In The Dark (Sequel To Light) -Clementine/Louis, Clouis, Louisentine

Chapter 3

There were a few differences in their sleeping habits. He knew from Aasims constant complaining that he was a sleep fidgeter. It didn't matter if he was dreaming, having a nightmare or in a dreamless deep sleep, he would always toss and turn. Quite frankly, he's suprised Clementine hasn't refused to sleep in the same bed as him so far. She never complains, though.

Then again, that's part of what makes them so different. She doesn't complain. In fact, she doesn't even move. Whatever position she had fell asleep in, that's generally the same one he'll find her in the next morning. If she does move, it's very little (or it's because his constant fidgeting forced her to move). You'd think that would be a blessing. But honestly, it's not.

Because he has no way of knowing the nightmares that plague her. He knows she has them, he just can't tell when she's having them, and he hates that. Hates that he can't be there for her, to help her deal with her grief, to find some way to comfort her when the horrors of her past force her awake, cold sweat clinging to her skin, body trembling with unneeded adrenalin. Clementine refuses to wake him though, unable to find it within herself to bother him with her own issues.

The only way he realises is the next morning. He will wake leisurely, reaching out an arm only to find the space next to him empty and cold, long since abondened. It's on those mornings he knows the nightmares had been too much, and she had gone to find her own way of dealing with it.

It makes him feel all the more worse when it's him that wakes her up from his own nightmares. He doesn't mean to of course, but his body always finds a way to betray him; tossing and turning becoming more violent, limbs rapidly twitching and breathing laboured, waking up from his nightmares with a sharp gasp he is unable to control. It always seem to be on the nights she is able to escape her nightmares that he awakens her with his own, robbing her of her precious nights of uninterrupted sleep. And yet, she will be there, rubbing a comforting hand up his back and whispering reasurring words into his ear, bringing him down from the brink of terror.

It would seem that this morning was another of those mornings. He had awoken not to the sight of Clementine laid next to him but instead of the empty space of their bed, AJ still peacefully slumbering on the bed opposite. AJ had always been an early riser, so the fact he was still here and asleep must mean it was really early. A quick glimpse to the window behind him confirms his thought; no sign of the rising sun, instead only met with the pitch black darkness of the schools ground.

Louis forces himself out of the bed with a sleepy yawn, bringing a tired hand up to his face to wipe the sleep from his eyes; vision still blurry from the transition of deep sleep to being awake. He ponders over where he would find Clementine this time as he shrugs on his trenchcoat, closing the door behind him as softly as possible as to not disturb AJ.

He had begun to pick up a pattern of where she would wander off to based on what nightmare she had. If she felt up to talking about it, that is.

In the times where she dreamed about those she had lost, those that had died for her or because of her, he would often find her standing in their makeshift graveyard, staring blankly down at the collection of crosses that had accumulated over the years. He had lost count of the amount of times he had assured her Marlons death wasn't on her, but he could still see the guilt shining in her eyes whenever her gaze landed on his cross.

In the times where she dreams about him, whether it be losing him or, the ones he felt worst about, the dreams where he would blame her for everything, he would find her in the music room. There were a lot of things he wished for, but one of the biggest was that he could go back in time and never say the things he had said to her, harsh words coming from a broken man that only served as fuel for her nightmares.