Nightmare [Odion]

[Rhett Goddard]

It was suddenly black and it was suddenly not black anymore. Rhett was sitting in his room's bed, having woken up from a nightmare. No. It wasn't a nightmare. He recognized the lingering feeling. He had learned long ago to identify and differentiate thoughts and conjectures from ESP-fed facts. This one, his nightmare, was one of them.

Enraged, the blonde jumped out of bed, put the first pieces of clothes he could find and ran out of his apartment as quick as he could. The elevator took so damn long to go the first floor, and the taxi to Hammel was the slowest one he had ever rode. The courtyard was unusually big as well, but in record time he was finally in Odion's room. He turned the knob to no avail, so he knocked and knocked until someone opened the door, Rhett didn't even look at the person's face, he just pushed him aside and walked straight to Odion's room which was opened, and closed it after him.

"Are you ok?" He asked in between accelerated breaths. He didn't even wait for an answer, he immediately ran towards the ginger and wrapped his arms around him, holding him as hard as he could. "What..."

A million things were going through Rhett's head, he didn't know how to articulate or how to start. His heart was pumping blood as fast ass it could, his hands and legs were shaking lightly. He hugged Odion stronger to hid it and then buried his face in the ginger's neck, and in there, a single salty drop escaped Rhett's eye and fell on the other boy's neck.

"I just..." His voice was escaping him. "You're fine, say that you're fine, please." Rhett made his lips wet and then leaned his face back to look at his boyfriend's eyes. "They didn't touch you, they didn't hurt you, did they?"

[Odion Martins]

Getting back to Hammel had been hell. Odion wasn’t just shaken, he was torn. He had fought for Lani, and had helped to rescue Adrianna. In the end, it was a blessing for those two that he had been kidnapped at all. It hadn’t be planned, but he was the wild card needed to get everyone out safe. Lani also had him to thank for getting rid of his crime boss once and for all. The man wouldn’t be hounding Lani anymore. Odion was a good bluffer, but this, was the ultimate bluff. No one would come looking for Lani if they had any sort of intelligence.

Odion, Lani, and Adrianna, had gotten back to the school sometime in the evening. Odi wasn’t willing to stick around and talk. His mind was still trying to wrap itself around the betrayal he felt. How could looking for Lani turn into such trouble? All Odi wanted to do, was tell him that he wasn’t going to go with Rhett to France. Oh, and that he may or may not have a twin brother, but it wasn’t like that was a big deal or anything... Odion wiped at his face as he limped back into his dorm room. He just got in, just sat down on his bed and took off his shoes, when someone burst into his room.

“Rhett?” Odion asked in disbelief. He was the last person Odi expected to see. Rhett rushed him and Odion winced, letting out a pained noise. Everything hurt, from his bruised face to his aching head. His smart mouth had gotten the best of him too. His lip was cracked and dried over with blood. In essence, he was a mess.

Making to hug Rhett, Odion gripped the other boy’s hands. “Be gentle alright?” He asked as Rhett looked him over. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do, it was like Rhett knew everything before Odion could protest. “I’m fine,” he said, but really he wasn’t. You think the outside’s a mess? Ha, that’s nothing compared to what’s going on in Odi’s head. Odion touched his neck with dirty fingers, water coming back. He gripped Rhett’s shoulders, staring at him. “I’m alright Rhett,” a puzzled look overcame Odion, “why are you here?” It was almost midnight, and Rhett wasn’t on campus anymore.

[Rhett Goddard]

Rhett softened his grip on Odion at his request, but he was definitely not going to let go of him. Not after this, maybe even not ever again. He couldn't risk anything like this happening to Odion again, and if it meant being next to the ginger everyday on until the end of their lives, he was going to do it, he was already thinking about it, it didn't matter what Odion said protested, he was not going to escape the blonde's sight.

