ADOPTED BY THE SIDEMEN

· Struggles ·

This chapter was requested!

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Holly's POV- 2 am

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I wake with a fright and lungs stripped of air.

I gain consciousness and look around me, panicked. I'm in my bedroom, I'm home, I'm fine.

I grab the nearest thing next to me, a sock, and wipe the sweat off my face with it. Thankfully, it's a clean pair of socks and they don't smell.

I sigh when I look down and see my shirt stuck to my body with sweat. Ever since seeing my biological father in that supermarket, my nightmares have been getting intense. I can't rest without seeing his face or feeling his hands hold me so tightly.

I slide out of bed and walk to my closet to change my shirt. I find an oversized navy one that Callux left at the sidemen house back when JJ was in hospital and pull it on over my little boxer sleeping shorts.
Simon and JJ keep the flat well heated during the winter so I never have to sleep with sweats or pyjama pants on.

Next, I walk into my bathroom and feel around my top drawer for my stick of cucumber refreshing deodorant. I don't turn the lights on because I know I'd kill my eyes doing that.

After applying some fresh feeling deodorant, I gather my sweaty hair into a low bun and run my hand under the cold water tap before rubbing it on the back of my neck.

Now refreshed, I walk back out and grab my phone. 2:15 am.

***

I pad down the hall to JJ's room and take a deep breath before pushing the door open.

JJ's room is pitch black and the only light is the red one on his computer monitor.
I let my eyes adjust to the darkness before slowly making my way towards the bed.

JJ's fast asleep, snoring gently. His hamsters nibble on their food quietly as I slip into the bed.

I don't usually climb into JJ's bed after having a nightmare since it makes me feel like a baby, but after this whopper, I feel the need to be comforted. JJ's asleep, so I decide to tell him in the morning.

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JJ's POV
***

I feel my mattress dip ever so slightly and open my eyes. My room is dark and the only sound I can hear is my hamsters, Neo and Morpheus, eating their celery sticks.
I sit up slowly and look over to the space next to me. A small figure with long hair lays there, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Holly?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes and grabbing my phone to check the time. "It's two-thirty in the morning. What's going on?"

Holly sits up and looks down at the comforter. I switch on my lamp and look back at Holly as a soft light is cast upon us.

"Holly?" I try again, speaking quietly. "You alright?"

"Sorry for waking you up," she sighs, lifting a shaky hand to push back her hair. "I-I had a bad dream and-"

I put my arms around my daughter and pull her close.
She's only come into my bedroom once before to notify me of a bad dream. Now that she's doing it again, it's huge. It's a new level of trust I feel and it makes me sense unity between us.

"You want to talk about it?" I whisper.

Holly shakes her head no.

"It might help, angel," I say, brushing through her hair with my fingers to calm her down. "I don't like seeing you like this"

Holly goes quiet and for a minute, I think she won't talk.

"It was a-about my b-biological father," Holly stutters. "He had me and he was taking me and I felt so scared!"