NightmaresA Tale Of Madness by Dannell LitesMagnus thrashed in his sleep and cried out. Instictively, I reached out and drew him closer within the circle of my embrace and he quieted a bit. His breathing was harsh and swift, like a wounded animal. I stroked his hair and held him as best he would let me. Which was not nearly enough, of course. "Cha- Charles ...?" I kissed his wide, haunted eyes to close them. "Shhhhhh ..." I whispered and felt him relax against my body, muscle by muscle. "I'm right here," I assure him. "I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you." His breathing quieted a bit but still his body tossed and turned, leaving him no peace.
Sometimes he doesn't believe me when I tell him this, but soon his painful grip on my shoulder lessens considerably. True to my word, I do not abandon him and for a moment he clutches me tightly. My heart gladdens. Magnus is not given to open displays of affection or need and that makes them all the more pleasing to me when they happen. But he is vulnerable when he dreams; when the nightmares come. I smile. If he were my patient I might prescribe a strong sedative to help him sleep. He would not take them, of course. Magnus will not even take an asperin. He loathes anything that dulls his mind or makes him dependent. But he is not my patient. Magnus is ... I take a deep shuddering breath and listen to the steady reassuring beat of his heart against my damp skin. No, he's not my patient.
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