Aaron was dozing lightly in the chair beside Jackson's bed. Hazel had left about an hour earlier, at Jackson's request wanting some peace with Aaron, something he had missed over the past weeks. He had fallen asleep around fifteen minutes later, exhaustion taking over his broken body. Aaron deciding to take advantage of this had followed not far behind.
Aaron was awoked however by a quiet whimpering noise, he looked over at Jackson, his face was contorted in pain and his head was moving from side to side. Nightmares.
Aaron knew they would come, but he was not prepared for them. He was little more than a child himself, how was he supposed to chase away the demons, in his boyfriend's mind. He found himself wishing Hazel was still here, to take over and comfort her son.
Then, it hit him, this is what he'd signed up for, it was his responsibility now. It was his job to banish images of train tracks, crushed metal and smashed glass. He had to grow up, now. No more hissy fits, he would not be able to simply walk away when things got tough. He was in it for the long haul.
He stood and walked over to the bed. One hand found itself in Jackson's curls, the other on his cheek, thumb stroking it lightly.
"Jay," he whispered, "Jackson, come on, it's just a dream wake up, come on, it's alright I'm here love."
When Jackson opened his eyes, they found Aaron's, and the fear disappeared in almost an instant, the young man knew there was nowhere he would rather be. He had a lot to learn, but Jackson was there that was all that mattered.