Dark Fandom/OTP Challenge - DalKenzie Edition (edited)

Nightmares

Everything was too white in here, too bright, too sterile. His eyes hurt. Come to think it, so did his head, his chest, his arms... Dalton sat up a little too quickly and that pain especially flared in his arms.

White sheets, white walls...he sighed in utter resignation and rest his head on his hands. Sill here. When he'd never wanted to be here again.

"Dalton?"

Dalton snapped his head up, and his eyes briefly blurred in utter relief before focusing again to completely see MacKenzie standing by the bed. He must have practically flown in with how quiet he'd been, but Dalton didn't care.

"Mack, thank christ! C'mon, let's sign me outta here so we can go home."

MacKenzie crossed his arms and his expression went eerily blank. "'We'? What are you talking about?"

Dalton felt the blood rush from his face until he could've blended in with the rest of the room. "Did...didn't you come here to get me?"

MacKenzie snorted. "Uh, no. Why would I be bringing a lunatic home with me? You're a mess, Dalton."

In defiance of all logic, the air around MacKenzie seemed to haze until it seeped into the outline of his hair, then his folded arms, then Dalton could start seeing the wall behind him right through his form and scrambled forward in shock, not caring about the tugging sensation in an arm.

"So pathetic."

"Mack, please, no, don't leave me here, please-"

But all the begging was for nothing as MacKenzie faded away like a ghost and Dalton was left grasping at air, hot tears blinding his vision like acid.

***

Dalton clutched his chest as his eyes flew open with a gasp. The surroundings were still blurry, and for a horrifying moment he thought he was still in that all-white hell. Sobs wracked his body and immediately he felt two familiar arms around him.

"Dalton? Dalt, babe, relax, it's OK, shh..."

MacKenzie. He was still here, he wasn't a mirage- "Oh god Mack," came out in one breath and he collapsed against his boyfriend's shoulder, still sobbing. He tried to concentrate on the gentle embrace, but the harsh words echoed. So pathetic.

"The hospital dream?" MacKenzie eventually asked, rubbing up and down the young man's back.

Dalton sniffed deeply and rubbed his eyes to not get a mess on his boyfriend's pajamas. "You l-left me there...said I was a lunatic-" then came a fresh round of crying and his chest hurt again.

"Oh, Dalton..." MacKenzie's large and warm hands cupped his face so they could be eye to eye, and he barely made out the sweet face he loved that was no doubt so tired and felt guilty for waking him up. "Remember what I told you the first time you had that dream?"

He sniffed and tried to remember how to breathe. "That you w-wouldn't dump me if I ever had to be hospitalized again."

"That's right, and it's still true." Mack leaned close to kiss Dalton's forehead, lips a much more comforting warmth than the tears. "You mean too much to me to throw away, baby. I love you just as much when you're sad as when you're happy."

Dalton bit his lip and curled close for a hug he hoped he was still worthy of. "I l-love you, too..."

MacKenzie continued to let his hands be soothing as the cries took their time to subside. The return to a peaceful sleep would be a long time coming.