Wake up in sweat-(Manny/Lizzie)

[apollo rick summter]

Apollo lay in the small bed of his tiny motel room, sticking close to Manny. Manny was living with Apollo now, and thus far it was pretty happy. Even in his sleep he kept close, so no one could steal him back now. Apollo was fast asleep now, but his mind was still all over the place, and it showed in his dreams. He remembered calling the cops, and saying that Manny was just his “friend”. He was smart enough to know that the cops weren’t sympathetic about most gays. He feared that they wouldn’t have gone out there with the same interest they would have if they believed he was straight. Things had gone well though, because now Manny’s parents were both in jail and Manny was with Apollo. At first he had worried that Manny would be upset after being withdrawn from his own parents, but after he realized he wouldn’t be he felt better.

It had been a while since Apollo had slept well; between jobs, school and worrying about his boyfriend it was hard sometimes. Now, he was in peace. School was out for a solid week, Manny was okay and his manager was giving him a week (with pay). Apollo had worked harder for the past month than any month so that he could do so, just so he could feel great. He wanted to spend this week to get his resting on, so he could go back and be even better than last time. Recently though, Apollo didn’t care about money. He cared about the well-being of his dear Manny. That was what drove him to make the call and end it for once and for all. He loved his boyfriend too much to just hear about the abuse that was going on.

Suddenly he was pulled out of his deep sleep, into a much lighter one. He was still asleep yes, though his conscious world was coming into his unconscious one. Soft sounds of weeping came into his dreams, taking the form of a crying angel. Then everything seemed to vibrate all together, and Apollo awoke suddenly. The arm that was around Manny was trembling, wait no. The front of Apollos shirt was also wet where Manny’s head was laying. Apollo then registered that Manny was trembling horribly, and he was crying too. He shook him lightly. ”Manny? Manny wake up.” He needed to wake him up from his nightmare, wake him up from the terror that was dwelling silently in his self-conscious mind.

[/size][/justify]

[emmanuel james marin]

Back at home Manny was never happy, dealing with his parent’s abuse every single day since he was ten he thought there was no one who could ever really care about him let alone love him in till he met Apollo. Manny always knew he was gay, coming out around the age of thirteen and the minute his parents found out about it they were only harsher with the abuse they had once given him. Manny always use to feel he deserved it, that he was a bad child and his parents were just punishing for all the bad things he did, but long clothes and make up could only cover up so much. That could never hide what Manny felt inside all the time that could never make things any better. His parent’s were horrible people; it just took some time for him to see that.

After Apollo called the cops he had to admit he really was just even a little frightened, he almost feared that they would somehow make up a story to get out of everything but that wasn’t the case. The cops had people examine the cuts and bruises and heard his story, that his parent’s had been abusing him since he was little, how it started with just simple verbal abuse. The verbal abuse later formed into physical, his parents smacking him, throwing things at him, and even burning him with anything that was within reach. The story in its self was a depressing one, and by the time he finished it he was in tear hugging his arms wishing he could just forget everything that had ever happened to him and feeling broken knowing no matter what he did he couldn’t. Scars would remain, some visible and others unseen forever there to only remind him of the hell he was put through.

He was happier with Apollo though, even though he did feel bad about burdening him the way he did even though he said he didn’t all the time. Manny couldn’t help but think that way, he felt as if it wasn’t Apollo’s job to always make him feel better, to make sure he knew that things would now be better for him. Manny would be forever haunted by his thoughts and his past, which led to his nightmares. Manny had been having nightmares all the time and some were worse than others, this one had been one of the worst. He felt so alone and afraid, the feeling of no one wanting him around or loving him in this dream there. In this dream, not even Apollo wanted him; he was like a ghost, a shadow that hardly anyone noticed. When people did notice they would laugh at him, they treated him like his parents did. Worst of all, Apollo was the one who treated him worst of all in this dream.

He knew it was a dream but in his own mind he was afraid of that, of everyone someday turning on him and trembling his closed his eyes tighter wishing he could just wake up. The tears slid down his face, a silent cry that no one could here. Now in his dream he was sitting with his back again the wall, crying and trembling with everyone around him taunting him and throwing things at him. “Manny? Manny wake up.” He heard in from somewhere, trying to figure out where it was coming from shutting his eyes even tighter trying to stop from trembling. Coming to the conclusion that the voice was Apollo he blinked his eyes though the tears continued to fall noticing now that he was trembling and Apollo’s shirt was wet. “Apollo” he said his voice sounding so broken, “I had the most horrible dream” he sniffled.

[apollo rick summter]

Apollo couldn’t help but be protective over his friends anymore. He had watched one friend do many drugs, another get his heart broke, and another get abused. Even Apollo himself had been abused. His step-father had only beaten him twice though. When he first came out, and then the second time when he confessed to being in love. Between that time Apollo had found little other abuse than neglect, and little attention. His mother didn’t give him anything much, but she was never mean either. It was his step-father who did all the mean things, like lock him out of the house. Or maybe sometimes he would “accidently” forget he was around and only make enough dinner for two. That wasn’t bad compared to what Manny had to go through though, so Apollo rarely talked about it around Manny.

When he was with Manny, he felt like a different person. He was happier, gentler, all together just better. With Manny, Apollo just felt alive, like he didn’t have to worry about anything anymore. It was hard sometimes though, because it all felt different. Apollo had been forced to be with different girls to escape abuse, and now being in love just felt so different to him. He didn’t have to force anything, it came so easily now. Love was something amazing, this love was amazing. Something that Apollo would forever cherish for the rest of life.

That’s why he was worried now. Because Apollo had been able to stop the physical abuse for Manny, but if something was coming at him in his dreams he couldn’t do anything. He had read some where that it was bad to wake people up from nightmares, but he knew that he had too right now. ”It was a just a dream, its okay.” He said in a comforting tone. He gently stroked Manny’s arm as he pulled them both into a sitting position, keeping Manny pressed too him. ”What was it about?.. The nightmare?” Apollo was dangerously curious to find out what was haunting his boyfriend. ”Its okay..Its okay..” He said now in a hushed tone.

[/size][/justify]