Work Text:
The first nightmare struck on a restless, shadowy night. Teo shot upright drenched in sweat, his dark curls plastered to his forehead. Images of the Sunbearer ceremony flashed in his mind: the knife in his grip; Auristela on the cold stone table; Xio’s dark blood dripping from his hand. He stared at the ceiling, almost in disbelief, while trying to catch his breath. The panic in his chest was starting to fade, but the sense of unease remained, like a weight in his stomach. Why now, after everything was over? The Golds and Jades had made peace with the Obsidian dioses, and Reino del Sol was safe once again. There was nothing to be afraid of anymore. So why was he so scared? Teo tossed and turned, and when he finally drifted off again, his sleep was fitful and restless.
The second nightmare came the very next night. That evening, Teo had excused himself to his room early in hopes of catching up on his missed sleep. This was much to the dismay of Niya and Aurelio, who were insistent that every night was movie night. He had instead woken up with a shout in the early hours of the morning. Once again, he was flooded with images from the failed ceremony. Panic rising, he shook his head to clear his mind and tried to focus on his breathing. After several minutes, Teo had returned to a somewhat calm state. Despite the fatigue weighing on his eyes, he couldn't bring himself to lie back down. He lifted himself out of bed, carefully treading down the hallway so as to not wake up his friends. Teo was excited about their decision to spend summers at the Quetzal temple with him. However, it made sneaking out at night significantly harder.
The boy swung the doors open, leading to the balcony at the top of the temple. Past its brightly coloured bannisters, he could see the whole of Quetzlan. The cool breeze ruffled his feathers, and lifted the crushing fear in his chest. He took a long, deep breath, letting the fresh air cool him from the inside out. Finally, he felt like he could breathe. The prospect of returning to bed threatened to tighten his chest again, so he sat on the railing, looking over his glowing city. The faint noises of chatter and movement drifted about. Teo spent the rest of the night perched there, safe from his traitorous mind.
The nightmares persisted, and Teo found himself unable to get a full night of sleep. His lack of rest seemed to be apparent, based on the concerned looks Aurelio and Niya gave him over the dinner table.
“Dude. Are you okay? You look…” Niya trailed off, seemingly searching for the right words.
“Tired. You look tired,” Aurelio finished for her. Teo appreciated their concern, but it also brought him guilt. The three of them had been through enough, there was no reason for Teo to throw his own problems on their plates. He shifted his food around with his fork.
“I'm fine, guys. I’ve just been extra busy is all.” This wasn’t entirely untrue. The Jade had begun picking up extra chores around the temple, and running errands for the Quetzlan citizens. It helped distract him from the unsettling dreams he knew would return at night. He looked up from his plate when he felt a gaze boring into him. Aurelio’s eyes narrowed, and a crease had formed between his eyebrows. Teo mustered up as genuine a smile as he could to ease his boyfriend’s anxiety, but the crease only lessened a fraction. Aurelio’s mouth opened slightly, as if he were about to say something. Before he got the chance, Teo quickly stood up.
“You’re right, maybe I could use some extra sleep,” he said, and swiftly left for his room.
Silence fell over the crowd as Teo the Sunbearer approached the sacrificial table. He tried his hardest not to look at the girl, the sacrifice. A knife was pressed into his hand, cold on his skin. Not like the girl, she radiated warmth. She always had, thanks to her mother’s connection to fire. As he raised the dagger over her he spared a glance at her face, only for his stomach to lurch. It wasn’t Auristela looking back at him, but Niya. Niya, his best friend. Her eyes pleaded with him, tears running down her cheeks. He couldn’t do this. His breathing picked up, his eyes were suddenly glassy, he felt bile rising up his throat. His arms began moving of their own volition, pushing the knife down towards her. Teo tried to stop them, but the metal pierced her skin and then–
Teo lurched forward in his bed, a scream ripping itself out his throat. It was a nightmare. But gods, it was so much worse than the others. His shaking hands fisted his hair, tugging as he tried and tried to control his breathing. It wasn’t working. He threw himself out of his bed, making his way towards Niya’s room in the temple. He had to make sure she was okay. His fist banged on the door, without a thought to who else he might wake up. He was about to knock again, when the door opened to a very sleepy looking Niya.
“Dude, what the hell? It’s like, three in the morning,” she mumbled, groggily wiping her eyes. Her expression changed to one of shock when she looked down at him. “Teo? Why are you crying, what happened?” The Jade reached up and touched his cheeks to find that, yes, he was crying.
“You- you’re okay,” he took a deep breath, “thank Sol”. His voice was hoarse. Niya examined him for a moment, before coaxing him into her room. They sat together on her bed as he told her everything. The nightmares, the lack of sleep. She listened carefully, waiting until Teo had finished before speaking up.
“Have you told Aurelio?” Teo shifted uncomfortably, shaking his head.
“Teo, you gotta tell him. He’s your boyfriend, he and I can help.”
“No!” Teo exclaimed, a little too panicked. He cleared his throat, “I mean, I just don’t wanna cause any problems. I’m sure they’ll go away soon.”
