Misc RH OC Scraps

[PHOTOSHOOT] Nightmare

Aiden sat by the baggage claim area of an Oregon airport. He swung his legs back and forth happily and constantly checked his phone for new messages. In less than an hour he would see his lover in person again. They had been apart for so long. He couldn't wait.

He got a new text from Dorian. It simply said "I love you." He giggled and replied "I love you too!" He could see that Dorian read the message, but he didn't get a reply.

Something felt off. No reply for five minutes. Ten. Thirty. Shouldn't the plane be getting close now? Shouldn't he be getting an update at least?

One of the giant screens that usually showed which flights were arriving and departing switched from the schedule to showing news footage. A crater in a forest, crumpled metal, the remains of an airplane on fire. No survivors, the reporter said. A flight number. Dorian's flight number. He was surrounded by the burning image. And he understood what Dorian's text had meant. Aiden crumpled to the floor. He screamed.

He woke up in a cold sweat. At first, he didn't recognize where he was, he sat up quickly, breathing heavily. He was in a small room, but warmly furnished. Pictures lined the walls. Dorian's photography. He remembered, he was staying at Dorian's apartment, he was in the extra room. He had been the one to travel by plane to get there, and he was perfectly fine. Aiden tried to calm down, take some deep breaths, but the panic didn't go away. The nightmare had felt so devastating.

Aiden threw his blanket off and got out of his borrowed bed. He tiptoed out the door, across the main room of the apartment, and slowly cracked the door of Dorian's bedroom open. He was just going to check that he was there. And breathing. And not mangled or on fire.

"Aiden? What's wrong?" Dorian was sitting at his desk, looking over his shoulder to see Aiden. There he was, completely whole and as handsome as ever. Aiden sighed in relief.

Aiden analyzed the books and papers on the desk, as well as the clock that read 3:20 AM. He frowned. "You're staying up far too late again." He hadn't thought that Dorian would be awake. He didn't want to bother him.

"This is usual for me—" Dorian got up and opened the door fully— "but for you, being awake at this time is uncharacteristic."

Aiden had been looking up at Dorian's face, but now he looked down. It's not that he was embarrassed. But it was still no small thing, to be vulnerable. "I just woke up... I was having a nightmare." He shifted his weight. "I wanted to check on you."

"Oh, Love," Dorian's voice was soft, and he gently took Aiden's hand as if to prove he was corporeal. "I'm right here... Do you want to tell me about it?"

Aiden felt his eyes begin to water. He agreed, so Dorian led him to the bed so they could sit next to each other. There wasn't very much furniture in Dorian's room; it was neat to the point of barrenness. But it didn't feel cold or unwelcoming. At least not to Aiden.

He told Dorian what had happened in his nightmare. How terrifying it had been. Their last messages to each other. The image of the crashed plane. He had to take his hand from Dorian to wipe his tears. He was hesitant to give it back, because it was wet, but Dorian didn't seem to care, he entwined his fingers with Aiden's again as soon as he had the chance.

"And, you know, it could happen," Aiden finished, his voice shaking, "plane crashes happen, and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

"I've taken planes to see you plenty of times, and you've done the same for me. Neither of us have been hurt before, have we?"

"No..."

"Airplane crashes are extremely rare. The chances of dying in a crash is one in eleven million." Aiden would have questioned how Dorian knew that off the top of his head, but he knew Dorian was a perpetual worrier. He realized with a jolt that Dorian had probably had the same thought, the same fear, about him before. He didn't like that thought. He wanted Dorian to be excited waiting for him in the airport, not stressed. Dorian kept talking. "The chances of getting eaten by a shark are higher, but you wouldn't be afraid of us visiting a beach, right?"

Aiden laughed a little. "No. In fact I'd like to go."

"Noted." Dorian tilted his head slightly, just gazing at Aiden for a minute. Aiden started to get a little self-conscious.

"I know it's not a rational thing to be afraid of, and I'm not, usually. It just felt so— believable. Real."

"It wasn't real." Dorian gently pressed his lips to Aiden's forehead, a soft kiss. "I'm safe. You're safe. Everything's fine."

"I know that. I know that." But his rational brain wasn't in charge at the moment. He was just scared, and the tears didn't stop falling from his eyes. Dorian wiped his tears and kept his face close, continuing to whisper reassurances. It really helped, to have him close. Aiden was able to calm down after a few minutes. His breathing became level and his crying slowed down, though his eyes were still very watery. He patted Dorian's shoulder and he paused his talking.

"It's okay, I'm fine now."

"You're not inconveniencing me in any way, and it's alright to have irrational feelings," Dorian replied. That was the problem with being together for so long. He could always see right through Aiden. Although he felt calmer, he still wasn't really fine. Even if he wanted to be.

"Okay, you got me," Aiden sighed, "I'm still a little shaky. But I would like you to back up now, please." He did as Aiden asked. "I'm just gonna go back to sleep." He said it mostly to convince himself. Dorian made a worried expression.

"Well, then, just to make sure you don't have any more nightmares, and not because you're still upset or anything—" Dorian slid off the bed and reached under it, retrieving a large bag with a bow on it. He stood back up and handed the bag to Aiden. Aiden blushed, because he was embarrassed or because he was flattered, he wasn't sure. Dorian explained, "I meant to give this to you later, but it seems like you might need it now." 

Aiden noticed that the bow on the bag was a hair clip. His had grown quite long. He tucked it into his curls and opened the bag.

Inside was a beautiful stuffed bear. It was fuzzy and a soft pink color, with a teddy bear-sized hoodie sewn onto it. As he stared at it, Dorian said, "I know you had to get rid of a lot of your stuffed animals recently, so, to help you replenish your collection. And remind you of me when you go home." 

Aiden smiled and joked, "so I can always have my teddy bear with me?" Teddy bear was just one of the many things Aiden called Dorian as a pet name. Dorian rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "yes, that's exactly what I was thinking."

Aiden ran his hands over the soft fur of the bear, the material of its sweater, the cool glass eyes. He adored the gift. And Dorian was right; because of recent events, he'd had to give up most of his stuffed animal collection. This was actually the first time he had travelled without one. He had thought it would be fine, he was already eighteen after all, but he wondered if it had something to do with the nightmare. Even if it didn't, he was glad to be given this bear. He hugged it tightly. "Thank you, Dorian." 

"Of course." Dorian sat at his desk again and, after a last glance at Aiden, continued studying. Aiden stayed on the bed and looked over the bear, finally relaxed. 

He didn't know when he drifted off, but when he drifted back in, he was surrounded by something warm, and he was moving. He still held the bear in his arms. He opened his eyes vaguely to look around. He could see Dorian's chest and his face, from an angle. Oh, he was being carried. Aiden closed his eyes again until he felt himself being lowered onto the bed in the guest room. He shifted slightly, to get in a more comfortable position. 

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Dorian asked.

"You did," Aiden replied sleepily, "but that's okay. Now I can say goodnight."

Dorian smiled softly and pulled the blanket over Aiden. He bent over and kissed him again on the forehead. "Goodnight." 

Aiden felt so secure, it was no trouble to fall asleep again, and he didn't have any more nightmares.