Jonathan was just beginning to drift off to sleep, finally, when he heard a faint whimper.
He turned over to see Edward almost curled up into a ball. “Ed?” he whispered.
Edward didn’t respond and Jonathan was about to nod off when he heard another whimper. Jonathan fully leaned over and gently turned Edward over. Edward was asleep, but his face was scrunched up. “Don’t,” he whispered. “Dad, please…”
A nightmare. Any other person and Jonathan would be tempted to study them. But this was Edward. Jonathan gently ran his fingers through Edward’s hair. “Edward.”
Edward lets out a choked sob. “I didn’t cheat, I swear, please don’t..”
“Darlin’,” Jonathan said a little louder, “Wake up.”
Edward opened his eyes. “Jonathan?” He asked in a small voice.
Edward wrapped his arms around Jonathan and buried his face into his chest. Jonathan could feel warm tears leak out. “He was beating me, he was saying that I was a moron, that I was never going to be anything else…”
Jonathan kissed the top of Edward’s head and gently rubbed his hands up and down his back. “He was wrong,” he said. “You’re not a moron. You’re brilliant and he hated you for it.”
Edward looked up. “You mean it?”
Jonathan smiled a bit. As arrogant and proud Edward could be, he was in constant need of reassurance. “Of course darlin’.”
Edward nuzzled Jonathan’s neck and soon, he was asleep. Jonathan wrapped his arms tighter around his lover and joined him in sleep.