UPON graduating from being a cadet, Hussey became extremely busy as she started attending missions and have to report back and forth to the administration.
Aeschylus and Hussey seldom see each other even if he’s in SJ together with Fionntan and sometimes with Lazzini, Alazne, Zowen, Eiassey, Batrisyia, and Zev whenever their missions toned down a bit as they also find time joining the trainees with their managers.
The freshly graduates were shoved to their mission, it’s common for the new combatants to be filled with missions so they can get used to battles.
Because Aeschylus was currently enjoying his vacation, his mother let him stay in SJ since it’s a hassle if he had to use the watercraft every time he had to return home.
Though, just because he’s there doesn’t mean he can see his girlfriend for the whole day.
Night was the only time they can see each other and because of her long day with her works, she often ended up sleeping caused by exhaustion.
It’s sure a pain for the both of them but their relationship kept going, however, they lack communication.
Even though their situation was like this, he couldn’t blame the circumstances because he wasn’t even in Hussey’s life when she started having this type of life.
Yet in the middle of this frustrating situation, Aeschylus still find himself being able to smile ever since he noticed changes of himself and it’s all because of Hussey.
Aeschylus met so many amazing people because of her too.
If before, he doesn’t have enough guts and only looked to the dark side, now he’s surrounded by positivity, he knew the people around him have good hearts and that simply made him feel like he belongs to where he stood right now.
The people who cared for him despite of him being a feeble guy, the people who are willing to help him get stronger.
They all lifted him when he’s drowning, they came when he couldn’t see any reason why they should bother themselves for him.
That in the end, the battle was not shouldered to him only.
But no matter how happy he was at the moment, it could never erase the past that the disgusting people inflicted to him.
Silent nights, in the hour like this, everyone was surely fast asleep. Nights like this were rough if intrusive thoughts visited him in random moments.
His grip on his pillow went firm, he couldn’t seem to sleep at the hour like this.
Breath came out of his mouth in a trembling way while his fingers fiddled with the hem of the pillow’s cover.
As the rain hit his dorm room window, his pupils will get larger and larger like he was stopping himself to shake under his blanket.
Aeschylus hated these type of nights, even if he had experience these for at least thrice or more times in a month it’s very terrible.
Horrible thoughts, thoughts that he wished would just leave him alone.
Late night panic attacks, like it doesn’t want to go to anyone, like it doesn’t want to bother anyone.
It never let him go, it wanted him to be in wretch.
He’s just suffering alone, in his bed.
He would end up crying himself to sleep like always, but this night was different.
It wasn’t a tolerable pain.
Earlier, Aeschylus had fallen asleep, an hour after sobbing alone in his room in a muffled manner.
But soon woken up by a nightmare.
A nightmare that had his chest puffing up, forehead trickled with sweats and the rest of his body in a shuddering mess.
Aeschylus just couldn’t stand being alone this night.
While in the other side of the room, where Hussey was occupying, Hussey was soundly in tranquil state, who wouldn’t be when it’s the only time she can find a way to have a serene sleep—without thinking what she’ll face for the next morning.
Tired as hell, after all, she just put all of her strength to the last mission she participated as per her division command.
Thought she’ll be having a short best time of her life in her bed if she just didn’t rouse from her five-hour nap.
Her eyes went wide after she heard a puny knock on her door, a face of Lazzini or Zoren’s stupid faces popped in her head out of nowhere.
Maybe one of them was the cause of the knocking in front of her door, like they wanted to have pillow fight with her again at the hour like this.
She grumbled in irritation, getting her ass out of the bed, starting with lazy walking towards the door to open it.
Hussey did not even pay attention to the strange smell that was coming from the back of the door.
“Laz, Zoren, whoever you are—” She clamped shut her lips as soon as she heard the familiar sniffles.
In the hallway was Aeschylus, tears rolling down his cheeks, legs wobbled, hands were trembling.
“I’m s-sorry for waking y-you up in t-this hour—”
“Baby. . . ,” she called, soft as she can ever voice.
Hussey engulfed him into her arms, pulling him swiftly in her room towards her bed.
Not wanting any managers nor directors to catch them being in one room.
She used her thumb to rub the swollen part of his eyes. “Wanna talk about it, baby?”
She waited for him to answer which he can only reply with a listless way while his clutch on her became unyielding.
As she dearly listened to him, it turned out that Aeschylus was having a bad night terrors about his old school life.
The people who mistreated him, and all the marks he received from his bullies.
