Atem as promised, had come as early as possibly to a Téa with dark bags under her eyes. Upon her request, he had climbed into bed with her as she snuggled up to him, finally finding peaceful sleep.
Her parents came in a few hours later, slightly alarmed at seeing their daughter laid a bit intimately with her male friend. They looked away once more, not taking action given the circumstances.
"Téa had nightmares again last night…" Atem tried to explain, keeping his voice low. Mrs. Gardner just nodded.
Téa woke sometime later, and after being fed with better lunch brought from her parents, the doctor showed up to briefly check her before she was released.
"Atem can come with us." Téa declared to her parents as they walked out of the hospital. Her parents didn't respond, but Téa didn't care, she tugged on Atem's arm as they walked into the parking lot and then into her parents' car.
Going back into her home felt eerily weird. Everything was mostly the same, but there was some slight rearrangement in the kitchen. There was a new painting on the wall and her mom had a new vase. Her own room looked the same, maybe a bit neater, probably thanks to her mother. Atem awkwardly walked behind Téa as she explored her familiar home, him not knowing what more to do.
Téa finally looked behind at Atem, frowning a little. She forced herself to smile. "Let's watch a movie in the living room."
Her parents were sitting in the kitchen sipping coffee, as they looked hesitantly at their daughter, glad that she was finally home safe. "Atem and I are going to watch a movie. We have some popcorn I can microwave in the cupboard, right?"
He mom slowly nodded, smiling. "It's on the third shelf, sweetheart." Téa smiled back, unwrapping the plastic packaging and placing the package in the microwave.
"Let's get the movie set up while the popcorn is being popped." She beckoned Atem. They found an old DVD from Téa's collection and popped it in the player. Both of them felt awkward sitting next to each other of a sudden, but they tried to busy themselves in eating the popcorn. The awkwardness didn't quite drift away and to cope with it, every time a movie ended, a different DVD was swapped with the other. Neither was quite sure what to say or do. Her parents ordered pizza, and even then they opted to eat pizza while watching a movie and Téa's parents ate quietly with them for dinner. Tiredness began to seep into them eventually, and they fell asleep pressed up next to each other on the couch.
"Téa, Téa, Atem." Téa's mother shook them both. Both the teens plopped their eyes open. "It's getting late, you should go to bed Téa and Atem should get home." Téa nodded, yawning, as she slowly rose. Her father put his arm around Téa and helped her up the stairs to her bed, as she whispered Atem goodnight.
Mr. Gardner embarked downstairs after helping Téa into bed, as Mrs. Gardner was thanking Atem for helping Téa get her mind of things.
"We really thank you Yugi… uh Atem… for helping with Téa." Mrs. Gardner thanked him.
Atem nodded. "Of course. I care for her a lot."
"We know…" Mr. Gardner said softly, and sadly, remembering the times Atem would visit Téa in the hospital. It was disheartening not only for himself, but to see Atem go everyday and have to see an unconscious Téa.
"AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH‼" They heard a scream.
Everyone gasped, that was Téa! She was having a nightmare again! All three of them dashed to the staircase and rushed up the stairs into her room.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!‼ MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!" She cried in her sleep.
"Téa, Téa, honey, wake up!" Her mother immediately screeched at her, worriedly.
Téa blinked, tears continuing to pour out of her eyes, as she clenched the blanket in her hands. "Oh mom." Her mother hugged her, trying to comfort her daughter. She gently ran her fingers through Téa's hair.
Eventually, Téa's pained cries and huffed breaths lessened. "There, there." Her mother comforted.
"I can't do this anymore…" Téa whispered, her heart beating rapidly, and her voice cracking. Her parents looked alarmed. "Can Atem stay the night with me, please?" She asked apprehensively. Her parents shared a glance and then nodded.
From that day on, Atem began to stay overnight at the Gardners' to sleep next to Téa every day. A few times, her mother tried to sleep beside Téa and substitute for Atem, but her nightmares still returned. Her new therapist told them PTSD was a strange thing, and if Atem helped her cope with it, it was better to have him over for the time being. Hopefully, with time she would no longer need him there.
Her parents worried that maybe she'd always need Atem and then what would happen when she got older? Both Atem and Téa had their own lives to think of, and Atem couldn't be with Téa forever…
Thank you to everyone for their recent reviews. I've decided to continue with the fic due to the outpouring of supportive reviews. I really appreciate every single one! Updates will be slow, as I'm back in school, but they will happen.
As for this fic, Téa is finally home! But it seems her nightmares don't go away unless she's with Atem... So now he sleeps with her everyday. Cute and awkward at the same time, no?
Thank you again to everyone for sticking by me and please leave a review!
~Startistica