Niya hesitated, her concern evident. “Teo, this isn’t right. He’s gonna find out-”
“Please, Niya. Just for a little while.”
With a reluctant sigh, she nodded. “Okay, but I’m not happy about this. Promise me you’ll come to us before it gets worse.”
Teo gave her a grateful, but strained, smile. “I promise. Thanks Niya.”
The next evening, the three gathered around the dinner table again. Niya had been eyeing him for the entire meal, and Teo just prayed Aurelio hadn’t noticed. Abruptly, Niya stood up and announced, “movie night! It’s my turn to choose!” Teo opened his mouth to decline, but the girl had already left.
“I suppose we’d better get the snacks,” Teo suggested, receiving a nod from Aurelio. The two headed to the temple’s pantry, nabbing their designated movie night snacks, and walked hand-in-hand to the living room. The Gold’s skin radiated heat, warming Teo in a way that never failed to make his chest flutter.
Niya chose the same movie she did every night, of course. It was some sort of heroic romance, and it had her in tears by the end every time. The three sat in the temple living room, Niya sprawled across an armchair and Teo and Aurelio side by side on the sofa. Teo felt something in him unwind at the close contact with the Gold, a comfort he had denied himself by going to bed earlier than normal. As the movie started, the Jade shifted, trying to get his wings comfortable against the back of the sofa. Aurelio watched him struggle for a moment before shifting to the left, leaving a gap between the two of them. Teo was confused for just a moment, until Aurelio patted his lap, an offer for Teo to lie down. Gods, what did he do to deserve this boy? He gratefully laid down, a blush dusting his cheeks as his head settled on Aurelio’s lap.
“Thanks ‘relio,” he murmured. Several more minutes into the film, and his hand had made its way to Teo’s soft hair, absently carding his fingers through the iridescent curls. Teo’s eyelids grew heavy, and before he even had a chance to fight it, sleep had overtaken him.
Teo was alone in the Los Restos forest. Without Sol to light up the world, it was impossible to see where he was going. The sounds of dangerous creatures could be heard in all directions. He walked quietly, keeping his head down and wings tucked close to avoid being spotted by the monsters. He had to find Niya and Aurelio. Where had they gone? He was pulled out of his thoughts by a pained scream to his right. Aurelio. He dashed in the direction of the sound as fast as he could, using his wings for extra momentum. He emerged into a clearing with a single tree in the centre, where Aurelio and Niya were. Relief washed over him as he realised they were together.
“Are you guys okay? I heard a scream and-” Teo stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn’t noticed before with how dark it was. Aurelio’s face was flushed, his hands gripping and scratching at Niya’s. Her hands were wrapped around his throat, pushing him against the tree. Strangled cries escaped the boy’s mouth as she squeezed, his feet dangling off the ground.
“Niya!” Teo cried out, throwing himself at her and pulling at her arm. She didn’t budge. Her eyes were black, the surrounding skin looked bruised and veiny. Xio. Teo knew he wasn’t strong enough to wrench Niya off Aurelio. He searched their surroundings desperately, but there wasn’t enough time to find Xio. He shoved and wrenched and clawed at Niya, but it was no use. All he could do was watch as the life left Aurelio’s eyes.
Teo awoke with a strangled cry, his body trembling uncontrollably and gasping for air. Fear clawed at his chest, the nightmare’s haunting images suffocating him. He felt a touch on his shoulder, and twisted around to find the source. Aurelio. Teo frantically examined the Gold, searching for any trace of the nightmare, but the boy was unharmed.
“-eo? Teo?” Aurelio repeated his name softly, his hand held near his body as if he had withdrawn it quickly. The hand outstretched again, towards Teo. Aurelio’s arms slowly found their way around Teo, surrounding him in a gentle embrace. Teo crumbled, his body going limp as he clung desperately to Aurelio, tears spilling uncontrollably. The other boy held him until his breathing started to slow and his eyes began to dry.
“Can I tell him, Teo?” came Niya’s soft request. Teo pulled back from Aurelio and nodded, listening while the girl recounted Teo’s admission. The Gold listened intently, squeezing Teo’s hand while Niya talked.
“Why don’t you sleep in my room tonight? I’ll keep you safe.” Teo nodded, the offer bringing him a sense of relief.
He was grateful that Aurelio didn’t question why Teo hadn’t come to him, he was way too tired to talk emotions. They entered his room together, one Teo had been inside often. The Gold had decorated it to resemble his room at home, with red accents, dark curtains, and a mirror lined with photos of his friends and sister. The room smelled faintly of smoke, like a candle burning. He sunk into the large bed, covered in cosy blankets. Aurelio followed, immediately radiating warmth under the blanket. Teo relished in it, wrapping himself around his boyfriend.
“You’re like… a living hot water bottle,” he murmured. Aurelio chuckled, the deep vibrations humming in Teo’s ear. He lay there, the steady rhythm of Aurelio’s heartbeat soothing his frayed mind. He drifted off to sleep almost immediately, and for the first night in many, he slept soundly until morning.