Mimi's Demons

Chapter 60: The Best Teachers Bring Skeletons

Mimi woke up ontop of Duke, who had sprawled out on one of the too-fancy couches of the piano room.

This was now the third time she had woken up like this, though the other two times she'd simply been cuddled up to Duke's side not using his torso as her own personal bed.

It was odd, to say the least. Mimi had to dig back in the dregs of her memory to recall when her mother had let toddler her sleep with her. She remembered begging and crying to be allowed to sleep with her mom, and her mom's heavy insistence that she needed sleep too. Mom was a light sleeper. Every time Mimi moved in her sleep it would wake her up.

She peered down at Duke's face, which had his usual morning stubble, including a darker patch on his chin she sometimes saw him rubbing with his thumb when he thought. Fast asleep, even as he puffed gross morning breath.

As carefully as she could, she slid off Duke and onto the carpet to wake up all the way. Her eyes still itched. Under her fingertips they felt puffy and hot.

It had been two weeks since Duke had come in that first time when she had a nightmare. Now he didn't try to talk to comfort her every time. He just came in and sat next to her, pet her hair back, or, if she initiated it, hugged her. But if she showed signs of panicking he'd pick her up and take her to the piano room and played until she fell back asleep.

Mimi turned back to stare at him, her heart all squirmy and warm and so, so confused.

Duke must have sensed her gaze, for he groaned and rubbed at his face. He peered at her through cracked, bleary eyes.

"Hello," he mumbled.

"Morning," she said, feeling a little shy for some reason. Mimi didn't do shy. It was loser material. But he'd already seen her at her worse, there wasn't much face to save left.

"Ugh," he rubbed at his face some more. "I need to replace these couches. They weren't meant to be slept on."

"You could have gone back to bed."

"Might've woken you up," he grumbled, even as he sat up and pawed around for his phone. A sigh told Mimi he'd left it in his room. "Damnit, what time is it."

Mimi squinted at the grandfather clock across the room. "Nine twenty-five?"

"Damnit."

Mimi wilted. Guilt and shame hung her head.

"I can handle nightmares just fine," said Mimi. "I've done it before. I don't need you to be late to work."

"I hardly sleep as it is," he said. "It's my fault for forgetting my phone, this is what parents are supposed to do."

Mimi frowned. "Mom didn't." Not after she was three.

"Your mom sucks."

Mimi choked on a laugh she hadn't been expecting. It sounded like a bad 'your mom' joke she'd hear on the playground. It did help her feel a little better. Maybe Duke actually knew what he was talking about, because...because she didn't hate this. And the piano followed her into the darkness to scare away anymore nightmares that would have otherwise come back to finish her off.

This was nice. She...she just couldn't grasp why he was being so very, very nice to her. Something had to be wrong. It couldn't be good to be this nice to her. Mimi might get soft or something or...

"You're sure you're getting enough sleep?" she asked.

He was already halfway up and scratching at his stubble.

"I don't sleep, I caffeinated," he grumbled. "Speaking of..."

He stumbled out the piano room, Mimi on his heels.