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Nox knew he needed to keep running. If he stopped even for a moment, all of this would be for nothing. The glow of raging fire in his peripheral vision pushed him to keep going.
But as he ran, moving forward with no turning back, he came to the terrifying realization that he wasn't tired.
Why wasn't he tired? Why was running like this so easy? He should be out of breath.
He brought his hand to his chest and came to a halt. His eyes widened, finally turning back toward the orange and red flames.
There was no heartbeat in his chest. There was no heat emanating from his body. Nox was cold. And despite the immediate panic he felt, no sweat formed on his brow.
He looked up, the ceiling above seeming miles away. He looked down at his hands, small and pale.
What…? What?!
The black sleeves of his villain key outfit were suddenly too tight. Although it was merely an anxious thought, as there was no true feeling against his arms. What should have been itchy and suffocating was simply there.
Nox pulled at the cloth and let out a strangled scream, knowing damn well no one would hear him. He dropped to his knees, waiting for the fire to engulf him completely.
As he curled in on himself, making himself even smaller, he heard a faint shout. Words that couldn't be made out, but the voice was clear.
Chase. It was Chase, and that idiot was somewhere in the fiery hellscape, calling out to him.
Nox opened his mouth to answer, scrambling to stand, but the room went blurry the moment he tried. Smoke and flames disappeared as Nox felt someone touch his hand. A squeeze. Another muffled sound that he knew was Chase.
"…ddy. Buddy. Hey, wake up, Babe."
Nox sat up, breathing heavily. He blinked several times before focusing on soft brown eyes looking at him with the utmost concern.
It was a dream. A horrific nightmare of mangled memories had invaded Nox's mind.
"Are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?"
Nox swallowed and brought his hands to his face. The dampness of his hair brought an odd sense of comfort. His heart hammered against his chest as he took a deep breath, nodding and giving Chase a silent, "Yeah…"
Chase hummed and scooted closer, bringing his hand to Nox's chest. He offered Nox a gentle smile before pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. Nox closed his eyes and relished the warmth of his boyfriend's lips against his skin.
"I wish I could make them go away," Chase whispered, moving his hand to lay against Nox's cheek.
"I know," Nox whined, leaning into Chase's touch.
"If you can ever control those dreams," Chase swiped his thumb over the spot where he kissed, "just call for me. I'll come running every time to remind you how very human you are. Promise."
Nox felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. A small smile pulled at his mouth as his heart fluttered against his ribs. Something it never did when he was a key.
As Chase brought the lips together, Nox's breath caught in his throat. Chase giggled when he pulled away, pressing their foreheads together. Nox frowned.
"What?" Nox raised an eyebrow.
Chase tapped his hand against the pillow, gesturing for Nox to lie back down. Nox did just that, keeping his gaze locked with the man lying next to him.
"You're just so human. My big, handsome, jerky goth of a human."
Nox rolled his eyes and playfully pushed Chase's face. Both erupted into a fit of laughter, the butterflies in Nox's stomach just another reminder that Chase was right.
This was reality. He was human. And those gut-wrenching nightmares would subside eventually. Until then, he had his golden-haired idiot to comfort him.