Sleep is for the weak

Robin-James Tucker, but RJ's less of a mouthful. 17, from England. Likes uninterrupted sleep and not falling through walls. Hopefully I can do one of those more often here. {Not the real Thomas Sangster, strictly RP blogging}

[nightowlmack]

Mack followed RJ into the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook but I think I should be able help you out without ruining it.” The elder ran a hand through his hair while looking around a little, pursing his lips. “You will have to tell me what to do though.. so I am helpful and dont do things that interrupt you or so?” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed in front of his chest. “I am not allergic to anything, no.” He laughed softly. “Well.. not to any kind of food, I have the hayfever, you know?” Mack poked his nose, shrugging his shoulders. “Are you allergic to anything?”

[rjtucker-laf]

"That's a relief," RJ said, smiling softly as he pulled out a chopping board, and began to chop up an onion for the meatballs. "If I am, I haven't had a reaction yet," he said with a small laugh. "How about I make the meatballs, and you make the tomato sauce?" he asked, not looking up from chopping the onion out of fear of accidentally slicing off a finger or two. "The sauce is relatively easy to make, so I imagine you'd be okay with that." He set the knife aside, crushed some garlic, and then put it in a saucepan with some olive oil to heat gently and let it sweat.

[fallen-starlet]

Laundry || RJV

[fallen-starlet]

The whole point of the island was the promise of help and she couldn’t imagine anyone just leaving him to suffer. But she knew the bravery was more for himself than anything. Or perhaps just an embarrassment-shielding bravado but she doubted that a little.

"I understand, sweetie." She kissed his hair. Vanity Fair was tempted to hash out a quick "if you change your mind….." but she knew he knew. And if she ever woke up to find he’d crawled into her bed while she slept…. well she’d probably be fine.

"A snack sounds great….. what’d you have in mind?" She felt a small guilt at not offering to whip something up but felt it was probably best she didn’t operate anything until she’d scabbed up.

[rjtucker-laf]

"There's probably something we can make out of what's lying around in the kitchen," RJ said as he reached up to grab onto the top of the machine and pull himself up. Once up, he extended a hand out to V to help her up. With them both back on their feet, he started to head out towards the kitchen and open up the cupboards.

After a moment of deliberation, he pulled out some graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. "I know we don't have a campfire in the house, but we could always make s'mores using the microwave?" he suggested. "A friend back home did that one night at a sleepover, and they were pretty nice. How about it?"

[elisabethflores-blog]

"You’re welcome." She replied with her own protective smile. "It’s quite cold and, at that period of the year, we have snow all over the place. I like the weather in the Island because I don’t need to put tons of clothes when I get outside." Elisabeth explained to the boy before she chuckled lightly. "When I packed, my luggage was so lighter than usual, I haven’t brought winter clothes !"

[rjtucker-laf]

"Wow, that does sound like quite a chilly place," RJ commented as he begun to kick along a pebble while he walked. "Most of the time in England, it's just cold and wet. Then there's three days of summer, and boom, rain again. And if it does snow, it's barely anything, but somehow, that's still enough to bring the country to a complete halt," he sniggered.

[fallen-starlet]

Laundry || RJV

[fallen-starlet]

"Oh…." She said, feeling even worse for a second. She still kept her head on his shoulder though. 

"Of course I’d never tell anyone though. I know how humiliating that is." He’d found her with blood on her hands, literally catching her red-handed and red-sheeted. They traded stories. She knew she could trust him and tell him anything. 

"From experience." She admitted. "…….In the earlier days of the flashbacks and nightmares, it used to happen… well not alot but totally more than I wanted it to. I don’t know when it finally stopped….."

She sighed. “Or even IF it did. When I wake up or come back, if I’m too hysterical to feel my surroundings I usually hobble off to shower and was things just in case.”

Vanity Fair sat back upright and looked RJ in the face. “This doesn’t change anything, hun. You can still borrow Dogerfeld on some nights if you want, he’s great at helping me sleep. And if you need to crawl in with me sometime, you’re welcome to. And if this happens, we can just do a load of laundry like it’s nothing.”

She knew there was probably no way in hell he’d take her up on the offers but she meant every word of it.

"I don’t wake up swinging punches often and I’d face the other way if you wanted so you wouldn’t have to worry about that." She said with a half-smile, trying to make light of that aspect of anything.

[rjtucker-laf]

"I know, V, I know." RJ was grateful for the girl's offers, but he knew he'd be unlikely to take her up on them - on the chance that he did end up wetting the bed again, he really didn't want to put V or her dog through lying in that. But thinking it through in his head, that sentence sounded absolutely idiotic, so he'd try to make up some reason that sounded less stupid.

