Full Exclusive Rights (bxb)

78. You Need Me (Em)

   Sunny breathes in deeply the night air. 

   I'm watching him, startled and numb.

   His delicate body collapses in the middle of the vast terrace. He's on his knees, with his head low, looking so small and vulnerable. He is shaking with stress and, perhaps, from the cold. It's quite chilly outside early in the morning, at the end of October. 

   I can't leave him alone in this state. He may have asked for it, but I just can't. 

   I quickly brace myself and wipe my wet cheeks. I must be strong for him. 

   I grab as many pillows and blankets, as I can carry, and dash outside, throwing myself on my knees next to his fragile figure.

   "I'm not backing away. You don't need space. You need me," I firmly state and wrap my arms around him. 

   I lift my shivering kitten a bit to shove some pillows under his butt. The floor is icy. I move in front of him then, pulling his limp body between my legs, and cover us both with blankets.

   "I love you! You're mine. I'll help you," I whisper in his ear, making him lean his head on my shoulder and flooding his soft hair with kisses. "Let me be with you, love. I'm not going anywhere."

   Sunny relaxes against me, sneaking his arms around my waist. He buries his face in the crook of my neck with a deep sigh.

   "Thank you!" he barely utters and, suddenly, bursts into tears. 

   It's a loud, liberating cry, in a full voice. 

   As strange as it may seem, it calms me down. He's finally letting all the pain and fear leave his body. They're pouring out of him and flowing in heavy streams of tears on my shoulder. I'm happy to soothe him and gently caress his back.

   "Go on, sweetie. Let it all out," I mumble and he keeps crying even louder. "Whatever it is, it will never happen again."

    I cup his cheeks and lift his swollen, red face. "I'll always be right here. Do you understand? You'll never see me leaving you. Never!" 

   He nods vigorously and keeps weeping. I press my cheek to his. 

   My heart is bouncing as if it will jump out of my chest. My head is filled with terrifying scenarios about what could have happened to him. The deep terror and desperation, I saw in his eyes, will haunt me for the rest of my life. 

   I quickly push these thoughts to the back of my mind. It's not the time to panic. I'll be strong for him and give him the safety he needs. 

  I adore him even more now when I know what he had to overcome to let me close, to trust me, to love me. He's mine and I'm his and this will never ever change.

   We stay like this for more than an hour, until Sunny finally calms down.

   His loud crying subsides to muffled sobs. I never loosen my grip on him. It's warm and cozy under the blankets, despite the cold air outside. 

   I feel that we're bonding on some other, much deeper level, due to this horrible situation. I'm even grateful that it happened. This way I'm able to understand firsthand how vulnerable he is and find a way to pull him out of this nightmare. 

   But the guilt is still eating me.

   "I'm so sorry for letting you fall asleep, love!" I mutter in his hair.

   "It's not your fault," Sunny shakes his head. "I'm sorry for frightening you."

   "Does this happen every time you accidently dose off at night?" I ask.

   "It happened several times, right after I... it...," his voice fades.

   "Shh, you don't have to tell me," I quickly stop him, seeing his distress.

   "Well, it happened several times... more than two years ago. I... was so terrified that I never allowed myself to fall asleep again. It happens only at night... because of... the darkness, I think. I just see... it... all... again." He presses closer to me, taking in a deep breath. "It was such an eventful evening and it was so nice and warm in your arms... You always make me feel so safe. I just couldn't... resist... this time."

   "It's ok, kitty. That's how you should always feel with me. We'll overcome this together. It's over now." I gently lift his chin with a finger and kiss his cold, wet lips. "Let's go and take a hot shower. We stayed outside too long. Can you stand up?"

   Sunny nods weakly. Something like a shaky smile appears on his face. 

   I feel so relieved, as if a heavy rock was lifted off my shoulders. 

   His beautiful features are stained with tears, snot and blood. His almond eyes are tired and red. But I can recognize my sweet kitten again. 

   I stand up and pull him with me, but his legs are weak. He leans on my chest, still slightly trembling. Seeing that he's still too distressed, I pick him up. 

   Sunny sighs, wrapping his arms round my neck. 

   "You couldn't wait for a chance to carry me bridal stile, could you?" he softly laughs.

   All the tension and fear disappear from my body in a blink of an eye. All I needed was to hear his laughter.

   "You caught me," I chuckle, walking towards the bathroom. 

   I'll be damn if I ever let him fall in that dark place again.

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A/N

Hello everyone at the end of Chapter 78!

Thank you for reading and supporting! ❤❤❤

You're amazing!

Em managed to pull Sunny out of his nightmare. 🥰

Do you think he is able to help him overcome it completely? 

Share your thoughts, be free to express yourself and criticize, if you think it's necessary.

And don't forget to vote, if you enjoyed the story.

It's the greatest award for the author.

See you in the next chapter.

Love: Anny