You and I

Aaron's POV

I can't sleep. The thoughts in my head are driving me crazy, and I can't even control them. I don't see darkness when I close my eyes, I see all white. It's like a white room. Dark rings of black smoke fly around the room, each trying to hit me but I wave my hands and they go the opposite direction. Lately, this has been getting worse, and it's getting harder and harder to control the shadows. "Stop." My voice is tired from the days of keeping the shadows away. "Please." A window appears in the corner of the room, and the longer I look at it the more I realize what I can do. "Alright then, come here." My hands reach out in front of my, palms facing outwards. The black smoke flies towards me and I wave my hands around my head, sending the smoke in circles. "Let's try something." My hands shoot out at the window, causing the smoke to do the same. The window opens just as the smoke reaches it, sending the darkness out into who knows where. Finally. The light in the room dims as I descend into sleep for the first time in a few days. I'm asleep for about five minutes. That's when I hear her scream.

Jade's POV

(Five minutes earlier)

~The twigs crunch under my army boots as I walk through the forest. Trees as wide as cars surround me, their branches blocking the sunlight. The green leaves reflect the sun's rays and cause what would be a beautiful picture moment. My eyes gaze towards the ground. The dark, rich dirt covers my boots, but the smell of earth calms me. A crunch comes from about fifteen feet away and I look up. A stag walks out from behind a tree, his antlered head faces straight. I watch in awe as he gracefully walks slowly towards the opening between two large trees. His intense brown colored coat glistens with sunlight, and the ivory colored antlers on his head looks strong in the gentle lighting. I accidentally let out a small sound of appreciation, causing him to turn his head quickly. That's when I notice his eyes. Gentle jade green eyes watch me as I make no movement. A small smile creeps onto my lips as I witness the perfection of this moment. I haven't been this at peace since, well, I can't remember. His front left hoof rises and hangs in the air, as if he's unsure where to go to next. I realize his gaze isn't on me anymore, it has wandered somewhere behind me. That's when I hear the growl.

I turn carefully, the cool air hitting the bare skin of my cheeks. An equal fifteen feet from me stands a large brown wolf. It's snarling, it's glowing green eyes glaring at me. It's glowing green eyes. I know the look, the feel of them. I've never seen them on someone, something, else though. I feel as if they are burning through me and I feel something I haven't felt in a long time: fear. The wolf steps forward on it's front left paw, it's eyes moving to the deer. They move like mirrored images of each other, even their breathing is in sync. The wolf bares it's teeth and I step backwards towards the deer, my hands by my sides. This wolf isn't like Shade, it isn't like any wolf I have ever seen. It takes it's time, it knows how to play with my head. I move to the left and so does the wolf. I take another step back and hear a splash. I have stepped into a creek that wasn't there two seconds ago. It's crystal waters splash over the small rocks, running over my shoes. What is this? It's growling get's louder and louder as it steps closer and closer. "Stay." My voice is shaking from uncertainty. Unfortunately, the wolf doesn't listen. It lurches forward, jumping over my head. "No!" The innocent deer struggles to get out of the way, and the wolf claws at it's back. "Stop!" I try to run towards them and stop the wolf from killing the deer but my feet won't move. The wolf's glowing eyes grow brighter as it sinks it's teeth into the deer's neck. "NO!" The deer's light eyes go out as it's body falls limp to the ground. My hand goes to my heart as I fall to my knees. I feel as if a part of me has just been stabbed, literally. Cold water runs over my knees, soaking my pants and causing me to shiver but all I can do is watch the wolf. It licks it's lips and steps over the dead deer's body, completely unaware of what it had done. "You monster." I growl under my breath, but it just growls back. I want to stand and fight. I want it to know that it can't take me too, but my legs won't work. It's paws trample every leaf under them as it walks over to me, it's snout less than centimeters from my face. "You can't have me." I watch in horror as it's jaw drops and it speaks with a cold tone.

"But I already do."~

Aaron's POV

"AARON!"

I throw my covers off and run into the shadow next to my dresser, ending up in Jade's room. She's sitting up in her bed, screaming. Before Belle can get in to see her, I run and shut the door. "Sorry Iz." I'm not letting anyone see Jade in a state like this. Her eyes are closed tight and she's shaking her head as if she's trying to get an image out. "Jade!" I run to her bed side and kneel right next to her, grabbing her hands. "Shh, Jade it's okay." She shakes her head, her shoulders shaking as well. Her brown hair is hanging in front of her face and her lips are trembling. "Jade, I need you to open you eyes for me." Her eyes open slowly, and my fingers clench her when I see what had happened. Her left eye is the same as it always it, a bright jade green color, but her right... it's burning green. I have never seen it before, it's almost... frightening. Her pupil is gone, her entire eye, every part of it, is glowing green. My breath get's stuck in my chest as I watch it slowly fade.

