Max is Having Nightmares

MAX

Lightning spread across the dark sky, cracking it with golden etches. Sweat was dripping off of Max, but he kept running toward the purple lights. The field was entirely too large for him to be running on foot in. Being a field, Max felt like he wasn't even going anywhere as he ran toward where Justin was being assaulted. The harvested corn cobs hurt Max's feet as he ran over them, even though they were numbing.

When Max arrived at Justin's side, the evil wizard was standing over him. Blood trickled from Justin's mouth. Max had to make a split second decision of trying to get Justin out of there or attacking the wizard. Neither were a best bet, so Max leapt onto the back of the behemoth man ready to fire another spell at Justin. Max attempted to snatch his wand away from him. He was screaming in the elephantine wizard's ear, but no sound could be heard. If he could just get that wand, maybe he could use a spell on the wizard to get him to stop.

The evil wizard peeled Max off his back and threw him against the tree. Just as Max's body was about to hit the tree, Max woke up. He was wet from head to toe, especially from the spot where he had peed himself. He berated himself for being seventeen and wetting the bed. It had been four years since he'd last done that. That time had been Alex's fault.

Max crawled out of bed and peeled his sheets and blankets off of it to wash in the morning. He peeled his boxer briefs off and threw them in the pile.

Naked, Max ran down the hall to the bathroom. He turned the shower on and let the water heat up. Tears were steadily rolling down his face. The word loser was rolling around in his mind, reverberating hard against his membrane walls.

The seventeen-year-old got in the shower and sat down. The tile was chilly against his butt. He pulled his legs up into his chest and rocked himself. He'd heard somewhere that rocking while crying made everything feel better. But this wouldn't feel better. The peeing part wasn't what was bothering him most. It was the thought of losing Justin. Which, he already felt like he was losing Justin. At least, the Justin he knew well. The corky, smart, funny, cute guy he used to know was being replaced by an over-sensitive, routine-driving, protective, parental figure. Yeah, he was always like that, but not as a constant.

"Max?" Justin's voice echoed in the bathroom.

Max felt worse knowing he had just woken Justin up.

"Max? Why are you taking a shower at one in the morning?"

Max opened his mouth to reply to Justin, but nothing came out. He didn't have an answer. At least, not a good enough answer to get Justin to leave him alone during this time where Max needed to be a man and figure his own stuff out.

"I heard you scream. Another nightmare?"

The sound of the toilet lid clanking against the seat helped Max know that Justin wasn't planning on going anywhere for a while. So, he was going to have to say something. How could he explain anything he felt to Justin?

"I can't lose you." Max's voice was hoarse. His throat hurt a little. When he was screaming in his dream, he must have been screaming out loud.

Justin's hand reached into the shower and plugged up the drain. He squeezed some bubbles into the tub, but never peeped his head into the shower, which Max was thankful for because he felt very exposed at the moment. Something different than the last time when he got in the shower with Justin.

"I'm not going anywhere, Maxie."

"Play a game with me." Bubbles were beginning to cover Max's body.

"What?" The confusion in Justin's voice made Max let out a light giggle.

"You heard me right."

"I swear I will never know what's going on in your head." After a long pause, Justin went on. "Okay. The family came home to find that their house was completely wrecked. When they checked to see if anything was missing, they found everything from their little girl's playhouse was completely gone and it was smashed by a large footprint."

"Hugh!" Max yelled out.

"Good job!" Justin pulled back the shower curtain, and the boys high-fived. He was wearing his pajama pants and a white t-shirt.

"The troll came back to his cave and searched for his favorite kilt. When he got it out, he found that it was replaced by a hula skirt made out of bananas."

"Harper!"

"YES!"

The boys laughed and kept playing. Justin washed Max's feet and hair. As the bubbles dissipated, Max asked Justin to allow him to dry off. So, Justin left the room.

Max dried off, went to his room, grabbed a pair of red boxer briefs, and rushed over to Justin's room before he had a chance to get cold. Justin was in the bed, reading a book. When Max slid into the bed, Justin snapped the book shut and placed it on his bed-side table. He wiggled a bit. His body lowered into the blankets more, and his head rested against the pillow.

Max put his head on Justin's now-naked chest. Justin shut off the light, then held Max tightly into his arms.

"No more bad dreams now, you hear?" Justin kissed Max on the forehead. In the darkness, Justin's breathing slowed with sleep. But Max was just ticking. The small wet spot from Justin's lips dried up in about thirty seconds. As it sunk into Max's head, he thought about it more and more. He liked it. The lips had been so soft. Justin's skin under his head was so soft. His nipples were perked up, one inside of Max's ear. And he smelled like wild flowers naturally

Surely enough, Max's eyes slid shut, with thoughts of Justin, unwanted, but loving. Who cared? He fell asleep and had no more bad dreams that night.