Nightmares Are Human
Davey slowly flips the page of his book. He cringes at the sound of paper crinkling, looking over to see if it woke his boyfriend up. Elmer seems undisturbed, his chest still rising and falling. His eyes are closed, his face relaxed and peaceful.
The only time Elmer is entirely still is when he’s sleeping. When he’s awake, he’s bouncing off the walls and talking non-stop. He’s basically the human version of a golden retriever. This may sound like a bad thing, but it’s actually incredibly adorable. Just ask Davey, who is completely smitten.
“No!” Davey looks over, closing his book. Elmer kicks his leg out, a whimper escaping from his throat. “Please. No.” his voice cracks. He throws an arm over his face. “Leave me alone! Leave me alone!” he shouts. A tear runs down his face, his body damp with sweat.
“Hey, Elmer. Wake up, sweetheart. It’s just me. It’s a nightmare.” Davey gently shakes his boyfriend. Elmer’s eyes flutter open, and then they go wide. He sits straight up. His chest heaves. “It’s okay. You’re safe.” Davey whispers.
Elmer practically throws himself onto Davey. He wraps his arms around him, fists balled up in the fabric of his shirt. “Just breathe. I’ve got you.” Davey runs a calming hand through Elmer’s hair, whispering calming words into his ear. Little by little, Elmer calms down. He pulls away and hangs his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
“You had a nightmare. It happens. Do you wanna talk about it?” Elmer hesitates for a moment before nodding. “I was back at the refuge. There wasn’t any sort of law there. No honor, no rules. I was six, tiny, starving. I did what I had to do to survive. The others were doing the same. So we fought for everything. I stole some bread, they stole it back. They picked on me because I couldn’t fight back. I thought I was going to die in there.”
Davey holds Elmer’s hand as he talks to ground him. “I got out of there. But I still have nightmares about it. I was hoping you wouldn’t have to see one.” Elmer can’t look Davey in the eye. Davey gently tips Elmer’s head up. “You don’t gotta be ashamed. I get nightmares too. Everyone does.”
Elmer bites his lip. “You ain’t gotta lie. I know it’s weak, and weakness gets you killed-” Davey shakes his head. “This isn’t weak. You aren’t weak. You’re one of the bravest people I know, Elmer. So don’t you go talking bad about yourself. I won’t stand for it.” Elmer chuckles quietly, a small smile appearing on his face.
“What would I do without you?” Elmer says. “Let’s hope you never have to find out.” Davey presses a kiss to Elmer’s lips. “We should try and get some sleep. We have work tomorrow.” Both of the men lay down. Davey wraps an arm over Elmer and pulls him close. “Goodnight, sweetheart.” Elmer doesn’t get a chance to respond. He’s already asleep.