"Aaron." Her voice is quiet and scared. From the look on my face she can tell something was wrong. She pulls her hands away as they go to her face, and she starts to whimper again.

"No, no baby it's okay." I pull her hands down from her face and climb onto the bed, pulling her close to me. "It's okay."

"My dream." She starts to shake again and I hold her head close to my chest. Her short, shallow breaths heat my shirtless chest as her cold fingers rest on me as well. I lift her fingers and hold them gently.

"What about it?" I run my fingers through her tangled hair and down her neck, trying to calm her. "Jade, tell me." She tries to calm down and start breathing normally again.

"I-I was in the woods a-and," She tells me everything, from the color of the deer's eyes to the wolf talking. "What d-do you think it meant?" If there is anything I have learned over the years, it's that dreams aren't random. They can mean anything from your deepest desires to your future. Unfortunately, Jade's sounds like the bad type. The deer with the light eyes, that is clearly representing her when she isn't mad. Jade can be shy and almost childlike when in a good mood, or with me. The wolf though, that is definitely a symbol of her when she is mad. The way her eyes glow, the fear she puts in others. Jade can be a ruthless killer when she is set off. Sadly, that is all too easy. The wolf killed the deer, and if it means what I'm afraid it does, well, everyone is in trouble. "Aaron?" Her eyes stare at me worriedly. "What are you thinking?" I stare her straight in the eyes. Honestly, I'm not worried about what will happen to her, or how she'll change. I'm not going to let that happen. There is no way in hell that I am going to let her become the monster she fears she is. I am, however, thinking about how she had this nightmare. It came out of nowhere. The night I finally get rid of my shadows... my demons... is also the night that Jade wakes up screaming for me. I pull her close to my again, her head burried in my chest. It's my fault. It's all my fault. Oh God Jade, I'm so sorry. It was my demons that attacked her, and they will probably do it again. And there's nothing I can do to stop it.

"Don't worry about it."

Belle's POV

I'm in the gym when Aaron walks through the doors. I barely notice him. I'm too busy trying to shatter a dummy's ribcage. My hands fly and hit the stuffed person's torso, sending it in the other direction. It flies harmlessly back at me. "You aren't hitting it hard enough." He calls out from across the room. I let out a small laugh and get in the ready position again, blowing strands of blue hair out of my eyes.

"Oh yeah? You do better." I swing my arm just as the dummy moves. My hand hits a hard surface and Aaron flickers into sight in front of me. His eyes stare at me and he moves my hand from his chest.

"Tighten up here." His hands move to my arm as he squeezes the little muscle I have here. I do as he says and swing at the dummy again, sending if off it's rope that hooks it to the ceiling.

"Well, would you look at that." Aaron nods with aproval and turn to a rack full of weapons and dummies. "Let's try this." He tosses me a blue staff. I wave it around my head and strike the dummy on the shoulder, and the seams rip. "Nice." Aaron walks over to the wall and slides down to his feet, hiding his face in his knees.

"Aaron, you okay?" I say gingerly, slowly walking over to his side. He shakes his head without looking up, and I take a seat next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Remember when I told you about my demons." He says with a sad voice.

"Mhmm?" He lifts his head, revealing his blearly blue eyes.

"They went after Jade." I tilt my head, not understanding what this means, "I thought I finally got rid of them, but it turns out they just found another way to hurt me."

"Aaron this can't be your fault. I mean just because Jade-" I freeze when the doors swing open. Jade walks in with her hair pulled back, dressed her normal work out attire. She seems completely relaxed, almost normal. A worried crosses Aaron's face.

"Jade, what are you doing up?" The concerning tone in his voice makes Jade uneasy. Her thick eyebrows turn upwards and her jaw tightens.

"I'm going to work out. What's wrong with that?"

"You were up all night! Shouldn't you be sleep-"

"I slept just fine Aaron." Jade says sternly, her eyes darting to me. She doesn't want me to know she had a nightmare. "Don't worry about it." Jade turns her back on us and starts beating the dummy I had been practicing on previously. Her fists beat the padding so hard that the indents don't have time to heal before her next blow. Aaron just stands behind her, his shoulders hunched in defeat.