"Why am I here?" Was Odion kidding? The question was pointless. "You know why I'm here, when I learned I..." He swallowed saliva and unconsciously tightened the grip on the ginger. "And I wasn't here to..." He sighed and looked away for a moment as his eyes watered just slightly. "I can't let..." Rhett's eyes were getting red. He bit his lip. The words were escaping him again. "I don't want you here." He turned his face to look at Odion again. "What if they come back, I..."

Rhett let Odion go only to grab his face with both hands and then make their foreheads and noses touch. He stared at the blue eyes in front of him before closing his own. He felt his chest was about to explode. There was so much pressure inside, he felt any moment now, it was going to start to hurt. But it didn't, it was just uneasiness, worrying and anxiety, but at exaggerated levels. He had never felt anything anywhere near something like this.

"I love you Odion." Rhett hugged Odion again, as strong as he could, not quite remembering it hurt him. "And I'm sorry." His voice was breaking. "And I miss you." If Odion could see, he would see a crying Rhett, but only by Rhett's voice and nasal sounds, it was obvious. "And I want you." He kept going, even if speaking was getting close to impossible between the crying spasms. "And I'm an idiot." His words were probably starting to sound more like everything but coherent talking. "And I won't leave you."

[Odion Martins]

Odion watched Rhett with intensity. His head hurt so much. He had just gotten back from being kidnapped thank you very much, and now he had to deal with Rhett knowing already. This was insanity. Was high school meant to have so much drama? Odion was tired, he was soar, and he wasn’t in the mood to be badgered about all this bullshit. Rhett was being overprotective again. Odion was here and that was that. Yes he was old enough to get his own place, but he didn’t want his own place. Rhett grabbed Odi’s face and the ginger closed his eyes.

“If you already know everything, then you know they will never come back.” Odion had made sure of that. A school full of rowdy, hormone ridden teenagers, could easily conquer a crime boss with big dreams. Rhett was seriously freaking out. Odion had to wonder if he was strange. He had kept his head on straight during the whole thing. It was almost as if he had been expecting it. It may or may not have had something to do with his powers, but still. Even Rhett was tense, and he wasn’t even there. What was his problem anyways?

“I love you Odion.” Odion stopped breathing. No one had ever said that to him before, never. He squeaked in pain as Rhett hugged him again. Odion could feel Rhett cry, and he raised his arms to wrap them around Rhett. When had Odion become the strong one? Odi smiled a bit, catching only bits and pieces of Rhett’s ramblings. He felt elated and confused all at the same time. Rhett was having a break down at the thought of losing him forever.

“Now you know what it felt like losing you,” Odion said softly, compassion in his voice but not sympathy. In another breath Odi held Rhett’s face in his hands and stared at him. “I want to go to France with you Rhett.” Odion didn’t know what else to say. He had missed Rhett, had wanted him, and it just didn’t matter anymore because it was too little too late. But he still loved Rhett, and probably always would.

[Rhett Goddard]

Odion's words struck the blonde with strength. Even the smallest fraction of what Rhett was feeling at the moment was huge, and he was sure that Odion had probably felt a hundred times what Rhett felt now. He understood it all, at last, but it just didn't change things. Rhett was still over the place, he was still crying and he was still mostly lost in all his thoughts and feelings. Odion's last words, however, made little sense to the blonde, after all, they had already agreed to go anyway. Contrary to his nature, however, the blonde gave it little thought. His mind was busy trying to pick up Rhett's own pieces from the floor.

"We're going to my place now." He said after several silent seconds, just after he managed to gather the strength to talk again. "I'm not risking it." He grabbed Odion's hands from his face and held them close to their chests. "You're staying with me tonight, I'm not leaving you alone." Ever again... "And tomorrow afternoon, France."

Afternoon. In what little time of functioning brain-processing he had had, Rhett had already booked, in his mind, the next day's morning to handle the other side of this situation. Lani was held responsible for what had happened and he was going to get what he deserved for it. Rhett hadn't really raised vendetta against the blonde, and all he did was nothing personal, but now it was, and when time was due, he was going to pay it all, taxes included.

