Fire And Ice

Chapter 36 - Nomads

Hailey's P. O. V

His room was clean enough. The backpack he'd brought with him lay near the foot of the bed, still mostly packed. He'd made a change of clothes after, presumably, showering. Probably the reason he smelled so nice. Though, his hair was messier than when I'd last seen him.

Another whimper. Then a sharp yelp. And I was reminded of why I was even here in the first place.

'This wasn't exactly what I thought you had in mind when you said you wouldn't let him get to you.' Opelene mused.

'Yeah yeah, hush... I know. I'm just here to check on him.'

I'd be right out once I was certain he was okay.

"No... no-Jay, don't... Jay... Jason, STOP!" He screamed, jerking in his bed, back arching when he said 'stop'. The bed frame itself trembled, jerking and arching with him.

He's gonna be very sore in the morning.

'Should I- should I do something?' I panicked slightly, 'Do I wake him up?! Hold his hand?? Sing him a lullaby???'

'Hailey... calm down. Think about whenever you have a sleep vision. What would you appreciate someone you just met doing if they find you in a restless sleep?'

'I guess... I'd have liked to wake up to someone holding my hand and telling me that everything will be okay or ask me how I'm doing. Like you do...'

'Good. Now what do you think he'd like to wake up to?'

I paused, 'I don't think he'd want someone too close to him or prying too much. But I think anyone will need someone to just be nearby.'

'So go do that.'

I nodded. He was still restless and his mumbling was less coherent, more like a string of incomplete words. At the foot of his bed, I wondered how close was too close in his opinion.

Maybe I should pull a chair close to instead of squatting by the bed like someone whose close to him.

Grabbing a chair, I lifted it, carefully moving closer with it, so as to not make noise.

He let out another yelp. All the wood in the room seemed to respond to him, becoming rough and forming spikes along their surfaces. Including the chair I was holding.

"Gah...!" I hissed, holding my heavily bleeding hands.

The chair hit the ground with an amplified clank. Tim sat up sharply, breath heavy and ragged.

"Hey..." I called softly, pausing when his wide gaze whipped in my direction, "You're okay... you're safe."

It took a moment for him to come back from where his mind was. His expression of panic and unease gradually settled into realisation, then his head hung in sadness.

"How are you feeling?" I whispered, somehow unwilling to break the atmosphere, "Wanna talk about it?"

He didn't respond for a while. When he looked at me again, all traces of vulnerability were gone and he was right back to the same expression he had when we'd first met. Angry, cautious and ready to throw down.

"The fuck are you doing here, Sunshine? Watching me in my sleep? Some damn creep you are."

My heart pumped with anger, making my hands bleed more. The sting was maddening, "No, you jerk. I heard your restlessness when I went to drink water and thought you could use company. Sorry for my misplaced empathy." I spat.