Work Text
When Logan blinked his eyes open, a million thoughts ran through his head s he looked around his room, lying on his back.
‘Why are my walls dirty? Why can’t I breathe properly? Why can’t I speak? Why isn’t my night light working? Where did the LED numbers on the clock go? Why is my body so heavy? Why can’t I move?
Oh, god, I can’t move… I can’t move, I can’t move, Icantmove IcantmoveIcantmoveIcantm-‘
‘Who’s that…?’
‘Something’s there. It’s on me. What is it? It’s touching me. I can’t scream. Why is it touching me? I don’t want it to touch me. Why can’t I stop it? Why can’t I move? What is it going to do to me? What does it want? I want it to get off! Get off! Getoffgetoffgetoff!’
“Shh…”
A hand plunged into his chest.
Logan screamed, but no sound came out. His chest arched up against his will, the hand burning in his chest as he did his best to struggle away, but he couldn’t move. The creature chuckled, bringing it’s other hand to Logan’s neck, pushing down forcefully to choke him.
“Logan.”
Logan tried to scream, tried to get away from the creature. It was hurting him! He couldn’t breath! He choked painfully, his coughs strained and weak as he felt his saliva foaming in his mouth and tears pouring down his cheeks. He couldn't scream, he wanted to scream, why couldn’t he scream?!
“Logan!”
‘Why is this happening?!’
“Logan!”
Logan gasped as he shot up, the pressure on his neck and the burning in his chest now gone. He gasped for breath, aware of hands on him. He wanted them off! He flapped his arms around, trying to bat the hands off him, but they persisted.
He didn’t want to hurt again! He wanted to breathe!
“Logan, you gotta calm down!”
Logan retched.
“Okay, okay, it’s okay…” A bowl was suddenly placed under Logan’s face, just as the logical side vomited. “Okay, you’re okay… Let it all out, that’s it…”
Logan’s vomiting eventually turned to retching, then to sobbing. The bowl vanished, and Logan gasped as arms wrapped around him, pulling him close.
“It’s okay, it’s me, it’s Roman.”
“Wo-man…” Logan clung to Roman’s arm tightly, tucking himself away as though Roman would protect him.
“That was a scary one, huh…?” Roman whispered, rubbing Logan’s back. The logical side sobbed as he nodded, nuzzling as close to Roman as possible. Logan’s bedroom window opened with a flick of Roman’s wrist. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I couldn’t bweathe or move and somefing wanted to huwt me…” Logan whimpered. “I couldn’t scweam…”
“You definitely screamed…” Roman assured him. “I heard you, so I came to save you.”
“F’ank you…”
The two sat in silence, Logan in Roman’s arms, sobbing quietly as Roman rocked him and rubbed his back soothingly.
“That Knight Mare was mean, Wo-man…”
“That wasn’t a Knight Mare… That was…” Roman took a shaken breath. “That was something else…”
“Wh-what was it…?” Logan asked, looking up at Roman with pleading eyes. Roman sighed.
“It was… a Dream Demon.”
“A Dweam Demon?”
“Yeah…” Roman shifted them slightly, pulling Logan onto his lap. Logan buried his face in Roman’s chest. “They’re beasts who disguise themselves as Knight Mares and jump from dream to dream, feeding on people’s fear. It gives them strength.”
“I don’t like them, Wo-man…”
“I know, but you defeated it!”
“I did?” Logan sniffed, looking up.
“You did. You woke up while it was still in your dream, so it died with the dream.” Roman smiled. “And that helps to scare other Dream Demons off.”
“What do I do if it happens again?”
“Hm…” Roman bought for a moment. “Well… What did you see in your dream?”
“It was my woom, but… the walls were diwty, and my clock didn’t werk.” Logan glanced at his bedside table, where the LED clock sat proudly next to his night skynightlight, displaying the numbers 3:17.“And my nightlight didn’t werk.”
“Ah, Dream Demons don’t like light, so they stop lights working in dreams.”
“Wo-man… Awe you telling me the twuth…?” Logan sniffed.
“I’m telling you what you need to hear.” Roman dodged the question. “I haven’t met a Dream Demon before, so it's taking me a while to remember things about them.”
“I don’t wanna go back to sleep, Wo-man…”
“Okay. How about we go and watch Big Hero Six.” Roman suggested.
“But you should sleep… I… can watch it by myself…”
“I’m sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of a falsehood.” Roman smirked.
“I don’t want to be alone…” Logan confessed.
“Then alone, you shall not be.” Roman stood, holding Logan to his chest. “Come, my Half-Pint Hero. Let us watch a movie!”
“Okay, my Full-Pint Hewo.” Logan giggled.
Roman nearly cried from cuteness.