Mercy [Buzzfeed Unsolved]

11. Seek a Remedy, Unravel a Knot

Shane woke up gasping again. He was in an unfamiliar place this time, yet the all-too familiar sensation of hot, sweaty pyjamas and raw fear racing throughout his nervous system was ever-present. His brain was shouting, begging for some sort of proof of reality, that he was back in his normal life and that everything had been a dream.

Of course, with that struggle, a flood of memories from last night overtook him, and Shane shook with panic. How was he supposed to grasp the fact that he could not return back to his own home, his own haven, because that safe place in his life had been violated and deemed dangerous? Not to mention how the case had taken a huge leap in a much more personal direction could have ever imagined. Shane rolled over, arching his back and digging his face into a cushion to stop himself from breathing too fast.

Shit, he really needed to just stop. He needed to stop thinking. After all, he could hear some commotion in what he guessed was the kitchen — someone had heard him wake up and was approaching him. Anxiety told Shane that it was the same intruder from before, but logically, he barely remembered that he had crashed at Steven's place before... and he could not let Steven see him lose it like this under any circumstance.

Keeping his composure in mind, Shane tried his best to regulate his breathing, seeking something else to fixate on. Luckily, somehow, through his delusions, he managed to catch a waft of something cooking from the kitchen. What was it... pancakes? Scrambled eggs? Breathing in and out to try and figure out what the scent was, he managed to calm himself down just enough as Steven burst through to the living room.

"Shane? Oh, fuck," Steven worried. There was immediately a hand on his back, rubbing between his shoulder blades. Shane tended to be stubborn in not accepting any help and worried that it would just raise his panic again, but he concentrated on how Steven's palm dug into the knots in his muscles. "It's alright," he was assuring, possibly to himself as well, "It's going to be okay."

Collapsing out of exhaustion, Shane let himself mould to the couch. A thin blanket that had been draped over him at some point let him keep some of his warmth. Steven sat on the edge of the couch by his legs, still repetitively rubbing Shane's back. Shane could feel that his face had grown damp as he had panicked, so he tried discreetly drying off his face on the fabric of the couch.

Shane rolled over again, keeping his arms over his eyes. He could feel a smile slip out, letting way to almost maniacal chuckles. Steven kept his hands to himself after Shane moved, but the dip in the cushions indicated that he was still there.

"You're going to burn the breakfast," Shane informed him. It was simple, as if nothing had ever happened in the first place. He let his arms fall behind him over the armrest. Yeah, Shane knew how red and puffy his eyes probably were, but he could at least pretend. Steven was staring at him, trying to figure him out like a puzzle.

He shrugged. "I finished the breakfast just before you woke up. We can eat as soon as you're ready." Getting up, he lingered by the kitchen entrance, hesitating in both movement and speech. "Shane..."

"Yeah?"

"... Nevermind. I- Don't worry about the time. I already texted Bennett." And with that, he left the room, rummaging around his kitchen for plates and silverware. Shane glanced at the nearest clock. 10:31. Fuck.

"Use anything in the bathroom that you need!" Steven shouted from where he was. Shane nodded despite knowing that his friend couldn't see him, heaving himself off the couch to find his duffel bag.

Getting to the bathroom, Shane rummaged through his bag, seeking out the toiletries that he had haphazardly packed. He was desperate for a shower, but he paused in his movements momentarily, staring at his forearms.