"Thanks, V, I mean that, really I do. But if I don't get used to dealing with this on my own, how am I ever gonna cope? I know you've got good intentions, but I have to learn to do things on my own. I'm not always going to have someone as kind as you to offer to help, so I gotta be ready for that," he explained. He wouldn't be surprised if V didn't buy it - it sounded like a load of bull to him too, but he'd be much more comfortable on his own.

Being sat in here with V, he'd completely lost track of time. He looked back to the washing machine, and saw there was about 10 minutes left on the cycle. Out of nowhere, he felt his tummy rumble. "You wanna get a snack?" he asked the girl, turning his head to look at her.

[kierensawyerbarnes-blog-blo-blog]

"Really? That would be amazing. Aeden and I would love if you were our photographer. Thank you." 

[rjtucker-laf]

"No worries. Honestly, it'll be my pleasure."

[kierensawyerbarnes-blog-blo-blog]

"We haven’t planned anything actually, but I know we want a small, simple ceremony. Not a lot of fuss, you know."

[rjtucker-laf]

"Oh, that's gonna be wonderful. Well, if you want help with anything, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand. Hey, if you want, I could be the photographer?"

[kierensawyerbarnes-blog-blo-blog]

"We are really happy!"

[rjtucker-laf]

"So how far into planning the wedding are you? Set a date yet?"

[kierensawyerbarnes-blog-blo-blog]

I guess I should officially announce...

Aeden proposed. We’re engaged. 

[rjtucker-laf]

"Wow, that's fantastic! You must be really happy."

[fallen-starlet]

Laundry || RJV

[fallen-starlet]

Vanity Fair listened on to his dream. It was awful that car crash and being what sounded like to be the only survivor. She owed to him though, to be honest with her own flashback-in-form-of-a-nightmare.

"There was man who became obsessed with me. He’d sent me gifts and "love" letters and he commented the creepiest things on my twitter and instagram and facebook page. Management told me to ignore him as attention just adds fuel to them. And that worked for a while.

Then one night, I was out on town with my friend -my best friend- and he finally made himself known, accused me of cheating on him and my friend of ruining our relationship and he……. he shot him. Right in the heart. 

And I guess, he realized what he’d done and I tried to convince him that no one else had to get hurt but he turned the gun on himself and.” She couldn’t say it. She made the finger motions of him blowing his brain out and shook her head, her eyes watery again.

He was the second person she’d told here, first one being Mila. And even though it happened two years ago and she’d told Mila last year, it still felt like it was her first time talking about it. The pain was always so fresh.

"But in tonight’s dream, he kept walking toward me after he shot my friend and I fought him off pounding his chest with fists and I woke up with blood on my arms and sheets." 

She nuzzled RJ’s shoulder.

 ”………….I’m sorry. I hope that scenario never fins its way into your dreams and I’m so sorry if it does.”

After what she said, she looked down. “I washed them for like five minutes.” She chuckled with a small bit of force. “The blood should go away after a fe more dabs or something.” She took a tissue out of her pockets and squeezed t with each hand.

"Nail cutting is a definite necessity." She said, lightly laughing now naturally out of shock. It had been a while since she let her nails get this long. She needed to pay more attention.

"So the sheet cleaning…. that just a distraction or should I be checking your palms too?" She paused. "That sounded a bit accusation-ish. I’m asking as a concerned friend, I swear. You don’t even have to dignify that with a response. Sorry."

[rjtucker-laf]

RJ couldn't believe that V had gone through something so awful. To lose a friend like that must've been devastating. Sure, in the collision, RJ had lost friends. But luckily for him, he hadn't lost Tom. Who knows how he would've ended up if he had.

Also, now that he had heard V's story, he was pretty sure he'd be unable to stop his subconscious from forming nightmares about what had happened to her. But he wouldn't tell her that. He wouldn't want to make her worry about him even more.

When she asked why he'd washed his sheets, he flushed bright red. Did he really want to admit to her that he'd been so terrified in his nightmare that he'd wet the bed? On the other hand, they had confessed so much to each other, this other thing wouldn't hurt too much, would it?

Against his better judgement, he decided he would tell her. "Please, don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. It's embarrassing enough, I don't want everyone to know," he begged. He threw a glance towards the door to make sure that no-one else was within ear shot, before looking down at his hands to hide his blushing face. "I wet the bed." he mumbled, almost hoping that she hadn't heard him, and would dismiss the subject altogether. But he would never be that lucky.

[nightowlmack]

"Yeah, yeah I’m gonna sit here and wait.. I could also help you if you want?"

[rjtucker-laf]

RJ began to walk towards the kitchen, but turned on his heel and started walking backwards when he heard Mack's offer. "Hey, if you wanna help, far be it from me to stop you," he smiled, leaving it open for Mack to help if he felt like it. Turning again, he carried on into the kitchen, and began to pull things out of the cupboards that he'd need: the pasta, some mincemeat to turn into balls, and the things to make the sauce. "Not allergic to anything, are you?" he called, wanting to be sure that he wasn't going to inadvertently kill the older boy.

