Cold hands pressing into his sides, leaving deep bruises that refused to fade.

Soft words whispered into his ears, sweet nothings and quiet promises.

Warm lips nibbling at his neck, ghosting against the sensitive skin.

His name, coming out of their mouth as a breathy murmur.

And then those blindingly blue eyes, which bore into his own, full of something that could only be described as horror.

He was thrown out of his dream, his body jerking upright into a sitting position. His heart was racing, his skin covered in a thin layer of sweat. Preston gripped at his chest, trying to calm his shallow breathing. It did no good. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't slow the rapid intakes of breath. It was like he'd lost all control over himself.

His entire body quivered as he gasped for air. He made a desperate attempt to grab his medication, which was only inches away on the bedside table, only to knock it to the ground. He collapsed back onto the bed in a fit of seizures, a strangled cry tearing its way out of his throat.

I can't breathe I can't breathe I can't breathe I'm dying I'm going to die I can't I can't I can't I can't

"What's wro-Oh my God!" A startled gasp came from the doorway, cutting through Preston's panic. Hurried footsteps, then small hands gripping at his arms, attempting to flip him onto his back. They succeeded, and Preston was met by huge brown eyes and a worried face.

In his haze, he wouldn't recognize the owner. Only later would he be able to identify him.

"Hey, hey... Listen to me, okay? Listen to my voice." He fumbled around for a moment, wrapping his arms around Preston's trembling body. He hugged him tightly, tangling his fingers in the boy's hair. "Breathe... Come on. You're okay. Just breathe..."

They must of sat there for close to an hour, with Preston struggling against the younger teen as he murmured comforting words. And finally, his panicking ceased.

He went limp after a final shudder, letting his head fall against the boy's chest. He felt dizzy and sluggish, as if he'd just awakened from a deep sleep. He felt himself slowly be laid back down, the blankets tucked in around him.

"Go back to sleep." He mumbled softly, staring at him with sleepy eyes. Blood trickled down from his busted lip, from where Preston had accidentally hit him during the fit. His shirt was beyond ruined, torn and stained with tears. Yet, still, only concern shown on his face.

He didn't have to be told twice. His eyes slowly closed, and didn't open again. He remained awake long enough to hear more footsteps, and then the start of a hushed conversation. Then, he drifted off to a blissfully dreamless sleep.

---

This time, he was awakened in a much more pleasant way.

"Wake uppppp!" A British voice shouted.

"Rise and shine, you cactus jones!" A similar one, but with a slightly different tone, chimed in.

A heavy weight landed on his chest, knocking the breath out of him. Familiar laughter filled the room as light kisses were planted all over his face. Then the pair of lips was pressed against his own, and he opened his eyes, staring into the chocolate orbs which he knew so well.

He broke away with a light laugh, giving the male a soft push. "Get off, you fatty."

"Oh, excuse me." Rob snorted. He climbed off, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. "I'll have you know I jogged three miles yesterday."

"How impressive. Now, if you two are done eating each other's faces..." Lachlan's voice cut through, causing both to look towards him. He stood next to Vikk, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Pretty sure the lads are waiting downstairs for us. Something about 'family breakfast' to 'welcome the new members'."

"So, pretty much, a party for us." Vikk shrugged. "Get ready. We'll be in the dining room... Once we find it." He grabbed Lachlan's hand, dragging the Aussie out of the room, and leaving the two alone.

"I know we weren't supposed to be here for a few more days," Rob started, holding a hand out to help Preston up. "But we really wanted to surprise you. Actually, we got here like, twenty minutes ago. The little green haired kid let us in."

He must be talking about Inge. Who else could it be?

"Oh. Well," Preston sighed, observing the man before him. "It was a nice surprise." He glanced sideways at the clock on the wall, a mischievous smirk making its way onto his face. "How long do you think they'll wait before they send someone up for us?"

"Mm... Ten, twenty minutes?" Rob guessed. He was moving slowly across the room, making his way over to the door. "Or maybe, they won't at all." He shut it tightly, making sure the lock was turned.

---

"Has anyone seen Rob or Preston?" The table went quiet, all eyes shooting towards the speaker.

Vikk and Lachlan exchanged a glance, then shrugged innocently. "No idea where Rob is." The Aussie lied. "Nor have we seen Preston."

"Well, that's helpful." Adam muttered. "Weren't you two supposed to wake him up?"

"He wasn't in there." Vikk went back to picking at his food, not too fond of the greasy McDonalds breakfast platter.

"I could go check." Ty spoke up in a soft voice. Adam looked over, their eyes meeting for a moment. The man's expression seemed to soften, causing Ty's cheeks to flush lightly. "I-If that's not a problem..."

"No, not at all." Adam answered. People looked back and forth between the two males, confused as to why there was so much tension between the two. "Go ahead, Ty. Don't be too long."

Immediately, Ty jumped up, bolting from the room. Jerome rolled his eyes, seeming to be the only person who actually caught on to what was happening. His disgust hadn't lessened any since the start.

"You are so obvious." He muttered, glancing at Adam. Luckily, the two were seated side by side, and he'd only spoken loud enough for Adam to hear. Even Mitch, who was sitting unusually close, hadn't picked up on his words.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He answered smoothly as he sat, listening to the chatter resume.

"Bullshit." Jerome grumbled. He turned to talk to Mitch again, leaning in to whisper something into his ear. The Canadian burst out laughing, though quickly composed himself before muttering something back.

They were acting rather strange...

A quick glance around the table. Nothing else seemed off. Only Mitch and Jerome were acting different than usual.

Adam shook his head with a sigh, settling back in his chair. Now that Ty was gone, the breakfast had become boring. He hoped it wouldn't be too long before the boy returned, with or without their guests.

What was with Preston's dream?

Who was in it?

Who comforted him last night?