Markus giggled softly. “That’s the nicest compliment I’ve ever gotten.”; he murmured. He was tired. He felt a lot better finally, and he felt safe in Oliver’s arms. He was sure he could sleep again, and he wouldn’t fight falling asleep. He needed to get healthy again after all.
“You’re also great company… and great at cuddling..”, he yawned, nuzzling against Oliver.
Markus nodded lightly. He trusted Oliver, that he’d keep him safe. “What if the person… who had me kidnapped is the murderer?”, he asked quietly. What if he was just incredibly lucky that Oliver had found him and helped him? To escape so narrowly from a terrible fate?
“I’m scared…”, he admitted quietly. Even if he traveled with Oliver for a while, and had him to protect him. Once he was home again, he’d be in danger again.
Oliver shook his head. He wasn’t sure if Markus’s captor was or wasn’t, but they were both far away from them. They were in a different land, full of possibilities and new dangers. But he was accustomed to newness. He wouldn’t be a traveller of any kind if anything in his life was permanent.
“…of that person? Or… something else?”, he questioned. Once Markus was home, he would have a whole battalion of bodyguards surrounding him. Not just a dangerous man that they would typically be protecting him from.
Markus was quiet for a bit. “Everything.”, he mumbled quietly. He was afraid someone would try and kill him, he was afraid he’d be kidnapped again, he was afraid that something would happen to Oliver, he was afraid of going back to how his life had been before he had been taken. It was a lot, but at least right now, he was “free”, and had Oliver with him.
“Thank you for being with me.”, he said softly, though very much meaning it.
Markus nodded lightly. He trusted Oliver, that he’d keep him safe. “What if the person… who had me kidnapped is the murderer?”, he asked quietly. What if he was just incredibly lucky that Oliver had found him and helped him? To escape so narrowly from a terrible fate?
“I’m scared…”, he admitted quietly. Even if he traveled with Oliver for a while, and had him to protect him. Once he was home again, he’d be in danger again.
Markus relaxed after a while in Oliver’s hold, his grip on him loosening slightly. He felt a lot better finally, though he couldn’t stop thinking about his nightmare.
“Can I tell you about my nightmare?”, he asked quietly after a while. “I.. you don’t have to say yes… I just.. “, he trailed off. He didn’t want to appear self-absorbed or anything like that, or be annoying just talking about himself again. He was used to keeping this all to himself anyways.“Ah… forget it.”, he muttered, burying his face in Oliver’s chest. He’d just try to sleep again.
“No, no, it’s okay. I’ve heard that telling someone else helps in some way.”, he insisted. Whatever Markus’s nightmare had been about, it had clearly been weighing him down for a long time. It seemed as if getting it off of his chest was the right decision. “I won’t be able to sleep anyways… please tell me.”
Even if he had been able to sleep through the entire night, he would still want to listen to him. Maybe it would take his mind off of his own thoughts. If only for a few precious moments.
Markus was quiet for a while, thinking. There was no real harm in talking with Oliver about it, right?
“Well… you know, my parents were murdered.”, he started, voice quiet. He didn’t bother moving away from Oliver’s chest either. “They had planned to go on a trip. And… well my brother had been away anyways, but… I…. well…”, he had a hard time, even though it wasn’t even bad. He just had never really been able to talk with anyone about it.
“I was supposed to be with them… whoever killed them.. planned to kill me too. I dreamed… that they found me… And… did very bad things to me..”, he was getting quieter the more he was talking, holding tightly onto Oliver’s chest.
Markus relaxed after a while in Oliver’s hold, his grip on him loosening slightly. He felt a lot better finally, though he couldn’t stop thinking about his nightmare.
“Can I tell you about my nightmare?”, he asked quietly after a while. “I.. you don’t have to say yes… I just.. “, he trailed off. He didn’t want to appear self-absorbed or anything like that, or be annoying just talking about himself again. He was used to keeping this all to himself anyways.
“Ah… forget it.”, he muttered, burying his face in Oliver’s chest. He’d just try to sleep again.
Markus slept okay for an hour or so, which was pretty good for him. He did wake up from time to time, but never long enough that he was really aware of it. It did make getting rest harder though.
His sleep turned more troublesome, and he curled up more tightly, breaths wheezing slightly as he didn’t get enough air into himself.
“It’d- it’d be n-nice..”, Markus replied quietly. He would feel better if Oliver was closer to him, though he couldn’t get himself to request anything more. He’d love to be held, to be safe in Oliver’s arms. But he couldn’t ask that.
