ALL OR NOTHING~ Dalton Lambert

ONLY THE BEGINNING

5:28am.
Reads the clock on Shilohs bedside table, the only bit of light was coming from the neon green numbers that she assumed woke her. She was still in Dalton's arm, his warm chest pressed against her back. Shiloh knew that if she ignored the time things would go terribly, her roommate would enter top grab clothes just to find the two probably not only late for class but in bed together. So she swiftly got off her bed and slipped on leggings and a look tank top and her sneakers, brushed her hair and kissed Dalton's cheek and left the dorm.

The cold morning air turned her nose a shade of pink as she jogged through the campus, the sounds of early morning birds were interrupted by the traffic. Once she had run around two miles she quickly returned to her room to grab her shower products, Dalton still softly sleeping.
At around 7am she returned to her room with just a towel covering her body, the boy in her bed was now awake and scrolling through his phone, that was until he saw the girl in front of him.

"Morning." He smiled up at Shiloh, causing blush to cover her face. The two had a certain dynamic together, the way they'd work together from the start. So, for example, when Shiloh told Dalton to close his eyes so she could slip on underwear and a bra as if he hadn't seen every part of her the night before- he did.
Or how he watched her do her makeup in fifteen minutes, admiring her from only a few inches away. Or how they enjoyed each other's company in silence, finding comfort in one another.

Dalton had left for only twenty minutes to shower before heading back to the girl he cared for, stopping by his dorm to grab clothes and see Chris and Ezi sound asleep in each other's arms on Chris' bed.
He quickly got dressed while Shiloh listened to a playlist and did her own thing, leaving them only a little over an hour before their classes would start.
"Wanna run to grab coffee or something?" Shiloh asked Dalton, he was tiring his sneakers and nodded at her before getting up to his normal height while she remained seated on the bed. With his right hand he lifted her face up and kissed her, both smiling into the kiss.

The drive to Starbucks was quick, both ordering completely different drinks and a muffin to share. Shiloh parked a few blocks away from their school and sat comfortably next to Dalton, "I really like you, y'know." The girl nearly whispered, continuing to sip her coffee, avoiding eye contact with Dalton who had stayed silent but looked deep into her dark eyes. "I really like you too," he finally said, watching the girl beside him tense up and her lips curved upwards. She hated how nervous he made her, how simply things like the way he'd look at her would give her butterflies.
They stepped out of the car and made their way to Professor Armagans class, Shiloh leaning into Dalton as a hand was wrapped around her waist. The class started off how it usually does, Miss Armagnac giving a twenty-three minute lecture regarding art, new techniques, then work time. Except this time they would be working with only charcoal and think paper, today the class would be visiting their subconscious once again. Hearing this, both Shiloh and Dalton looked at each other in a concerned manner, both scared as to where this could go.

Yet, they both got started immediately.
So concentrated on the details, on the memories that were meant to be buried- not drawn. While Shiloh's subconscious had her drawing something she wasn't meant to see back when she was sixteen, Dalton was drawing the red door from the painting in his dorm room, then a man in front of it, hammer in hand. By the time classes were over they stepped back in unison to look at their work, both terrified of what they'd done.
Shiloh quickly looked over at Daltons and a confused look spread on her face, Daltons felt like he was in a trance, "it's my dad."

—

It's been hours since Shiloh has seen or heard from Dalton, after art class he practically ran away from her. She was giving him space, figured he needed it considering what that drawing meant, was the answer he wasn't ready for.
At one point in the day she called Chris, then Ezi- asking if they'd heard from him and both gave the same disappointing answer. Chris texted Shiloh, notifying her that he wasn't at their dorm when she'd return, so she left to run errands. Shiloh knew he shouldn't be alone but found it beyond irritating that she had no clue where he was, so after her last class she bolted to his dorm.

Shiloh threw her fist against the door only two times before throwing the door open herself, Dalton was sitting at his desk, staring at the now finished painting of the red door that hadn't left their minds except now a clear image of his father was added. "Dalton?" Shiloh whispered, a chill running down her spine and goosebumps formed on her arms. Before her hand could meet his shoulder she stopped herself, he was somewhere else but not in the room with her.
"Shit, shit, shit." She mumbled to herself,  she rushed over and lay her head down on Dalton's pillow, closing her eyes and steadying her breathing while counting down from ten in her head.

Her body shot up and she grasped for air, holding her chest as it felt like her heart would burst at any moment. Dalton quickly looked over at her confused, tears stained his face causing the girl's heart to ache.
"Shi?" He asked, voice echoing around them, "what- how?" He stumbled over his words.
"I don't know," Shiloh looked around, the familiarity of the thick air and dark light illuminating in the dorm room.
Dalton looked back down at his painting and watched the hammer slowly reach out to him. "Dalton, wait!" Shiloh warned but it was already too late, the world around them shifted once more.

Dalton holding the hammer and Shiloh standing as still as she could behind him, a light flickered on above them. They were in a basement, "this is my basement..." he started, Shilohs whole body tensed up. "I-In childhood home." Dalton's voice shook with fear.
A loud bang, some kind of movement was coming from up above, the two looked around their surroundings before looking at each other. Footsteps running around and a door slammed, there's yelling and children crying- it was heartbreaking. Shiloh was scared and confused and for once she just wanted to be held, she didn't know why she was here or why she's connected to Dalton like this.
He himself was looking around at whatever direction the noise came from, he sat down the hammer and grabbed Shilohs hand and dragged her with him to hide behind a shelf.

A woman came bursting through the door causing the two to jump, then they heard the crying of a child, the woman quickly shut the door and locked it. "I'm scared." The child cried, there were two kids. Shiloh knew immediately that the one with dirty blonde hair was Dalton, meaning the others must be his mother and brother.
"It's gonna be okay," his mother repeated, "I don't know..." his brother yelped. "Nothings gonna happen to us. I promise you okay?" They were all frantic, clearly hiding from something. "Take care of your brother, Dalton!" She yelled, little Dalton said okay and held onto his brother tight.
Shiloh felt sick to her stomach, she squeezed Dalton's hand and moved closer to him.
She quickly moved closer to him, watching the smaller version of him panic. She felt like she needed to stay close to him, to have his arms wrap around her and hold each other close.