Close My Eyes Forever [Open]

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

He'd been avoiding sleep just like a lot of other people. But everyone had to sleep at some point. The body demanded it. There was only so long someone--anyone--could stay awake before the body, the mind, rebelled and gave in to its most basic necessity. There seemed to be no way of escaping the Nightmare King. Sleeping meant dreaming, which meant terror being inflicted upon them by the beast that grew stronger with passing day. Staying awake, however, brought its own dangers. The mind wasn't meant to be pushed to such limits. It needed to rest. It needed the time to recuperate. Without it, hallucinations would begin to form, driving them crazy just as easily as the Nightmare King was.

It was the hallucinations that pushed Gambit to go to his quarters and get some rest. He'd stripped off his plantsuit and climbed under the silk covers and was out before his head hit the pillow. It was not meant to last. Deep sleep had been evading him ever since he'd been released by GLaDOS. He sometimes wished she'd held on to him. Even she was better than this.

Remy had no more than fallen and sleep--only for a few minutes really--before the nightmares began. He thrashed in his bed, his body jerking back and forth as he tried to fight against the terrors being forced upon his dreams by the dark entity in the city. He groaned in pain, mumbled incoherent protests against the darkness that had pervaded his subconscious. Each movement, each groan grew in intensity, becoming stronger and more violent than the last until the Cajun's eyes flew open and he shot up in bed and let out a shout loud enough to be heard throughout the crew quarters.

He sat up in bed, his body covered in sweat and his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. It was as if he'd just put himself through a grueling work-out. His muscles were tense and sore. Sleep, itself, had become an enemy that needed to be fought. But how did one fight that which you needed to survive?

Tossing his sheet back, Gambit swung his feet to the floor and cradled his head in his hands. "Get outta my head!" he hollered out at the Nightmare King.

Comments

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"If dat like 'sir' or someting, don't. You make Gambit feel old," the Cajun teased lightly. "And, non, it not. Minnesota a ways up de river from Louisiana. And no where near as exciting."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

"No, no, if that was the case, I guess I'd have to use LeBeau-ojisan." Because nothing can make a man feel old like being called 'uncle'.

She thought for a moment. "I don't know, it doesn't necessarily have to be exciting for me to like a place." At least, what Steve had shown her certainly made her feel comfortable. It was just as Miku and Steve had agreed. Normal was best.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"Non, you don't have to use either," Gambit insisted. He wasn't one for formalities. He like the casual, the familiar. "Just Remy. Or Gambit. Whichever you prefer."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

"Which is better?" Miku asked and glanced up at Gambit. "I don't want to call you by something you dislike." Because she was thoughtful, even though the very Western notion of being so casual to strangers continued to baffle her.

Then again, Miku thought and smiled just slightly, perhaps it was something that some people just did as a matter of course.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"I like dem both, cher," Gambit replied, pausing suddenly and turning to face the small, polite woman at his side. "Which one you like best?"

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku looked up and tilted her head slightly, surprised by his sudden pause. "Ah..." she looked thoughtful for a moment. "Remy, I suppose." It was much easier to say than Gambit, after all.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

Gambit grinned. "Told you de ladies like Remy," he said. Question is, did he mean his name or just him in general? With a playful wink, the Cajun turned and resumed walking.

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

"...ah?" Miku looked at the back of his head a moment, somewhat confused before hurrying along behind him, her steps light. "Is it... because it's easier to say, maybe?" she asked when she'd caught up.

That, and Remy reminded her of Ruri. Well, if Ruri had been an accented westerner and not a cute black and white cat.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"Mebbe, cher," Gambit said, his grin widening. Easier to say? Yeah. Or moan after his kissed you? "Mebbe."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

For some inexplicable reason, Miku felt her cheeks heat up. And the odd feeling that he was, somehow, by not doing anything but grinning at her, teasing her.

She wasn't sure she liked that. "Remy-sa... Remy," Miku started and puffed her cheeks slightly, "it's not nice to tease strangers." She waved a finger at him, chiding gently. The little smile that played around her lips probably did much to lessen it.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"But you not a stranger, petite," Remy replied. "Your name Miku. Gambit know dat. You know Gambit's name and you see Gambit naked. I tink dat mean we friends now, no?"

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku gaped at him. You see Gambit naked.

"I... I... I didn't see anything!" she flailed. It hadn't dawned on her yet that this sort of reaction was like a fuel to some people, like it was to Tess.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"It ok, cher," he grinned. "You ain't de first and you won't be de last, dat for sure."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

"Uwaa..." Miku sighed and rubbed at her face, and mumbled to herself something that sounded like, "But I really didn't..."

In a mostly failing attempt to recover herself, Miku straightened her shoulders and worried her lower lip between her teeth. "You must be very popular at home, Remy," -san, she added mentally, and felt a little better.