i found this on pintrest and i can't stop thinking about it now space for next
someone wrote a story about this one: Jack Kelly, awake at 4 in the morning. Lying on a mattress with his best friend next to him, whispering comforts as he cries and shakes, terrified from the same nightmares that wake Jack up. Holding him close and kissing his hair, wishing he could give up anything to not have this reason to be Jack Kelly, awake at four in the morning. (Story someone wrote about that) Jack Kelly, waking up at three in the morning to the all too familiar sound of his best friend's heavy, panicked breathing. He turned quietly to look over at his brother, barely more than an arm's reach away. The small boy had his good leg curled up, hugging his knee to his chest, head buried in his arms, his gimp leg was sprawled awkwardly off to the side as if he hadn't had the energy to get it into a more comfortable position when he woke up. He was shaking as he tried to repress tears. Jack knew that he had been worried about waking him, despite how many times he had been told that it would be alright. He sat up and moved to rest his hand on his brother's shaking shoulder, moving carefully so as not to scare him. Even the gentle touch however, was enough to make the younger boy flinch and pull away, But Jack didn't retract his hand, keeping a gentle but firm grip on his trembling brother. Crutchie looked up, moving his head only enough to peer over his arm at Jack. At seeing his best friend, relief flooded the boy's face and he moved to face him. Jack looked at the panic and fear that filled his brother's eyes and wanted to scream, he wanted to curse the world for not choosing him to take these nightly beatings instead. This was his little brother, the toughest kid he knew, sitting broken in front of him. He wanted to kill everyone responsible. But he didn't say anything. He instead just moved closer and let his best friend wrap his arms around his waist. He heard a choked sob from where his brother's face was now buried in his chest, finally allowing himself to let out the tears he had been holding off. They sat like that for quite a while, Jack's strong arms wrapped protectively around his brother, who was clinging to him as if letting go meant being dragged back to the refuge. He could feel him shaking, crying into his shirt and continued to hold him tightly until the sobs subsided and his grip on Jack loosened. They stayed in that position, Crutchie, curled up in the safety of his brother's arms, until Jack felt the ragged breaths against his chest slow and become steady. He finally moved after another minute, laying his sleeping brother back down next to him, curling his own body around the small form beside him, acting as a shield against the nightmares. Jack Kelly, falling back to sleep at four in the morning, wishing that there had never been a reason to be awake to begin with.
