That night in the tent Alan was giving Saddie a tour of the circus grounds and where she’ll be staying alan tucks her into bed and reads her a story and she was asleep alan then returns to their room laying in their bed their vision getting cloudy they knew what that meant they were drifting off to sleep for the first time in they don’t remember how long since they last fell asleep the room around them goes dark as they drift into slumber and all they see now is darkness and clouds and then they feel as if they’re falling through nothingness and fear as they tossed and turned the dream only worsened and got more scary all alan could see were their worst nightmares and then they saw their dad then they woke up in a cold sweat and fear their arms shaking like their breath alan looked around to make sure they were still in the circus then argos walked in holding saddie’s hand argos said in a hushed voice “alan are you alright i heard you scream a-and i got worried so did saddie so w-we came in to check on you” alan gulps and speaks their voice shaky and wary “i-it was just a dream but it was…nothing like i’ve ever dreamt before i-i’m sorry i woke you please ignore m-” Argos cuts alan off “what if me and saddie slept in here with you tonight you think that would help?” Argos said hopeful a soft blush creeping on his face alan’s pupil turns hot pink showing embarrassment and they nod “o-of course you can” Argos and saddie cuddle close to alan in bed and alan felt their heart rate slow in their chest as they used all four arms to pet both saddie and argos’s long black hair and they felt at peace like a married man with his child and spouse they wanted argos to be their spouse and take care of saddie with them but they thought that would never happen but they look at the ceiling imagining their life with argos as their husband and just like that they drift back off to sleep.