Wake of the Dead | Two

Chapter Eight | Killian

With the yelling of his nightmare echoing in his ears, Killian bolted awake in a cold sweat, eyes widened and body shaking. His desperate gulps for air finally filled his lungs as his heart pounded in his chest and he panted softly. Knitting his brows together, he sat up wearily and leaned back against the frame of the bed, clenching the bedsheets in his hands to remind himself of where he was.

With his own pulse drumming rhythmically in his ears, Killian hadn't heard Jasper stir in the corner of the room until the other man stood up, walking over to him. Killian's breath hitched in his chest when Jasper quietly stepped over. The other man's chiseled muscles were outlined by the gleaming moonlight filtering in from the window. His bright blue eyes were turned to a silvery-grey; despite all of this though, his expression was as kind and patient as always.

A soft touch on the side of his face made Killian flinch back from the unexpected touch. Jasper paused for a few moments, before trying again, this time much slower. Killian leaned into his hand, feeling the other man's warm, calloused palm on his cheek. He closed his eyes, breathing in Jasper's familiar scent, his mind sinking back into a comfortable state suspended between wakefulness and an idle existence. He was too tired to process exactly what this meant between them, but in that moment, he didn't care. He felt safe, oddly enough. Safety, security—those were things Killian hadn't ever felt before.

The other man's voice was a quiet rumble in his deep chest as Jasper broke the silence, "Did you have a bad dream?" Not wanting to speak, Killian just nodded. He hoped Jasper didn't prod for details, and to his relief, the other man didn't. The only response given was a quiet, "Hmm." Jasper remained still, not moving a single muscle. The warmth of the other man's hand, the strong and comfortable presence, both were things that Killian relished in. His eyes drifted halfway closed, peaceful. For once his muscles weren't coiled up, he wasn't ready for a fight, or itching to leave anywhere. It was just him and Jasper. There was no reason to run, no reason to hide away. Nothing would hurt him here. 

Before he could stop himself Killian murmured, "Hey, Jasper?" Then hesitated. After swallowing back an anxious lump in his throat he finally managed, "Do you get nightmares too?" To his dismay Jasper moved his hand, but a thrill of butterflies buzzed through Killian's chest as Jasper got up onto the bed next to him. The other man leaned against the bedframe as well, keeping a good distance. He wasn't too far away, but he wasn't too close either. 

A bitter smile slowly spread across Jasper's lips, "That's what I have most of the time. I either have nightmares or don't dream at all." Killian watched closely as a long, low breath exhaled from between the other man's lips and he leaned his head back, closing his eyes and running a stressed hand through the tuft of hair on his head. 

"What are they about?" Killian asked tentatively. He knew he wouldn't want to tell anybody about his nightmares. Maybe Jasper didn't want to tell him. That was okay. But Killian wanted to know, he wanted to make things okay for Jasper again, just like how Jasper made things okay for him. Making the other man feel safe around him was the only good way to pay Jasper back for all that he'd done for Killian. It was the least he could do. 

A hard swallow followed a long and reluctant sigh, with Jasper's brows narrowing. The other man cleared his throat and said, "Sometimes it starts out nice. I see my family, my dog, my friends. But then it slowly gets worse and worse." To Killian's surprise, Jasper's voice began to shake a bit. "That's when I hear it. The gunfire. People shouting, people dying. Artillery, screaming." The haunted look in Jasper's eyes when he opened them sent a chill down Killian's spine. It was as if he wasn't there, looking at something Killian couldn't see. "Then," Jasper growled softly, "Sometime I'm back at the city. The biters tearing people apart, and I can't do anything to help them."