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A pained scream woke you up from a peaceful dream and immediately you were on high alert. Without hesitation, you jumped out of bed and rushed to the door as another scream echoed against the wall you shared with your neighbor, Steven Grant. This wasn’t the first time you’d woken up to the sounds of his agony while he slept, but this time seemed more urgent than before. Quickly, you grabbed your keyring, which included the spare key he gave you, and bolted out the door.
“Steven?!” you pounded at his door first. Dread filled your mind as you heard him yell and thrash around inside, “Steven, I’m coming in!” you called through the door as you slid the key in with shaky hands.
Just as you let yourself in and closed and locked the door behind you, you saw the figure of Steven in his bed at the far end of his space. The moment the lock clicked, he leapt out of bed and tried to rush forward, only to be stopped by the restraint he kept on his ankle while he slept. With a loud thud, he hit the floor face first.
“Steven!” you rushed toward him and dropped to your knees, “Steven, hey it’s me.”
A loud gasp escaped his throat as he rolled over and finally opened his eyes. Steven’s breaths were fast and erratic as his eyes winded when he saw your face hover over him. He said your name with a sigh as he recognized your features, “Oh bugger,” he breathed as he tried his best to slow his pounding heartbeat.
“I’m here, you’re ok,” you whispered as you rolled him onto his back and gave his shoulders a comforting squeeze as you rested his head on your lap, “You’re ok,” you repeated softly.
Steven’s eyes darted around the room as if he was confused as to where he was for several moments. But, as you held him, he slowly calmed down and his breathing went back to normal. Sweat still lined his brow from his panic, but you didn’t care as you brushed locks of his thick curls off his face.
“Shit, it happened again didn’t it?” Steven sighed in defeat, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you or anything…”
“Shhh,” you hushed him, “It’s ok. I’m here for you, Steven,” you gently touched his forehead where a red spot started to form where he hit the ground, “Let me help you back in bed and I’ll get an ice pack for your head.”
Steven only nodded in response, unsure of what to say to you. Carefully, you helped him up and you swung one of his arms over your shoulder in a silent invitation to lean on you. Neither of you spoke as you guided him back into his bed and carefully laid him down onto the mattress. When you tried to reach for the ankle restraint, however, Steven stopped you.
“No,” he pleaded, “It needs to stay. Please.”
The look in his eyes made your heart melt. You could tell he was afraid, but you also didn’t want to pry. With a nod, you conceded in a soft voice, “Alright.”
You left the restraint alone and shifted so you could go to the sink to rinse a cold cloth for him, but a sudden grasp on your wrist kept you in place.
“Wait,” Steven sounded scared again, “I’m alright,” he let out a deep exhale, “C-could you just… Stay?”
With a warm smile, you nodded, “Of course,” you whispered as you settled into his bed next to him, “Let me just take a look at it and make sure it’s not too bad then.”
You cupped his face as you looked him over once more. As your eyes scanned over his face, Steven felt his skin burn. He never wanted you to worry about him like this, and he felt so vulnerable that you knew about his sleeping arrangement. You never judged him, though, and you checked on him multiple nights a week whenever his nightmares got too much for him. It had never been anything as bad as tonight though, and as Steven’s thoughts raced, silent tears fell from the corners of his eyes.
“Steven…” you breathed as you felt the splash of his tears on your hand, “What is it?”
“I’m sorry about this. I must be the worst neighbor ever…”
You interrupted his thoughts when you leaned forward and gently kissed his cheek, wiping away the tears as you did so. Your action froze Steven in place as you turned and kissed the other cheek. When you pulled away, you had such a genuine look on your face that it almost made him tear up again.
“You’re not the worst neighbor ever, Steven,” you spoke softly, “I’m here for you no matter what. Always know that,” you looked into his eyes for a long moment, “I’ll stay here with you as long as you need, ok?”
Steven swallowed hard and nodded; words completely failed him in that moment. But that was enough for you, and you pulled him in a tight embrace before you lowered both your bodies onto the bed. It took no time at all for Steven to settle in comfortably in your arms, his head resting on your chest. The steady rhythm of your heartbeat quickly calmed him and before he even knew it, Steven was sound asleep again.
You stayed awake for some time, just listening to the sound of his deep breaths as he slept. Your grip on him stayed tight as you ran your fingers through his soft hair. It wasn’t until you were sure he was deep asleep that you leaned down and kissed the top of his head and whispered, “I care about you more than you realize, Steven. I’m always here for you.”
Almost as if he heard you, Steven mumbled in his sleep. You couldn’t quite make out what he said, but you were sure you heard your name in there somewhere.
Satisfied that he was finally in a peaceful state of mind, you allowed yourself to drift off to sleep as well. But, the reality of that moment was better than any dream you ever had of him, including the one you had woken up from. You would have Steven in your arms every night, keeping him safe from the nightmares that plagued his mind. You would do anything for him, as long as he’d let you.
In the mirror, Marc also sighed contently, finally calm and relaxed as well.