Roommate Roulette

23 | Just for tonight

{~Evelyn~}

I woke up in the middle of the night, startled by the lightning and thunder that struck outside, shaking the floor. Ah, shit. My room was for sure going to be ruined. It was nearly two in the morning so I shut my eyes in an effort to get some rest.

My eyes cracked open again when I heard Grayson murmur incoherent words. "...stop. Stop it!" I bolted upright and he was curled on his side, trembling. "Let go..." Tears were trickling down his face and anxiety seized me.

Oh, God. What's happening? My half asleep brain asked me.

"Grayson." I shook his shoulders, even more aggressively after he jolted. "Woah, wake up. You're dreaming." I said, louder over the rain splattering onto the windows.

He whimpered and my heart cracked. "Help... please—"

"You're okay. You're fine, Gray." His forehead had a sheen layer of sweat and I shook him more desperately.

A deep inhale of his, earns a relieved exhale of mine.

His eyes snapped open as he sat up, his head swivelling hurriedly around the room in panic. His gaze landed on me when I cradled his head between my hands. "Hey, hey. Look at me. You're okay." I repeated calmly. "You're safe, you got me? You're safe." I wiped away the dampness on his face, careful of my movements over his cuts.

He was breathing heavy as he clutched me to his chest, arms tightening around my waist. I let out an oomph from the unexpected reaction. His heartbeat pounded against my chest at an inhumane speed. My heart was stuttering too, but I wanted to take the pain away from him.

"Deep breaths." I reminded him. "In for 2 seconds, hold for 3, out in 4." I instructed, letting him follow my lead.

We did it a couple of times until his breaths finally evened. A bolt of lightning hit with thunder and he flinched against me, holding onto me like he was dangling by a thread over a cliff.

I opened my mouth and closed it again. He doesn't like storms. Noted.

"It's okay. I'm here." I whispered into his ear, running a comforting hand over his back. "Nothing is going to hurt you." 

Yeah, like your presence does much to Mother Nature.

I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. A thought slammed into me. I would do anything to make sure nothing could harm him again. I was holding a person that used to be a fragile little boy.

I grabbed a water bottle from his bedside table and handed it to him. His Adam's apple bobbed and I averted my eyes, the moment feeling too intimate.

Claps of thunder sounded and he shrunk into me every time. I soothed him, calming him down until he was motionless when the next few struck.

I raked my nails gently over his neck and he sighed into my hair, his lips skimming my temple. Considering he's no longer sweating, I began slipping out of his hold before he pulled me to him once again.

"Don't leave, mi alma. Not yet." He muttered, using the name he called me when he found out about Arsinoe.

I bit down on my cheek to avoid saying anything inappropriate. "I'm not leaving." I said. He leaned back into the headboard, lifting me to straddle his hips. "Are you okay?" I asked, placing my cheek on his shoulder to look up at him.