Aries POV
I woke up thirsty. Midnight, as usual, and the house was silent except for the occasional hum of the fridge. Classic quiet night. Perfect for a quick water run.
Mission accomplished. Glass in hand, I turned to head back to my room—and then stopped.
A noise.
Soft, but impossible to ignore. Sniffles? Whimpers? No… worse. A cry.
Hex.
I froze. My first thought: Is he dying? Or… just being dramatic?
The sound came again. Heart quickened. That wasn't normal. I approached the door slowly, pressed my ear to the crack.
Yep. Nightmare. Big time.
I pushed the door open slightly. The sight hit me—Hex was sitting on the edge of his bed, arms tight around his knees, face buried. His whole body trembled.
I looked at the air conditioner. On. Lowest setting. Definitely not the cold.
I flicked on the small bedside lamp, took a step closer, and whispered, "Hex… wake up."
Nothing.
I crouched near him. Closer. "Hex, it's me. Aries. Wake up."
Still nothing.
I leaned my head toward his mouth to catch his words.
"…he's here… don't… don't touch me… don't touch me…"
My stomach sank. Who is he talking about?
I had no choice. I gently shook him. A little stronger. And… finally, he bolted upright.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" he snapped, eyebrows like twin arrows of fury.
"Nightmare," I said calmly.
"That's not your business," he shot back, voice sharp as glass.
I sighed. "Seriously, what's your problem?"
He glared, then looked away. His small chest rising and falling, hands gripping the blanket.
"You want to know?"
"Yes," I said.
He turned toward me. Eyes cold. Ice-cold. Twelve years old, but with a look of someone who had carried the weight of a dozen grown-ups.
"You, Angelo, Trisha, Marco, this place, Nathan Navarroooooo," he spat out the last name like it burned his tongue. The fury in his voice made my heart ache.
"You happy now?"
I blinked. "Me? What have I done?"
"You did to Jay," he said quietly, but the weight behind it made my stomach twist. "Unforgivable."
I rummaged in my pocket, grabbed a handkerchief. "For…?"
"For your sweat," I said awkwardly.
He touched his forehead. Realized he was sweating. Took it, wiped, then muttered, "Thanks."
I sat down beside him. "I know. I regret what happened. I really do."
He didn't look at me. Just stared at the wall. Then, away.
"See? I'm trying to fix it. Okay?" I said, carefully. "But your friend—Jay—she's not talking to me either. About it. Not yet."
"Of course she won't. What you did was unforgivable," he muttered.
"I had no choice," I said quietly.
"You did," he snapped.
"I was fifteen," I said.
"She was thirteen," he retorted sharply. Silence fell between us like a storm.
"Okay… now," I softened, "how about this—you forgive me. We become friends again. And Jay and I… we'll fix my mess with her very soon."
He looked at me. Then, at the framed photo of Jay on his desk. Then, back to me.
"…Okay," he said.
I ruffled his hair. Instantly, he froze. "Don't touch my hair," he growled.
"Can't promise," I said with a grin.
He flopped back onto his bed, arms crossed, muttering something under his breath. I sighed and laid down beside him.
"What are you doing?" he mumbled.
"Sleeping. What else?" I said casually.
He groaned, then got up. "I'm going to sleep in my room," he said, irritated.
"Nah. Your room's nice," I said. Before he could protest, I grabbed his arm and pulled him gently back by my side.
He stumbled into my arms. "Let me go!"
"Or… my Hex sleeps now. You have school in seven hours," I teased.
He struggled for a few seconds. Then… nothing.
I realized he had relaxed. Completely. Finally.
After a while, I felt him breathe slower. He was asleep.
I tried to gently get up and move to my own bed… but his hand had grabbed my sleeve.
"Don't… please… don't leave… stay…"
I smiled softly. "No problem. I'm not going anywhere."
The night settled around us. Silent. Except for the steady rhythm of his breathing.
And finally… after what felt like hours, I drifted to sleep too, next to Hex.