meet me in the woods ☾grayson dolan au

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[ 01 ]

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Screaming resounded throughout the hallways of their home, sending Ryder jolting into consciousness and running across the hall. Screams of terror rattling through her head and she wanted nothing more than for them to stop.

Her bare feet carried her to his door, which she then forced open and blindly made her way to the side of his bed and flicked the switch of a lamp.

As soon as his eyes met hers, he quit screaming. Instead, he was reduced to whimpers and heavy breaths. For the fifth night in a row, Ryder's heart ached in the way she knew from three years ago; seeing Grayson so defenseless and unable to trust the people right in front of him out of fear.

She attempted to calm him, reaching out a hand to move his hair out of his face, feeling his chocolate locks were damp with sweat. Her eyes drifted down to his torso where his shirt clung to his skin.

"Gray," she whispered to him. "You're sweating."

He didn't answer, his breathing continually labored as he recalled his terrors. The images freshly painted onto his mind left him speechless and terrified, and the fifth time was always the same as the first.

"Gray, try and relax," Ryder said, pulling on the hem his t-shirt so he would take it off. He obliged, raising his hands so she could easily slip it off of his toned body. She then tossed it into his clothes hamper, and asked if he wanted a new shirt, to which he denied.

"Ryder?" His weak voice asked as he sat up and watched her clean up his messy room a bit.

"Yes, Gray?" She turned so she was facing him, a pair of his skinny jeans in her hand.

He played with the edge of his duvet, his eyes trailing down to her bare legs when she looked back to the floor. "You don't have to clean. It's late and my room anyways."

Ryder nodded and threw the jeans on top of his t-shirt, her bare feet carrying her back to the edge of his bed. "Try to sleep again? I'll be in my room if you need me, you know?" She reached up and moved his hair from his face again, and Grayson closed his eyes at her touch.

"I know," he sighed at her fingertips now running over his scalp. "I just don't want to be-" He trailed off, now only focusing on her hands in his hair.

"What don't you want to be?" She asked in curiosity of the boy.

Grayson sighed, leaning into her touch as his hands wrapped themselves in his sheets so he could refrain from touching the girl at his side. "Alone." 

Ryder sighed, the pang of sadness in her chest knowing there was nothing she could do to stop his nightmares. He wouldn't even tell her what they were about, but she had an idea.

"Do-" her voice wavered as she contemplated her next words. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

She wasn't nervous to sleep in the same bed as Grayson, but rather scared of what would happen if he had another terror while with her.

Nonetheless, Grayson nodded and held his arms out for what looked like a hug. Ryder leaned over and flicked off the switch of the lamp before crawling into his arms, her leg hooking over his own. He took advantage of the position, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. He placed his lips on the skin above her shoulder and lightly kissed up her neck.

Not sure how to respond, Ryder tensed at the feeling of his lips. It had been a while starting before he had recently become so distant.

He continued to trail his lips up her neck, his hair tickling the side of her cheek.

"Relax," he groaned as he lifted his head to look Ryder in the eyes. The room was still dark, the shadows of the moonlight coming through the blinds illuminated half of his face to which he appeared to have stripes. But even through the darkness and shadows she could still see the pang of worry and frustration etched onto his features.

She moved her hands from his back to his hair, lightly running her fingers through his hair again to see his worried expression change. "What?"

"Why don't you relax?" He whispered, gripping the fabric of her t-shirt. "Are you uncomfortable? Did I make you uncomfortable?" He began to fret, releasing her from his grip on her shirt and pursing his lips in embarrassment.

"No, no, no..." She said as she gave him a reassuring smile that he barely saw in the dark. "I was just surprised."

"Surprised?"

The bed creaked as she pushed him onto his back. Her hands made their way to draw figures on his chest. "It's just been some time since- you know."

Grayson nodded and pulled her hands down to him so she laid with her head on his chest. "I know."

"I wasn't prepared is all."

He nodded and threw the blanket he slept under over Ryder's body. Between them, their chests pressed together and they could feel each other's heartbeats. The slow and calm beat of Ryder's and the frantic embarrassed beat of Grayson.

"Gray," she whispered as she left a kiss above his collarbone.

He hummed in response and grabbed at the bed sheets he laid on.

"Relax, I can feel your heartbeat through your chest."

He breathed in a deep breath, sighing in embarrassment for all that has happened. Everything was his fault.

The nightmares; he'd woken her up.
The touching; she wasn't ready.
His heartbeat; he was terrified.

Ryder shifted so she could wrap her arms around him from his side and lay her head in the crook of his neck. She grabbed his fidgeting hand from the sheets and pulled him so he would wrap it around her waist. Wrapped together, the heat radiated off of his body onto her cool one.

"Is this okay?" He mumbled into her hair. He just hoped he wasn't making her uncomfortable; he would hate himself if he caused more trouble on her. She'd done so much for him.

"I'm perfect, thank you Gray," she raised her head to look at his face. His eyes fluttered shut and he let out a breath that lightly fanned over her face. "Try and sleep, don't think about it, okay?"

He opened his eyes slowly and looked down at her, a reassuring smile shyly making its way. "Okay..." He trailed off, leaving it at that. "Don't go?"

"I won't," she leaned up and placed a kiss to his lips. "I'll be here when you wake up."

For the first time in five days, Grayson closed his eyes and didn't see the images that haunted his night. He slept and held the girl close to his body; his shield from him. He felt safe with her. She helped to pull the good and balance back into his life.