Every Day Feels Like a War
Another Redlight Nightmare
There was a fire crackling in the hearth, bathing everything in soft golden light. The tree twinkled in the corner, casting cheery shadows across the walls. The whole scene was festive in the most romantic way.
"Merry Christmas, my darling." Ashley murmured, lovingly tucking a piece of hair behind Kat's ear. They were cuddled up together on the couch under a big blanket, looking at their tree. A few presents were stacked underneath, wrapped in gold paper. As they'd only been dating for a few weeks, they hadn't gotten each other much.
Kat smiled up at him, toying with the end of her messy braid. "Merry Christmas." She whispered against his lips. They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled away. "Presents."
Ashley moved down to the floor with her, blanket still wrapped around them. He burrowed his face into her neck, watching her sort out the gifts. Three went into her pile, two clothing boxes and another wrapped item. Two went into his, put in boxes and wrapped.
He unwrapped his first, which were several vinyl records and some shirts. He grinned and touched the album art. "Thanks, baby." He kissed her shoulder. He smiled as he watched her unwrap hers. He pressed the smallest box into her hands first. Inside was a necklace with a heart charm dangling from it.
She lifted it from the box and smiled happily. "Oh, Ash.." She breathed, throwing her arms around him. "I love it!"
He fastened it around her neck and kissed where the clasp was. "I'm glad." In the next box, there was a shirt with his name on it, more of a playful gift. However, the gift in the last box earned him a mischievous look. She lifted the hanger from the box and grinned. "You like?" He murmured.
She stood up and held the lingerie up to her body. "Should I go try it on?" She asked innocently.
Ashley nodded, already breathless. He'd picked it out a few days before as it had reminded him of Kat. It was black, lacy and pretty. She darted upstairs, leaving Ashley to contemplate. She was stunning.. How was she his?
She'd even taken Andy to his psychiatrist. It dawned on him that he hadn't asked how it had gone. Well.. That could wait. Kat came down the stairs, eyes dark and hungry. His eyes widened as she draped herself against the door, hip cocked out. The lingerie accentuated her smooth curves, making Ashley's mouth water.
"Merry Christmas to me." He breathed, standing and coming over to her.
He picked her up, kissing her eagerly. His mouth slipped down her neck, nestling between her breasts. "So beautiful.."
A while later, curled together and basking in post-coital bliss, Ashley finally asked how Andy's appointment had gone.
"I think he had a breakthrough." Kat giggled sleepily, kissing his jaw. "That was amazing.." She trailed her fingers over his chest.
Ashley held her hand. "Was it okay? Did he seem upset?"
She nodded. "He's fine."
That was the end of the conversation. Andy wasn't brought up after that. The day after, they decided to spend a lazy day in, catching up on the Walking Dead. Kat was curled up on him, holding his hands on her lap. She fed him sips of hot cocoa, kissing the whipped cream off his nose. He smiled, enjoying the tender moment with his lover. Somewhere during the third episode, he heard a guttural scream from outside. He bolted up, looking outside. Andy was on the ground, writhing in pain. He clutched his head and screamed in agony.
"Get out of my head!" He screeched and curled up again. Ashley looked at him in a panic, running outside and picking him up. He rushed Andy inside, Kat looking at the distraught man.
"Is he okay?" Kat frowned.
Ashley laid him on the couch. "I.. I don't know." He mumbled. "Andy.. Hey. C'mon. Look at me."
Andy sobbed breathlessly, bloodshot blue eyes opening for a moment just to squeeze shut again. He wailed, clutching at his head. "Leave me alone!" He screamed.
"Should we take him to the hospital? What should we do?" Ashley panicked, scared to death.
Kat shook her head. "He's.. He's probably fine.. Don't worry, Ash. Let him sleep it off."
Ashley frowned. "No! He's- this isn't normal! He's not okay!" He brushed Andy's hair back. "He needs help!"
Kat shook her head again. "He's just trying to get your attention, Ash. That's all. He's jealous of me."