[nightowlmack]

"Yes, yes we should go with spaghetti, sounds really good to me and I am very hungry so yes, spaghetti with meatballs."

[rjtucker-laf]

"Fantastic. I'll get started then. Put the TV on or something, if you want."

[fallen-starlet]

Laundry || RJV

[fallen-starlet]

Vanity Fair sat back and wiped her face. “Well for one thing it hurts to see you hurt.” She admitted. “And for another……..” V buried her face in his neck. “This is the worst night I’ve had in a while too.” She finally admitted. 

V sighed. “I know you know I have nightmares too but……” She swallowed haired. “Mine was -well always are- more of a…. horrific flashback and I woke up…” She opened her hands finally, showing him the the tiny pearls of blood that her nails had caused.

"And as terrible as it sounds, I’m glad I ran into you cuz I can’t stand being alone in the dark or at night. If you want to vent you can…" Anything. He could tell her his horrifying dream in explicit detail (she heard that helps sometimes) and she’d stay through it all.

"That sounded horrible." She said, biting her lip. "I’m here fore you if YOU need someone right now too." She swore.

[rjtucker-laf]

RJ was surprised when V began to cling onto him, and he wrapped his arms around her, sniffling back his own tears as he listened to her talk. When she opened her palms to reveal droplets of blood slowly forming in her hands, he carefully cradled her hands in his own. "Oh, V..." he whispered, looking up from her hands to her face.

At her offer to unload his feelings, he took a deep breath, wiped his eyes dry, and began to describe the dream. How he'd been playing cards with Tom; how the coach swerved to avoid traffic, only to then get t-boned by a lorry; and what he'd seen for those short moments he regained consciousness inside the smoking wreck.

It almost felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. But it hadn't gone far, he could still feel it looming over him like some foul monster ready to engulf him. At least now there was a small bit of distance between him and it. Maybe it'd help.

"You can be here for me as much as you want," RJ started, a grateful smile growing on his face. "But first, we should probably get your hands cleaned up. It might even do some good to cut your nails while we're at it," he said, hoping to lighten up the palpable sadness in the room.

[nightowlmack]

"I love spaghetti and meatballs, I enjoy everything pasta related, really. I am fine with anything you cook."

[rjtucker-laf]

"In that case, I'll stick with pasta. If you're happy with spag-balls then I'll go with that. Easy enough, and won't take too long. You wanna make yourself comfortable while I get started?"

[nightowlmack]

"That sounds great, wonderful.. lovely even. Told you once and I will tell you again, food is the way straight into a mans pants.. or heart. You cook for me and I’m gonna feed you the chocs afterwards."

[rjtucker-laf]

"Great. Is there anything in particular that you fancy? I'm gonna assume spaghetti and meatballs would be too cliché."

[nightowlmack]

"Ah you, you RJ, wait a moment, you are a special little snowflake and therefore, because you are special, you also get this box full of chocolates."

"Happy Valentines day, champ."

[rjtucker-laf]

"Oh, that's lovely, thank you so much! There's something I want to give you as well. Actually, it's more like do for you. What would you say to me cooking for you? Not like when we make an ugly-yet-strangely-delicious cake at three in the morning, but an actual proper meal. We could even have the chocs for dessert."

[nightowlmack]

"Alright, yes. I bought roses for all of us, I know some of you guys feel unloved so let me tell you that I love all of you guys."

[rjtucker-laf]

"Awh, Mack, that's so kind of you. You're the sweetest thing."

[fallen-starlet]

Laundry || RJV

[fallen-starlet]

Her eyes began to water as well. Why did misery have to love company? “Yeah me nei-” She stopped when she noticed how the silence was pierced by less-than-light sobs.

"Oh go- RJ….. no no nnononono." She kept her hands in light fists and joined him on the ground, wrapping her arms around him. "I’m sorry I brought it back up." She whispered, her eyes finally letting go (again).

She held him through her sobs, silently crying herself and gently rocked him, shakily humming a soothing song.

[rjtucker-laf]

Without thinking about it, RJ leant into Vanity Fair's embrace as he felt her arms come around him. He just sat there, feeling his lowest, and let V rock him.

He wasn't just upset at what he'd dreamt about, but he was so frustrated that it was able to get to him as badly as this. The fact that it had happened almost two years ago now, and it was still able to reduce him to a miserable crying wreck made him angry to no end. It was an anger he would take out on his pillow later, but right now, he was too much of a mess to worry about beating the hell out of his furniture.

He lifted his head up and wiped away some tears, and only then noticed that V was also crying. "W-why are you crying?" he asked tearily, pretty sure that it wasn't second-hand emotion from him.