Fiery Echoes

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Drabble for actualodinson's 30 Day Dark Fandom OTP challenge

Day 12: 10/12/14

Prompt: Nightmares; bad dreams; hallucinations.

Summary: Fire. Smoke. Flames. Night. He'll never get out of this alive. TAKASHI!

Mori x Huni

...

Smoke. He could smell that sharp stench waft around him. Eyes flared open, body tense. He could suddenly feel the stifling heat. Trying to rise, chains trapped him to his resting place. The clanking of stone against metal made him question his location. Where was he? Trying to get a good look, he realized, all he could see was darkness.

Wait.

Not just darkness, but a bright glow all around him, a burning ember that seemed to grow in size. It was a deep orange, tinted yellow at some parts, a dark red or black at others. It ate everything it touched. The ground, the sky, the world seemed to fall before it.

Fire.

He panicked. Straining against his restraints, he could feel the sharpness of the handcuffs and shackles dig into his wrist and legs. He was spread eagle against a large stone construct, a monument or stone slab of some kind. It was then that he could feel something drip down from above.

His eyes could barely make it out in the glow of the fire around him. He strained his eyes. He could feel the drop plop onto his forehead.

1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… PLOP! 1… 2… 3... 4… 5… 6… 7… PLOP!

It kept going. Every seventh count, another drop would hit his head. Was it water? Blood? Poison? Acid? Chemicals? What was it?

His mind was swimming through molasses at this rate. What the hell was going on? Why the fuck is he here? Damn it, he was degrading into curses now, even if only in his mind.

It was then that he realized he was gagged. Something large and round was stuffed into his mouth, a tight cord connecting it all around his head, keeping his jaw snug. He couldn't even open his mouth any wider or close it, no sound could escape beyond the muffled attempts. He didn't even realize that it was in there in the first place because of how little he speaks.

His eyes watered. The smoke was stinging them, but by then the lack of oxygen was causing his body to grow weaker as well. The constant inhalation of the dirty gas caused his nostrils to burn. His body was fatigued, he could barely move anymore. His eyes began to close. But he tried to keep them open. He could see the flames coming closer.

Oh, it seems like he's going to be burned alive, he realized.

The chains and shackles had already heated up, the slow burn causing a muffled hiss of air of leave his mouth, no matter how painful it was to even attempt to make the sound. His mouth felt as if it was stuffed wide and full. His jaw ached.

It began at his back, the coolness of the stone already dissipating as the flames licked closer, dancing in the darkness like fireflies in the night. It was a tingling feeling, the sensation like needles prickling the pores of his skin. It wasn't until the flames were actually right beneath his feet, when did he get five feet off the ground? When did he get so high up? Or was he always this high up in the first place?

He was getting delusional.

The flames set the stone on fire, slowly melting it. Wait, was it even stone if it was melting? Is it metal? Oh my god, was he going to be melted in a pool of liquid metal surrounded by fire?

It was getting closer. His body felt as if it was burning alive even when the fire didn't reach him yet. He tried to struggle, the sounds barely even heard over the rushing sound of the waves. Waves? The rushing sound of the wind, no air, no fire! Oh god, it's getting closer, the pillar, slab, monument, the thing that he is chained to, it's melting faster! It hurts, oh my god it hurts.

He could feel the metal coalescing onto his skin, digging deeper into the small wounds gained from his struggles. It hurts. It felt as if his nerves were shot to hell.

Then it stopped.

Or did it?

His mind was dazed. His body was numb. Oh, look, the flames are actually touching his bare feet. Oh, wait, he's naked. When did this happen? Everything feels so hot…cool air brushing against his face in steady drops… he tilt his head as far back as he can, the fire tinging his hair and slowly singeing it. Wait, it was the heat, it was making it all frizzy. Disgusting… this tastes like someone had dumped salt into a vat of moldy cheese and curdled eggs with whey while mixing tequila into it. He shuddered. Either from the slowly numbing sensation of the fire burning his flesh. The soft bubbling sounds were calm, he couldn't even feel it was his skin melted off, the muscle seared and charred, the bones cracking and shattering.

Mhmm… he feels so tired now…maybe… he'll… just… close his eyes… for a… second… only… a second…

Eyes closed, he embraced the darkness and that warmth that surround him. He felt as if he was cocoon in safety. His eyes snapped open again when he heard screaming. Who is it that's so loud? He didn't realize that the fabric cord had been burned off and that it was his hoarse throat that did all of the screaming. And that he could feel minor traces of the pain again. His nerves had been overcome with the pain and the numbness couldn't even hold it all back anymore.

"TAKASHI!"

Jolting awake, he realized he was sweating. No, not just sweating, he was shaking, shivering, shuddering, his whole body was out of his control. His eyes met the concerned ones of Mitsukuni's. It… it was only a dream? A… nightmare? Eyes hurting, he barely registered the tears falling from his eyes as he grasped the smaller male into a tight hug. He's real, it was all a dream. He can move. He's not restrained. He's not being burned alive. He can speak. He isn't screaming. He's only sobbing. He can feel wetness. It's his own tears. Salty. But not like that liquid, salty water, his tears, not the liquid falling down on him, but falling from his eyes.

"Takashi, it's okay. Take deep breathes. It's okay. I'm here. Come on, stay with me. Don't go back there. You're with me right now. Shush. Take it slow. Calm breathes, serene thoughts, stay with me Takashi, stay." The voice drew him out of his reveries.

"Mi- mits- *cough* mitsu- *cough* Mitsukuni?" he hoarsely whispered.

"Shush, Takashi, everything was only a dream. You're awake now. Stay with me," The soft voice soothed his psyche, bringing him out of the night terror induced panic.

"Fire," he choked out. "So much fire."

"Shush," Huni said, slowly rubbing circles on Mori's back, trying to calm the taller male down.

"Fire. Metal. Burns. Liquid. Disgusting. Dizzy. Hurts. Mitsu. Please." His words came out stuttered, broken, shattered.

"Stay with me, Takashi, stay." His eyes slowly closed again, still in Huni's embrace as the slow chant of "Stay with me, Takashi, stay," echoed in his ears. His breathing evened out and he slumped forward.

Sighing in relief, Huni lowered the dark haired teen's body back down onto the bed. Shifting the covers, he contemplated if he should cover him or not. Any additional heat might bring back the fear of fire, the sensation of heat. Deciding to check back later and cover him if he was getting cold, Huni pushed himself off the bed only for his wrist to be caught. Glancing back at his childhood friend, his boyfriend, his lover, his everything, he found himself staring into panicked eyes that weren't even all there. Before he could calm him again with words, he was encased into a pair of shaking arms. Looking up, he placed a soft kiss onto Mori's jaw, leaning his ear onto the other's chest and listening as the heartbeat began to calm again. It was when he saw those dark eyes close that he relaxed. Closing his eyes, he was lulled to sleep by the beating of his love's heart.

...

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12/30 Days done~

-SilverReplay.