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Gentle as a lamb....

The fact that she didn't have much fat on her body to function as insulation was another reason that she covered up her body so much. She got cold so easily; it didn't take much to get her shivering. Even a light breeze was enough, which was why she could often be found wearing layers, even while indoors. She knew Jonathan had caught her more than once all snuggled up on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket and wearing a warm sweater while drinking a cup of hot tea. At least now he knew why. She needed all the warmth she could get sometimes, like she did right now. That aftereffects of the blast plus the fact that she was shirtless at the moment really had her feeling like she was freezing.

When he suggested that they get some sleep, she just nodded and softly said "okay" before pulling away. She could really use the rest after everything that had happened. "I-I think I can make it on my own...." she replied, slowly and cautiously getting to her feet. But not even a few moments after she put weight on her legs, they gave out beneath her, and she fell back onto the couch with a small cry of alarm. Nearly onto Jonathan's lap, in fact. Her cheeks flushing red with shame and embarrassment at her weakness, and at her awkward landing, she looked away. "....Okay, maybe I do need help."

Gentle as a lamb....

Well, Evie could tell that Jonathan was embarrassed, too, due to the slight blush on his cheeks, which eased her own embarrassment just a bit. But that didn't last very long, because the moment he picked her up, she was blushing again, weakly holding onto him as a barely audible squeak forced its way out. She couldn't help it. It felt so weird, being carried. Not that she didn't like it, no! She actually really did. She felt surprisingly secure, resting in Jonathan's arms like this. She wasn't even remotely worried about him dropping her. She knew he wouldn't let her fall.

She was almost disappointed when they reached her room, uneasily looking up at Jonathan as he gently laid her on her bed, taking the time to pull the blankets over her body. She didn't want him to go, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him to stay, not after he'd already done so much. But it seemed he had one more surprise for her, kissing her on the forehead before he told her goodnight, worry evident in his voice. Immediately, her cheeks flushed bright red once again as she stammered out her own goodnight. It took her a few minutes to calm down once he left the room, but after that, it wasn't long before she dozed off....



As always, it began with the man suddenly appearing before her, his expression screaming that he had the worst of intentions, and as always, she ran until he cornered her against a wall of shadows. But the wall opened up to reveal a maze. Faced with the choice of trying to navigate it or facing the man, she entered. She ran, and ran, using the right-hand trick in an attempt to find the exit. After a few minutes, it seemed as if she had lost the man, and not only that, but she thought she could see the exit, light coming from just around the corner now. She was almost free–!

But there he stood, blocking her way. She tried to turn back, but the path was gone, replaced by a black wall. She was trapped, just like before. And just like before, the man laughed menacingly and snapped his fingers, the shadows rising up to ensnare her.

She felt the shadowy coils wrap around her body and start to pull her into the darkness, constricting like a snake. As always, she screamed and struggled as hard as she could, but again, as always, it was no use. They just kept getting tighter and tighter as they engulfed her body. But something was different this time. This time, wherever the tendrils touched her, it felt like thousands of icy needles were piercing her skin, digging deeper, deeper, spreading despair and agony throughout her entire being, as if they were eating away at her very soul, replacing it with cold, empty darkness. The tendrils clamped down on her neck and chest as they dragged her down, and she felt her ribs cracking under the pressure. She couldn't breathe. The last thing she heard was the man's mad laughter and her own strangled screams....

Evie awoke with a small shriek, suddenly sitting up and bursting into tears. The poor girl was in hysterics, her entire body shaking with terror as she began to hyperventilate, clutching her blanket to her chest in a feeble attempt to feel safer.

Gentle as a lamb....

Evie had heard him yelling her name, alright, even through her sobbing, and she couldn't help wincing at the tone of fear and worry in his voice. She hadn't wanted him to hear her tonight, but her small scream had ruined all chance of that. She would've fought it back if she could've, but she was just so scared... There was nothing she could've done. So when Jonathan appeared at her door, he would find her breaking down all over again, crying even harder than she had been earlier, which was saying a lot. There was no way she was going to be able to handle any more nightmares or anything else of the sort tonight.

She saw him come closer and sit on the bed with her, hearing him softly speak her name again before asking if it was another nightmare. She could only nod in response, trying to keep herself from clinging to him like she had before by clutching her blanket even tighter. But then he asked why she hadn't asked him to stick around. "I-I'm sorry, I... I didn't know how, and you've already done so much for me tonight.... I didn't want to be a burden....."

