(I started this one straight after the last. Early update!)

Colby was at a loss for words, for thoughts, for everything. His memories were pieced together but it hurt his head to think about it. Maybe remaining oblivious would have been better.

He felt emotionally drained, more stressed with wondering whether he could continue being strong for Sam like he has thus far. He now understood what Sam was feeling, and he didn't like it.

He now understood why Sam clung to him desperately, trembled and suffered from night terrors, cried at random times and distrusted anyone but Colby alone. His PTSD was far more severe but he could understand why.

Sam expressed to Colby that he was so scared. He was scared after what happened that he lost Colby in that place and wouldn't be able to live with himself if it happened a second time.

Sam was like an abused and abandoned puppy being brought into a loving home, desperate for love but too timid to request for some. He was ready to obey Colby at the snap of his fingers, fearing that any wrong doings could end their relationship together.

Whatever you could call said relationship.

They weren't together. But it felt inappropriate to just call them 'best friends' because best friends don't depend on each other this heavily for loving affection. Sam showered Colby in attention receiving nothing less than the same treatment.

After Colby saw the video he grew more anxious, and at times, Sam was the one needing to comfort Colby. He liked being the shoulder Colby could cry on. It meant Colby trusted and loved him.

They spent a week afterwards dwelling on what actions they should take. Knowing they'd have to post something to their designated channels as well as their shared one to explain the reasons behind their sudden hiatus.

They slept in the same bed, feeling more at ease when in the other's presence. Sam didn't have that many nightmares when he could sense Colby's warmth, but that didn't mean he slept well. When he did sleep, it was incredibly restless and he rarely felt energised in the mornings.

Colby had dreams every night, they were disturbing but not scary enough to wake him up in a cold sweat. He'd wake up sometime in the middle of the night or the early hours of the morning and would just watch Sam silently sleep.

He loved watching the calm expression on his unconscious face, his chest raising and lowering with every breath he sucked into his lungs.

He knew when Sam was dreaming, seeing his expression change was a sign that he needed soothing, which Colby would take action to massage into his muscles or whisper sweet nothings into his ears.

One night Sam woke up short of an hour after Colby had woken. It was somewhere around 4 am, which was later than usual for Colby to wake up, but it was stranger for Sam to wake up so early.

"Hi..." Sam grumbled lightly when his tired eyes met Colby's.

"Hey".

"Did I wake you?" Sam whispered, giving Colby a shy smile, his palms rubbing into his tired eyes. "I've been up for a while... Did you have a nightmare?"

"No... I just... Woke up", Sam chuckled and sat up, his hand on Colby's chest and his right leg between Colby's. His knees ached as he held up his body weight but made sure not to show it.

"You feeling okay?" Colby reluctantly traced his fingers over Sam's thighs, but being sure not to travel too far up.

"Colby, I haven't felt okay in quite a while", Sam chuckled blandly and Colby bit his bit in thought, wishing that he could help his friend get through this, but how can he help Sam if he himself is just as fucked up?

"I'm sorry", Colby mumbled and Sam smiled down at him gently, moving his legs to the both sides of Colby's hips, sitting on Colby's lower stomach and placing his hands on the mattress on either side of his head.

"Why are you apologising?"

"Because I don't know how to take away the trauma... If I could I would exchange all of the peace inside me for the thoughts terrorizing you... I don't like to watch you suffer", Colby said honestly, looking into Sam's eyes with a genuine sincerity.

It was dark in the room but they could see one another perfectly, that's all that mattered in their eyes.

"I don't like to see you suffer either..." Sam pouted and leaned closer to him, his breath fanning over Colby's red cheeks. "Then let's both do our best to make it through this. We can do this... I know we can if we have ach other... God that's so cheesy", Colby laughed lightly which made Sam join in.

"Cheesy is good, I like cheesy", Sam assured and smiled faintly, a silence following as the two resorted to listening to the breathing of the other.

"I-I... Love your smile... I want you to smile more..."Colby rose his hand and caressed his fingers over Sam's cheek, feeling him leaning into his touch.

"I like your smile too... If me smiling makes you happy, then I'll smile until my cheeks ache", Sam whispered with the warmest of smiles, almost feeling as though he was melting under Colby's nimble fingers.

Colby smiled back, his thumb lightly brushing Sam's cheek before moving to his soft lips, the padding of his thumb tracing on the lower lip which dragged it down to expose the white set of teeth hidden behind it.

Colby brought himself up to sit, his legs folding under his weight so he was sitting in the same position as Sam on the bed.

"You mean the world to me Sam", Colby pinched Sam's chin between his thumb and index finger, his eyes settled on his lips. "I feel the same way about you..."

There's forehead touch and their breaths mixed together, drinking in the silence around them aside from their steady breaths. After a few moments Colby wrapped his arms around Sam and pulled their bodies together.

Sam nuzzled his head into his shoulder and breathed in his scent, puckering his lips and kissing his flesh.

"We'll stick together and get through this, deal?" Colby whispered and Sam smiled.

"Deal".

______________

Did you think they were gonna kiss? OH WELL.

Yes I know it's short, it's more of a filler to show where they are, the next will be longer!

~ShadowIsEm~