As the. Bastard who wrote those prompts you reblogged a few days ago may I suggest nightmares caused by indigestion? Any character you'd like I just love that trope and it's so rare to see it it's like nobody knows about it 😔 [@bellyclown]
((Sure thing! I decided to continue from this post, hope you like it!))
Micah had almost dozed off next to Elijah when he felt his friend shift just before he groaned unhappily in his sleep. Micah lifted his head and yawned, frowning softly at the pinched look between Elijah’s eyes, and wondered what was wrong… well, besides the obvious.
As soon as he had the thought, his best friend’s heavy stomach rumbled unpleasantly beneath his palms, and Micah sighed, stroking a hand very gently over the curve. The movement drew another moan from Elijah and Micah stopped, biting his lip in worry. Elijah loved having his tummy rubbed. To suddenly be in enough pain that he didn’t want it was freaking Micah out a little, if he were honest.
As Micah watched, Elijah’s sleep grew more and more restless. He shifted and twitched every few minutes, belly gurgling in tandem with his winces, as he murmured out little sounds of discomfort. After a short while, his breath started hitching, then caught just before he belched quietly, swallowing afterwards. Micah ran a hand through his curls as he realized what was happening. The stomach trouble was giving Elijah a nightmare.
Micah hesitated, splaying one hand more fully over Elijah’s tummy, hoping to comfort him. Should he wake him up? Elijah’s nightmares were usually pretty intense; bloody memories from nights out on the streets. But he didn’t seem that distressed yet, and maybe if he could just sleep through it then he’d wake up feeling better…
The decision was taken from him a moment later though, when Elijah came to with a little start, blue eyes snapping open and his body tensing defensively as he glanced dazedly around the room. His gaze landed on Micah and he relaxed momentarily, before his face tightened with another grimace and he covered his mouth, a deeper burp making its way up. He groaned and Micah smiled at him in sympathy.
“Well, that wasn’t much of a nap. You okay, dude? Your tummy sounds awful.”
Elijah grunted and started to turn over slightly, stopping when his stomach let out an angry grumble. He rested a hand over it and looked regretful, then his jaw tightened as he tried to stifle another burp. “Mm… weird dream.”
“Weird?” Micah questioned, moving closer again so he could put both hands back on Elijah’s middle, trying to sneak in a little rub, but his best friend shifted uncomfortably and he let his hands rest. He tried to decide if “weird” was the same as “bad,” and whether or not it he needed to ask, or if Elijah, for once, wasn’t hiding his feelings. “Weird how?”
Elijah pressed his lips together, then pressed a closed fist to his lips, and Micah worried he was going to be sick or something, but then a low sound rumbled in his chest and he exhaled heavily a moment later. Just a burp then, but they seemed to be really bothering him. He made a face and inched closer in the cuddle.
“Was at school. No one around… in the library, sorting books. None would fit right… They would all end up back on the floor every time I went back in the room. Also no ceiling and…” Elijah paused to burp, “Something dark overhead. Something in the back of the room I couldn’t see.”
“That’s creepy as fuck.” Micah announced decisively, smiling a little when Elijah put his forehead on his shoulder with a sigh. Then he pulled back slightly again to cover another belch, another grimace, and Micah’s smile dropped away. “Come on man, you didn’t eat something like… really poisonous or anything, did you?”
“No.” Elijah mumbled, shaking his head a bit. “Suspect it was Mirefew.”
“Herb from feliken culture. Not easy on human stomachs.”
“It’s making you burp like crazy.” Micah pointed out helpfully, just before Elijah covered his mouth again, suppressing another deep rumble. “How does your tummy feel?”
Elijah closed his eyes and grunted quietly. “I’m alright.”
“No the fuck you’re not.” Micah rolled his eyes. “Come on dumbass, I can tell you feel really shitty. Just tell me what’s wrong. And maybe while you’re at it, why you don’t want your tummy rubbed?” He pressed a hand lightly against Elijah’s belly to emphasize his point, then blinked apologetically when his best friend stiffened with a faint sound of pain.
“Mirefew can irritate the stomach lining along with causing indigestion. It should pass on its own, but it…” Elijah covered Micah’s hand with his own and moved it off the center of his belly. “…hurts more when you press down.”
“You poor bastard.” Micah muttered affectionately, and swore he could feel Elijah relax and nestle closer. “Are you sure it wouldn’t help just a little though? Since y’know,” He paused as Elijah turned his head away to belch again, “It might help you get all the air out of your tummy?”
“Don’t want you to.” Elijah murmured, an unmistakable groan edging the words, and Micah looked at him sadly. He really wasn’t feeling well.
“Roll the other way then, maybe? I’ll rub your back instead.”
Elijah hesitated, a hint of guilt in his eyes that made Micah’s heart clench. Worried he was being too much trouble again. “I will be alright if I just…”
“Nope, you’re not arguing with me this time.” Micah gave his shoulder a gentle push. “Turn over you giant fucking behemoth.”
Elijah sighed but obeyed, turning on his other side, his back to Micah. A single pat to his back had him reaching for his mouth to cover another deep belch, then he just left his hand there to stifle each one as Micah rubbed and patted at his lower back and between his shoulders.
When he’d finally stopped burping and seemed to be winding down to rest, Elijah suddenly shifted and pressed back against Micah’s chest a little more. Micah smiled softly and draped an arm over his best friend, feeling him settle beneath it. “You okay? Your tummyache’s not getting worse or anything, is it?”
Elijah made a vague sound of disagreement. There was a tenseness in him that hadn’t let up. Micah thought about what that could mean, resting a cheek on Elijah’s back. “I’m sorry you had a bad dream, El.”
“Not bad. Just… unusual.” Elijah answered immediately and sounded frustrated and Micah suddenly understood. He rubbed his friend’s shoulder gently.
“It’s bad if it made you feel bad, okay? It doesn’t have to be scary or violent to be a bad dream. You’re not overreacting or whatever.”
The tension started trickling out of Elijah’s shoulders. He reached for Micah’s hand and held it in his big one. “Thank you, Micah.”
“You should go back to sleep, and maybe when you wake up if you’re feeling a little better, you’ll want a tummy rub then?”
“Maybe.” Elijah sounded amused, if still rather pained. He pulled a pillow closer under his cheek and gave Micah’s hand a light squeeze. “…stay here?”
“I’m too lazy to move.” Micah chuckled, and heard the sound of a beard brushing a pillowcase when Elijah smiled. He hugged Elijah tightly, careful of his aching tummy, and pressed his forehead to the back of his neck. “Love you, El.”
A drowsy, heartfelt moan was his only response.
