On Fire

Always with You

Meanwhile two rooms apart, Ant was trying hard to remember any instances other than him slapping Dec that would have forced his friend to move away from him.But he found nothing. He felt angry tears in his eyes.
Why Declan?

Suddenly he hears an urgent knock on his door and quickly open it to find a terrified Ali
"Ant.. Declan.."

Ant didn't wait for her to finish but closed his door and ran to his friend's room . He entered the bedroom to find a frenzied Declan screaming and wriggling under the sheets. His body was covered in sweat and cheeks flushed with tears and exhaustion Shitt! A nightmare!!! and a terrible one by the sight of it.

"Ant.. do something" Ali was terrified at his side. But Ant had seen this before, multiple times. So it was not the nightmare that Ant is afraid of but the cause of it.

Because, Ant so well know why Declan is having this.

He slowly moved to Dec's side of the bed and carefully called his name, holding one of his flailing hands, but effectively rewarded with an uncalculated punch on his jaw. Dec increased his fight as if to be free from some invisible bonds, forcing Ant to pin him down roughly.

"Dec, Decky, wake up kidda, it's me mate, Declan.. " Ant coaxed Dec again and again until the flailing of limbs subsided. Ant held a shaking Dec close to him on the bed as he was still in deep sleep.
"Declan.. son.. wake up.. it's me Decky, wake up for me kid... Please Declan"

Hearing Ant's voice, Dec starts to whimper and wriggle out of some invisible hold. Ant strongly holds Dec down , visibly strangling on him and pinning him down. Dec puts up a good fight again to get out of the control, but slows down when he hears or rather vaguely sense, Ant repeatedly calling his name.
"Dec, son open your eyes, pet. It's me , Anth... everything's fine Decky. Wake up kidda, Please open your eyes Dec"

Dec's eyes fly open and it takes just a split of a second for him to recognize the man in front of him. The warm and caring hands were enough for him to realise who it was.
"Anthony!!.."

He pulls Ant's shirt with his hands and fall upon his shoulders crying aloud, putting his arms around Ant's neck and hugging him close
"Ant.. Anth.."

Ant puts his arms around Dec and hold him close rocking and soothing the crying man. "Shh Decky, it's okay. Everything's fine.. Shh... I am here, I am here .. no one's hurt Decky.. everyone is safe, you are with me pal, I won't let anything happen to you. I won't leave you mate.. I am here shh"

Dec held Ant tightly as if afraid to let him go. He poured all his fear and terror of the day in thick and rough sobs, now muffled by Ant's dress shirt. As his sobs subside to whimpers, he slowly slides down to Ant's lap for an exhausted sleep. Ant holds Dec close to his stomach and soothes him, rubbing his hands through his hair, wet cheeks, tensed back and trembling neck. Once he feels Dec to be in a deep, relaxed slumber, he visibly relaxes, by taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment to control his own emotions. And for the first time since entering the room, acknowledged the presence of another person.

"Aliii ... don't worry pet"

"Ant !! What was that? I have never.."

"Seen Decky like this? I know"
Ali was afraid to speak aloud as she doubted it may wake her sleeping husband.

"He won't hear Ali.. he is deep in sleep"

"You know what it was?"

"I have seen him as this" Ant tells with a lump in his throat "Not many times, 3 times to be specific. Three horrible instances like this. I remember them, Ali. All his whimpers, screams, cries for help... I remember everything..."