Dear Austin...

The night was upon us again. Sunday night, which meant....movie night! After LP and I made popcorn, Austin and Alan argued between a Disney Movie and the Spongebob Movie.

"WHAAAT? WHY?" I'd heard Austin scream this before. It was caught on record. LP stepped back a little from the intensity of it. Handing her a bowl of popcorn, we walked downstairs to the pit and movie screening. Austin and Alan argued for a while until Alan agreed to watch WALL-E.

The four of us settled in to our positions as I took the remote and started the movie. It was LP on the far left, then Alan, me, and Austin on the far right.

"Carlile! Pass the popcorn!" Alan hissed at the opening scene. Lily-Pearl shushed him and the movie kept rolling. Halfway through the scene of WALL-E and Eve floating through space and the ship returning home, I noticed LP had fallen asleep. It was about ten thirty anyways.

"I'll take her up." Alan offered and delicately picked up LP, so careful not to disturb her. Austin wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to his side. I curled up into him. I couldn't help but close my eyes just a bit, but forced myself to stay awake for the end of the movie. Alan's footsteps were heard coming back down the stairs. I didn't open my eyes to see his expression, but felt him crawl under the blanket with us. We were all close together, despite the enormity of the couch.

Alan clicked off the screen that turned to black and left us in a comfortable, warm silence. I could feel Austin's warm hands stroke little bits of hair away from my face. His chin came up and rested on top of my head. I sighed into his shirt. Alan, wanting to be part of the cuddle group (as always) huddled behind me. I could instantly feel Austin protectively pull me into him more, not willing to share. Alan wrapped an arm around my waist, trying to get him to share.

I drifted off into a peaceful sleep...but it didn't stay that way.

I stood in the hallway, feeling helpless at the scene. Dad came storming into the house with a fire raging in his eye. He spotted Austin and Alan standing next to me. Although he said nothing, I'd rather he had, just to fill the empty space.

He stared at us for a moment while his hands clenched together. He wasn't drunk and his mind was clear. Dad's anger bubbled up and over into the dream world. Austin and Alan didn't crouch or cower, they stood next to me. I saw a gun materialize from his hand. I don't even know where he got it.

"Dad, stop!" I called to him. He raised it and pointed it to me. Alan stepped before me and the bullet pierced his chest. Blood covered the walls. Austin held me back, trying to stop me from running to Alan's fallen form. The color had gone from his face and his normal spark of enthusiasm had been extinguished. Tears streaked my face. I pulled out for a moment to face my dad. The muzzle of the gun was pointed to Austin Carlile. His finger was dangerously close to pulling the trigger.

"I'm gone for a week and you spend it with these boys?! Let me guess, you paid them to stay with you? You're a little fatty, the ugly one with marks, the little girl who had to pay someone to even spend time with her?" My dad sneered.

"No, dad, stop!" Tears kept falling. I thrashed around in Austin's grip. He held me close so I couldn't run in front of the gun to stop my father.

"STOP! STOP!" I screamed. Austin bravely stood in my defense, but I watched him fall to the ground.

Blood started to pour out of an open wound in his chest. I watched his eyes go wide, then flutter shut. I turned to yell at my dad, to make him pay, but he was gone. All I was left was the body of my friends.

"No! No! Not them! Give them back! Come back, please..." I begged. Everything started to dissolve.

"RAELYN!" A voice called to me. My entire body shook as someone grabbed hold of my shoulders. My brain was in darkness, and I felt somebody call my name again.

"Rae, it's going to be okay!" The voice tried to soothe. With a start, I opened my eyes to darkness. From the glass pane to the window well, I could see Alan's red hair and Austin looking worried over me. I covered my face with my hands. The nightmare was still lingering in my memories.

"Oh Austin, Alan..." I breathed out, trying to collect myself. Austin picked my up and sat with his back against the dark pillows. He cradled my head into his chest as I wrapped my arms around his tall frame. I could feel Alan rubbing my back, trying to take his part in soothing me.

Although I was safe in Austin's arms, I still shook violently. He kissed my forehead once again, lifting my face to meet his eyes. They peered down at me eerily in the shadows. It was about one in the morning.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" He asked in the same tone. Alan silently listened in. His quietness scared me a slight bit. They both listened him as I gathered my voice and explained what I had dreamed about. Alan hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"This seems to be a reoccurring nightmare." He whispered. Austin raised his head to look at him. My anxiousness rose a little and I could sense my hands balling into fists with the familiar bite of my version of beautiful pain.

"Lily-Pearl had it last night and came down to talk to me." Alan admitted after a moment of silence. I let that sink in. The silence sat heavy in the night-stained room.

I heard a single noise upstairs and jumped a little. It must've just been my mom going to get a glass of water or walking around. I gripped my arms, rubbing them up and down.

Austin sensed my worry and held my hands still. He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. I willed my mind to shut down for a few minutes and recollect myself. I thought for a moment, trying to push away the bad memories.

"Promise me i'll be okay?" I asked him. He kissed me on the nose, just a little peck that sent my heart racing a mile a minute.

"I promise." He never hesitated.

Dad was coming home on Friday. It was only very early Monday morning. We had time, and he would've be back until then. Austin and Alan would be well out of the house by then. It will be okay.

"What happened?" I asked them finally after my nerves had worn down to the wire.

"You were thrashing around pretty badly. You stared saying 'No, no, not them.'" Alan replied. His hand rubbed the back of my neck. My spine tingled under his cool touch.

Austin looked back down to me. He finally released my hands and I moved my head to curl into his neck. He was warm under the cold of the basement.

"Can you go back to sleep now?" He asked me. At that point I felt a little bad, him acting as the baby sitters for a fifteen year old child. Even then, he didn't seem to mind it.

"Probably not. You guys can go sleep though. I'll probably just lie down and attempt to." I sighed from the weariness.

"Carlile, I believe it's the Of Mice and Men midnight initiation ceremony." Even in the darkness, I could see Alan's stunning grin. Austin laughed quietly.

"Ashby, I think you're right. But it is one in the morning, not midnight." Austin corrected. I laughed a little.

"Fine, we can work details out later." Alan shrugged and got up. The ginger princess pulled me to my feet after him. Between the three of us, we started up the stairs.

"Time for the initiation." Austin started ominously.

Notes

Oooooohhhhhh......Super secret initiation....

(OK, you guys wanted it, you guys shipped it...Here's some more Rae/Alan, or Austlyn as @niamh called them.)

*HINT HINT* MORE AUSTLYN ON THE WAY :D

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I LOVE YOU ALL, NOW GOODNIGHT! :)