Aiden [Book Two]

15

Throughout the night, there was very little noise in the bedroom belonging to two teenage boys.

The television shut down several hours ago; its comforting background noise falling silent so the occupants could rest undisturbed. With the curtains drawn and the door closed, the room was dark enough to show that the sun was yet to rise.

It should have been peaceful, but in the early hours of the morning, soul-destroying screams of anguish and torment shattered the quiet.

After an uneventful evening, tucked away in the bedroom's sanctuary and filled with nothing but love, the two boys should have slept sound, but that wasn't the case. Nathan didn't realise what was happening for the first few seconds.

With an abrupt jolt, he woke up, his heart pounding as he stared at the ceiling in a state of delirious confusion. Whatever brought him to consciousness had to be significant, because he slept through any little noise without stirring. And then it happened. The noise ripping him from his sleep sounded again.

Nathan had seen several instances of nightmares being around Aiden. His boyfriend suffered from terrors so potent and realistic that they set him into intense panic attacks before his eyes opened from the dream.

The first was at Jago's house, days before they admitted their feelings for one another, when Aiden kicked the elder in the shin during a nightmare. Although startled, it was a mild incident remedied by Nathan's presence. Since the pair began living together, the younger boy suffered a few low-level attacks, but they were manageable because the elder was always close.

The brunette supported the younger boy, talking him through the distress until he calmed enough to sleep again or discuss the frightening memories.

But this wasn't one of those moments; it was so much more horrific.

Throughout all the flashbacks, the cries of terror and heartbreak, Aiden had never made a sound as crushing as he made in that moment.

A hoarse, hair-raising scream that throttled with every gasp. It pierced through the air as the tiny boy kicked and wailed indiscernible words.

Nathan whipped his left arm away from the boy's waist as Aiden lashed out, his hands flying around, batting and colliding with anything too close, including the older boy's chest, and almost his face. The sixteen-year-old tried to protect himself from the danger of his dreams, but only succeeded in striking the one person able to bring him back to reality.

Swallowing back his pain, the brunette gritted his teeth and let out a muffled grunt as Aiden's palm struck the front of his shoulder, forcing the delicate joint to shudder. His eyes rolled back and throat tightened when a shock of lightning ripped through his body, forcing Nathan back against the wall.

It had been a few months since he experienced pain that crippling, and knew the weakness in his muscles was the culprit. With any of the other boys, the elder would have expressed his frustration and irritation about getting hurt, but he couldn't. It wasn't Aiden's fault; it wasn't a clumsy accident.

Aiden was losing his mind, and needed saving. Fast.

Gritting his teeth, Nathan pushed himself upright to survey the scene.

The orange-haired boy was deep in the throes of the worst night terror he'd ever seen.

During his frantic attempt to escape the assault in his mind, Aiden tangled himself in the duvet, which served only to pin him down and make the trauma more agonising. Every time the boy struck out, his voice reverberated through the room, and his thrashing intensified.

"Aaaiden..."

Nathan's heart crumbled, stomach sinking as he reached over his boyfriend to flick on the bedside lamp.