Newsies Imagines

Imagine Davey Helping You with Night Terrors

The darkness is closing in. It's about to smother you, to swallow you up. You try to scream and to fight it off, but it's impossible.

Then, out of the darkness, you hear your name being called. A hand touches your shoulder. You jolt awake, breathing hard. A shadowy figure is crouched by your bed, its hand still on your shoulder.

"I have to get out!" you cry, still half dreaming. You sit up. "I have to get out!"

"Shh, (y/n)," the figure soothes. "You're alright."

"Davey?" you ask, slowly comprehending where you are. "I... we..."

"Nobody's going to hurt you," Davey half-smiles and sits on the edge of your bed.

"I was screaming, wasn't I?" you ask, pulling the covers up under your chin, a little self-conscious.

He nods. From the faint light of the window, you can read the concern in his eyes. "You want to... talk about it? I mean, you don't have to, you know, just if it'll... if it'll help you. Then you can tell me. If you want."

You breathe out a laugh. That's Davey for you, always awkward. But does he really need to know about your nightmares? Why you keep having them is a secret you've carried for too long.

"No," you reply softly. "I'm sorry, I... You don't want to know."

A short silence follows. Davey slowly nods. "Alright. But I'm here," he tells you, rising from the bed and heading to the door. "If you ever do want to talk."

Panic wells up inside you. "Don't leave!" The words are out of your mouth before you can stop them. In an instant he is back by your side. "I... I do want to tell you. When I was a kid, it was just my mom and me. And then there was this fire in our building. It was really bad, and not everyone made it out." You pause. You've never told anyone this before. Davey's arm is around you. You hadn't noticed him put it there. "I got out, but she... she didn't. I guess I just never got over it."

A silence follows. "That's not something you can just get over," he comments. "That's traumatic. No wonder you have nightmares."

Surprisingly, you feel more peaceful than you have in a long while. "Thank you," you say. "For listening."

"Thank you for telling me," Davey replies, folding you into a hug. You hug him back, wishing you could stay in this sweet boy's arms forever.