Caramel - MYG

23

Charlie

I wake, jolting upright, terror filling me to the core.

I'm sweating, my heart is beating out of my chest and when I glance around at my surroundings, I slowly start to realise that I'm in bed and I'm safe. But I'm still struggling to breathe properly and the nightmare is fresh in my mind. Although I can't remember all the details, one thing is imprinted deeply in my brain. In my nightmare, I was back at my imagined scene of my parent's death, except they weren't there this time. This time it was Yoongi sprawled across the tarmac, stained red and unmoving.

Tears sting at the back of my eyes and I hug my legs to my chest, frantically trying to get the image out of my head. The more I try not to think about it, the worse my breathing gets and the worse my anxiety becomes. Only a couple of days ago, I bonded properly with Yoongi and I desperately don't want to lose him. I don't want him ripped away from me like my parent's were.

"Charlie?"

I turn to the side, only to see that Yoongi's awake, his eyes staring up at me concernedly in the darkness. A sense of relief fills me when I see him unharmed, but it's not enough to calm me down and tears are already spilling down my face. My soulmate raises himself up into a sitting position, his hands reaching out for me. Though it's dark, I can see the worry on his handsome features as he cups my cheek with one hand. His thumb strokes over my cheek, brushing away my tears softly.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

I nod my head and he feels the movement. Carefully, he pulls me into his arms and hugs me gently. I lean against him, relishing the warmth his embrace brings and we stay like this for hours it seems. Just being close to him and hugging him, reminds me that he's alive and well, which over time helps me stop panicking. The image disappears from my mind and the fear is in the past.

Yoongi pulls back so that he can see my face, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I freeze slightly. This subject is such a big thing for me and whilst I know that Yoongi will support me, I'm not entirely sure I'm ready to talk about it. If I don't talk to him about it, then it's going to fester in my mind, until I break. It's just a case of gathering up my courage and speaking. I nod my head again and open my mouth, to speak.

Everything comes flooding out. We sit there for hours, talking in each other's embraces and there's a kind of quiet solace in talking to my soulmate in the darkness. I don't feel so pressured in the dark, since I can't fully see Yoongi's expression and it's easier to speak this way. Things that I've kept hidden away for two years come spilling out into the open and by the time I've finished talking, I feel much better and safer.

Yoongi talks too, his deep voice soothing me in the pitch black. He's understanding, caring and so sweet, that it makes me cry a couple of times. As he's speaking, I'm struck by how empathetic my soulmate is. Though he may not have experienced all the things I've talked about, he's able to speak about the topics with a kind, sympathetic intelligence. Not once do I feel like I'm being misunderstood or that Yoongi's judging me.

As Yoongi is finishing speaking, my eyelids start to droop and a slow wave of tiredness washes over me. He catches on and chuckles quietly.

"Feeling sleepy Sweetheart?"

I hum in response.

"Alright, we'll carry on this talk later. Sleep in my arms for the rest of the night, I'll protect you from anymore nightmares. And if you wake up again, I'll be right here for you."

His words, said with such gentleness and tenderness, accompanied by his soft, slightly raspy tone, do dangerous things to my heart. If I were any less tired, I'd pepper his face with kisses, but right now I just want to go back to sleep.