How to Fly with Broken Wings...

Chapter Two

Loomis whimpered in the middle of the night as his dreams turned to nightmares of his past, his parents and their slurred words, his father's crushing fists and stinging palms against him…

Kairo was jolted awake by the sound of Loomis’s soft sounds of distress. He sat up in bed, his heart pounding in his chest as he looked over at the Umbreon. He could see the distraught on Loomis’s face, even in the dim light of the room.

Loomis was twitching, trying to dodge attacks even in his dreams, but it still hurt all the same. He could feel the fire of their anger even if it wasn't actually there.

Kairo felt a pang of sympathy for Loomis, knowing that whatever he was dreaming about was incredibly unpleasant. He got out of bed and made his way over to the Umbreon’s side, gently shaking his shoulder.

Loomis let out a sharp yelp as he awoke, sitting up and immediately scrambling to sit against the wall in a fetal position. He panted hard, catching his breath as he ran his hands over his face and through his hair. “Shit…”

Kairo watched as Loomis scrambled away from him, his heart breaking at the sight of the Umbreon’s fear. He kept his distance, not wanting to scare him further. “Hey, hey... it’s okay…”

Loomis finally came to his senses, swallowing hard. A shameful look crossed his features. “Oh, God... d-did I wake you up? I'm so sorry…”

Kairo shook his head. “No, no. It’s fine, I wasn’t asleep.” He said softly, lying through his teeth. Kairo shifted a bit closer, watching the Umbreon carefully. “... are you okay? Nightmare..?”

Loomis stiffened, his body trembling gently. “I'm... fine. It was nothing.” He whispered, trying to regain his bearings.

Kairo could tell that Loomis wasn’t telling the truth, but he didn’t push the issue. Instead, he reached out and gently placed a hand on the Umbreon’s shoulder. “You don’t have to pretend to be fine, you know.”

Loomis winced, as if expecting Kairo's hand to burn when it touched him, but his body relaxed slightly when it didn't. “I'm fine... sorry if I worried you.” He said, his voice a little stronger.

Kairo felt a pang of guilt as Loomis flinched, but he stayed quiet about it. Instead, he kept his hand on the Umbreon’s shoulder, his touch gentle and comforting. “You don’t have to apologize either, you know.”

Loomis glanced away, his expression unreadable. He was used to apologizing for every little thing he did, his existence always seeming to cause issues for everyone around him. He was beginning to feel as though going to college was a mistake…

Kairo could see the habitual apologizing taking over, and it made his chest tighten with sadness. He wanted to say something, to reassure the Umbreon that he didn’t have to say sorry, but he was worried about saying the wrong thing.

Loomis sighed, gently shrugging out of Kairo's touch. “I'm okay.” He said softly, though this time there was more conviction.

Kairo let his hand fall back to his side, sensing that Loomis was uncomfortable with his touch. He wanted to ask what the nightmare was about, but he knew that the Umbreon probably wouldn’t want to talk about it. Instead, he changed the subject. “Do you want some water or something? You’re still shaking.”

Loomis didn't answer, still too in his head to acknowledge Kairo.

Kairo sighed softly, realizing that he wasn’t going to get a response. He got up and walked over to the mini fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and returning to Loomis’s side. He opened the bottle and held it out to the Umbreon. “Here. You should drink something.”