“Owls.” Theo moved closer yet, and turned his back to the cool wall and slid down it so that he was seated next to Teddy, beginning to observe the slippers, running his fingers over one or two torn spots where the white stuffing could be seen protruding. “Owlets, specifically, there’s a new nest of them, I’ve been keeping up with them, and I think they don’t so much mind my presence anymore. Obviously, they are most active at night, so that’s when I like to make my visits. Next time I go, I will be sure to invite you. I bet Cedric would be most pleased to see you, he’s the most outgoing.” The subject of owlets was strong in his mind, but not strong enough to remain fixed when Teddy mentioned his bad dreams, and so they were shunted aside by concern for the boy beside him. Theo wasn’t sure what to say at this point. He used to hate seeing Teddy have his bad dreams, but there was always something he could do about it. To come over and hold him, a sudden memory flashing into his mind that caused hurt to well up in his chest, hurt because it was no longer something feasible to do. “It’s never a matter of manning up,” Theo insisted skeptically, prioritizing the other’s worries over his own personal qualms. “That’s a sick excuse to use, by people who don’t want to have to help with and invest in another person’s issues.” He finally stopped picking at the cotton and looked over at Teddy, the shadowy face making facial features rather drastic. “You’re strong already, don’t discount that by expecting yourself to suddenly get over these night terrors.” He paused a moment before going on, “Is Toxin okay?”
there was something about theo’s ramblings that felt like a safety blanket being wrapped around him; the familiarity of the situation making everything seem a lot less chaotic despite all that had happened between the pair of them. “alright, i’ll come meet cedric but i doubt he’ll like toxin and i.” teddy shrugged it off, a lump invading his throat soon enough to silence him as theo spoke again. “we’re both...agitated. i don’t know how to make it stop, or calm us down.” he mumbled again, head in hands and fingers tangled in his hair this time. “i don’t know how..how to be vulnerable. my body and mind see you and want to be, because it’s normal...but it makes me feel nauseous. i can’t tell if the sweat is from the dreams or from you.” teddy couldn’t help but smile softly at that, his dramatics surprising him. “reckon my next nightmare will be about your stupid slippers.”