Screaming. That was the only noise in the whole house, echoing and bouncing off the walls like a twisted lullaby of fear. This was it. This had been the last straw. 

Jiyong shook so severly it hurt, and his throat was scratchy from the scream that just erupted from his throat. He could feel the vibrations wrecking his body everywhere, bouncing off the bed even. There was almost a puddle of sweat in where he had been lying previously, obviously growing as more of the salty liquid streamed down the boy's forehead. It was sticky and insulting, making the boy feel like nothing more than a todler that was drowning in his own fears and paranoia, letting it cascade into his mind and slowly take over the muscle to warp and destroy him form the inside out. 

 

The red letters of the digital clock resting comfortably on his desk read a almost, very close, to three in the morning. He'd only been sleeping about five hours apparently, yet not surprisingly, the terrifying dream that just awoke him from his slumber left his jittery and afraid, and definitely wide awake. 

 

His fingers trembled,the noise of the wind outside made him jump,there was a sudden dryness in his throat and wait, when did he start crying? This was it, the last straw. 

Jiyong broke. He cried, and his chest was constricting painfully as his eyes burned with unshed tears. Blinded, he reached for his phone and pressed the call back button, dialing the last before he had been on the phone. They only hung up about eight hours ago, and it was so late Jiyong knew he might get scolded not only by the other on the phone, but also by himself when he was stable enough to realize what he was even doing. 

 

The phone rang for a while, so long that Jiyong assumed it was off and would just go to voicemail. Right before he would turn off the call and fling the useless device across the room he heard it. 

 

"Y..Yobesayo? It's after two, Ji. What do you need?"

 

"Hyung, I'm sorry," Jiyong said, clenching his eyes tightly and letting out a choked noise. "I.. I'm.." 

 

Seunghyun shifted on the other side of the line obviously, and Jiyong found himself wincing at the sound at the other, as if he was something to be afraid of or something. 

 

"Are you, crying? Ji, are you alright?" Seunghyun asked, his voice raising a little as the sleep began to turn into worry as he began registering what was happening. His best friend called him at two am, he was crying, and there was obviously something wrong.

 

"I, no, um.. Uh, God," Jiyong stuttered, not able to finish. He took a large breath, making another choking-on-his-own-life sort of sound. "I can't, hyung," he breathed, voice raspy and starting to temble so bad it was almost inaudible. "Please, help me. Please." 

 

"Give me ten minutes and I'll be over there. Jiyong, calm down, I'll be there soon. Just calm down. I can barely understand you," Seunghyun said, moving from his bed and shifting to find his light Jiyong realized when he heard the small click. "I'll be there soon, alright?"

 

Jiyong nodded, coughing a few times rather violently before muttering a simple,"Thank you" and hanging up the phone. The house was warm, and his eyes were playing cruel tricks on him with the ugly dark shadows dancing across everything. In order to try and make it better, Jiyong turned the light to his room on and kept the door almost closed. Open just enough so he would know when Seunghyun got there. When the knocking rapped against the door, it would've been an under statement to say that Jiyong ran to the door. He slipped when he got off his bed and fell into his dresser but ignored it, running to the door and opening it quickly. 

 

The first thing Seunghyun noticed, besides how quickly Jiyong answered the door, but also by how hard he was shaking against his larger body and how he was basically buried in the fabric of Seunghyun's pajama shirt. Seunghyun stepped forward, his arms wrapping tightly around Jiyong, and leading him back into the house. It still confused Seunghyun as to why Jiyong called him at two in the morning so distraught and messy, so he pulled Jiyong away and asked,"What happened?"

 

Jiyong looked up, wiping his face hastily and shaking his head. There was a faint, tiny patch of blood on his lip, showing either he had been chewing it or go to distraught that he pierced it with his teeth. "It's happening, agian," he said, sniffling and wiping his nose. The nightmares are back."

 

Seunghyun hugged Jiyong again, letting his cheek fall against the younger boy's dark hair and letting the soft strands carress his jaw. "Oh Ji," he muttered, his grip tight and his words so sorry even though he really couldn't stop it. Jiyong suffered from night terrors since he was young and for so long, they all thought they were gone. That's why Jiyong moved into his new home. After two years of being peaceful, and feeling alright, he was sweating and terrified, just like he was when he was younger. This kind of thing wasn't safe, or sanitary. It was murdering the mental healthy of the poor twenty one year old, possibly trying to drive the boy to suicide before he even go to experience his real adulthood.

 

"I'm sorry," Jiyong said. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have woke you up, but , I needed someone. I needed you, hyung. I needed my best friend. I just-" 

 

"Aish, Jiyong, don't apologize for this!" Seunghyun's eyes were iron plates, digging into the depth of Jiyong's emotions. His face was hard, yet sympathetic. Almost determined but there was something swirling around in his features that Jiyong just couldn't quite place exactly. "I'd do anything for you, remember?"

 

The younger didn't respond, just watched. Silently taking in the scene playing out around him as if he was on the outside looking in, instead of being one of the main characters of the actual show. The world was slowed down, or well, calming down. The racing of his heart was still prominent and beating against his ribcage but for an entirely different reason, more of how Seunghyun's face was admiring his, and the way it felt to be pulled up against his body. Oh, and don't forget the soothing, deeping rumble of his words piercing into him and keeping him sane. 

 

"C'mon, Ji, let's go to sleep, hm? You won't be alone this time, or, if it makes you feel better, any time, alright?" 

 

There was heat in his cheeks, and a warm fuzzyness sliding through his bones and Jiyong realized, this might not be the last straw. It was only one of the darker pieces of a much brighter and grander puzzle. Jiyong could feel a promise, a beautiful glow ignite when he grabbed onto Seunghyun's hand and the two walked back into his room. Seunghyun pulled up the blanket, letting Jiyong snuggle in first and turn into his side beforepulling off his jacket and climbing rather clumsily in next to him. Jiyong felt a few chuckles come out of him, getting a playful growl from the older man, but it was short because soon, Seunghyun had his arms wrapped tightly around Jiyong's skinny body, and one of his legs over the younger's boys as well, almost smothering him. 

 

Jiyong fell asleep to Seunghyun's colone and slept to a sweet dream of them sitting across from eachother in a random field. Seunghyun with his feet on a table and reading a paper, and Jiyong holding a stuffed Shar Pei, telling the other that one day he would have a dog very similar.