Silent and lonely world (Dark clouds before sunny weather - Book 1)

Chapter 24

A-Yuan had woken up in the middle of the night, thirsty. It had been a really hot day today and he had run around a lot, he needed a glass of water. He got up from his mattress, a bit confused about his whereabouts at first before he remembered that Mo Xuanyu was sleeping over and had taken his room. Not that he minded at all, he was fine with sleeping in A-Yi's room, it did not matter to him.

He went to the kitchen and got himself some water to drink. He felt better and headed back upstairs quietly in order not to wake anyone up.

He stopped abruptly in front of the door to his own room. For a brief instant, he was not even sure why he did that. The house was silent and no one beside him should have been be awake at this hour. Or, more precisely, the house had been silent until now. He could hear a creaking of a mattress from his room and quiet gasps for breath.

He did not think twice and opened the door, he was sure that Mo Xuanyu was having a bad dream. He knew because sometimes, he heard A-Yi doing the same and then his dad or his father would get up from bed and would go sit with his brother until he calmed down and could go back to sleep. A-Yuan himself sometimes had bad dreams as well, he was proud that he often could deal with the aftershock on his own by now.

He was determined to just check on A-Yu, in case he would have been sad or scared from his dream but it seemed like his friend had not yet woken up. He was tossing in his sleep, a short gasped breaths leaving his mouth, from this close, A-Yuan could even hear an occasional very quiet, almost inaudible, moan or whine. It looked like the dream must have been really bad.

He was now standing directly above Mo Xuanyu, surprised to find him sleeping on a mattress instead of in the bed. He kneeled down and gently shook the other's shoulder, reaching to hold his hand and whispering: "A-Yu, wake up. You have a bad dream."

Mo Xuanyu startled awake and looked around himself, visibly confused. A-Yuan held his friend's hand a little bit tighter to show him that he was there and that there was no reason to be afraid anymore, that he was not alone. It took A-Yu a while to look back at him with clear eyes. He was finally awake and in the present, although apparently very much shaken from his dream.

He did his best to sooth him, just like he had seen his parents do: "A-Yu, everything is fine. You are safe, it had been just a dream. You are awake now, and you are not alone."

Mo Xuanyu was trembling all over and A-Yuan found out he did not like to see him like that. On a spur of a moment decision, he hugged the small trembling body of his friend tightly and rubbed his back soothingly. It had always helped him when his parents did that. He still continued to whisper reassurances into the other's ear as well.

He did not know how long they had stayed like that until his friend's body finally stopped shaking all over and his breathing became less erratic. It seemed like Mo Xuanyu had finally calmed down. It was a good thing too because A-Yuan was getting sleepy again and would have to go back to bed soon. Not just yet however, he still had to make sure that Mo Xuanyu was fine.

"A-Yu, are you feeling any better?" he asked, pushing his friend's body a bit farther away from him. He still kept hold on his hands though.

It took an eternity for Mo Xuanyu to nod his head, a bit hesitantly it seemed to A-Yuan. He was not convinced his friend was actually fine despite his brave face. He could his eyes glistering suspiciously as if there were tears in them, the light of the street lamps coming from outside of the window was revealing his haunted and still very much scared expression. Mo Xuanyu was also holding onto him as if his life depended on it.

"Would you like me to stay here with you for a while longer?" he asked A-Yu and the hopeful, almost desperate, look in his eyes was reply enough for him.

He sat down on the mattress, his back leaning on the bed frame just like Mo Xuanyu. He was continued holding one of his friend's hands in his own, offering silent comfort. Occasional tremors run through the other's body and every time A-Yuan felt him shiver, he would squeeze his hand a bit tighter to let him know that he was still there.

He would have liked to ask what have scared and distressed Mo Xuanyu so much, what kind of dream he had had for his heartbeat to not be back to normal even after this long. He did not dare however, he did not want his friend to tell him and recall it, he also did not want him to perhaps fall asleep after telling him and just go back into the same dream. It would be too insensitive of him, it could hurt Mo Xuanyu. So he swallowed back his curiosity and only sat with his friend.

After some time, he could not tell how long because he was drifting off himself, Mo Xuanyu's head fell onto his shoulder. His breathing was even now, deep, he was asleep. It seemed like the bad dream fortunately did not come back. Mo Xuanyu's breath was tickling him on his neck, pleasantly so, A-Yuan actually liked it.

Mo Xuanyu trembled a bit again, but it looked more like it was because of the cold this time. A-Yuan carefully pulled the blanket around him, doing his best to not wake him up. He thought he should get up and go to his own bed, but he was too tired by now. It would be easier to just stay here with Mo Xuanyu. The mattress was large enough for the two of them to get a good night's sleep side by side.

His tired mind urged him to close his eyes and drift to dreamland again. With the last sparks of consciousness, A-Yuan tugged the blanket more securely around both himself and Mo Xuanyu and slowly lowered them onto the mattress. They were now laying side by side, his friend's head using A-Yuan's shoulder as a pillow, and they were still holding hands.

A-Yuan was glad that Mo Xuanyu had not woken up, he had been feeling sick before, he needed good sleep. That was his last thought before he surrendered himself to the darkness and went back to his dreams about the birthday party and the fun he had had with everyone except for Mo Xuanyu, he would really have to make it up to him somehow.