bulletproof

20

Distracted, she lost her footing, and tumbled to the floor, hitting her chin against the wooden surface with a bang. She clenched her teeth to stop letting out a scream of pain and forced herself to get back up.

Y/N turned to the Mistress, about to explain herself but her words caught in her throat as she saw the woman raise her gun, pointing it straight at Y/N's chest.

"No!" The scream sang in chorus with the bang, halting the music. And Y/N was on the floor again, this time on her back, closing her eyes as she tasted the metallic liquid hit her tongue and escape through her lips.

"No!"

Y/N's screams woke her up, tangled in bedsheets. Her skin was hot and sticky, and she wiped away a droplet of sweat off her forehead. She stared out into the void of darkness that was her room, trying to calm her pounding heart, her hands clenching the duvet on either side of her. Adrenaline was running through her, hastening her heartbeat and turning her stomach over. Her insides felt like they were knotted together, twisting and turning, and she forced back the urge to throw up from fear. Sickened with a tension of stress and terror, she tugged the covers up and hugged them, pulling them tight against her body.

Her body began to shake, and tears began to escape from her eyes, involuntarily. She was sick of being scared to fall asleep. Exhaustion's shadow was constantly looming over her. She ached for a normal night. To wake up without being terrified out of her wits.

Fatigue swept through her but the reluctance to return to her nightmares hindered it from allowing her to sleep. She couldn't bear to face these things on her own. She would lose her mind if she had to go through it again.

An overwhelming urge to knock on someone's door and ask for a hug crashed into her mind, erasing all other ideas of what to do instead of sleeping out of her brain. Her arms crossed themselves, trying to comfort her in a self-hug though she knew it wouldn't do much. She needed someone else.

~~~

Steve was lying, facing the ceiling when he heard a quiet knock on the door. It jolted him out of his reverie, and he stared at the door in confusion before glancing to the clock.

01.30

He rubbed his hands over his face as he walked to the door, yawning just before opening it. A mixture of shock and happiness greeted her through his facial expressions, tinged with worry.

"Y/N? What's up?" He asked, widening the door to let her in. She seemed twitchy, nervous, and was chewing at her lip.

She seemed unsure about what to say before just blurting out, "I can't sleep."

"Oh...do you..." Steve gestured at his unmade bed, "Do you..." His face heated up at the offer, "Do you want to stay in here?"

She looked relieved and her figure slumped in a more relaxed stance, "Can I?"

He nodded, trying not to seem too eager or reluctant. He moved to lie down in his bed and she hesitantly slid in on the other side. He brought an arm over her and pulled her into a soft hug, sighing when he felt her the rising and lowering of her chest as she breathed.

"Is this okay?" He mumbled in her ear and she hummed a response, presumably meaning yes because she then wrapped her own arms around his torso and brought herself even closer to him.

He moved to turn off the light, plunging them into infinite darkness. Her gentle breathing of her falling asleep had his eyelids droop, making him drift off into a deep slumber.

~~~

A cold icy feeling crept through him, jarring his brain, and sending feelings of dread all over him. His hand clamped onto the sink in his small bathroom and broke off a piece of the porcelain from the force of the grip. He stared at his metal hand in horror at what he'd done. He'd only been there for a few hours and he already disturbed the home. He didn't belong here. He wasn't supposed to be here. If only he hadn't let the Man on the Bridge and his companion in. Then maybe he wouldn't feel so alone. Maybe he could have started a new life...somewhere else...somewhere where he couldn't have to look over his shoulder every time he went out.