Sho tapped his fingers almost restlessly against one thigh as he walked through the apartment, his gaze coming again and again to Kei's troubled movements.

Much as he tried to put his concern out of his mind, he could not quite manage such a feat. Kei might prefer to ignore the nightmares that plagued him - left him shaking and unsteady and sometimes crying, though even when he did, it was never much - but Sho did not have that luxury.

He sighed and turned towards the couch as Kei whimpered and murmured something, a word, perhaps, that Sho could not quite make out. He paused as he was about to try and wake Kei, however, a fleeting memory from years past surfacing in his mind.

Sho tilted his head, looking past his hand at . . . at his vampire, sleeping so restively, with no comfort for the terror that plagued him in his sleep - no comfort only because he would not accept any.

Sho gingerly put one knee on the couch, pushing his unbound braids over his shoulder, and leaned closer cautiously.

Kei hardly responded to the slow, gentle shift of the couch beneath him, twitching and moaning with upset in his sleep. Sho frowned, reaching out delicately to brush Kei's shaggy fringe with his fingertips, a small part of him surprised that Kei didn't wake with the action.

Most of him was remembering a comfort both given and received, years before, when he had still looked straight across into Kei's eyes when they stood together. Even before then, when Kei had been adjusting to life with Sho and his little family, and they to him.

Sho leaned his elbow on the couch, shifting sideways, squashing himself down to sort of, roughly, fit on the couch beside Kei, having to fold his legs and curve his back and shoulders. He shifted, drawing himself in just a little more, noticing that Kei was no longer shaking, though the soft sounds of grief and pain still reached his ears.

Sho twisted, nuzzling Kei's neck and then kissing a vaguely-remembered place low on his throat, soft and warm on the cool skin.

Kei went very, very still, then sighed, slow and holding a quiet hint of a moan.

Sho closed his eyes, waiting, and Kei shifted sleepily, but not in distress this time, only to rearrange himself more comfortably. Sho took a moment to be deeply thankful that there was anything that could soothe Kei's nightmares, nuzzling his neck again, affectionate and comfortable.

In a moment, Kei shifted again, with a low hum and a lazy stretch, one slender, strong arm draping over Sho's waist and tugging at him.

Even asleep, Kei did not have a fraction of the difficulty he should have in moving Sho's much-larger form. Sho smothered a chuckle as he was brought close, still folded up a little uncomfortably to fit on the couch and to reach Kei's neck.

Kei hummed and cuddled against his warmth, and Sho wrapped an arm around his vampire in return, shifting in slight, subtle movements to try and get comfortable himself.

Sho finally wound up half-leaning against Kei's shoulder, one of his legs angled off the couch behind him, the other bent and tucked against Kei's. A fleeting thought played through his mind that this would be so much easier in his bed, rather than on the couch.

Sho yawned, settling easily, an absent smile curving his lips as he was held like he was needed, the familiar smell of his vampire around him - softly spicy with a bit of an odd tang to it.

Kei breathed out a word that Sho, half-asleep already, didn't quite catch, smiling just a little and unconsciously curving his body into the lanky one tucked so close.