4Screaming. It was loud, and it was Even's nightly alarm. He was awake by the time the second one pierced through the air, his robe on tightly as slippers padded down the hallway. Most of the apprentices had grown used to this routine. Almost every night, without fail, screaming would come from the boy's room. The screams would last for a good few minutes before they gradually faded into sobs. Then, silence with the occasional muffled whimper. It was always the same.
A third scream encouraged Even to pick up his pace, a short one that made him run to the boy's door to force it open. Ienzo's eyes were still closed as he turned sharply in his bed, causing his sheets to fall off of him. Even rushed to his side, and, with practiced gentility, shook the boy's shoulders to wake him. He waited for the haunted look from cerulean eyes, unaware of their surroundings. It never took long, and it didn't this time. Shocked eyes stared straight back into acidic green ones. He was breathing too fast, and tears had already made paths on his face. Blue hair was a mess, sweat making his bangs stick to his forehead. He couldn't breathe. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to—
"It's all right." The script had been practiced many times. Even took a seat next to Ienzo, moving the boy so he could hold him. Ienzo didn't resist, and fell naturally into Even's side. Despite his shaking, he managed to stay put, still whimpering as he tried to catch his breath and listen to what Even was saying. "Breathe, Ienzo. They're merely nightmares. They cannot hurt you now."
Ienzo never replied when he talked to him after a nightmare. He was still in too much shock, and Even could only imagine why. It took a lot of coaxing after many nights spent at the boy's side before he could find out where the nightmares were coming from. They were always the same: fire, the smell of smoke, the sound of burning walls and screaming parents and a house falling apart and turning to ash. It only made sense that Ienzo's mind fixated on the tragedy of his parents' deaths. There was evidence of trauma here, and the nightmares only enforced that belief in Even. Whether or not anyone liked it, the nightmares were brought on by trauma, and it would take some time before the healing process took effect.
An hour or two would pass before Ienzo fell asleep. Even stayed by his side until he did, or asked Aeleus to do so if he was particularly tired. This time, the scientist fell asleep on the floor next to the boy's bed with the full knowledge that he was going to be sore come tomorrow. Hopefully, Ienzo would sleep through the night, and he wouldn't wake up from another nightmare again. He was losing too much sleep as it was, as were the rest of the apprentices and Ansem the Wise. Though, Even noted that if Ienzo did not have the nightmares, he would not know what the boy's voice sounded like. He remained mute otherwise, obviously another product of trauma, and not a physical defect.
These thoughts there the ones that lingered in Even's mind before he fell asleep. He was not sure how long he slept, but he knew what he woke up to, and when. The sound of the door creaking open as a child slipped through the open space gently brought him out of his slumber. It was barely sunrise, only a bit a light outside of the window. With a sigh, Even pulled himself up to stand. His back was sore, as always, and it was about an hour too early for him. He normally rose shortly after the sun had risen completely, not when it was still rising. But, with Ienzo out of his room, he needed to be awake to find him.
First, he tried looking in the other apprentices' rooms. Occasionally, Ienzo would visit them after he woke up, staying with them if he did not feel particularly safe; his usual choice was Aeleus. If he was feeling particularly mischievous, he would hide in Even's room and see if he could make the scientist search every other room first. Yet, when Even looked in his room, it was the same as when he left it the previous evening. He made his bed and dressed quickly, putting on a coat just in case. If Ienzo wasn't with one of the other apprentices, his options weren't limited to just the inside of the castle. There was the library or the kitchen, but the library doors were still locked and breakfast wasn't cooking yet. There was only one other place he would go.
He didn't bother checking the two aforementioned rooms, instead heading straight for the balcony. Since he was unable to get through the locked doors to the outside of the castle, Ienzo often settled for the balcony so he could go outside. It had become his new hiding place, particularly after nightmares. Even asked why once, but he never received an answer. He supposed it was soothing to see the light of the sun slowly crawl over the town below, and watch the people wake up and leave their houses. Either way, he was right: in pajamas that were too big for him, and hair disheveled, Ienzo stood overlooking the town. Judging by the way he held his arms, and the occasional shiver, he was cold. Winter was approaching, and of course Ienzo knew that. But, he would have woken up Even by getting a coat, so he went without.
Shaking his head, Even took off his coat. Slowly, he walked behind Ienzo and placed it on his shoulders. It was far too big for him, but the boy didn't seem to mind. Blue eyes glanced up into green ones—his way of giving thanks—before looking back down. There was evidence of crying, but nothing was said about it. Instead, Even stood next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Ienzo didn't move, which meant he allowed Even to keep his hand there—no, perhaps he wanted it there. It was hard to read him when he stayed almost completely quiet.
"You're not normally awake this early," Even pondered aloud, keeping his voice quiet so he would not startle Ienzo. "You couldn't sleep again, could you?"
His answer was a shake of the head, and that was it—at least he received an answer this time. Even continued. "Do you want me or Aeleus to stay with you tonight?" A minute, maybe longer, passed before Ienzo reluctantly nodded. He never liked to admit that he was frightened of the images his mind created, or that he was suffering. "I will ask Lord Ansem to make your floor a bit more comfortable then." He offered Ienzo a smile at his small joke. It wasn't returned, the boy favoring the town below instead of smiles. One of these days, he would smile; it wasn't about to happen, but perhaps once the tragedy wasn't so fresh in his mind, he could smile.
Deciding it would be better to stay quiet, Even did not say another word. He stood next to Ienzo, keeping his hand on his shoulder. Part of it was to keep his coat from falling off the boy's shoulder, the other part Even's instinct. He thought Ienzo could use a little bit of comfort, someone to keep him company while he stood out on the balcony. This was the closest thing to bonding the two of them could do: Ienzo didn't speak, and Even had given up forcing conversation out of him. The quiet was nice, though. There was almost a sense of peace out here on the balcony with the son he inherited.
He had accepted that he was acting as Ienzo's father a while ago; it took him a week, nights spent on Ienzo's floor, mornings spent searching for him, and the days spent tutoring him, to fully comprehend his role. Lord Ansem may have been the one to officially adopt the child, but it was Even who took most of the responsibility for caring for him. He made sure the boy ate at proper times, and got at least some sleep. Aeleus helped when he could, and he watched over Ienzo when Even was too busy with his work. If he sensed that Even needed a break, he would take his place in keeping Ienzo safe at night, or taking him to the library. The boy liked to read more than he liked to eat. Perhaps it would be a good idea to read him to sleep; though, neither Even nor Aeleus knew what his favorite book was.
Twenty minutes. That was how long they spent out on the balcony. Ienzo could tell that Even was thinking the entire time; he was always thinking. He was probably thinking about how to cure him, make the nightmares go away so the castle could sleep at night. Or, he was thinking about the work he had ahead of him, and how in the world he was going to solve that equation Lord Ansem left on the whiteboard. It was tempting to solve the problem for him, but Even didn't know what he was capable of yet. He was likely thinking about all of it at the same time, and those thoughts were organized in their own way that made no sense to anyone but him. The only thing Ienzo could tell, though, was that both of them wanted to stay on the balcony for just a little bit longer. However, they both went inside out of obligation. Even's hand didn't leave Ienzo's shoulder. He wasn't pushing him to walk forward, nor was he pulling him back. His hand was just there.
He wished Even figured out that he didn't need to talk a long time ago. All he needed to do was this. It was proving to be enough for now.