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Ever since he could remember, the little brown-haired boy, Ruskin had nightmares which haunted him from night to night. It made him too scared to fall asleep, he was rather tired than letting those monsters come for him and force him to wake up to his own terrified cry. Having a roof above his head didn't help him in getting rid of the nightmares, they just increased from the house's toxic atmosphere. The head of the lower class family who took him in always acted aggressive when he was drunk and even more when he couldn't drink. If Ruskin didn't pickpocket enough people during the day - this skill was the reason why he now had a so-called "home" - then he got a severe punishment. However, it was not his own screams that kept coming back to Ruskin's mind in his bad dreams - rather, his best friend, Charles' pain. Charles was the youngest child of the family, the only one Ruskin ever loved and he did it to the point of extreme obsession. When Charles was hurt, it was like the injuries were caused to Ruskin’s own body. He was too young to understand what was really behind their bond, behind his love, but he was sure of one thing. Charles was the meaning of his life and Ruskin was happy whenever he was near.
Especially when he started to sleep with him in the kitchen during the night.
Charles was often kicked out of the bed by his older siblings and every time it happened, he ended up next to Ruskin. Ruskin was bursting from the joy whenever he heard that Charles came into the kitchen and felt that he was lying down next to him. He let Ruskin to wrap his arms around his body and to lay his head down on his chest. And ever since Charles started coming, Ruskin's nightmares disappeared like they never even existed. He had the sweetest dreams when Charles was on his side and he could listen to how his heart was pounding.
A sound which should never end.
It was Ruskin's favourite sound in the world, the most beautiful noise for his ears. It comforted him and chased away his fears, no matter how dark was the night. Ever since Charles was there, he was not afraid. His heart was singing a lullaby to Ruskin who just wished that he could listen to it for the rest of his life. From the way it was beating, Ruskin was sure that even if not with the same heat, but Charles loved him back. If he waited a little, their hearts began to pound to the same rhythm - and Ruskin's greatest wish was that they would stop at the same moment, after long, long years what they spent together, growing up side by side. He never wanted to be apart from Charles. How could he be? He was part of him probably ever since he was born - even without knowing about it.
Ruskin smiled and finally, as his thoughts reached their end, he closed his eyes. He let himself fall to his dreams to the sound of the heartbeat. And no nightmare came to disturb him during the night.