Nightmare || Jason Todd [Titans]

PROBLEM

Two hours; that was how long Seph was able to sleep before the rest of the mansion began its bustling for the day. She's awoken before Evander, burning up under the heat of his body still draped over her. She didn't want to wake him, but she didn't see any way around it. She needed to separate from him now if she was going to have any time alone to compose herself for the day.

Seph raised his arm from around her, sliding as slowly out from under him as she could. Evander groaned, his hold tightening just enough for her to fear he'd woken. Then he stretched and rolled over to his side of the bed, oblivious to much else. With a relieved sigh, she carefully sat up on the mattress, spared one last look over her shoulder and got up.

Grabbing her toiletries, she slipped into the adjoining bathroom, leaving the door cracked just enough for her to hear if Evander moved.

One look in the mirror was enough to make Persephone flinch away within seconds. She expected to see a mess when she looked at herself, but she wasn't prepared for the wreckage the night before had done to her. The skin under her eyes was darker than usual from lack of sleep, her eyes red rimmed and swollen from the tears. Her usually golden skin was pale and almost sickly looking. Her stomach turned as her mind immediately compared her skin to that of her friend as he bled out on the floor.

She almost didn't make it to the toilet before the bile came up her throat. Three dry heaves to be sure she was through and then she flushed, rising again to her feet.

With a last glance through the crack in the door, Seph confirmed Evander was still sleeping before stripping herself down and stepping into the shower. Turning the knob, she stood beneath the shower head, letting the steady stream fall against her head and skin. Her mind told her to turn the other knob as the water progressively grew hotter, but she kept her body still against the burn. The hotter it grew, the rawer her skin felt beneath it and still she didn't move.

The burning was her punishment for getting Tobias killed; it was also her lame attempt of purging her guilt.

Once the steam was so thick in the room that she couldn't breathe and her skin could tolerate no more, she added the cold water. It was minutes before her body could feel the difference or dare to be touched. Then all she could do was go through the motions of getting the job done. Even after all the time that'd passed, the bathroom was fogged over with steam and heat, making it nearly impossible for her to see more than a few inches in front of her.

Seph moved towards the door to open it wider and clear the air; instead she was startled by a shadow in the doorframe.

She let out a piercing scream as the shadow moved towards her, sure it was the ghost of her friend returning for revenge. Then the shape lunged at her, hand slapping over her mouth and pushing her against the wall to silence her. Her scream morphed into a yelp of pain as her head collided with the wall, minimally lowering her tone as Evander's face came into focus.

After the events of last night, he was officially more terrifying than the thought of the dead returning for her.

"Sephie, relax," he said in a tone not the least bit calming. "It's just me, baby. No one's here to hurt you. They'd have to get passed me, you know that." His hand over her mouth pressed down just a little more before he slowly pulled it away, stroking it down her jaw and neck.

Seph's cries died down but her breathing stayed labored. "Sorry, I didn't —I didn't see you there," she stammered . With cooler air circulating in, she could see him better, dressed in his night clothes and hair tousled from sleep. She thought of the first few times she saw him that way, so warm, perfect and welcoming. A jarring contrast to how she felt now. "You scared me."