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He wasn't well acquainted with insomnia. With being too hot or in need of some water before bed, sure. With nightmares, absolutely. But Dawson normally rested, one way or the other. To be laying about, mind racing this anxiously, toes wiggling without thought...He wondered if his time on that island had brought it about as habit; many memories there had been blurred.

He was surprised when Maebe answered his vague text about spending the night, and a part of him felt guilty that he might have woken her up. Tonight, however, that selfless part was small, pushed into the corner like a bullied child. The rest of him felt at odds, both anxious and relieved and entirely too needy. He left a text for America explaining where he was going and that the last bit of Bluebell ice cream was hers if she wanted, and then he was gone.

Dawson thought he could mostly keep his composur, but he found that the door was unlocked. For some reason, that struck something in him, and his proverbial jenga tower began to teeter. "Hey," he said as he slipped in, low and warm as usual.

He wasn't wearing a cap. He hadn't even noticed. The little cowlick at the back of his head stood up proudly.

"Sawry again. I just, uh..." He closed the door and rubbed at his face. "Thanks fer havin' me over."

Seeing Maebe again after effectively a year, arms outstretched and SUPREME hat on, toppled the Jenga tower. It didn’t matter what his brain told him—that it had only been about three real days. What mattered was picking her up as easily as a doll, pulling her close enough to choke, and kissing her until he ran out of breath. What mattered was, half embarrassed and half exhausted, he sat down on the bed and tucked his face into the crook of her neck, trying not to cry. Not a dream, he had to keep telling himself. His imagination couldn’t compare to the genuine article anyway.

“Sawry anyway,” Dawson mumbled, tilting his head so that his words weren’t lost against her. They were weighty with incoming tears despite his best efforts. “I won’ keep you up ramblin’ ‘bout my bad dream. Jus’ tell me yer doin’ okay.”