Hellfire

Night eleven

It's always hot in hell. Connor feels like he's suffocating as he chokes on the heavy air, thick and viscous, almost like treacle. He cries out when he feels the first blow to his legs and falls to the floor, whimpering. The rock scratches at his skin.

"Please, please don't do this..." Connor whimpers again and cowers in fear. Soon his mouth and lungs are filled with fluid, the air finally becoming too much and succumbing to a liquid state. He clutches at his throat and tried to scream out, only managing a choked gurgle.

The liquid stings his eyes and tastes saltier than water. Oh there is no way. He's drowning in blood. Eyes wide, the liquid settled in his lungs and he feels his final scream leave in thick bubbles, trapping the sound.

When he opens his eyes, he's back on dry land and he coughs up the Scarlett liquid, his eyes bulging and his stomach heaving.

Someone kicks him in the stomach and he curls up, retching and coughing. "P-please..." He whimpers, only to be rewarded with another kick. Tears steak down his face, he's a mess.

Kevin grabs him by the neck and hoists him to his feet. There is a wild, inhuman look in his eyes. Connor scrabbled and tried to prise Kevin's hands away, but to no avail.

"Kevin you can put him down now."

The murderous glint is gone at the snap of fingers and Kevin realises what he's doing just as Connor feels the blackness closing in. He recoils immediately in horror and gasps, tears falling from his eyes.

"Con I'm so sorry I'm so-!" He's cut off by another snap, and every time he tries to speak, he gasps for air and clutches at the invisible bonds around his neck, pulling tighter as he struggles.

Connor regains his vision and his breath and looks over horrified. He can't move to save him.

"Kevin!" He cries out, sobbing. "Let him go you monster!"

"Not a chance," the voice comes again, and dream Connor steps out of the shadows with a triumphant smile.

Connor cowers away slightly as his twisted self approaches. Dream Connor smirks and whispers in his ear. "Now is your chance to break him, let him think he's winning."

Connor gasps. "W-what do you m-mean?" He asks, terrified.

The bonds around Kevin's neck stop and he gasps for air. Then, he picks up Connor and runs.

Connor clings to Kevin's shirt and let's him carry him away.

"We're getting far away from him, where no one can hurt you." Kevin says. Connor closes his eyes and feels a tear roll down his cheek.

As they travel further, the red rocks and fire fade away to blank space. The blank space forms a infinitely high wall and Kevin yells and speeds up.

"Kevin we're gonna hit the wall!" Connor shrieks.

Kevin jumps and curls around Connor, the wall shattering as they punch through it.

The pair of them land in blackness in the other side as the white fragments dance and disappear. Kevin uncurls himself and kisses Connor's forehead.

"We should be safe here." He says, wrapping his arms around Connor, who does the same.

"Thank you," Connor whispers. "I love you so much." He buries his head into Kevin's shirt.

"Con? Why are you crying?" Kevin whispers softly, clicking to turn the darkness back into its default blank white dreamscape state.

"I-I don't know..." Connor replies. "Please I just want everything to be okay..." He kisses Kevin's lips. It feels so real, but he knows it isn't.

"Nothing here is real." He says gently. Kevin looks at him sadly.

"I know," he replies. Connor blinks and Kevin is gone.

"Kevin?!" Connor shouts. His voice echoes across the empty space.

"Kev-..." Connor tries again, his voice cracking.

Giving up he curls into a ball and hugs his knees to his chest.

"Good job, Connor."

Connor feels a hand on his shoulder. He doesn't get time to turn around before he feels a sharp, brief pain where his head used to be joined to his neck.

Connor woke up and gasped, clutching at his neck. He tried to calm down, but felt tears rolling down his cheeks. Kevin was still asleep in the bed next to his. He let out a choked sob and wrapped his arms around the other man, whimpering quietly.

Maybe just one.

'Maybe one.' he thought, and leaned forward to kiss Kevin's lips.

Kevin's eyes shot open and he glanced at Connor closeness in confusion for a second before realising what was going on.

Connor made an attempt to move away and bumped his head on the headboard.

"Ouch..." He whined.

"Morning Con." Kevin whispered. "Is your head alright?" He changed the topic away from what might have just happened quickly, cupping Connor's cheek. Okay that wasn't going to help. Oh, wait a second. The images from his last very indulgent dream, which he had just woken up from, flashed through his mind and he felt the blush rising on his cheeks. It was definitely wrong to be thinking of Connor in that way, but honestly he had little control over it, and all he could do was keep it to himself. Now was not the time for Connor to find out, so he tried shifting his hips away, but only succeeded in bringing the two of them closer together.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Connor groaned and felt his cheeks burning up; Kevin was pretty close.

"Sorry I, uh.." He didn't really know how to explain himself.

"No it's okay," Kevin shifted awkwardly, crossing his legs. "Just go back to sleep."

Connor nodded and bit his lip. He felt something pressing against his thigh but decided it would be best to ignore it, and that he was probably imagining it anyway.

'Probably some girl back in salt lake.' His brain told him. He sighed and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to drag him back down again.