly. He wiped his face down with the tissue and cleared his throat. Jacob watched as he threw the tissue into the trash and put his head in his hands.

"A nightmare, you mean," Jacob whispered. He pulled himself forward to sit beside Julian, hoping that not being behind him would help him relax.

Julian sighed and nodded into his hands. "I guess."

Jacob hummed. He wasn't sure what he should do or say. Julian was… fragile, in a sense, after a bad episode. The man had never explained his anxieties or fears to Jacob, and Jacob had never pried. He feared that Julian would shut down or run away if he did, and so he zipped his lips.

But. Julian had never cried before. He'd look like he was on the cusp of a breakdown, sure, but he'd never cried. At least not in front of Jacob. Which means this time must be incredibly bad and exhausting.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jacob offered, leaving the door open for anything. Julian could pick the path forward in this conversation, and Jacob would go along with it.

Julian shrugged. There was a minute of silence, only the sound of Julian breathing deeply into his hands filling the room, until the man pulled his head up from his hands. He rested his chin on his now clasped hands and looked forward.

He couldn't look at Jacob right now. Not for this conversation. Jacob deserved to know something. Anything about Julian. He's done too much to go unrewarded for his undying kindness.

"My mom," Julian whispered. "It's always her in my dreams."

Jacob's eyes widened. Seems they may have something in common. Jacob remained silent, but sat stiffly as he waited for Julian to continue.

Julian closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remain calm. "She… hurt me," He confessed. He couldn't say anything else; word anything that had happened to him the right way. He just couldn't say what exactly she'd done to him, it was too painful. Too much of an open wound still.

So, for now, Jacob would have to be okay with only hearing this small confession from him.

Jacob watched Julian breathe in, open his eyes, and then start to cry again. The tears tracked down his face silently, his eyes glistening and lip pulled between his teeth. "Oh, Julian," Jacob whispered, heart breaking.

Julian dropped his head back down into his hands and sobbed as quietly as he could. Jacob pushed himself closer to Julian and grabbed the blanket that had covering the bed. He laid it over Julian's shoulders and wrapped him up in it tightly.

Jacob hoped the soft material and firm pressure would help him relax. He also wanted a barrier for Julian to rely on so he could rest a hand on the man's upper back to comfort him as he cried.

"It's not your fault," Jacob whispered as he rubbed circles into Julian's back. The man stiffened at his words and then shook his head furiously.

"It is," Julian choked out. He wiped his eyes and looked at Jacob. His eyes were red and he looked absolutely sure of what he'd just said.

"No, it isn't." Jacob shook his head and stilled his hand on Julian's back. "I know it feels like it is… but it's not."

Julian turned his face away and leaned forward to grab another tissue from the bedside table. He wiped his face again but kept the tissue in a clenched fist. Jacob thought maybe he'd respond, fight for his mother's honor, but no, Julian just looked down at the floor blankly instead.

Jacob sighed. "You've had these nightmares your entire life, haven't you?" He had nightmares and intrusive thoughts about his own mother, so his tone wasn't pitying like other people's would be.

Julian seemed to recognize the understanding in Jacob's voice and looked up at him again, eyes empathetic. "Yes," He nodded and cleared his throat. "As long as I can remember."

Jacob nodded. "I have nightmares about my mother on and off… for years now. More so after my father died."

Julian sat back on the bed, back unhunching and relaxed his hold on the tissue. "Your dad was good to you?" He asked Jacob hopefully. He wanted Jacob to have at least one good parent, unlike him.

Jacob smiled sadly. "He was so kind and giving… she walked all over him." He moved his hand to Julian's shoulder. "After he died, she got… worse, somehow. More bitter, I guess."

Julian leaned into Jacob's hand and tossed the tissue in the trash. "Directed it at you, huh?" He already knew what the answer would be, but it felt good to find commonality and talk about it with someone.

"Yeah," Jacob looked down at the floor. "She got mean and controlling. Had a hard time not hearing her in my head every second… for a long, long time." Jacob took a breath and rubbed Julian's shoulder. "Just needed to find the right people to lean on."

Julian's eyes widened and he cracked a smile before ducking his head. "Yeah…" He murmured to himself.

Jacob patted his shoulder and then shuffled fully onto the bed again. "Try and lie down for a bit?"

Julian hummed and threw the blanket back over the bed. He got under the covers beside Jacob and took a deep breath.

"Thank you," He whispered and laid his hand between them, palm up.

Jacob shut the lamp off and then rolled over to lace their fingers together. "You're welcome."

Julian relaxed into the bed as Jacob stroked the side of his hand with a thumb.