The Sky Under the Sea

~ a little earlier ~



[Jaime]

There was nothing I could do to get to sleep. Tossing and turning, I couldn’t get comfortable in my tiny bunk; it was too cramped for my long legs. Tucking them up to my chest I rolled over onto my side and saw that across the aisle Vic was up, too.


“Hey man, can’t sleep either?” I said softly, not wanting to wake Mike or Tony. 
He nodded, one arm behind his head.


“What’s keeping you up?”
 Even across the gap and in the darkness I could see him blush.


“Chloe?” I guessed.


“Yeah, I just can’t stop thinking about her. Is that weird? I mean I know I like her, but its not like when I’ve liked other chicks. She’s just on my mind, all the time. Hime, what’s up with that?”
 God Vic was cute when no one else was around, acting all shy and unsure.


“Yes Vic, it’s normal. It just means you like her, a lot. And I think if you like her this much, you should make a move.”
 Usually I was the last person people went to for relationship advice, since they never worked out for me. They usually wound up in fights, so I’d resigned myself to being single and having one night stands for the rest of my life.


“You think so?” Vic turned onto his side, staring at me with a grin on his face.


“You know, Chloe’s always staring at you when you aren’t looking.”


“Better not be fucking with me Hime Time.” Vic warned. 
I rolled onto my back.


“Dead serious. It’s pretty cute, actually.”


“I never would have- what the fuck is that?” Vic sat up in his bunk, eyes wide. A bone chilling scream had ripped through the quiet night.


“I heard it too, is that someone screaming?”
 I launched out of my bunk and ran to the bus door, hearing Vic’s feet thud onto the floor and follow me out into the chilly night air.
 The screaming hadn’t stopped and it took me until now to realize it was Bo.


“Holy fuck.” I said, running towards the sound.

“Bo! Are you alright?” Just as we reached their bus, the door flung open to reveal a stressed Chloe in an old shirt and pajama shorts. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Vic blush, clearly realizing that both of us didn’t have shirts on.


“Is she okay? What the hell is going on?” Vic asked. 
Chloe shook her head.

“Bo’s having a nightmare, a really bad one too. And I can’t get to her to calm her down because she’s in her bunk..”


“How do you usually calm her down?” I asked.


“Most of the time she wakes up before I need to, but when I have to I just hold her and tell her it’ll be alright.” 
A second later I’d leapt into their bus, walking towards the back.


Bo’s bunk was on the left, at the top, or at least that’s where the screaming was coming from. It was chilling to hear her make such a sound; it sent shivers down my spine as I laid eyes on her. She was curled up into a ball, hands balled into fists that were shoved against her face. Her pillow was soaked with tears and her body wracked itself with vicious sobs as she screamed;


“No! You can’t leave me alone! Blake, please don’t leave me here alone! Don’t die, please!”


“Shh shh Bo, it’s okay. Wake up, you’re only having a nightmare.” It wasn’t working.
 Carefully, I slid my arms underneath her and lifted her off her bunk. I walked down the bus, cradling her in my arms and making gentle shushing noises.
 Wordlessly I stepped out of the bus and sat with my back against it.


“Bo, shh. It’s okay, you’re safe. You’re just having a nightmare. Bo, shhh. It’s going to be okay.” I put my chin on the top of her head and rubbed little circles on her shoulder.
 Slowly, she began to get quieter.


“You’re not alone, you’re with me. I’m here Bo.”
 Chloe and Vic were standing there staring at me, but I didn’t care. Bo was starting to calm down and that’s all that mattered.


“You’re not alone, you’re with me.” I kept saying softly, and she eventually fell quiet.


“I haven’t seen her have one this bad in a long time.” Chloe said softly, shivering in the cold. Vic shuffled over and put his arms around her, rubbing her shoulders to keep her warm.


“She’s had them before?” Vic asked from over her shoulder.
Chloe nodded.


“She used to get them all the time, but they stopped a couple of months before we found out we were playing Warped Tour and I thought they’d gone away for good. She’s been having them for a while though. She thinks I don’t know but I do.” I shivered, realizing how cold it was outside.


“What does she see?” I asked, not wanting to wake the girl curled up in my arms. I was stroking her hair, even though she was asleep.

“Something she wishes she’d never have to see again. It’s the same thing every time, I think. But you better ask her about it, it’s not my place to say.”
 Just as my mind began to wonder what terrible thing Bo had nightmares about, she stirred.

Soon bright blue eyes met mine.


“Jaime? What are you-how did I get outside?” Bo’s voice was strained.


“You had a nightmare. A bad one.” Chloe said, walking over and sitting in front of us. 
Bo groaned. 


“Why on earth am I outside? And why are Jaime and Vic here? No offense guys, I’m just a bit confused.” She shifted around until she was sitting with her back against my chest.


“You were screaming, really really loudly. I couldn’t get you to stop and I guess they heard you and came over. When I couldn’t get you to calm down, Jaime picked you up and brought you out here.”


“I woke you guys up? Fuck, I’m so sorry. We have an early start and everything.” Bo put her head into her hands.


“It’s fine, really.” Vic said.


