Zelos or Lloyd waking up from a nightmare?
The chill gouged into his chest, terrifying him from the inside out. He shook and trembled, not only because of the snow around him, but because of red dripping and staining his vision. Her mouth opened and spoke words he had long since memorized. She spoke them again and again, the sentence digging into him just as much as the cold until it became all-encompassing, until it was all he could feel.
The shame of his life was something he'd carry forever.
Zelos gasped, jolting in bed. The chills from his nightmare still ran through his body as he breathed harshly.
Then in a rush of urgency, he stilled and jerked his head to the side.
Lloyd was still asleep beside him.
A rush of relief pounded through him. He couldn't bear to see Lloyd's concerned face right now, not when he was still raw and open from his mother's words.
Zelos carefully sat up in bed, trying not to jostle Lloyd as his arm fell from his stomach to his waist.
Zelos pressed his palms into his eyes, the pressure sprouting white fire behind his eyelids. Something tactile like that that he could focus on helped calm him down. All he had to do was breathe. He probably wouldn't get back to sleep any time soon. Usually when he had these sorts of nightmares, he'd get up and read a book or find a hunny to spend the night with, but he couldn't do either of those things.
The only hunny he wanted was already in bed with him and getting up to read a book would probably wake up said hunny. So his usual outs were already struck out.
Maybe all he needed to do with snuggle up with Lloyd. Maybe he wasn't as close to him as he should have been. Maybe the distance caused a chill that his stupid brain took advantage of.
Zelos opened his eyes and looked down at Lloyd's sleeping face before he allowed himself the weakness to lay back down. He followed his boyfriend's body heat and snuggled right up into his chest. He wrapped his arms around Lloyd's middle and huddled close.
He breathed in that rustic scent that made up Lloyd and breathed out a slow, shaking breath. Relief shuddered through him.
Slowly, Lloyd's arms rose and wrapped around his shoulders. Was he still asleep? Had he woken up? A tension sprouted back up as Lloyd's grip around him tightened, pulling him firmly against him.
Then again, that tension could hardly hold for long. Lloyd's nose buried into his hair and Zelos felt protected, cared for. Zelos bit his lip and closed his eyes, his fingers gripping into the back of Lloyd's shirt.
"Love you..." Lloyd murmured, thick with sleep. "S'okay..."
He was still asleep, but Lloyd must have known anyway. Zelos shook a little, though this was from the stubborn warmth that Lloyd had long since placed deep in his heart.
"It's okay," Zelos whispered quietly into his chest. "Things are different now."
"Mhmm." Lloyd nuzzled him.
Things are different now.
He was glad he was alive. Lloyd was glad he was alive. And he wanted to live with him for a long, long time.
"Love you..." Lloyd's voice was nearly lost in his hair but Zelos heard it.
"Love you too, hunny." Zelos spoke the words, letting the truth of them calm his frazzled nerves.
It took him a little while to fall back asleep, but Lloyd's presence and the way he didn't let him pull away made it a lot easier to calm down.
It seemed like Lloyd didn't have to say much, he didn't even have to wake up, but he made all the difference in Zelos' life.
Though when he woke up, Lloyd was interestingly more affectionate with him than usual, kissing him slowly and softly, hugging him close and not letting him go for a while.
It made Zelos wonder. After all, Lloyd wasn't stupid.
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