Aeschylus tried to explain it to her as best as he can between his bawls, hoping she’ll understand all of it somehow.
He ended up snuggling in her arms, a bit drowsy, there’s dried tears almost visible on his skin.
How she wished she met him so soon.
Just what happened and what was she doing when Aeschylus haven’t come to her life?
Maybe I’m busy fighting with the other students just so I can have the kikiams and kwek-kweks first in front of SACA after class. She let out a small huff when she answered her own question in her head.
She brought her lips closer to his ear then stated reassurance as low as she can make, enough to let him hear it.
“I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you again, whatever bad piece of shits cross your path, you will win. You won’t ever let them break you, they won’t win against you because you’re strong as fuck.”
“What if both of us has fallen from—”
“Aeschylus, baby, don’t you trust yourself? Trust me when I said these, nothing can beat us because we’re the strongest, it would be so lame after saying these to you.” She ran her fingers through his hair, halting for a second when she come across the piece of hair that covered his eyes.
He might be sensitive about it since he just told her about his worries earlier, so she asked, “May I?”
“It’s ugly. . . .”
She languidly moved his bangs, afraid that it might hurt him in any way. “Nothing’s ugly on you, Sky.”
The cigarette burns on his forehead made her fume inside, yet she didn’t leave any comment about it just in case it would make Aeschylus feel insecure about them more.
“Would it be okay if I touch them?” she asked with consent.
Hussey had touched his forehead before but she’s trying to be as caring as she can with him.
“But why would you want to touch it? D-Does it disgust you too?” She frowned at what he just revealed.
“What do you mean by ‘too’? Never have I thought it’s disgusting, baby.” The only disgusting here are the ones who did this to you. . . .
“But it does. . . .”
However, she ignored what he said and just placed feathery kisses on each burned scar.
Aeschylus felt like shedding tears all over again. With puffy eyes, he kept wondering why she was doing this.
How can she be so gentle with him? It doesn’t make sense.
For two years, carrying the awful scars which he loathed in the span of two years, never once he found it endearing.
It’s his biggest insecurity and here she was, embracing it for him with so much care.
“Are my kisses that atrocious to make you cry like that?” Hussey held his cheek, wiping the tears off of his face.
Giggles escaped from his lips before shaking his head. “It just felt really nice to be cared by you.”
She dropped three smacks on his lips before noticing the time from her clock, Hussey heaved a sigh.
“It’s past four now, we should get back to sleep, did I somehow make you feel okay now? Be honest.” She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand, watching any signs of discomfort in him.
He nodded. “Thank you so much for your time, baby.”
Hussey slumped her shoulders, was getting ready to lay on her bed. “Told you to stop thanking me, felt like I’m a good person—like I’m just working for you, do you get what I mean?” Her face was contorted with cringe at the end of her sentence.
“Make me.” He chuckled, getting off her bed much to her dismay.
“What the . . . after what happened—you’re just going to leave?” She snatched his wrist to make him plop back to where he was earlier. “That’s not very nice, Sky. Stay.”
“Y-You want me to stay?” Hussey answered him with a ‘duh’, reason why he settled beside her. “If it’s making you uncomfortable—”
“Geez, baby. Don’t get all shy now, it’s not like we’re doing something phenomenon here, come here. Let’s cuddle.”
When he was comfortable enough beside her, in a comfy sleeping position, Hussey tangled their legs together.
“If someone caught us, that would be pure chaos,” he commented, she rolled her eyes at his oblivion.
By grabbing his hip, she pulled him close to her chest. “Is this okay with you?”
She could feel his racing heart and it humored her. “Y-Yeah. . . .” was all he could mutter before she escaped the reality.
Aeschylus was dumbfounded at how fast she knocked out, probably because of exhaustion.
But he did notice her strong grasp to him, he found himself in his safe place that it made him shiver a bit due to how warm she can be.
He bit his lip, thoughts ran in his mind once again, thinking about things besides intrusive thoughts, he couldn’t think any negativity anymore.
Not now that he’s in her arms.
Their relationship, something peculiar and yet spectacular.
Something that he found very balmy.
How he wished she can be with him early in the evening today.
Kye was going to light off fireworks for shits and giggles purposes only, there wasn’t really a holiday but everyone was looking forward to it.
Closing his eyes finally, Aeschylus traced the scars that her lips touched with his fingers, the corners of his lips quirked up at that.
No evil thoughts creeped his mind.
Aeschylus never expected this to happen but it did, he felt alive for the first in a while.