Cristina awaked to the sight of Christian pacing by her bed.

"Good, you're awake," he said.

"What time is it?" Cristina asked, rubbing her eyes. She glanced at the clock. "Christian, it's freaking 2:00 AM! Why were you standing here watching me sleep?"

"Don't make it sound creepy," he said. "I just couldn't sleep, and I was waiting for you to wake up because I'm bored."

"I'm not making it SOUND creepy. It IS creepy," Cristina clarified.

"Come on," he argued. "It's not that creepy. It's sweet."

"Listen, there is a thin line between sweet and creepy, and this crosses it," Cristina persisted.

"Sorry," Christian half-apologized. "But now that you're up, let's do something."

"Dude," Cristina complained as he pulled on her arm, trying to get her out of bed. "I'm up," she insisted. "You don't have to tug on me. I'm up." She stood beside the bed. "So, what did you want to do that had to be done at 2:00 AM and couldn't wait until some less ungodly hour?" she groused.

"Let's go to a convenience store and buy some food. We're all out," he suggested.

"Do you understand what 'quarantine' means?" she asked in annoyance. "We can't be around other people."

"Oh, yeah," he conceded. "I guess we'll have to order food. What do you want to get?" he asked as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Well, no one will be delivering at this hour," Cristina reminded him. He continued to prance in place.

"Dude, if you need to pee, just go already," she instructed like an irritated babysitter.

"How did you know I have to pee?" he questioned. "That's just some creepy, paranormal shit right there."

Cristina laughed. "It doesn't require a foray into the clairvoyant to recognize the pee-pee dance. I've babysat. I'm not a mind-reader."

"Thank God," he replied, "because all that stuff freaks me out. I can't watch horror movies or anything like that because paranormal stuff scares me to death."

"Look at you all scared of stuff," Cristina teased. "You know, with the tattoos and the motorcycle riding, I never would have guessed how much of a scaredy-cat you are."

"Yeah, people think I'm a bad boy, but I'm totally not. Like I grew up super Christian and I still believe in that stuff. So, in the reverse, I believe that evil stuff exists too."

"Well, that's something we have in common then," Cristina replied. "When I was growing up, my mom wouldn't let me read Harry Potter books because she thought they were from the Devil."

"Exactly!" Christian affirmed.

"So, you're telling me you've never seen horror movies?" she asked.

"I've seen two, but I don't want to talk about them. Just bringing it up gives me the creeps," he explained.

"So, you don't want me to tell you about the girl in the little blue dress that lives at my grandpa's house?" Cristina asked slyly.

"No, for Heaven's sake, no!" he protested, covering his ears with his hands.

"You don't want to hear about how I came downstairs one night and found her sitting on the stove?" Cristina persisted.

"No, please, no!" he pleaded, looking legitimately afraid.

"Hey," Cristina soothed him by stroking his face. "Hey, it's OK. Let's just say I'm kidding," she added.

"So, you never really saw the little girl?" Christian asked for clarification.

"No, I did," she affirmed. "I'm just saying let's pretend I didn't," she said with a smile.

"Oh, damn! I've gotta pee!" Christian said suddenly. "Your story scared the piss out of me, literally," he scolded as he ran for the bathroom.

When he returned, he found that Cristina had gotten back in bed. She wasn't asleep yet, but she was snuggly tucked in the covers and lying in a ball on her side.

"If you go back to bed, what am I going to do?" Christian asked.

"Do whatever you do when I'm not here," she replied.

"I just wander around the house alone," he answered with a pitiful look on his face. "And now, I'm all scared about the ghost girl," he added. "Now, I'm scared to death I'm going to see her."

"Are you for real?" Cristina griped. "You're a grown-ass man!"

"What's that got to do with it?" he asked. "If there is a ghost in here, I won't be able to do anything to stop it," he argued.

"Just go to bed," Cristina pleaded with him. "I'm exhausted."

"I'll just stay here on the floor by your bed," Christian said.

Cristina frowned. "Come here," she said grudgingly. "Just lie down here. Anything to get you to stop talking and go to sleep," she reasoned.

Christian quickly jumped into the bed and crawled under the covers before she could change her mind.

"Alright, baby," she said, taking his head and laying it on her arm. She gently stroked his hair and made shushing noises. "Go to sleep," she whispered.

Christian closed his eyes obediently, but she knew he wasn't asleep. Not even close. She continued to stroke his hair and his cheeks. And he continued to pretend to be sleeping so she wouldn't stop.

"This isn't working, is it?" she finally asked.

"No, it is!" Christian assured her. "I'm definitely sleepier than I was. I'm sure I'll fall asleep soon," he lied.

"I bet you're not even scared of ghosts at all, and this was all just an elaborate scheme to get in bed with me," Cristina posited.

"I would never!" he said in false outrage. "But seriously," he continued, "I'm legit scared to death of ghosts."

"Alright then," she grudgingly conceded. "Just stay still, then. At least, I could get some sleep."

"I promise," Christian vowed. He lay still in her arms for as long as he could, but soon he began to fidget and roll about.

"Stop moving around or I'm gonna kick you out," Cristina warned.

"I don't think you will," Christian whispered in her ear.

"My mom used to say, 'I wouldn't kick that man out of bed for eating crackers.'," Cristina remembered with a smile. "I think I finally know what she meant."

"I knew it!" Christian reveled in his new-found power.

He cuddled in close to her. Cristina sat up suddenly.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, knowing full well what it was.

Christian sat up as well. "I'm sorry. It happens when I'm in a manic episode. I can't do anything about it. It just happens and I can't stop it. I'm not asking you for anything," he assured her. "Just ignore it. That's what I do," he reasoned.

"How can I ignore it?" she demanded to know. "It's just there. I'm sorry, but there's just something about an erection that feels like a demand," she admitted.

"I'm not trying to sexualize this moment. I swear," Christian said, holding up his hand. "I really can't control it."

"Well, then, turn around because I can't with this," Cristina said.

"Sure thing," Christian said, lying on his side with his back to her. Cristina went back to stroking his hair. Eventually, she fell asleep with her arm around him. Christian never did fall asleep, but he lay there quietly, soaking up Cristina's nurturing energy.