~Ian's POV~
Anthony lay on the floor facing me a few hours later, when I still hadn't moved much. He had no idea that the way he was laying was an exact replica of how he'd lain in the dream before he dragged me out by my ankles.
He started to talk after a few moments of just silently watching me. "Look, I could make you come out from under there. But, I won't because you don't seem to want to. So, I'm gonna join you. If you don't want me to, just shake your head." I still didn't move.
He scooted under on his belly, his back brushing the bottom of the bed. "Heh, I'm too tall to be getting under a bed." Ah, he was trying to be funny to amuse me.
He slid closer until his side brushed against mine. A sigh left my lips. His hand brushed mine, as if going to grip it in his own. "I don't know what the nightmare was about, and I'm not gonna ask you to tell me. But when you hide from things, they come back to haunt you later. And I don't want a bad dream to ruin the happiness you were starting to achieve. And after all the shitty things you've been through, you really deserve to be happy."
I wanted to hug him, hold him as my comfort and security blanket. But the confined space was preventing that, making me frustrated. "Thank you. You deserve happiness too."
He nudged with his elbow, face breaking out into a grin. "You make me happy on a daily basis, Angel."
"Can we get out from under here? It smells like feet." He laughed, scooting sideways to get out from under the bed, myself following closely behind.
As soon as we were both on our feet, I extended my arms to wrap around his waist and draw him to me. He laughed, wrapping his arms around me as well. We just held each other for a few moments, appreciating the warmth the other brought.
"Hey, Anthony?" I asked, causing him to hum as he rocked us side-to-side slowly. "Can I borrow a sweater? It's cold in here."
He released me, taking a few steps back. "We bought you a bunch of sweaters!" He laughed again, now in a good mood.
I looked down, a bashful blush spreading it's way along my cheeks. "Yours are comfier. And they smell nice."
He looked amused, shrugging as he walked out of the room. "I guess you can, wait in the living room though. I wanna teach you the joys of video games after."
I'd heard Anthony mention these "video games" several times, but I truly had no idea of what they actually were. I was interested in being taught, being told the secret of this probably calm activity.
~
"Screw you! You made me fall off the map again!" Anthony yelled as he bumped his shoulder lightly against mine after I'd thrown a green shell at him in Mario Kart, effectively throwing him off of Rainbow Road.
"Get better at the game then!" It must have been the middle of the night by now with how long we've been playing. It'd taken me awhile to get the hang of it, but when I did I began to obliterate Anthony in every round.
We'd been playing different games all day, only taking breaks to go to the bathroom or eat.
I got over the finish line, first place for the third time in a row. Anthony groaned, throwing his remote to the floor in anger. He got to his feet not long after, shutting the game system and television off and stretching his arms above his head. "I think it's time to stop before I get extreme gamer's-rage."
I nodded, a yawn making it's way from my mouth.
I did my usual nightly activities before heading off to bed, only wearing the sweater Anthony had lent me and my boxers. I paused outside my door though, turning to face Anthony as he walked down the hall towards me. "Whatever you hear from me tonight in my nightmares, don't wake me up. Don't come in the room. I need you to think about your own safety for once and stay out. And keep Daisy with you." My voice was low the whole time I spoke, alerting him to how serious I was right now.
I didn't let him get a word of protest in before I was in my room, door shut tightly behind me. I flopped face first onto the bed, a sigh leaving my lips as I tucked myself into a little ball, not even bothering to get under the covers. I pressed the sleeves of Anthony's sweater up to my face, inhaling the smell of him that clung to it. I swallowed thickly, nerves setting in as my body relaxed into the recedes of sleep.
I was under the bed again, except this was a very different room. It was the room I'd become accustomed to seeing when Anthony opened his door every morning. I wasn't alone though, Anthony was pressed close beside me.
"Ian, I think the coast is clear. I'm gonna go check." I nodded without meaning to, not moving a muscle as he scooted out from under the bed.
He crept out of the room, leaving me to wait in a tense silence for his return. He didn't come back after several minutes, causing me to begin to fidget as fear for him set in. After even more time, I got out myself.
He always saves me, maybe it's time I return the favor. I tip-toed out of the room, careful not to make noise. I stopped upon seeing outside of the room. It wasn't Anthony's apartment, no. Anything but. It was the house that haunted my nightmares and my waking moments as well.
I shivered but continued on, peeking in what was Master's bedroom and seeing nothing. I moved on, peeking into what had used to be my room, nope.
