Behind Black Shades (DISCONTINUED)

Summit's Nightmares (short)

You remember how jittery Summit was in the last chapter? And that migraine stuff? Well, this short kinda goes into it, and will also be something to hold you guys over until the big date. Just know that this short and the next chapter take place on the same day, and that Tuesday isn't here solely because nothing of importance was planned to happen then. Stuff about Summit's backstory is teased here, and it'll be expanded upon later. Without further ado, here's Summit's Nightmares.

night•mare
/'nīt , mer/
noun
a frightening or unpleasant dream.

Wednesday
5:48 AM
Summit's Apartment, Edgewood, NMC

Summit had been plagued with these unpleasant dreams for the better part of ten years now. He didn't know how to get rid of them, or if there was some magic pill that would let him get a full nights sleep without jolting awake, sweating profusely.

It happened far too much, or at least more than he would like. He wished they didn't happen at all, in fact, it was the one thing is his life he could say he truly hated.

He hated the torment of getting comfortable in bed, only to be woken up by dreams of bloody floors, and the smell of iron somehow creeping into his nostrils. Sometimes he would check to see if he was bleeding, though he never was.

This morning was one of many where these nightmares would usually strike. Never at night, just at the ass-crack of dawn.

"GAH!" Summit yelped, sitting straight up in his bed.

He noticed he felt a lot colder than usual. He kept his apartment cold usually, but for some reason his body was freezing.

He put a hand to his sheets, and as he expected, they were damp from sweat, and smelt awful. His eyes burned as well, like had been...crying?

That couldn't be it. Summit hasn't cried in a decade.

Just to check though, he wiped his the back of his hand along his cheek, and sure enough, the fur on his hand was slick with tears.

He felt like he hadn't got it out yet. Like there was more crying energy left. Like he could just bury his head into his pillow and sob relentlessly, but that wouldn't solve anything, especially his nightmare problem, so he just bottled it up.

He had told people about his nightmares, and one of his exes (that we'll learn about later, along with another one) knew about them. Not like that one cared though, he honestly just got annoyed and angry with him over it.

Anyone else he talked to about it just said to talk to a therapist, or psychiatrist, but Summit didn't like the idea of someone being paid to pretend they care about his problems for an hour.

Summit began to get uncomfortable, and shuffled out of his bed, taking off the sheets to put in the wash. God knows they needed it. He bundled them in his arms, and left his room, heading to the tiny area where the washer and dryer were.

He tossed the soiled sheets and a washing tab into the machine, and turned it on. He sometimes worried that his neighbors would hear it, but this place had thick walls.

He went to his couch and sat down for a moment, just to settle down and get his thoughts and emotions together. That was, until a blinding pain lodged itself into his head. It felt like his head exploded, and with these nightmares being the main course, these migraines were nothing but a side dish.

The large wolf clutched his head in pain, all while the ringing in his ears only got louder. He had gone to the doctor for it, worrying that it could be something major, but he was just told it was some severe migraines. He was given a medication to help with it, as it was made to be especially beneficial in canines. He tried it, and for the most part it worked, but it made him hyper and nervous, so he rarely took it, and just tried to tough out the pounding headache.

Summit would do the same thing today, as it was Wednesday. He had a date with you today, and the last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm you with his medicated hyper self.

Before he could think anymore though, he realized it'd be better if he sat and thought while smelling...not like wolf sweat.

He collected himself, and walked to his bathroom to shower.

He was lucky that his apartment was just naturally a large place, since with his last place it was...troublesome to find accommodations for his height. Now however, the shower head went above him. Which was...unusual, but convenient.

Since Summit has a bunch of thick fur, he sleeps naked as to not get too hot, even though he keeps his apartment like an icebox. At least he didn't have to worry about taking off anything before he showered.

Usually, he would take cold showers on the rare occasions he would actually get up and feel well rested, but this wasn't one of those mornings. If he could, he would try his hardest to keep himself sleepy, so a warm shower would have to suffice.

He turned the shower on and felt the water until it was to his liking, then stepped inside. Of course, the sudden shock from hot water still got to him.

He gasped as soon as the water hit his fur, but he got used to it fairly quickly.

Leaning on the shower wall, Summit couldn't get that nightmare out of his head. Why did his mind have to remind him of that day? Why couldn't he just be left alone?

Part of him still wanted to cry, like there was a younger of himself trapped deep within his being. The one who wanted to cry, and let it all out. Tiny fists punching behind his eyes, feet kicking at the back of his throat, but Summit didn't want to let anything out.

"It's weak for a man to cry. Especially a Snowden man." were his fathers words.

Summit doesn't know why he still listens to his father. He's thirty years old, an adult. His father is dead, yet somehow his words sound like his muzzle is pressed against Summit's ear.

Besides, he had broken his father's "no crying" rule before. Only once though. He didn't want to do it again. Crying didn't make him feel better, it just made him feel...tired.

And to be honest, he was tired enough.

Summit just now realized he had been in the shower, and yet he wasn't doing any actual showering, so he grabbed the soap and got to work. After all, this wasn't a comfort shower as much as it was a cleanliness shower.

One shower later

All nice and dry, the now lavender smelling wolf emerged from his bathroom, letting out a large groan as he stretched. He was still naked, but he was in the comfort of his own home, so it didn't matter.

Today was his day off as well, due to having a date with you. He was rather excited for it, since he hasn't been on a date in well over four years. This also was the first time anyone asked him out, as he was usually the asker.

He thought about you for a little while, and how nervous you were when you first asked. He could see why, asking out a giant almost seven-foot-tall man in black shades on a date. He was glad you did it, though, as it gave him something to look forward to, spending more time with someone he genuinely liked:

You. (Y/N) from the club.

End of "Summit's Nightmares."