Sweet Dreams are Made of This
He stared upward at the ceiling, eyes wide open. It was, as the drummer liked to call it, "oh-gahd-hundered"; entirely too early for anyone to get up and too late for anyone to be awake. But he couldn't sleep. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw the old man's face, drifting down below the ice and into the black water. And his own hands on the ice, unable to do anything about it.
He made another sharp sob in his chest. He was nearly all cried out, and exhausted...but still, he couldn't sleep.
There was a small shaft of light against the floor as the door was opened, and the unmistakable sound of boots over the stone floor. The door closed with a small click and moments later the bed creaked from the added weight. Long fingers reached past his eyes to brush the hair away from his face, tracing the small tear tracks on his cheeks. "You shoulds be asleeps."
He blinked, staring at the ceiling. "Can't sleeps."
The bed shifted again and he found himself blinking as blue eyes looked worriedly into his face. The other man seemed to be considering something. Finally, he asked: "Feels better if I tells you a stories then?"
He shut his eyes and nodded. A story. It might not make him feel better, but at least the other would stay. He was afraid to be alone, but too drained to say it.
A flash of blond hair and then the bed settled again. The blond switched languages as he started his story. "There once was a little boy who grew up surrounded by snow. There was snow on the ground, snow on the buildings, snow everywhere. Even the people had hearts of snow.
But the little boy didn't want to be snow. So one day he ran away. He ran and ran and ran got older along the way. And he met four other people, all running from their own cold lives. They became a new family. And together, they decided to melt all the snow and set the world on fire.
Some people tried to stop them, but they got caught in the fires. Some people were too stupid to pay attention and they got caught in the fires too. But more people wanted the fire and helped, chanting and screaming and singing to the 5 people until the world was covered in fire and no one had hearts of ice anymore."
He didn't say anything, just turned towards the blond and buried his face in the material of his shirt. The other man tensed for the briefest of moments and then the long fingers brushed through his hair again. Long arms encircled him and the blond made a soft shushing sound. "You are stronger than you think, little friend."
He fell asleep to the sound of that voice.
He made another sharp sob in his chest. He was nearly all cried out, and exhausted...but still, he couldn't sleep.
There was a small shaft of light against the floor as the door was opened, and the unmistakable sound of boots over the stone floor. The door closed with a small click and moments later the bed creaked from the added weight. Long fingers reached past his eyes to brush the hair away from his face, tracing the small tear tracks on his cheeks. "You shoulds be asleeps."
He blinked, staring at the ceiling. "Can't sleeps."
The bed shifted again and he found himself blinking as blue eyes looked worriedly into his face. The other man seemed to be considering something. Finally, he asked: "Feels better if I tells you a stories then?"
He shut his eyes and nodded. A story. It might not make him feel better, but at least the other would stay. He was afraid to be alone, but too drained to say it.
A flash of blond hair and then the bed settled again. The blond switched languages as he started his story. "There once was a little boy who grew up surrounded by snow. There was snow on the ground, snow on the buildings, snow everywhere. Even the people had hearts of snow.
But the little boy didn't want to be snow. So one day he ran away. He ran and ran and ran got older along the way. And he met four other people, all running from their own cold lives. They became a new family. And together, they decided to melt all the snow and set the world on fire.
Some people tried to stop them, but they got caught in the fires. Some people were too stupid to pay attention and they got caught in the fires too. But more people wanted the fire and helped, chanting and screaming and singing to the 5 people until the world was covered in fire and no one had hearts of ice anymore."
He didn't say anything, just turned towards the blond and buried his face in the material of his shirt. The other man tensed for the briefest of moments and then the long fingers brushed through his hair again. Long arms encircled him and the blond made a soft shushing sound. "You are stronger than you think, little friend."
He fell asleep to the sound of that voice.