Cresswell One Shots (The Lunar Chronicles - Cress x Thorne)

Nightmare

Blood. So much blood. Her blood.

The blood covered his hand, the knife, it had even splattered onto his shirt. Thorne looked down at his crimson red hand holding the bloodied knife. The knife that had been stabbed into her stomach. The knife that he had stabbed into her stomach.

He had stabbed her.

Thorne raised his gaze from her stomach, the clothing around it already covered in the sticky, red blood. He stared into her face.

Begging forgiveness. Pleading. The guilt was pouring off him.

But she just looked back with hatred. Despise was radiating off her, she would never forgive him.

For he had stabbed her.

Cress.

Thorne woke in a tangle of sheets. Panting, he scanned his room. He was aboard the Rampion. As the nightmare faded away, his breathing slowed. But the look in Cress' eyes stayed with him.

He peeled off the sweat covered sheets and stood up, feeling the need to move. That was the third time since leaving Luna that he'd had that nightmare. Each time leaving him shaken to the bone.

He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to soothe himself. There was stubble covering his jaw, he hadn't shaven in a while which was unusual for him.

Thorne was leaving his room before he had even thought about it. Suddenly, he found himself in front of Cress' door.

No, he thought to himself, this was a stupid idea.

Yet, Thorne remained there, outside of her door, barely daring to breathe in case he alerted her of his presence.

She didn't hate him. She knew it wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one who stabbed her.

The words had became a chant, something he would repeat after one of those dreaded nightmares to try and calm himself. This time, the words held no meaning.

He had been the one to stab her. He had held the knife. Even if it was Levana controlling his movements, the deed was still done by his hand.

Before Thorne knew it, he was standing inside Cress' doorway. His body casting a long shadow into the darkened room.

Cress was asleep, she was fine.

Stars she looks so cute asleep, Thorne thought before he could reconsider it.

He began to retreat, already listing all of the reasons why he shouldn't have come when a small and surprised voice whispered:

"Captain?"

Thorne spun around to see Cress sitting up. She was staring at him, although the light from the hallway was causing her to squint. Her short hair had grown at a rapid pace and was now brushing the tops of her shoulders, however, at the moment, her hair on one side was sticking out at an odd angle.

"Oh uh, hey Cress." Thorne stammered following it with an easy smile.

She continued to stare before eventually asking, "What are you doing here?"

"You know me, I love to walk around the halls at 3 in the morning. It is 3 in the morning isn't it? I feel like it's 3 in the morning."

Cress tilted her head as if she was analysing him, her sleepy brain trying to figure him out. Thorne nervously shifted his feet and closed the door behind him, stepping into her room.

As he stepped forward, his hand flailed out before him, trying to search for the bed frame in the dark. His hand hit the cold metal and closed around it. Thorne used it as a guide as he stepped towards Cress' bed.

Thorne's other hand brushed along the top of the bed sheets next to Cress, deciding whether he could sit down or not. Before he made the decision, a smaller hand, much more gentle than his, found his hand. The hand, cautiously, as if it was soothing a frightened animal, slid into his and Thorne automatically laced his fingers with Cress'.

"What's wrong?" She asked carefully.

Knowing that Cress couldn't see his face, made Thorne more comfortable speaking. Although most of the time he would find it a shame that she couldn't see his face.

"It's nothing... I just..." Thorne chewed his lip unsure whether to go on. Cress gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, encouraging him to continue. "I just had that dream again... That nightmare."

He knew that Cress would know what he meant immediately. Feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, Thorne sat down on the bed. His hand slid off the cool metal and instead found Cress' other hand.

"Thorne-" Cress began but Thorne cut her off.

"Yeah, I know, I know. It wasn't my fault. Levana was controlling me. I know it's just... I can't stop remembering it, that moment," Thorne's voice was choking up but he didn't let the tears fall, "I thought you were going to die, Cress."

Cress didn't say anything, she probably didn't know what to say, there wasn't anything to say.

Thorne lay down next to Cress, resting his head on her pillow as if he already decided to stay there. Cress shifted closer to Thorne and then, tentatively, rested her head on his chest. He was still holding one of her hands.

And then she began to sing.