Gentle as a lamb....

The longer Jonathan talked, the worse Evie felt. While she hadn't been aware of the fact that he never considered her a burden, which did make her happy, she did know the rest. She knew that friends confided in each other, that he couldn't help her if she didn't tell him what was wrong, that she shouldn't bottle her emotions up and try to deal with them on her own. When he finally finished, other than her sobbing, she was silent for a few moments. But then she spoke up, "I know, Jonathan, I know, but I can't. I-I don't know how to anymore. I'm sorry...!" With that said, she clutched the blanket even tighter, now hiding her face in shame as she continued to cry.

After the death of her parents, she didn't have anyone to talk to or confide in. Still, for a few years, she attempted to talk about her issues, but she soon learned that there wasn't any point in talking if no one was listening. So after a while, she stopped trying, and just kept everything to herself. Eventually, she forgot how to talk about her problems entirely, bottling it all up until she was forced to release it through drinking, self-harm, and other dangerous habits. That had been her only release for years, until she forced herself to quit all of them for the sake of her own safety. It had just been building up again ever since. The only reason she had told Jonathan so much was because she simply couldn't take it anymore.

Gentle as a lamb....

Evie was on the verge of shutting down when she suddenly felt Jonathan pulling her into his arms again, just as he had when they were downstairs. And again, she couldn't stop herself from clinging to him and burrowing into his embrace as she continued to cry. You'd think she'd be out of tears by now after all the crying she'd already done tonight. But she wasn't, not by any means. No doubt she'd have to remember to drink a lot of fluids later to replenish her body and avoid dehydration. And if she didn't, maybe Jonathan would remind her.

His gentle, reassuring words helped significantly, her sobs lessening within only a minute. But they stopped entirely when she heard him humming to her, much to her shock. She had never heard him do that before, in any circumstance, but she was glad he did it now. It was extremely soothing. So soothing, in fact, that she almost fell asleep in Jonathan's arms, her eyes slowly closing as he hummed the soft tune. It wasn't long before she stopped crying, instead sleepily snuggling into him.

Gentle as a lamb....

Evie had been on the verge of dozing off when Jonathan posed his question, so it took a few moments for it to sink in. But the second it did, her head popped up fast as lightning in an obvious "wait, what?" sort of reaction, her questioning emerald eyes wide with shock and her face an almost cherry red as a flustered squeak forced its way out. Was... was he asking to share a bed with her for the night? Oh Goddess, he was. Of course, she knew that he wouldn't try anything; he was too much of a gentleman for such shenanigans, but taken out of context, certain... things... could be insinuated by them sleeping in the same bed. Things that she didn't even feel comfortable talking about, much less doing.

But once he explained his reasoning, she relaxed a bit. He likely wasn't wrong in thinking that his presence would help her sleep more peacefully, seeing as she did feel a lot safer with him nearby, and even if she did still have nightmares, he would be right there to calm her down and reassure her. No one would have to know that they'd spent the night together, and if someone did find out, it could still possibly be passed off as purely platonic. Or at least, she hoped it could. It would be awfully embarrassing for the both of them if there were false rumors going around about them, especially of that nature. But as they were both thinking, no one else would have to know, so she supposed it would be okay, finally nodding.

"I-if you're alright with it, yes, it would...." she replied softly, shyly looking away with that blush still present on her face.

Gentle as a lamb....

At hearing Jonathan's response, Evie couldn't help smiling, her eyes shining with gratitude. She was so glad that she could count on him to be there for her in her times of weakness. He didn't mind her vulnerability like most people did, just accepting her for who she was and trying his best to understand her, even helping her with her shortcomings. There weren't many people who would do that, considering the sheer number of issues she had. She considered it to almost be a miracle that he was so kind to her.

"....Thank you, Jonathan. I truly appreciate this." And with that, she carefully laid down next to him, being sure to avoid resting on her injuries as she snuggled into his warm embrace, her body against his. This was actually a lot more comfortable than she had thought it would be, and even more surprisingly, it didn't feel too awkward, either. She certainly wouldn't complain about that. The less awkward, the better. Hopefully, he felt the same way.

It wasn't long before she was on the verge of sleep again, sighing with content as she closed her eyes. "Goodnight....." she quietly murmured, finally drifting off into a peaceful, nightmare-free slumber only moments later.