Ashley looked at Andy. He looked genuinely tortured.. He brushed Andy's hair back again and made sure he was comfortable. He sat by, waiting for Andy to wake up from the nightmare.
"Merry Christmas, my darling." Ashley murmured, lovingly tucking a piece of hair behind Kat's ear. They were cuddled up together on the couch under a big blanket, looking at their tree. A few presents were stacked underneath, wrapped in gold paper. As they'd only been dating for a few weeks, they hadn't gotten each other much.
Kat smiled up at him, toying with the end of her messy braid. "Merry Christmas." She whispered against his lips. They kissed for a few minutes before she pulled away. "Presents."
Ashley moved down to the floor with her, blanket still wrapped around them. He burrowed his face into her neck, watching her sort out the gifts. Three went into her pile, two clothing boxes and another wrapped item. Two went into his, put in boxes and wrapped.
He unwrapped his first, which were several vinyl records and some shirts. He grinned and touched the album art. "Thanks, baby." He kissed her shoulder. He smiled as he watched her unwrap hers. He pressed the smallest box into her hands first. Inside was a necklace with a heart charm dangling from it.
She lifted it from the box and smiled happily. "Oh, Ash.." She breathed, throwing her arms around him. "I love it!"
He fastened it around her neck and kissed where the clasp was. "I'm glad." In the next box, there was a shirt with his name on it, more of a playful gift. However, the gift in the last box earned him a mischievous look. She lifted the hanger from the box and grinned. "You like?" He murmured.
She stood up and held the lingerie up to her body. "Should I go try it on?" She asked innocently.
Ashley nodded, already breathless. He'd picked it out a few days before as it had reminded him of Kat. It was black, lacy and pretty. She darted upstairs, leaving Ashley to contemplate. She was stunning.. How was she his?
She'd even taken Andy to his psychiatrist. It dawned on him that he hadn't asked how it had gone. Well.. That could wait. Kat came down the stairs, eyes dark and hungry. His eyes widened as she draped herself against the door, hip cocked out. The lingerie accentuated her smooth curves, making Ashley's mouth water.
"Merry Christmas to me." He breathed, standing and coming over to her.
He picked her up, kissing her eagerly. His mouth slipped down her neck, nestling between her breasts. "So beautiful.."
A while later, curled together and basking in post-coital bliss, Ashley finally asked how Andy's appointment had gone.
"I think he had a breakthrough." Kat giggled sleepily, kissing his jaw. "That was amazing.." She trailed her fingers over his chest.
Ashley held her hand. "Was it okay? Did he seem upset?"
She nodded. "He's fine."
That was the end of the conversation. Andy wasn't brought up after that. The day after, they decided to spend a lazy day in, catching up on the Walking Dead. Kat was curled up on him, holding his hands on her lap. She fed him sips of hot cocoa, kissing the whipped cream off his nose. He smiled, enjoying the tender moment with his lover. Somewhere during the third episode, he heard a guttural scream from outside. He bolted up, looking outside. Andy was on the ground, writhing in pain. He clutched his head and screamed in agony.
"Get out of my head!" He screeched and curled up again. Ashley looked at him in a panic, running outside and picking him up. He rushed Andy inside, Kat looking at the distraught man.
"Is he okay?" Kat frowned.
Ashley laid him on the couch. "I.. I don't know." He mumbled. "Andy.. Hey. C'mon. Look at me."
Andy sobbed breathlessly, bloodshot blue eyes opening for a moment just to squeeze shut again. He wailed, clutching at his head. "Leave me alone!" He screamed.
"Should we take him to the hospital? What should we do?" Ashley panicked, scared to death.
Kat shook her head. "He's.. He's probably fine.. Don't worry, Ash. Let him sleep it off."
Ashley frowned. "No! He's- this isn't normal! He's not okay!" He brushed Andy's hair back. "He needs help!"
Kat shook her head again. "He's just trying to get your attention, Ash. That's all. He's jealous of me."
Ashley looked at Andy. He looked genuinely tortured.. He brushed Andy's hair back again and made sure he was comfortable. He sat by, waiting for Andy to wake up from the nightmare.