Drown (Doomed sequel) - Oli Sykes fanfiction

17. Won't you drag the lake

A/N: Okay, so apparently Ronnie isn't actually allowed to cross the border into the UK, but for fictional purposes, he is, okay? Good.

CW: Nightmares and descriptions of contents, anxiety, fear, grounding techniques, supernatural powers (sirenism)

The relief spread through Mia's body as she woke from a fitful sleep. Her dreams were plagued by faceless monsters and shadows that screamed at her, telling her she deserved the fate they were there to deliver. Then they dragged Oli away from her, his fingers leaving trails in the dirt as he screamed for her to save him. She was frozen and could do nothing but scream back as the shadows laughed maniacally. You don't deserve happiness. Their creepy, rasping voices echoed menacingly in her head as sweat poured off her.

Thankfully, she found herself in the safety of her husband's arms when she woke, gazing upon his perfect face as she brought her breathing back to a steady pace, following the rise and fall of his chest and syncing it with her own.

Mia flipped off the duvet, creeping out of the bed carefully so as not to wake Oli just yet and slipped off to the bathroom. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught her reflection in the mirror; the dreams from last night apparently took more of a physical toll on her than she expected. Her amber eyes lay dull and sunken in their sockets; the natural, immortal creases around them seeming deeper than usual. She parted her lips and let her fangs slide down as she inspected them in the reflection. They appeared slightly more discoloured than usual, but she brushed it off, scrubbing at them with her toothbrush and splashing her face with cool water. Her eyes slid up to her reflection once more, breathing out a sigh of relief as her appearance slightly improved and she finished up before padding back into the bedroom.

Oli still lay sleeping peacefully as she climbed in gently next to him, pulling the duvet up to her chin. A soft whine came from next to her as Oli stirred sleepily, curling into the harsh coolness of her body, but relishing the contrast of the feeling against the warmth of the bed. Mia laid her arm across the pillow as he lifted his head, resting it between her shoulder and bosom and tracing patterns on her soft stomach as she usually would do to him.

Mia let out a long sigh, curling her arm around his back to pull him as close to her as she could, lowering her head to nuzzle into his hair. She had always loved the scent of his hair and wondered briefly if that was weird. Not that it mattered to anyone else - it was like it was made only for her and she loved it: a mix of the mint-lime shampoo he used, the coffee he drank daily, and the slightest hint of vanilla ice cream. It was an odd combination, but it was so perfectly Oli and she'd know that scent anywhere.

"Are you sniffing my hair again?" Oli murmured, his voice gravelly and hoarse from the morning, but Mia felt his lips curl against her skin as he spoke.

"So what if I am?" She retorted back teasingly. "It's comforting."

Oli giggled against her skin, continuing to gently trace the soft parts of her stomach with the tips of his fingers and moving his head slightly to litter her collarbone with soft, delicate kisses. His kisses slowly moved up along her neck and jawline, remaining gentle and almost teasing, but Mia exhaled heavily.

"What's the matter, love?" Oli paused his tenderness, shifting to prop himself up on one elbow as he looked up at his wife with concern.

Mia shook her head and picked at her fingers as she released Oli, shrugging before her bottom lip began to quiver involuntarily.

"Hey, come here," Oli shifted once more, noticing Mia's eyes glossing over and scooped her into his arms, holding her tightly and rubbing her arms and back as she fought to hold back her emotions. "Talk to me, love?"