Danger Line (Malec)

Danger Line Chapter 4 The Sharpest Lives

Dinner is uneventful, and Alec and Magnus don't speak to each other as they mutely prepare for sleep. Alec goes to the bathroom to change, Magnus not really giving a fuck, and they climb into bed for sleep. Alec really needs it. But he shouldn't… He can't have the nightmares again.

He tries to keep his eyes peeled open, tries to keep his heavy lids from drooping. But he has no success, he always did sleep a lot. The curtains of sleep eventually fall on his worn and broken seeing devices. So, so broken with the pain and treatment he's had to endure. His mind broke so badly the day of the incident happened he can't even see the world with the same eyes any longer. A jagged layer of broken glass covers his seeing lense, and too many pieces have been imbedded in his eyes for the fragments to be safely removed, and Alec isn't going to risk getting them out.

As Alec falls into slumber, he starts to dream. No, it can't even be called a dream. He starts to remember, starts to focus his ugly mind on the past he knows, the past he's lived through in his nightmares far too often. As much as he hates it, Alec starts to think about the incident.

Magnus groans, turning over in his bed. He looks at the clock with sleep riddled eyes. It's early. Too early to be awake, hell, early enough for some people (coughpartyanimalscough) to be going to bed. Or to sleep, as they may have been in bed doing other activities…

Magnus hears a whimper from the bed next to him, and he panics for a moment before he realizes he has a roommate. Stupid prick, waking him up in the middle of the goddamn night. Should be illegal. Punishable by death. Keeping Magnus from his beauty sleep.

"Please… no…" He hears Alec whimper again. "I didn't… I didn't…"

Magnus sighs. It's going to be a long night if he has to listen to these whimpers all night. Maybe he should just wake up his roommate and tell him to stick a cork in it. Shut his pie hole, etc. It could be a decent use of energy.

"Stop! Stop! Oh GOD, STOP!" Alec screams, thrashing about his bedcovers. Magnus nearly jumps a foot in shock, but quickly pulls himself out of bed to wake his roommate. He shakes the teen until his baby blue eyes snap open and he pushes Magnus away from himself. There are tears pouring down his eyes in thin ribbons of fear and suffering, eyes wide as he pants, trying to regain his breath.

"Are you okay?" Magnsu asks after a moment, though he knows his roommate isn't alright. Maybe it is just a nightmare, maybe there's nothing more to it but Alec is obviously scared out of his wits. He's not o-fucking-kay.

Alec nods, still short on breath. "It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

Magnus raises an eyebrow. "Really? That was nothing? So thrashing around in your sleep and screaming is nothing?"

Magnus is not convinced.

Alec sighs. "Look, just drop it. It's none of your business what I can and can't handle. I'm fine, or I will be soon. Just leave me alone."

Magnus' eyebrow remains raised as he places one hand on his hip, making the universal 'bitch, please' look at his obviously demented roommate. "Uh huh. Well, considering you woke me up in the middle of the goddamn night screaming and I had to shake you awake, I would consider it my business and you obviously can't handle it."

Alec averts his gaze from Magnus, taking a shaky breath. "Look, please just let it go. I'm not going to talk about it. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to think about it, so please let it be."

Magnus sighs. "You know I'll find out eventually, right? I'm not king of this school for nothing."

Alec bites his lip before whispering "I know." and climbing back into his bed. This time, though, he doesn't fall asleep. His eyes have almost been glued open with the prospect of another dream, a whole round once again with the monster that forces Alec to scream in his sleep. He doesn't want to go through that repeating loop again, he doesn't need that torture. He's not that much of a masochist.