Dave sits up with a start, letting out a small cry. Sweat drips from his face and neck. He pants hard, closing his eyes and rubbing his face. 'You're a freak Dave.' The words echo in his mind, and he finds he has to hold back his tears. Fuck.
John blinked a few times, not used to sleeping let alone being woken up. He felt a single jerked-motion beside him, then stillness. "Ngh...Dave? Dave what's wrong?" He ran a hand over his face and into his hair, sitting up beside the boy and turning to see his panicked face. Jeeze...he looked awful. "Hey- Dave, dude it's alright, it was...just a nightmare?" He guessed, concern dripping from his features.
Dave scrambled back quickly against the headboard, letting out a small whimper. Fuck, why did John have to wake up. He shook his head and kept his face in his hands. "I'm fine...it was nothing I can't handle." He muttered. The words were still echoing in his head, lingering there as he tried to stop his nerves from sending tremors through his body.
John sat up on his knees and reached a hand out to gently peel Dave's hands from his face. He even reached over and handed the boy his shades, so to maybe help somehow. "Hey...you don't gotta handle it alone, okay? I'm here for you." The boy made known, sitting back and letting Dave gather himself.
He was sweating, and he seemed absolutely freaked... Did Dave have a nightmare problem he never mentioned? John had to admit, he did a lot of research on his insomnia problem... and he learned a lot actually, especially about neurological disorders. Maybe Dave had one? He didnt know... but he did know he wasnt going to let Dave keep having these horrible night-terror-like dreams every night.
Dave flinched away from John's touch shaking his head as he slid on his shades. "I'm fine...really. Don't worry about me and just go back to sleep John." he swallowed drying, chewing on his lip. He didn't want John touching him.
His nightmare stuck with him and as hard as he was trying he couldn't calm down enough to make his paranoia leave his mind and body. Another rack of tremors went through him, causing him to whimper. Fuck, why couldn't Bro be here...
John's eyes widened, and he began to worry. "D-Dave hey it's okay it was just a nightmare..." His hands shrunk away and hovered where Dave had flinched them away. He was hung on what to do or how to handle this. Fuck- what did he remember reading? He knows that with people who HAVE nightmare-disorders, there is normally only one method- and in most cases one person alone -who can cause the nervous tremors to stop. John knew that wasnt him, and he knew he couldnt possibly know the ways to calm Dave down.
God, this hurt to watch, he couldnt just sit here.
Despite Dave's protesting, John reached forwards and pulled Dave into a tight hug, pressing his face to what was showing of Dave's bare shoulder from under the night-shirt. His lips pressed to the boys shoulder inevitably, and the taste of salt reminded him that Dave was still in a cold sweat from the nightmare. He could only imagine how this poor kid slept back home...
Dave inhaled deeply, tensing as John kissed his shoulder. A small, light blush became apparent on his neck and shoulders as he began to relax. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the lips on his shoulder.
'You're a freak, Dave.'
The spot where John's lips rested suddenly felt as if it was on fire, burning a hole into his skin. He tensed up again and the shaking started again. "No!" he cried out, pushing John away and falling out of the bed as he tried to get away from John, from the nightmare that haunted his mind. Fuck, he needed Bro. He needed to calm down, but couldn't find the strength to do it alone, not with the dark thoughts and voices plaguing his head at the moment.
John tumbled sideways as he was jerked along with Dave, landing face first on his mattress as Dave scrambled away. "Dave stop it, I'm just trying to help you!" John whispered, trying to keep his voice down for his father despite the knowledge that Dave's shouting was much louder AND that his father always wore headphones to sleep.
John stood up and got on the floor beside Dave, being persistent. "Calm down, it's really going to be alright I promise." He murmured, planting a hand on both of the boys shoulders and hugging him again.
The boy hesitated, but soon enough brought Dave back into a hug and knowingly kissed the boys ear. It wasnt gay, it was just comforting. John thinks maybe he'd feel comforted if someone held him like this and kissed him. "Shh..."
The blonde haired boy rocked back and forth a little, chest heaving. It helped when John kissed his ear in such a way. Bro used to do that when he was younger and then again recently in the last few months. He closed his eyes, letting a wave of calm start to wash over him. "John...I-i'm trying." he whispered, shaking still.
"I know you are, it's okay." John whispered against Dave's ear, not moving himself at all incase this very position is what was keeping him calmer.
After a minute or so of sitting like this, Dave's shaking not getting worse but not subsiding, John hesitated before moving up to press his lips softly to Dave's cheek. "Shh... You're safe okay? It's alright."
Dave nodded, inhaling deeply, trying to calm down more. He kept his eyes closed beneath his shades. "Sorry, John. I'm sorry...sorry." he murmured, repeating his apology over and over. He pushed his face into the crook of John's neck, whimpering, "Sorry...sorry"
John had since begun tearing up, but the apologies flowing made him inhale deeply, and slowly exhale. "Dont be, Dave it's okay. I'm not mad, you're still a cool kid in my eyes." He tried to joke, rubbing the boy's back gently. "We can stay like this as long as you need to."
John had since begun tearing up, but the apologies flowing made him inhale deeply, and slowly exhale. "Dont be, Dave it's okay. I'm not mad, you're still a cool kid in my eyes." He tried to joke, rubbing the boy's back gently. "We can stay like this as long as you need to.
Dave inhaled deeply, closing his eyes beneath his shades as he rocked back and forth in the boys arms. "Sorry John...fuck, I forgot to tell you about these stupid fucking nightmares I get. Uh, sorry, fuck i'm stupid." he muttered, closing his eyes. There'd never been anyone to tell besides his brother, who didn't care after so long.
John continued rubbing the boys back, hushing him quietly. "Dave I told you it's okay, you're not stupid you're my best friend." He smiled, moving his lips from the boy's ear. "Really, I mean it, dont wory. Just concentrate on keeping calm."
John tried to coax Dave out of his nerves, running only on what he knew from his little research and thanking God he was able to help as much as he was. After a little while, John moved to wrap an arm around Dave. He sat beside the shaded boy against the wall. "...You wanna talk about these nightmares or would you rather just not?"
Dave normally wouldn't mind talking about the nightmares, but this wasn't one he normally had. It was new and new was fucking scary. The words entered his mind again and he inhaled sharply, laying his head on John's shoulder.
"John...tell me i'm not a freak. Tell me i'm perfectly. fine." he whispered this, feeling needy and pathetic for having to ask. He rocked back and forth, eyes closed. "Do you think i'm a freak John? Do...you think i'm really a freak?"
John's eyes widened, but he kept calm for Dave's sake. "Dave you're not a freak." He whispered, seriousness dripping from his voice. "You are funny and nice and probably the most attractive guy I know. I think you're great." He continued to whisper softly into the boys ear. "You're not a freak."
A sudden urge ran through Dave. It was strong and felt as though venom had been shot into his body and into his nerves which were now tense. He turned and smashed his lips clumsily, shakily into John's. He inhaled deeply through his nose, pressing his lips harder against the black haired boy's when the urge insisted still. Here goes nothing...