“Had a- a really bad… bad nightmare..”, he mumbled. He didn’t like this, knowing Oliver hadn’t been able to sleep either, but he couldn’t help it.
Oliver carefully moved over to him, cautiously wrapping his arms around him. He pulled him closer so that he was resting against his chest. “Is this good enough for you? Comfortable? I can move, or– or move my arms away–”, he asked.
He ran a hand through his own hair with a small smile, uncertain. Oliver hoped that Markus didn’t mind that at all. He rested his head on top of Markus’s.
Markus let go of Oliver’s hand as he moved, holding onto his chest when he was enveloped in his arms.
“It’s- nice..”, he replied softly. He felt safe in Oliver’s arms, and he knew he wasn’t alone. Oliver was here with him, and he would look after him. He’d make sure he would be alright, and nothing bad would happen.
“Thank you.”, he murmured, nuzzling against Oliver.
Markus slept okay for an hour or so, which was pretty good for him. He did wake up from time to time, but never long enough that he was really aware of it. It did make getting rest harder though.
His sleep turned more troublesome, and he curled up more tightly, breaths wheezing slightly as he didn’t get enough air into himself.
“It’d- it’d be n-nice..”, Markus replied quietly. He would feel better if Oliver was closer to him, though he couldn’t get himself to request anything more. He’d love to be held, to be safe in Oliver’s arms. But he couldn’t ask that.
“Had a- a really bad… bad nightmare..”, he mumbled. He didn’t like this, knowing Oliver hadn’t been able to sleep either, but he couldn’t help it.
Markus slept okay for an hour or so, which was pretty good for him. He did wake up from time to time, but never long enough that he was really aware of it. It did make getting rest harder though.
His sleep turned more troublesome, and he curled up more tightly, breaths wheezing slightly as he didn’t get enough air into himself.
Markus woke up a moment after Oliver stood up, his speaking to him having helped to wake him.
He could barely breathe, still afraid, reaching out to where Oliver was supposed to be laying. He could feel him, only the bit of warmth that still lingered. “O-oli-ver?..”, his voice wavered, afraid, unsure. He was terrified of Oliver not being here.
Oliver moved back to where he was supposed to be, beside Markus. He was glad that he had been woken up from his nightmare. He gently placed his hand over Markus’s to let him know that he was there.
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep.”, he murmured, resting his head back on the pillow while still holding onto Markus’s hand.
Markus clutched Oliver’s hand tightly, as tears were quick to gather and run down his cheeks.
“It’s- o-okay..”, he replied quietly, afraid to seek more comfort and closeness from Oliver than the hand he was provided. Even if that meant having to hold onto it as if his life depended on it.
He was trying to stay calm, to breathe, but it was hard. He wished he could see Oliver, but at least he could hear him, and hold his hand.
Markus slept okay for an hour or so, which was pretty good for him. He did wake up from time to time, but never long enough that he was really aware of it. It did make getting rest harder though.
His sleep turned more troublesome, and he curled up more tightly, breaths wheezing slightly as he didn’t get enough air into himself.
Markus woke up a moment after Oliver stood up, his speaking to him having helped to wake him.
He could barely breathe, still afraid, reaching out to where Oliver was supposed to be laying. He could feel him, only the bit of warmth that still lingered. “O-oli-ver?..”, his voice wavered, afraid, unsure. He was terrified of Oliver not being here.
Markus slept okay for an hour or so, which was pretty good for him. He did wake up from time to time, but never long enough that he was really aware of it. It did make getting rest harder though.
His sleep turned more troublesome, and he curled up more tightly, breaths wheezing slightly as he didn’t get enough air into himself.
He was back in the crowd again, watching carefully, to see what would happen. Oliver was only one face in a sea of what seemed like thousands to him, gathering around to see what had happened to his older brothers and the others that had been caught. He tried not to scream or look upset. They would find him and take him away if he showed anything other than a mild expression. But somehow, this time, he was on the stage, watching the hooded man beside him until–
Oliver woke up in a cold sweat, frantically trying to figure out where he was. He was still in the house. He shakily reached out to Markus, to check if he was still there. When he felt him, he gave a sigh of relief.
Markus was clutching the blanket and the sheets in his hands, breathing quick and hard. He had a lot of nightmares a lot of the time, or just bad dreams, since there was a lot troubling him. It was no wonder he was having a nightmare again.
The murderer of his parents had him. He was supposed to die with them was a thought he had a lot without any real prompting. It was true, though, as it had been mere luck he hadn’t been with them at the time.
He whimpered in his sleep, unaware of Oliver’s nightmare and awakening.
emptynarration 