Crossing Worlds (A Sandor Clegane fanfiction.)

Nightmares

(a/n: Couple Warnings for this chapter!! Brief mentions of abuse and alcoholism. Please read with caution.)

The next few days were torture for both companions. With Aurora riding in front of him on Stranger, Sandor found it impossible to get whatever thoughts he had out of his head. She was always there, like a nightmare he saw in his waking hours too. Except for the fact that Sandor didn't really see Aurora as a nightmare. She was more like a dream and an unobtainable one at that. Nights certainly didn't help that feeling.

Sandor had been having nightmares for as long as he could remember. Your brother trying to set you on fire will do that to you. Now, his nightmares were different. They had transformed. They were about her. One night in particular, they were really bad. So bad, Sandor actually cried out in his sleep and woke Aurora. For a moment, the young woman watched, hoping he would shake himself awake, but when that didn't happen, she hoisted herself up onto her knees and crawled over next to him.

Aurora knew nightmares. She understood them. So, she gently tried to shake Sandor awake and nearly got knocked out by his fist for her trouble. "Damn," she whispered as Sandor jolted awake. His first instinct was to hit whoever got so close to him, but as his vision cleared, Sandor realized it was Aurora. "What are ya doing, woman?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep and maybe even a bit of fear. "You were having a bad dream," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sandor just looked at her, speechless for once in his life.

"You wanna talk about it?" Sandor grunted in response. There was no way in all Seven Hells he was going to share his nightmare with her. Aurora shrugged, but didn't take her eyes off him. "I understand, you know. The nightmares? I get it." Sandor let out a dark chuckle at that. In his eyes, there was no possible way this innocent young woman could know nightmares.

"Ya know, do ya?" he asked, his voice low, "Ya don't have any idea. Was it yer brother who held yer face over the flames? Was it yer father who lied to protect him?" Aurora's mouth dropped open at Sandor's confession. Sansa had told her of the rumors, but she never imagined them to be true. "No. But it was my mother who hit me whenever she drank, which was often. It was my mother who let our home crumble while she drank herself to oblivion." Her voice was softer than a whisper by the time she finished.

She looked up at Sandor and actually saw tears. Without thinking, Aurora pushed herself up again so she was nearly eye level with him and wiped the stray tear that had fallen from Sandor's eyes. He looked at her in surprise. Crying was not something Sandor Clegane did and to do it in front this woman was something he would never forgive himself for. Then, he saw the tears in her eyes as well.

Not another word was spoken between the two. It was as if time stopped. Before either knew what was happening, their lips were crashing together earnestly. It was sloppy, rough, and demanding and yet clumsy. Aurora tasted the saltiness of Sandor's tears as she continued to smash her lips against his over and over again. It was like water or oxygen. She couldn't get enough and from the way his arms circled around her and pulled her closer, she could tell it was the same for him.

Women didn't kiss Sandor. Not willingly anyway. This was not something he ever expected in his life. There was a part of him that thought this was just Aurora taking pity on him, but for once in his life, Sandor chose to ignore that part. He let his mouth mold to hers again, unable to really breathe but really unable to bring himself to care.

Finally, the need for oxygen became too much to ignore and they had to break apart. Aurora's hands rested on Sandor's shoulders as she looked at him with wide eyes. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been that impulsive. Still, nothing was said as the two of them laid down. They laid next to one another, not touching but enjoying each other's presence all the same. Aurora gazed up at the stars and let her mind wander. Things were going to change and she knew it. They both did.