"My cab's still waiting downstairs." Rhett took a step back, softly pulling the ginger with him. "You still have clothes in my place, whatever else you need, we'll buy it on the other side of the puddle."

[Odion Martins]

Odion sighed, before nodding his head a couple times. Really, he didn’t like being alone in the first place, so why would he turn Rhett down? Odi wasn’t sure if he was going just to spite Lani, or because he really missed Rhett. He decided it was a combination of both, but also decided it was more for himself than anyone else. Odion managed a small smile, before grabbing at his face. “Fuck...” he swore under his breath. That guy had punched him really hard. He was happy to go to France though, really.

Taking one last look at the kittens as Rhett dragged him along, Odion shut the door behind him and made to leave with Rhett, a bit of a limp in his step. He couldn’t really think of anything else he needed. Before Rhett left, all Odion wanted was to hear those three words. But what about now?

Sure enough, the cab was still waiting, and Odion slipped inside, resting his head against the headrest. “I feel,” he took a breath, “like shit.” He closed his eyes again. It really didn’t matter who was rescuing him now, it mattered only that he knew the truth about Lani. And now all of Odi’s cards were tossed in the air once more.

[Rhett Goddard]

Taking more looks into Odion, Rhett was finally seeing the consequences of his misadventure with the other blonde. The ginger touched his face, right where dark marks had already appeared, and the blonde did the same softly, attempting not to hurt him. He then leaned towards Odion and placed a soft kiss on top of it as he thought that the next day, on that same spot, Rhett was going to place his fist. No one would place his boyfriend in danger and get out unscathed.

Seeing his boyfriend limp his way out only made Rhett offer himself as support, and thus, passed his arm around the ginger while placing one of his around his own neck.

"You'll be fine," Rhett said after they entered the cab and gave him directions. "I promise." He then leaned towards Odion and grabbed one of his hands, holding it softly enough to not hurt him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there." He said. "I should have, to protect you."

It was a rather unfair thing to say, taking into account that Rhett was the one that caused the boy's biggest wound lately. Heck, he probably caused Odion's biggest wounds through his life as well, all by doing the one same thing: leaving. But it was different, this time it was different. Rhett could easily live with the stigma of being the bad guy, but having someone else be the bad guy with his boyfriend? He couldn't stand it.

"I'll help you." Rhett said as soon as they arrived at his place, offering to help Odion down the cab and into the building. "I don't have alcohol, but I think I definitely have tequila to clean up that cut." He said as they entered the elevator. "Are you hungry? I don't have much food but we can call some take-out."

He was trying to do anything to make his boyfriend feel good. It was finally time to make up for everything. Odion had asked for three months and only one had passed, but Rhett hoped it was enough. He opened the door to his apartment and helped Odion in. Everything was probably the same way he had seen it the last time: bed, table, chairs and Trouble's toy's scattered through the room, except one thing: no sign of him. Rhett had never said anything about that, then again, Odion hadn't let him say anything about what had happened those three months.

[Odion Martins]

Consequences indeed. This is what Odion got for trusting a thief. So why then, was he trying to trust Rhett? Really, this world had taught him that it was every man for himself. There wasn’t room for trust, or love, or anything that most people believed in. They were just fooling themselves if that’s what they thought. Odion thought he was the biggest fool of all. He smiled softly at Rhett, even though it hurt. He always seemed to be smiling through the pain.

At least Rhett was being helpful.

He knew he’d be fine too, physically. Odion still had a lot of decisions to make. He held Rhett’s hand, trying to find comfort in the act. “I don’t need protection. I got out, didn’t I?” He asked stubbornly. Every single one of his walls were up. Rhett was good at not being there. But Odi, he was loyal. Part of finding himself meant finding the things he thought were good about him. But being loyal also made him vulnerable. Odion watched Rhett carefully – this time wouldn’t be any different. There wouldn’t be a benefit of the doubt this time.