There was only one other place he would have taken Anthony that was still within the house. I moved faster now, heading to the dreaded basement. I'd only been brought down there once, for the purpose of severe punishments. It's the one place I despise most in the world. But, if Anthony's being injured down there, then I'll face my fear for him.
The door was already open, the first bad sign. The second being the splatter of blood that was on the floor.
I gulped, walking down the old and creaky stairs. One dim light was on in the otherwise dark space. Master turned to face me as soon as he heard my footsteps at the top of the stairs. "Ah, Ian! We were just getting started." He moved aside, revealing the person that was chained to the wall behind him.
Mari.
Her head was tilted down and her eyes shut tight, her black wings drooped from where they were painfully pressed against the wall. A gash was in her cheek, leaking blood still. Other wounds littered the skin that I could see, several on her arms and one deep one that tore through the fabric of her shirt.
Anthony stood beside her, unharmed and smiling gleefully at me. "Hey, Angel. Your friend seems really..nice." His voice was mocking, cruel even. A sound I was so very unaccustomed to coming from Anthony of all people.
"A-Anthony? Why are you helping him?!" He didn't give me an answer, instead pulling a knife from the table beside him and twirling it around his fingers.
Master laughed. "He's been brought to the dark side, pet." Master's eyes flashed black, causing me to back away until my feet hit the bottom step of the stairs. I looked over at Anthony, seeing his normally bright brown eyes were now a solid ebony black.
"Why are you hurting Mari?! Let her go! She didn't do anything to you." i tried to sound as demanding as I could, hoping authority could win the freedom of my friend.
"Oh! So intimidating that I'm practically shaking in my boots over here!" Master's harsh laugh echoed around the room.
"What if..what if I go in her place?" The two with the matching black eyes looked at each other, deviance clear across the room.
Master shrugged, going over to where Mari was still pinned. He pulled a key from his back pocket, unlocking both of the cuffs that had her wrists in them. She fell to the floor, not moving a muscle as she landed with her head turned slightly sideways. I darted over, falling to my knees by my friend's side. She was still breathing, barely.
Glowing tears made their way down my face as I rolled her onto her back, her face pale and stoic. I shook her shoulder a little bit. "Mari! Come on, wake up." I pressed a hand to her wrist, feeling the fluttering of a faint heartbeat.
I didn't move from my spot on the floor as I wrapped my arms around my dear friend, holding her close to me. That is, until a knife is pressed against my throat. "Get in the cuffs, Angel boy." I've never wanted to hit a woman before, but in that moment I would have punched Abby if I didn't have a sharp object against me. I didn't know when she'd shown up, just that I wanted to hit her.
I carefully let Mari go, setting her back down on the ground as gently as I could. I got to my feet, stepping until my back was against the wall. I shut my eyes as Anthony lifted my arms to lock my wrists above my head. I tried to imagine his touch as comforting and soft, instead of condemning me to immense pain.
When my eyes were open once more, Mari was gone. She was nowhere to be seen, which was for the best. I didn't want her to see me get tortured. Master raised the whip, cracking it against the wall beside me before pulling it back again. He whipped it forward, striking my arm with a scream-inducing hit.
I struggled against the restraints as the hits rained down, my arms aching as the red streaks layered on my them. The pain felt so real, so familiar.
I laid my head back against the wall, hearing Anthony and Abby laughing and Master mocking me in his cold voice. I felt-
"-Ian! Come on!" For the second time in two nights, I was shaken awake.
Except this time was worse, because I didn't know my powers had kicked in as a defense mechanism as I shoved against Anthony's chest. My hands stopped glowing white as soon as he was away from me, but I was horrified as I saw the damage I'd caused.
Anthony's bare chest was burned, a hand-shaped mark right above where his heart was. I could have killed him if I'd struck harder or hit him directly on the heart. I froze, shoving my hands under my legs as I felt the tears falling from my eyes. "Why'd you come in?! I told you to stay out!"
He looked shocked, one hand limp by his side while the other was placed gently over his damaged skin. "I-I just-you were screaming. A-And you scratched your arms in your sleep, I just couldn't leave you to suffer."
I sobbed as I put my head against my knees. "You should have listened to me! Get out please, go take care of yourself." My sobs got louder as soon as he was gone, my fists pounding against the bed in frustration.
It kept running through my mind: I could have killed him.
And that thought was more terrifying then all of my nightmares put together.
A.N.: Oops. My bad. Plz don't hate me.