Healing a Heart That's Not His - Thiam

Fearless Sleep

Liam woke with a start when he heard someone's heart beating out of their chest, along with small whimpers. He looks around frantically for the source until he realized it's coming from the room next to his.

He opens the door to Theo's room to see what's happening. He's tossing and turning, sweating, and the whole room reeks of fear. Liam doesn't know what to do. Should he comfort him? Wake him up? Leave it alone?

Something inside him answered it for him, as he slowly moved next to Theo. He took one of Theo's hands in his and cupped his face with the other, stroking his cheek softly.

He stopped tossing and turning and rested his face against Liam's hand. His heart slowed and he stopped smelling of fear. It was clear to Liam that Theo had a nightmare, a bad one.

Liam stayed like that for a little longer, and when he thought Theo's nightmare really is gone, he went over to his own room.

What in the world could scare Theo so damn much? Yeah, he's not some big monster who fears nothing, but it's Theo, someone who never shows emotion and always is smart enough to know what to do in every scenario. Well, except when he got sent to hell, then he seemed pretty desperate. Oh.

Liam could only guess it's about what happened to him down there, but he doesn't know what that is. Was it really bad enough to give Theo nightmares?

A huge guilt found its way into his chest when he realizes that it's his fault that he's like this. Yes, it changed him for the better, but there could've been another way. He's the same age as Scott and the others, just a kid in highschool. Slowly everything dawned on Liam that nothing in Theo's life had been his choice, not really. The Dread Doctors manipulated a small child, someone who isn't in their right mind yet, to kill their sister, making him think that she wanted it, to turn him into a chimera. After that, slowly, the Dread Doctors taught him to show no emotion and raised him to kill for them. Liam couldn't sleep with all these thoughts and guilt building up.

He heard Theo's door open and close, then the front door. Theo probably needed some air, it's normal after a nightmare. Liam was suspecting Theo's nightmares for a while, but whenever he heard his heart, he also heard it leave through his window, making sure to not let Liam, or anyone, know.

Liam stayed in bed, not wanting to move, until he remembered that he's having Mason and Corey over since it's Saturday. He groaned and got out of bed. He took a shower, then went downstairs to eat breakfast.

As he was eating, he heard Mason's car pull up in the driveway. Liam rushed to the front door and the moment he swung it open, he threw himself on his best friend.

"Mason!" Liam exclaims happily.

"Hey, Liam." Responds Mason.

"Hey, Corey." Greets Liam.

"What's up?" Asks Corey.

"Eh, not much. Come on." Liam steps aside to let them in.

Once they were inside, they went to his room to play video games. It's something they always do.

After a while of playing, Mason turns to him. "Where's Theo?"

Liam shrugs. "Don't know. He left this morning and didn't come back yet. He's probably going out for a run or something." As much as Liam tried to seem careless when it came to things about Theo, Mason and Corey can see right through him and see the slight worry in there.

"Oh, okay." Responds Mason.

They played for a bit longer when Corey talked this time.

"So, you and Theo are pretty close, then?" He asks.