"Fine." He turns around and immediately walks towards the exit, pushing the doors aside with her hands roughly extended. I follow him, slipping between the doors before they close. Aaron walks through the hallways and up several staircases before stopping in the living room by the fireplace. He kneels down and pokes at the wood, attempting to start a small fire. "She just wants to keep it a secret..." I kneel down next to him and lean against the brick wall, soon feeling a warm glow from the small flames. The fire doesn't bother me when Aaron is here. "Jade doesn't like to be viewed as a victim."

"I don't think I ever could look at her that way." My fingers twirl strands of my blue hair into knots and let them hang across my arms. "It's not who she is." Aaron rests his head against his arm and focuses his eyes on the fire. A small smile spreads across his lips and he shakes his head.

"No. No it isn't." We both just sit there, leaning against the fireplace. Aaron stares intently at the fire, and I stare at him. His left cheek slowly indents, a sign that he's begun to chew on it again. Jade says this means he's nervous. "I don't think I can protect Jade." He states this bluntly and my eyebrows furrow with confusion.

"What are you talking about?" 

"I made a promise to her that I would never leave... I would never do anything to hurt her." Aaron's lower lip trembles, then I notice the few tears that are gripping his water lines. "I was the reason that she woke up screaming, she was scared." Tears start to roll down his cheeks and he covers his eyes with his hands. "She was so scared Belle."  His voice is like a whimper. Aaron didn't mean to hurt her, why would he ever hurt the girl he loves? That's the problem. He wouldn't.

"But you were there for her," I pull his hands away from his face and squeeze them as I give him a small smile. "Almost immediately." His cheeks and eyes are red from the recently applied pressure to his face, his sad blue eyes wide enough to make me want to cry. 

"I wasn't fast enough." Aaron shakes his head, his tone going from upset to furious. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place!" He pulls his hands away from me and slams one against the brick wall, not even showing regret of his decision afterwards. "She screamed for me Belle! Jade screamed my name! MY NAME!" His voice cracks and his head slumps to look downwards. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" His hands start to shake. "Promise me you'll take care of her... if I can't?"

"Aar-"

"Promise me?" His blue eyes stare into mine and I nod my head slowly. "You'll never hurt her? Promise?" I nod again. "Good." His head lowers again and his shoulders twitch slightly for a minute. "But I'm warning you... I don't like people who break their promises..." Something is different with his tone... It's more of a threat. 

"Aaron... Aaron look at me." I reach out and grab the sides of his chin, turning his attention towards me. I wish I didn't. 

"Like what you see Belle?" His eyes are pitch black and a cruel smirk takes the place of his quivering frown. The worst part is his voice. It's Aaron, no doubt, but at the same time it isn't. It's too spiteful and apathetic. 

"Aaron stop that." I hiss at him, even though I want to scream. All he does is stare at me with the same evil look. His black eyes peer into mine and I want to hide. "Cut it out!" I slap him across the face, but not as hard as I can. I don't want to hurt Aaron... Because Aaron is in there somewhere. The force of the slap turns his face about sixty-five degrees and knocks his hair in front of his eyes. For a second the smirk is still there... For a second he won the battle... But then the smirk sheds into a look of pain. 

"Ow! Belle? Why did yo-" Aaron slowly turns his head back to face me, his messy blonde hair still covering his eyes. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t-" His hands reach for mine but by instinct I flinch, which immediately makes Aaron's face fall. His eyebrows scrunch together and he closes his eyes tight, as well as his fists. "That usually doesn't happen... U-Usually-" Aaron looks back at me with another sad look. "Usually Jade stops it." I bite my lip and shake my head, resting my pale hands on top of Aaron's fists.

"Aaron, it's okay." He won't look me in the eyes and I feel horrible. Aaron can be so childlike sometimes. "Really, it's okay." I squeeze his fists in attempt to make him feel better, but I fail. "Everyone has their demons, okay? The difference between us and them is... Well..." Aaron finally looks up at me with a mildly expressional face. "You and I, we're just better at hiding them." His expression falls again as he stands to his feet. 

"Most of the time." His tone is so gloomy, even the way he walks out of the room is depressing, but he's right. We can only hide our demons for so long before they escape, and they will escape. There's just nothing we can do to stop it.