Dance In The Rain

~47~ Gentle, Yet Feral

Julianne's POV

I'm startled awake, having the same nightmare that I've been having since we moved here. I look around the dark room and Tate is sleeping with his pillow on top of his head and his covers kicked off and just surrounding his feet.

Wonder if I've been sleep talking all night

I get out of bed and instead of waking him, I just cover him back up.

I don't want to go back to sleep on my own

I go out of our room and walk across the hall, opening Holden's door and peeking inside. He's always told us that we can come and get him whenever we need to, but I never have before. Not once.

He's sleeping on his stomach in the middle of his bed, with his arms wrapped around his pillow.

Soft snores are coming from the pillow, and I gently touch his bare shoulder.

He immediately stirs as he lifts his head up and looks around.

"Holden?" I whisper, and his head whips in my direction. The moon is shining just enough for me to see his scrunched up face, and then recognition when he is awake enough to know it's me.

"What's wrong, Jules?" He rasps out as he turns over and sits up in bed, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you?"

"Of course you can," he says as he looks around and grabs a pair of shorts off of the floor and quickly puts them on over his boxers.

"Come here," he says as he pulls back the blankets and when I climb inside of them, the warmth from Holden's body heat immediately calms my still thrumming heart.

He covers me up and lays back down, bringing me with him. I lay my head on his bare chest and he wraps his arms around me.

"Tell me about your nightmare," he whispers in the stillness.

I shake my head. "It's the same one I've had for months. It won't stop," I say as I nuzzle my cheek deeper into his warm chest.

"Please tell me?" He whispers as he hugs me even tighter.

"Tate and I still live at home and dad is still alive."

There's a long silence and he kisses my head. "That's a nightmare?" He finally asks

I nod as a tear leaks from the corner of my eye. "It was hell there, Holden. I wake up every time, feeling the loneliness I always felt. It hurts."

He says nothing else as he somehow hugs me even tighter and puts his cheek on top of my head.

"I'm right here," he finally whispers, and then a few moments later I hear his breathing change and know he's asleep.

And I follow quickly behind

~*~

"Holden!" I hear a whisper in the dark, and when I open my eyes, Holden is still holding me as he starts stirring.

"What's wrong, Rex?" He gets out as he tries to wake for the second time tonight.

"I swear I heard something outside," he says in a panicked voice, and Holden is out of bed in an instant, turning on his lamp.

"What?" Holden rasps as he adjusts to the light and stretches his back.

"Julianne was keeping me up all night with her damn talking, and then somehow I was able to fall asleep. I heard something outside. I thought it was her talking but she wasn't in the room. Someone is outside, Holden!"