Oneshots [IdentityV]

Nightmare [Norton x Aesop]

What would you do if you knew how much time you had left before you died?

What would your reaction be?

Sadness, grief... maybe salvation?

Who knows, there were many humans and each had a different view of the world.

Maybe some would take advantage of their remaining days to do things they had never thought of before so they wouldn't have any regrets when they breathed their last.

Maybe some would just go on living as they always had.

And maybe others would feel that a premature death was preferable upon discovering that the hourglass of their lives was already almost up.

But for Norton Campbell, this was not a problem he needed to worry about.

The numbers on his wrist had miraculously stopped when he crossed the threshold of the Oletus Manor, and since that day, a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was not a miracle, as the same phenomenon had happened to the other residents of the mansion. However, the miner sometimes dithered between blessing and curse.

Time standing still meant eternal life, but who would want eternity with a past like his?

Being condemned to be reminded of his sins was not what he called rest.

Years had passed since the incident but to this day he could still hear the desperate cries of his comrades echoing in his mind as he replayed the scene of the mine collapsing. Screams, howls, and bodies being swallowed up by dirt and rocks...

"-ton. Norton-"

The ebony-haired male's eyes widened in shock, drops of sweat beading from his forehead and back, a shiver ran down his spine at the voice that called out to him.

He let out a relieved sigh as he felt the softness of the sheets and the warmth of two arms enveloping him, then he looked up, meeting two gray irises that seemed to show concern for him. It was a strange feeling, he had never been used to being cared about, in his environment, everyone had to manage by himself to survive and there was no real place for pity despite all the camaraderie that could be found between miners.

Nevertheless, he had to admit that it had... a positive effect on his thoughts.

"Excuse me, did I disturb you?" he asked the silver haired one.

"Not at all, I was still reading a book when I noticed you making an annoyed expression in your sleep so I thought it best to wake you up..."

Norton noticed the book he was talking about sitting on the edge of the headboard, Hamlet. He laughed before giving Aesop a peck on the cheek.

"Do you still read this stuff? Are you that fascinated with death?"

"Well... I don't know anymore, our time has stopped for all of us and I'm not sure what to think about it yet." he said with a frown.

"You're going to get wrinkles." joked the miner, to which the embalmer rolled his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, you have an early morning game tomorrow." he replied as he released the other from his grip to turn and show him his back as if to confront Norton with a wall.

The latter found the reaction of his lover amusing more than anything and passed his arms around his waist.

"I wonder how you always wear those starry pajamas no matter what the season, aren't you hot? I know it's almost fall but the temperature is still pretty high."

"I'm fine, now go to sleep."

"Yes, yes."

Norton pressed a final kiss to the back of Aesop's head before closing his eyes to return to the realm of dreams he had left earlier.

As for the embalmer, he was still struggling to fall asleep, the miner's words weighing on his mind. When he felt the other's breathing against his neck become slower, assured that he was truly asleep, Aesop raised his arm slightly and pulled up the sleeve of his blue pajamas. Numbers were displayed on his wrist, as were all the other survivors, but only one exception still lingered.

The embalmer sighed at the numbers shifting second by second and at last tried to sleep too.