Moving Forward

Dreams (33)

They weren't so much dreams as nightmares. Memories with twisted endings. Peaceful places intruded on by chaos. His house exploding. Duke getting ambushed. Lola being shot. Manny being taken out. But mostly he just dreamt of the desert.

Tonight was more intense than usual.

"Run," a voice said. On his own in the barren landscape, he couldn't place where it had come from. "Your team is waiting for you. They need your help."

And so he ran. But no matter how fast he pushed his legs, he wasn't getting anywhere.

"Hurry. They'll die!" The voice hissed.

He was trying! Panic filled his chest, breaths coming in too short. His head felt light. When he collapsed, his team appeared around him.

"You're too late," they chorused. And Max watched as one by one, their throats were slit.

This was when Max woke up. Sweating and panting and with Kyle watching him, worry swirling in those dark eyes. The sun hadn't risen yet, but Max didn't need it to see how Kyle's cheeks tightened, how his brow creased, or his hands curled right in the duvet.

"Just a dream," Max murmured, pulling Kyle down to kiss him.

"Tell me about it?"

He hesitated. Hands stilled in surprise. "I - not now... okay? I just- I don't..."

Kyle stopped him with a brush of fingers against his lips. Wearing a soft smile, Kyle guided Max back under the covers.

Curling a hand in Kyle's hair, Max brought him close for another kiss. It was gentle, barely touching. More of a caress than a kiss, but Kyle returned it equally as careful. And something switched in Max's head. He didn't want to sleep. Why go back to that endless desert when Kyle was right here?

Max took Kyle's hand then, pushing it against his groin. Kyle's eyes flicked and he groaned, as if in pain. Indecision ran across his brow.

"Thiago, you've literally just had a nightmare. Are you sure you want this?" Tenderness laced Kyle's serious tone.

Max ground into Kyle's palm, still firm on Max's crotch. "I'm sure."

Kyle growled, and then took control. Max liked him like this - all alpha male and strong. Different than usual, it made Max feel like a little girl, but mostly he felt safe with Kyle. And there was nothing wrong with wanting to be doted on and protected.

Letting himself be moved and positioned without complaint, Max watched over his shoulder as Kyle prepped him. Their eyes met. Max gasped. The feel of Kyle sent him reeling, but it wasn't just that. Gold swirled in Kyle's eyes. Yes, this was his mate.

Sweating, exhausted, and curled up with his mate, Max didn't want to sleep. His eyelids were heavy, and his body restive, but he knew if he passed out now, he'd be back in the desert all over again.

"You have to sleep, Thiago," Kyle said into his hair.

"I dream of the desert, mostly," Max admitted. Kyle was silent, listening intently. "Sometimes I'm somewhere else, lately it's even been my house. They're irrational, my dreams. I can just be walking forever, or someone who I know lived dies. It's... it's not fun."

Tucking Max under his chin, Kyle hummed. "I can't help you with your dreams, Thiago, but I will always be here when you wake up."

Always. Max hoped he meant forever. So he sighed, shut his tired eyes and slipped back into his dreams.

Light broke him out of sleep. Kyle quietly snored next to him, but the second Max shifted, the snores stopped altogether and Kyle opened his eyes.

Together, they showered and went downstairs to scavenge some breakfast. Max was more introverted than usual, and it was clear Kyle noticed, but he couldn't remember last night's dream and that would have to do.

As Kyle cooked, more people filtered into the kitchen. Lola and Manny came down together, Manny looking barely alive and Lola seeming as if she'd already had ten cups of coffee. Max put the kettle on.

"What's up, Paws?" Dime lumbered in, plopping down on a chair. "Sleep rough?"

Words were not something Max could manage right now. So he growled and glared and gave a clear warning that to bother him would mean their lives were forfeit. And got slapped on the back of the head for it.

"Manners, filho," Blake grunted. "Not liking mornings is not a good reason..."

He trailed off when Kyle shook his head to stop. Max wasn't about to share his PTSD dreams with the class, but now Blake knew something was up, as did Team Panther. Lola looked suddenly alive after the revelation that everything wasn't fine and dandy.

Though, when Duke strolled un with equally dark shadows under his eyes, Max realised it wasn't just him dreaming.

So he pursed his lips and hissed a breath. "Dreaming," he muttered.

Duke nodded. "Same."

Lola murmured something in agreement, as did Manny and Dime. If Bates, Parish, and Whitey were here, they'd probably have agreed, too.

Blake was staring at the back of Max's head - he could feel it - but Max refused to acknowledge it, focusing on sipping at his second cup of tea and eating the pancakes Kyle had lovingly made. Panther were happy to talk amongst themselves and leave Max out of it, thankfully. He wasn't the type of person to enjoy being included in group activities all the time. Being ignored was more his cup of tea.

Though, when Kyle sat close enough for their skin to touch, he didn't have any complaints. Kyle was an exception to most all of Max's rules. He pressed a kiss to Kyle's shoulder and continued eating.

More people trickled into the kitchen. First, the rest of Panther, and then Fin and Amelia. Andy and Carter soon followed in together, making Max wonder if something was going on there, but he dismissed it with the first pulse of a small headache.

"Call us if you need us," Kyle said quickly, grabbing Max's hand and escaping from the crowd.

Max had never been so grateful for the sheer size of the River mansion, able to get away from their family without actually having to leave the house.

They found themselves in the den. Max hadn't even known it was here, with blackout curtains and leather sofas and a million cushions and blankets - "heaven" he hummed aloud.

Kyle laughed, led him to a sofa, and together they did nothing but watch TV for a few hours.

Honestly, Max felt a little bad. They should've been out, trying to find Lara and figure out what Gillespie was doing to those poor werewolves but... this was what he needed. To just... do nothing for a little while. Was that so bad?