Dead Reckoning - A Gregorio del Pilar x Reader story

XXXIV - Mauerbauertraurigkeit

I silently pour myself a glass of water and after drinking, ensuring that I also have it washed, returned the now clean glass back to its stack. I then head back to my room, only to be stopped upon my entry by exasperated breathing.

The breathing is labored. Exhausted even. It is along with a muffled sound of grunting that make me shiver.

I try to track where the sound is coming from, and it surprises me upon leaning my ear against Goyo's door that I hear it the loudest. Well, not as loud as compared to when I slowly pry the door a little bit to take a peek in the same darkness of his room and hear him breathing intently. I take a quick glance around the room, realizing that he is all alone and in the throes of his own nightmare as he rolls and thrashes here and there, as if fighting to have a hold of himself.

I sigh to myself and draw closer to his bed after closing the door, only keeping it slightly ajard by an inch. I press my hands against his shoulders as he still tries to writhe underneath me. I softly but urgently calls, "Goyo. Goyo!"

To no avail, he grunts. His hair sticking against his forehead due to sweat and silent tears fall from his closed eyelids and down his cheeks. Whatever this nightmare he is having, it is getting the worst of him.

I shake him awake, calling his name much louder this time.

Thankfully, he finally wakes up. His eyes open wide at the sight of me, or perhaps due to finally waking to reality and away from whatever nightmare he had been battling a few minutes ago. He is breathing heavily and he whispers, "Pendejo..."

I bite my lower lip and pull away from him, standing by the edge of his bed as I wrap myself with my shawl. "Nananaginip ka kanina. Narinig kita kaya tinignan ko kung ayos ka lang."

He pulls himself up, sitting on his bed as he wipes his face with his hands. He sighs heavily and looks at me with a guilty look. "Salamat," he remarks with a nod.

I nod back. "Pasensya kung pumasok ako sa kwarto mo ng walang pahintulot."

He shakes his head and looks away. "Kung hindi ka pumasok at ginising ako, baka hanggang ngayon binabangungot pa rin ako. Kaya, salamat."

"Walang anuman."

"Anong oras na?"

I turn to the direction of the windows. "Baka mga alas-tres. Masyadong madilim pa sa labas."

He sighs another time, nodding. "Masyado pang maaga. Nagising ba kita?"

"Hindi. Nagising din ako kani-kanina lang. Hindi na ako makatulog kaya uminom ako ng tubig. Pabalik na ako sa kwarto noong narinig kita."

"Ah."

"M-Maiwan na kita para makapagpahinga ka pa ulit," I say, heading to the door and ducking my head.

"Pasensya na rin pala," he instantly replies, stopping me from just exiting his room. "Nasaksihan mo akong ganito. Kahit noong pista."

I gulp in hard first before turning to look back at him. "Ayos lang. Naiintindihan ko kung may bumabagabag sa iyo."

I didn't wait for his next reply at that, closing his door then upon my exit. I head to my own room and sighs heavily, trying to calm my racing heart. It had been weeks already since the time that we've talked with just the two of us; and I suddenly remember the last time that we did, and it had been during our arrival here in Dagupan. My hand instantly reaches out for the ring that is dangling on a chain around my neck the moment that I decide to lay back on bed.

A few minutes later and I try to find sleep another time. In the end, I find a knock against the wall just behind me, followed then by a voice.

"Pendejo," Goyo calls from the other side of the wooden wall. I suddenly remember the set-up of his room, how the headrest of our beds are against one another, now separated alone by this very wall. "Sabi mo hindi ka makatulog, hindi ba? Mukhang hindi na rin ako makakatulog pagkatapos magising..."

I didn't reply but pull myself up and hunch my pillow against the headrest, leaning my body then against it for me to properly hear him.

"O baka nakatulog ka na..." His voice suddenly turns quiet.

I wait for another minute for him to add something, but he didn't, stopping already as if he thinks that I am already asleep. I then gather my strength this time and answer, "G-Gising pa ako. Sabi na ngang hindi ako makatulog eh."

"Baka kasi nakatulog ka na ulit pagkahiga," he replies a second later. "Baka nagising ka para gisingin ako. At noong nagawa mo na iyon, dinalaw ka na ulit ng antok."

"Ganoon? Mukhang hindi. Mukhang sinabihan din ako na damayan ka sa pagpupuyat."

He chuckles, causing my heart to immediately be elated at the sound. It had been so long since I hear him laugh. "May ganoon?"

"Oo. Mayroon." I smile to myself.

The two of us end up talking to each other until the first strike of daylight shadows against the window. The two of us talking random things, him asking me about my opinion with the other soldiers and him showing interest of my life whenever I am nowhere (in short, my life outside the game), and me asking him about the parts of his life that I don't know of like that time that he had distributed those pamphlets as mentioned during the play. We laugh, sharing only the happy memories that we have.

Before we decide to halt our conversation already to prepare ourselves for the day, he asks if it is possible for us to keep our conversation across the wall as a habit and to keep it within ourselves.

I gladly agreed.

* * *

A/N: I've updated my other story, FLIGHT PLAN, as well! I hope you'll be supporting it the same way that you do with DEAD RECKONING! Vote, and drop your comments below! Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates, trivia, and random things. ;)

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