Matt/Elektra, “My nightmares are usually about losing you.”
Elektra opened her eyes, confused as to why she was suddenly awake. She lay still, listening for any threat, but heard nothing. Next to her, Matthew whimpered in his sleep, his body rigid with tension. She called his name softly, but he didn't respond. Frowning, she reached out to touch his shoulder.
Before she could react, Matthew grabbed her wrist and flipped them, pinning her under his not-inconsiderable bulk. His eyes, always unfocused, were even more vacant than usual, staring at something neither of them could see. Surprised and more than a little scared, Elektra leveraged him off her with all her strength, tossing him off the bed entirely. "Jesus, Matthew, what the fuck?"
He lay on the floor, blinking up at the ceiling, while Elektra edged back against the headboard. He sat up and turned his face toward her, his gaze aimed somewhere over her left shoulder. "Elektra? I'm sorry, I--" He trailed off and scrubbed a hand over his face.
Elektra licked her lips. "What… what happened?"
He shrugged. "Nightmare. Same one I always have, about the accident. Details change but…" He trailed off. "Do you want me to go?"
She honestly considered telling him to get dressed and get out, but he looked so lost, sitting on her floor in his underwear with his fluffy hair standing straight up. She sighed, weak against him like she was with no one else. "Come back to bed, Matthew."
He shot her that sweet, beautiful smile that always made her heart beat a little faster, and climbed back into her bed to curl up at her side. She threaded her fingers through his hair, scratching idly at his scalp and listening to his breathing slow and even out. "Do you ever have them?" he murmured, voice rumbling against her skin.
It took every ounce of her training not to flinch at the question. She had more reason for nightmares than he could ever imagine, more blood on her hands than he could ever know. "Yes," she said, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "My nightmares are usually about losing you."
Her heart stayed steady as she said it, because it wasn't truly a lie, and Matthew smiled.