Trying not to feel like too much of a gimp, Odi hung onto Rhett’s shoulders, frowning and biting his bottom lip to stop the pain. He just stared at Rhett in the elevator. Really? This is what it took for Rhett to care? Odion was both impressed and enraged at the same time. His sense were still on high alert. “I’m not hungry,” he said, even though he hadn’t eaten all day. Food was the last thing on his mind.

Two more to go. But Odi didn’t think he needed that much time to know what he wanted to do.

Odion took to the bed, lying down on it and staring at the ceiling, trying not to think about the day’s events. Both his hands went to his face, his fingers apart so he could keep staring. He had shot a man in the foot. He had gotten Lani out scott free. “I should’ve left him there,” he said to the ceiling. And then he glanced at Rhett. No, he was not going to talk about Lani, not to Rhett. Odion fell silent once more. He was always second best. He always lost.

[Rhett Goddard]

"You don't need protection." Rhett repeated Odion's words. "I need to protect you."

It was a bit of a confession. The truth was that most of Rhett's feelings for Odion were highly egotistical. Rhett wanted to protect Odion because without him, he'd feel destroyed. Rhett wanted to be with Odion because without him he'd feel lost. Rhett wanted Odion to want him because without that, he'd feel empty. Rhett wanted to hold Odion's hand because without it, he'd feel alone. Rhett wanted Odion to be happy because that made him happy. Rhett's own well-being had become dependent on the redhead. He knew his love was egotistical, but then again, he thought, isn't love always like that?

Rhett nodded to Odion not being hungry, but he thought he should order food nonetheless, maybe later he'd be and he wanted to ginger to have everything at his disposal if he later changed opinion. Tonight was all about pampering Odion.

"You should have never been there." Rhett walked to his bed and laid next to Odion, passing his arm around the other boy. "You should have been here with me," He noticed that sentence could, and probably would, be used against him, so he continued. "and I should have been there with you. We should have always been together." He then grabbed Odion's face and turned it to look at him before landing one small peck in his lips. "And I'll make sure we always be together."

[Odion Martins]

Rhett wanted to protect him? Huh, who was this guy and what had he done with Goddard?

But Rhett was wrong. Love wasn’t egotistical, but since he didn’t bother explaining the cause of his affections, Odion wouldn’t know any better. Really love was selfless, and strived for the betterment of the other. Rhett had a long way to go if he thought love was one sided.

It was a good thing Rhett wasn’t truly listening to Odion. The ginger kept that at the back of his mind as all of Rhett’s other imperfections came to the forefront. Seeing Rhett now, it was like the blinders had been taken off. All the blonde was concerned about, was himself and his relations to Odi, that was it. He didn’t seem to desperate to crawl through the inner workings of Odion’s mind. Rhett didn’t want to know what Odion thought, his mere presence was enough.

Odion smiled after Rhett kissed him and decided just to accept that Rhett would always be this way, but that didn’t they would be together forever. Odi didn’t think he’d find anyone who really cared for him, he was nothing, after all. Turning around, his back towards Rhett, Odion stared at the wall, his body aching for sleep but his mind whirring. “Good night Rhett,” he said, wanting nothing more than to pass into unconsciousness for two weeks at least.

[Rhett Goddard]

"Forever..." Rhett repeated his own words as Odion turned around.

He sighed softly. He missed Odion's body just like this, touching and warming his. Rhett passed his arm around Odion again and hugged him slightly as he managed to place his other arm in whatever position made him least uncomfortable, trying not to move Odion from his position. He then buried his face in the back of Odion's neck, his preferred spot on the ginger's body. He looked for one of Odion's hands and grabbed it to latch fingers.

"Good night, love." He said softly as he closed his eyes to sleep as well.