[felix is used to night-terrors & nightmares. he's been having them since he was a little kid, three years old. the difference between three-year-old felix & nineteen-year-old felix is she has no mama to cry to anymore when the scary monsters are coming to eat her, or when daddy is being the monster; he lost that the same night he lost his the last torn shred of his childhood innocence.
nineteen-year-old felix is a big boy now. when she wakes up with her clothes & hair clinging to her, gasping for oxygen, sobs wracking her body whilst she curls up & wishes for it all to go away or tremors shivering across her form whilst she vomits into the toilet because of those painful phantom touches of her fatherʼs hands, she doesn't turn to anyone for help.
he finds himself in a similar situation now, except this time ... he can't calm down. nothing is working, nothing is easing her heart-rate or the intense pain in her chest or her lack of air like she's drowning it's like she's drowning oh fuckfuckfuck she's drowning she's gonna die it's all over nonono—
in reality, felix seems fine; zoned out in the middle of the abandoned living room, sure, but he's fine. he always seems it. right?]
“Feeeeeelix-“ Jasper bounces in, flopping across Felix’s lap, looking up at him.
[felix, who would usually show a reaction in either a surprised yelp or wry grin, shows no response to jasperʼs arrival; he continues to stare into space with unfocused almost glassy eyes, completely clocked out.]
Jasper frowns, reaching up and cupping Felix’s face, “Felix..?”
[no response, no recognition, no attempt to move away, absolutely nothing. matthew pokes his head around the corner though, raising an eyebrow at his boys.]
“Felix is really zoned,” Jasper says, looking over at Matthew, “Like.. really really zoned.”
ʼʼthatʼs... not... great.ʼʼ [matthew mumbles worriedly, moving over quickly & snapping his fingers in front of felixʼs face, something that -- as much as it really pisses felix off -- works well to get him in-zoned. it doesn't work. matthew frowns & sits down.] ʼʼi guess we have a zoned boy for now.. do you think i should let the others know or should we just stay & observe?ʼʼ
“I dunno... don’t wanna leave him alone..” he mumbles
[matthew nods, standing & grabbing duvets & pillows that he uses to make a comfy cocoon around his boys, pulling out the bed section of the couch so they have more room to cuddle, pulling his boys close & turning a movie on for background noise.]
Jasper nuzzles his face against Matthew’s chest, “He’s gonna be okay..” Jasper mumbles
ʼʼmhmm.. he's got us, baby boy.ʼʼ [matthew assures him, running his fingers through jasperʼs hair.]
Jasper nods a little, staying curled up against him
[it takes a few hours before felix starts to look around & even longer after that before he starts becoming somewhat aware of his surroundings.]
Jasper seems to relax when he does, offering his hand to Felix
[she stares at his hand for a while, completely unsure of what in the hell it is. or where she is. what is happening?]
[matthew notices after a while & nods to jasper to say he's doing the right thing, gingerly taking felixʼs wrist to guide his hand to jasperʼs.]
Jasper smiles a little, carefully intertwining his fingers with Felix’s, brushing his thumb over his knuckles.
[matthew hums softly, combing his fingers through felixʼs hair gently to help him relax.]
[another hour or so passes before felix moves, pulling jasper into his lap & leaning against matthew, who wraps his arm around his boys, grinning.]
Jasper grins and snuggles up to Felix, relaxed with his boys, glad Felix is somewhat back.