“I’d rather be out here and making sure you’re okay than being in my bunk cramped and sleeping.” Instinctively I leaned forwards and wrapped my arms around her waist, putting my chin on her shoulder. Every time we’d touched before this was when we were mucking around or being silly, but this felt.. different. It wasn’t like I was hugging her when I was sweaty to make her squirm or when she’d jump on my back for a piggy back race. This time it felt right, our bodies fitting together like two puzzle pieces.


“I still feel like shit though.” She took her hands away from her face and looked up at Chloe is dismay. “.. You said I was screaming? Wha-what did I say?” Chloe rubbed a hand over her face.


“You were screaming about Blake. I- I’ve never heard you scream like that in a nightmare before Bo. Are you sure you’re okay?” Bo nodded, suddenly very weary.


“I’m fine. You guys can go back to bed, I’m so sorry again for waking you up.” She stood up, seeming very, very unstable on her feet.


“You’re not okay Bo. Have you eaten at all today?” I asked, grabbing her shoulder to steady her. To my dismay, she shook her head.


“Bo!”


“Sorry. Every time I thought about it, I just wanted to puke. I thought I could sleep my hangover off.”


“This is obviously more than just a hangover Bo, you’re sick. We should take you to a doctor.” I was expecting a protest, but none came.


“Tomorrow. I just want to go back to bed.” Bo sounded so sad it made my heart ache.


“Okay.” I put my arm around her and helped her inside, and then to climb back in her bunk.


“Thanks guys, really. You’ve been a big help.” Chloe whispered. I looked over to Bo who was exhausted, eyes closed.


“I just hope she’s okay.. I hate seeing her like this.” Vic rubbed his hand on my back, gesturing towards the door.


“Lets go back and let these girls go back to sleep.” 
I was two steps away from following Vic down the steps of the bus when Chloe grabbed my arm.


“Jaime?” She looked exhausted too.


“What is it?” I asked with concern, having no idea what she’d want right now.


“Will you.. will you stay with Bo? It’s just that she never calms down that quickly, it usually takes me a good ten minutes to get her quiet and you were so good with her.. I think it would be best if you took care of her tonight.” Chloe bit her lip and looked close to tears. Pulling her into a hug I nodded and said,


“Of course I will. You can have my bunk if you want to, rather than sleeping on the couch. I know from experience that they’re terrible beds.”

Chloe perked up at bit at my suggestion.


“Thanks Jaime.” She walked out the door and quickly told Vic what was going on. I winked at him before heading down to Bo’s bunk.



[Bo]



I can’t believe I woke them up.. I felt so terrible. They’re already tired enough from the tour without my problems adding to it. And I was screaming? Come on Bo, you’ve got more control than that. You’ve never given in to the nightmares before, what made tonight so much different? And Jaime. Jaime. He carried me outside to try and calm me down? And he was shirtless. And he was holding me.

I can’t even think about the last time someone had cared enough to do things like that for me. Footsteps softly padded down the bus, interrupting my thoughts.


“Chloe- “ I began. When I rolled over I found myself staring straight into two beautiful brown eyes that were definitely not Chloe’s.


“Hey. Chloe wanted me to stay with you tonight, is that okay?” He said softly, his eyes big and full of concern. I nodded weakly, too drained to do much else.


“I’ll be in Chloe’s bunk, only a metre away so if you need me at any time, wake me. Okay?” 
For a moment, our eyes connected and we just looked at each other, my vulnerable blue eyes watching his sad brown ones.
 Sensing I understood, Jaime climbed into Chloe’s bunk and pulled the covers up to his chest, lying on his back with his arms behind his back. I admired him for a moment. The way his normally styled hair was disheveled and messy, how his chest rose and fell as he breathed.
 Without warning I swung my legs out of my bunk and padded over to Jaime’s.


“What’s up?” He said, instantly alert.

“Nothing, I just..” I bit my lip, completely unsure about if what I was about to ask was a smart move.
Jaime said nothing, just looked at me with concern.


“Can I sleep with you tonight? I just.. The nightmares.. I don’t want them to come back.. I’m scared and I don’t want to be alone right now.” I looked at my feet, half expecting Jaime to say no and roll over. When I lifted my head, I saw that he’d shuffled over to make room and held his hand out to me.


“Of course. You.. you don’t even need to ask, Bo.” he said softly. I took his hand and climbed in beside him, managing to squeeze into the tiny space. He pulled the covers up over me and wrapped his arm around me protectively. I could feel his bare chest against my back and I blushed, glad that he couldn’t see my face.

“Is this okay?” I hear him whisper from behind me.


“Yeah.” I reply, snuggling back into his warm embrace. He even smells good, I thought to myself as I slowly breathed in and out, calming my still-racing heart. Jaime shifted a little and I felt myself begin to drift off. Shaking myself awake, too afraid to return to sleep, I noticed that Jaime was tracing small circles on my hip.


“It’s okay Bo. Go to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” He soothed.

“You’re not alone. You’re with me.” Was the last thing I heard before Jaime drifted off to sleep, the sound of his steady breathing the only sound in the darkness.
 I didn’t sleep though. One nightmare was enough.