Alone

Chapter 26

Layla woke up in the middle of the night with her head on top of Adam's. They were still sitting on the couch. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sat up a little taller. He looks so peaceful. It wouldn't hurt to just close my eyes a little longer, right? It's not like I'm having nightmares anyway. She silently asked herself. She placed her head back on Adam's head and closed her eyes. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she let sleep overtake her.
Jason was walking through the halls to grab a late night snack. He heard movement. His head snapped in the direction of the sound and saw Adam and Layla asleep. They were both sound asleep. Good. At least she looks peaceful. He thought to himself as a small smile took over his features.
     Adam's arm was across Layla's waist as they slept. His arm was gripping onto Layla's shirt as if he would fall to his imminent death if he let go. But he didn't look scared or anything. It seemed as if he trusted her completely.
     Layla's arm was draped over Adam's shoulders and she pulled him closer to her than he already was. He moved slightly but didn't wake up.
     It was almost like Layla needed Adam there to keep the monsters away just as much as Adam needed Layla there to protect him from the demons he couldn't fight off. It was like they thought that, if for a second, they could be kept at bay. That nothing could harm them if they stuck together. As friends.
     Jason wished there was someone that could push his demons away. Someone that could tell him that they would fight against them with him just because that someone cared about him. Cared about him enough to want to stick by his side no matter the circumstances.
     A single tear slide down Adam's face. Almost as if she felt it, Layla pulled him tighter. Adam immediately relaxed. She held him there for a few seconds then eased her grip on him, but he quickly moved to be closer to her.
     Adam had moved to where he was now laying with his head on her lap. She woke up slightly and looked down at Adam. She smiled ever so slightly and laid her hand on his head. She played with his hair. His dirty-blonde hair twirled around her fingers. She wished this moment could last forever. Maybe not with this exact person, but she wouldn't complain if it were.
     Adam's hand unconsciously slide up and grabbed her hand. She was confused but just let him hold it. She knew he needed it more than she did at the moment. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep again.
     Hands intertwined together, they slept; oblivious to the young adult standing across the room from them.
     Adam's and Layla's dreams weren't nightmare for once. They both dreaded falling asleep. They didn't want to face the terrors the night would hold.
     No one knew, but Adam had a condition where, when he dreamed, a monster would come. At first, it was something harmless. Something that brought happiness. Then the nightmares would hit. This monster could devour anyone in its path if he was having a nightmare. Adam couldn't risk endangering everyone at HYDRA. They were his only family after the monster had killed his parents and siblings.
     Jason watched as Layla's momentarily happy illusion intertwined with a strange, blue colored orb. Layla's green magic mixed with the blue orb to make a small child. It danced in front of Jason. He walked slowly up to it. It's hand stretched out. Jason hesitantly placed his hand onto the child's hand. Jason saw it was a mix between Adam and Layla. Granted, it was a greenish-blueish color.
     A huge grin spread on the child's face. Jason slowly smiled as well. It disappeared. He looked around curious and saw that it was running down the hall. It stopped and turned around. The child waved at him, and he waved back.
     Jason walked after it, and when they were an arms length apart, he hugged it. The child hugged back. He turned around and walked back to his room; forgetting why he even came in the first place.
     They didn't wake up until dawn hit. Adam's sleepy eyes opened first. He yawned and stretched. He was very comfortable, but this wasn't his room he shot up and smacked Layla in the chin with his head.
     "Ow!" They both yelled in unison. Adam fell off the couch out of being frightened. Adam yelped again as he fell. Layla rubbed her chin and looked down at Adam. A smile overtook her features and a hysterical laugh erupted from deep within her. He started laughing too. They laughed for a good five minutes until there were tears sliding down their cheeks from laughing so hard. They looked at each other; Layla got off the couch and helped Adam up. A large hug enveloped Layla. She hugged her new friend back.
    They were friends because they trusted each other with their lives. They would get to know each other; they would become the best of friends. They would both be perfectly okay with that. Neither expecting more.
They walked to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast, Adam's arm draped across her shoulders. She made no move to push it off. Just a little longer. She told herself. Just this once. The command echoed through her head.
     No one was inside the cafeteria except Adam and Layla. Or so they thought. In the corner stood Liam. He looked extremely upset. He hated watching Layla hang out with a killer. Granted, he knew he was a killer as well; he also knew he could never stop her from what she wanted. Even if he wanted to. She was HYDRA's best agent and could kill him if she really wanted to. He knew she wanted to kill him, so he made no move to go any closer than he already was.
     Adam and Layla both grabbed a plate of pancakes. Layla topped her's with syrup and strawberries where as Adam topped his with blueberries and strawberry syrup.
     They sat down alone and talked about nothing in particular. They were purposely avoiding the conversation they knew they had to have at one point. Liam walked out of the shadows.
     "And I was so upset— Liam?!" Layla started her sentence only to cut it off in the middle when she saw Liam walking toward them.
     *smack*