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Ryan was starting to freak himself out. It was nearly three in the morning, and he had been in bed for hours without sleeping. He was huddled under the covers, surrounded by pillows, and every single noise terrified him. His upstairs neighbors walking through their apartment became apparitions wandering in search of a new victim. The loud wind became demonic whispers, a tree brushing against his window was actually a supernatural beast requesting entrance, and even the beating of his own heart momentarily frightened him. In short, Ryan was scared. Ryan hadn’t slept alone before this week in nearly four months, since Shane moved in with him, and he never realized how nice it was to share a bed with someone. When Shane was there, it was like his thoughts finally stopped racing and he was calm. With his boyfriend there beside him, Ryan was safe. Without him, though, Ryan knew the night would just get worse, so he did what he promised himself he wouldn’t do, and reached for his phone.“Hey, Shane?” he mumbled, “I know you were probably sleeping, and I don’t want to bother you, but I really, really miss you.”“You’re not bothering me, Ry. I miss you, too, but guess what?” “What?”“I’m almost home,” Shane answered, and Ryan swore he could hear the other man’s grin through the phone. “Wait, I thought you were staying another night at your parent’s house. What happened?”“Promise you won’t laugh at me?”“Of course I won’t laugh,” Ryan promised, and paused before adding, “unless it’s something really dumb, I guess.”“Even though I haven’t even been gone for a week, I miss you too much to spend another night without you.”Ryan was glad they were on the phone so Shane couldn’t see him blush. “I’m that irresistible, huh?” he teased.“You know, now that I think about it, I’m just gonna go back. I probably just had a light case of temporary insanity, but I’m over it now, so I’m turning back around. Bye, Ry!” Shane said, holding back a laugh.Ryan wheezed. “Yeah, right, big guy, I know you can’t get enough of me.”“Don’t push it, short stuff.” After they both stopped laughing, they sat in silence for a few moments.“Hey, Shane?” “Yeah?”“Do you think the apartment is haunted?”“I highly doubt it.”“Aw, come on,” Ryan protested, “you’re telling me you don’t think there’s even one little ghostie or ghoul?” “The only ghostie in that apartment is the remnants of my sanity, and that died a long time ago, so I think you’ll be okay.” Shane deadpanned. “Seriously, though, Shane, after being alone here for almost a week, I think we should ask Father Thomas to make a house call.”“What if they’re nice ghosts? Maybe we’ve got Casper and friends, and you want to just exorcise them all willy-nilly? How positively speciesist, Bergara. I expected more from you.”“If they were nice, they wouldn’t be tormenting me right now.”Shane’s tone softened. Even though Ryan was mostly joking, he knew he was still scared. “It’s going to be okay, Ry. I’ll be there soon.”“How soon?”“Well,” he said, “come outside and you can find out.”“Wait, really?” Ryan asked, already running down the stairs from his apartment two steps at a time.Sure enough, Shane’s car was parked right in front of the building, and he was in it. Ryan slid into the passenger seat beside him and reached for his hand.“I missed you,” Ryan said simply, for what felt like the hundredth time.“I’m so glad I’m home, because now I can do this,” Shane mumbled, kissing Ryan softly.Every time they kissed, Ryan swore it was better than the last. When they first started dating, it was like they were teenagers; every kiss was fueled by lust, the sort of kiss that was all hands and tongue, the kind that implied something else would follow. Of course, Ryan loved those kisses, but now they kissed in different ways, too. Like now-the simple, chaste peck on the lips said so much more in this situation than any hot and heavy make out session could’ve. It was comforting, showing just how much Shane cared, and Ryan couldn’t help but remember yet again just how in love he was.“Let’s go inside, yeah?” Ryan said, stepping out of the car and leading Shane by the hand.They immediately went to bed the minute they got upstairs. Shane, like always, had both arms around his boyfriend’s torso and one leg sling over his, and Ryan couldn’t have been happier. Ryan mumbled, “I love you,” into his pillow, and Shane hummed contentedly. Ryan slept well that night; he always did when he had Shane to hold him. And even if he was still pretty sure their apartment was haunted by at least five different vengeful spirits, well, at least he still had Shane to protect him.