I Needed To Make Sure

Paul jolted awake, now sitting up and sweating. He blinked, eyes adjusting to the darkness in the room quickly, before turning his head to look at the figure next to him.

John.

Breathing.

Alive.

He sighed heavily and gently nudged John in the side, wiping away tears he hadn't known were falling down his face. "J-John?"

The older man mumbled something in his sleep and turned his head towards Paul, but didn't wake up. Paul poked his side again, harder this time, as he sniffled, "John, please wake up."

"Hmm- Wha'?" John groaned, blinking groggily at Paul, "Paulie?"

"Oh, Christ." His nightmare hitting him once more, Paul shook his head and tried not let anymore tears fall.

"Paul," John rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, yawning slightly as he propped himself up on his elbows, "Paul, wha's wrong?"

"I-I just needed to… To see…" Paul blushed and looked down at the forest green duvet clenched in his fist, picking at a loose thread with his other hand, "That you were alive."

At those words, John's head cleared, "What?"

"I…" Paul sighed, chewing on his lip partly because he was embarrassed and mostly because he didn't want it to start shaking, "I had a nightmare. And in it you-you died and-"

Taking the other into his arms, John kissed the top of Paul's head and stroked his back softly, "Oh, Paul, it's alright. I'm here now, m'not dead."

Paul sobbed, a few tears slipping out of his large doe eyes as he rested his head on John's chest, "I-I just needed to make sure…"

"Don't worry, love," John smiled softly, humming quietly, "M'right here, m'not leavin' you anytime soon."

"P-Promise?" He felt so silly for asking.

"Promise."

"Okay… Th-Thank you, John." Paul murmured, offering a shaky smile when John wiped the tears off his cheeks with his thumbs.

John just kept humming, kissing Paul's nose, "No problem, dear. And please don't cry about it, I feel bad."

"S'not your fault that I dreamt you died."

"Yeah, but still. I always feel bad when you cry, I don't like it."

Trying to control his tears, Paul nodded and wiped his face himself, "M'sorry… For waking you, I mean."

"No, m'glad you did. I can't make you happy again if I don't know you're upset in the first place."

This was Paul's absolute favorite side of John, the sweet one that was reserved for him and him only… Well, occasionally George and Ringo saw this side, too, but that's besides the point.

"We should," Paul sniffed one last time, no longer crying and hoping it wouldn't start again, "We should go to sleep now…"

"You think you can?"

"Yeah." Wrapped up in John's arms like he was, Paul felt safe and was pretty sure no nightmares would plague him while he slept. "I think so, anyway."

John's chest shook slightly under Paul as he chuckled, laying back against the pillows while still holding the bassist tight, "Want me to sing you to sleep?"

"Could you?" Paul asked, a little too hopeful for his liking.

"Of course." John smiled wide, kissing Paul's forehead, then his cheeks, his nose, and finally his lips, "Get comfy."

"Already am, love."

"Good." John laughed, closing his eyes and thinking for a minute before beginning to sing 'If I Fell' softly, slow enough that it could be a lullaby.

Paul curled up against John's bare chest, burying his face in the older man's neck before whispering sleepily, "Love you, Johnny."

Taking a break from singing momentarily, John smiled, "Love you, too, m'dear Paulie." And then the song started up again.

Soon forgetting all about his horrid nightmare, Paul let John's low voice soothe him back into a deep, peaceful sleep, feeling as safe and happy as ever.

Fin~