Haunted — Hadrian & Alessa (Patreon)

Moonlight filters through the window, the pale beams of light falling across the ceiling. Hadrian stares at them.

His head pulses, his back aches, and he has long lost any feeling in his right arm. His body begs him to change position, but he can't. You're sleeping nestled against his side with your arms around his neck, and Hadrian refuses to move.

You, however, have no such qualms. It starts as a soft moan, a barely there gasp of weakened air, and one of your hands tightening on his scalp. Hadrian looks down and sees your eyes briskly shifting beneath your closed eyelids. He feels your lips moving against his skin in voiceless words and sees the little crease at the center of your forehead as you frown.

He swallows a chuckle, fearing it'll wake you, and hugs you closer with a dumb smile on his face. Lord, but you look so endearing while you sleep. Hadrian wonders about the nature of your dream. He hopes you're somewhere you like, in a field of gold with the sun on your cheeks and freshly cut grass softening your footfalls. He hopes, selfishly, that you can still feel his arms wrapped around you, even in the depths of dreamland.

Most of all, Hadrian hopes you're not alone as you explore the vast plains of sleep.

But that's when you scream.

He jerks up, heart hammering, and can't stop you from rolling away on the bed. "Love?" Hadrian calls softly, hesitantly, as he reaches a hand for your shoulder, but finds you still asleep. Your face isn't calm any longer, though. You're grimacing, your lips moving fervently, your eyes bolting from side to side.

And your voice. "N— no," you mutter, so helplessly, so vulnerably. He hears it, then. The fear in your tone. "Please, just..."

Realization dawns on him.

Hadrian springs to action. He sits up, lifts you into his lap, and wraps his arms around you to close you off from the world. He feels you shiver, so he kisses your temple, letting his lips rest there, while his hands travel up and down your arms and shoulders, the soft skin of your belly, the sweet curve of your waist.

"Come back to me," he begs, and slowly, mercifully, you do. As you blink, Hadrian sees the tears at the corner of your eyes, and his stomach drops. He kisses you then, lips tenderly caressing yours, trying his hardest to scare the shadows away. To scare the fear away. "Shh. I'm here. You're safe."

-

Blood rushes in your veins, and terror claws at your heart, but the warm cocoon you find yourself in calms you. "You're safe." Hadrian's warm voice tickles your ears.

"You're safe. I'm here."

You believe him. "Hadrian," you croak through lips that feel too dry and dig your nails into his arms.

"I'm here."

You are. You rest your head on his broad chest, your eyes heavy and somber, but as much as you ran in your nightmare, as much as your legs worked desperately, tirelessly, racing away from the pain of memories. As much as you ran, you don't want to, now. You don't ever want to move.

All you want is to listen to the calm, rhythmic beat of his heart, pulsing next to your ear. You close your eyes again, holding his arm against your chest. "Stay with me," you ask him.

A kiss on your temple. "Always."

And with this promise, you drift into a peaceful slumber.

- - -

It is cold.

Alessa snuggles closer to you, her freezing feet seeking yours under the covers to try and steal your heat. You are always so much warmer than her, Alessa would find it unjust if it wasn't so enjoyable to burrow some of it. She would often find herself grabbing at your arms, slipping her hands under your shirt so she could press her icy palms against your skin and, like a leech, or a parasite, steal what heat she could.

She does not understand how you do not find it annoying, but you do not. You only smile and make a foolish joke but allow her. Alessa ducks under your arm to flatten her chest against yours, cracking her eyes open to see your face only inches away from hers.

You look peaceful, sleeping soundlessly, and she cannot resist the fond smile that graces her lips. Alessa leans in to softly brush her lips on your chin, delighting too, in the warmth she finds there. 'Tis near impossible to stay away from you. Alessa does not like to admit it, nor will she ever tell you so, but if life allowed it, she would kiss every inch of your skin.

She smiles again, safe in the shadows of night, and moves to press another lingering kiss on the side of your jaw when suddenly, you jerk your head away.

She blinks, glancing at your eyes, but finds you still asleep. However, no longer peaceful. You are scowling, your mouth set into a hard line, and you clench your jaw hard enough that it must be painful. She sees the muscles of your neck straining and feels your hands clenching on her back.

"Forgive me," you utter, and there is so much sadness, such deep sorrow in your voice that it breaks the iceberg of her heart into a thousand pieces.

"Darling one," she whispers, cupping your cheeks as gently as she can. Alessa leans forward to kiss the space between your eyebrows, lingering until the wrinkles clear and your scowl is chased away. She kisses each of your eyelids next, feeling your eyes move beneath, and then the cane of your nose. Lastly, she kisses the corners of your mouth, first the left then the right.

"My darling one, return to me."

-

You wake up with your lover's lips on you, soft and pliant. Fluttering kisses scattered all over your face. They're not cold, but each of them sends a short, chilly spark into your skin, pulling you from the dark depths below.

"Alessa," you say, feeling how heavy your heart sits in your chest. There's a misery clinging to your thoughts, a sadness that has you blinking back tears. You don't remember the nightmare that had you in its grip, but shreds of it remain.

Your throat is so tight, it hurts.

"Yes?" Alessa murmurs, kissing below your left eye. You can see the moisture on her lips in the silver moonlight. "How can I assist you?"

You close your eyes, letting your forehead fall against her. But even still, Alessa doesn't stop her caressing kisses. She's kissing your cheekbones now, her hands making gentle circles on your shoulders. The soothing motion weights like a heavy blanket.

"Just..." You find the strength to hug her closer. She drapes herself on top of you. "Just don't move."

"I shall not," Alessa promises, and she doesn't. She never stops either.

She simply kisses your tears away.