Nightmares
Gaige jolted awake.
Her breath was heavy, her hands shaky. She was so sweaty.
She had a nightmare again.
She just… couldn't take that scene out of her mind. She'd relived it so many times by now, and she could still hear her scream.
Sure, Marcie's voice was as annoying as ever, but as much as Gaige hated her, she would've never wanted to see her exploding right in front of her, even though she had wished so many times that something terrible happened to her.
She rubbed her face; she could feel her blood all over her skin, and despite her attempts of cleaning it away – and the fact that it wasn't even real – she still felt it there.
She got up and left her room in a hurry. She needed some fresh air.
As she walked towards the exit of that building – maybe a walk would've helped her and who cared that she was in her pyjamas – she passed near Axton's room and, seeing that, she stopped.
He always joked about his door being open for everyone – even though he didn't probably mean it in a literal sense – and maybe…
She knew it was stupid, but she didn't have anything to lose, so why not try it? Besides she didn't think he'd get mad just for that.
She slowly opened the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. She didn't want to alarm the entire block.
Everything was still. Axton was sleeping peacefully, curled up on his bed, even though for some reason he was keeping a hand over his nape quite protectively. Maybe it was some technique he'd learned while he was in the military.
Gaige closed the door behind her and she decided to give a look around first, after all she'd never been inside Axton's room and she was curious.
It was strangely tidy, and Gaige didn't even know why she'd think it was strange, because Axton was actually a pretty tidy person: he always had his weapons organized and perfectly clean. However there was something about his personality – and his rugged looks, even though Gaige was starting to suspect that there was more attention for that than she might have originally though – that didn't really give a sense of tidiness.
- Enjoying the view? -.
Gaige jumped for the surprise.
- Weren't you sleeping? -, she asked. Jeez, she must've lost ten years of her life thanks to that scare.
Axton shifted and now he was sitting.
- Woke up when you opened the door -, he explained, then he asked, - What's up? -.
- Oh, um… -.
Gaige hesitated.
That was a stupid idea. She shouldn't have come there.
- I just… Wanted to check -, she said then as she started to get back to the door, - Now I better get going before… -.
- Gaige -.
She'd never heard that kind of tone coming from Axton. He sounded so serious.
- What's wrong? -.
Gaige inhaled and – without asking for permission – she walked to Axton's bed, sitting on it. She still didn't say anything.
- Had a nightmare? -, Axton asked then, his voice more gentle now.
Gaige nodded, then she turned to Axton and she asked:
- Do you ever have dreams about the people you've killed? -.
- Well, last night I had a dream where there was a psycho dressed as a ballerina… But that's probably not what you mean -.
- Yeah… -, Gaige said, but she was smiling a little now.
- Well, I used to have them when I joined the military -, Axton said then, - It really sucked. I got barely any amount of sleep -.
- What changed then? -, Gaige asked.
- I got used to it, to the killing I mean -, Axton replied, - If I had to feel bad for every single person I've killed I would've gone mad a long time ago -.
- Wow -, he said then, - When I say it like this it sounds pretty bad -.
- But at least you can sleep now -, Gaige commented.
- Yeah, I guess… -, he replied, then he looked at her and started ruffling her hair as he said, - It'll pass for you too, don't worry -.
- I sure hope so -, Gaige replied, then she fell silent.
- … Sometimes I forget you're still nineteen -, Axton muttered.
- What's that supposed to mean?! -, Gaige exclaimed, maybe a bit too loud, which made Axton snicker.
Now she seemed back to her normal self.
- You big idiot! -, she said then, smacking his shoulder.
That was it. Axton burst into laughter and at that point they must've waken up the whole city.
Of course it didn't take much for Gaige to join him.
- So… -, Axton started once they calmed down, - Are you feeling better? -.
- … Yeah -, Gaige answered, - Thanks Axton -.
- No problem, kid -.
- Again? You're not that older, y'know? -, Gaige asked, - Or should I start calling you old man? -.
Axton made a face.
- Ugh, please no -, he said, - You'll make me feel like I'm actually old -.
- Old man Axton! Old man Axton! -, Gaige started to chant, until she yawned.
- Mmh… I should probably go to bed -, she mumbled then.
- … Hey, Axton? -.
- Yes? -.
- Would you mind if I stay here? -, Gaige asked.
Axton hesitated for a moment.
- Well, if it'll make you feel better… Sure -.
They both got under the covers. Gaia had thought that it was going to be more awkward, but actually it wasn't. It was Axton, after all. Nothing with Axton could be awkward.
She lied on her side and Axton lied down as well; she could see his back like that.
- Goodnight, Gaige -, he said then.
- Goodnight, Axton -.
Disclaimer: before Americans start to nag me about it, yes, I use hyphens for dialogues and quotation marks for thoughts. Why? Because this is how we do in Italy, the country I'm from (actually there's more freedom in Italy but this is how people usually write).
Am I going to change this one day? Absolutely not. This is how I'm used to write and I don't want to change it. If I have to go through hundreds and hundreds of fanfictions where I see quotation marks used for dialogues – something I'm not used to at all – I'm sure you can all go through one story where the style is different without having to point it out every, single, time. Thank you.