Creed - Ch. 3 - Weird Roommate

Adam's house had three bedrooms total. It was meant for a family with two kids, but Adam had neither a family and nor kids, now. He slept in one room, Ty in another, and Jay occupied the third. Jay's friend Ivor slept on the couch, insisting that he had slept in much less comfortable places and that a Jay should sleep on a bed.
    Adam supposed he now had three roommates. He didn't really mind it though, and even if he did, he wouldn't have the energy to do anything about it. He had just been tired recently; physically and mentally. No matter how much he tried to sleep, his nightmares would either keep him up or disturb whatever rest he managed to get. Not only that, but without baby Mason around the care for, Adam had a little trouble taking care of himself, especially in his sleep-deprived state. Several times, Ty had to remind him to shower.
    Jay was surprisingly attentive - half the time. The other half, he spent locked up in his room, doing god knows what. Once, Adam had gotten up in the middle of the night after a particularly bad dream for a glass of water, and saw some weird blue light shining, brighter than a computer screen would be, under his door, even though it was closer to sunrise than it was to sunset. He had been too tired to ask what he was doing. More of his time time Jay spent isolated with Ivor going in to check on him several times an hour, but when he was out of the room, he always hovered around Adam, making sure he was eating and drinking enough, persuading him to go outside on a walk that he himself would be reluctant to join him on, getting him to rest and play with his dogs. After a few days, Adam got used to Jay and Ivor being around, and he either tried his best to ignore them or talked to them as little as possible when they were walking around. Ty was the one who tried to figure out who they were and where they came from - Jay always answered the questions, and he mostly avoided them in doing so. Adam didn't really care where they were from, just so long as they weren't criminals. He wasn't sure there, either, really. He still couldn't bring himself to care.
    Adam and Jay didn't interact too much for the first week or so besides the occasional, not so gentle reminder to eat, so Adam almost forgot he was there. He spent most of his time on Netflix or some social media sites, distracting him from more speculation on his dreams. Since he met Jay, he hadn't had any strange flashes. He still didn't know how Jay had triggered a flash just by touching him, but again... he was too tired to try and find out.
    Then, one day, Jay came out of his room and leaned in the doorway of Adam's bedroom. Adam hadn't been expecting anyone to be there as Ty was at work and Ivor didn't talk much to anyone period, so when Jay suddenly spoke, it made him jump.
    "Doing anything tonight?"
    After he had recovered from the initial surprise of hearing Jay's voice while the sun was still up, Adam looked up. Jay was leaned up with his shoulder in the doorway of his bedroom, his arms crossed, blue eyes regarding him intelligently, searchingly. Adam in turn had just been laying in bed on his phone, but as he saw Jay, he pushed himself into a sitting position. "Sorry, what?"
    "Are you doing anything tonight?" Jay repeated himself calmly.
    Adam hesitated. Of course he wasn't doing anything, he hadn't even left his house except for the ten minute walk around the neighborhood he took with Rascal every morning since the incident at the grocery store. But why was Jay asking, and where was he planning on going. "...Probably not..." Adam replied finally, slowly.
    "Cool. I know a cool bar downtown. Wanna get some drinks? I'll buy."
    Adam stared at Jay for several seconds in question, but try as he might, he couldn't read him at all. It crossed his mind that Jay was new in town, and how could he know about good bars since he never left the house much?, but he didn't feel like getting into it. He shrugged and nodded. "Sure, what time?" Free drinks were free drinks. He wasn't going to complain, though he wasn't too overly enthusiastic about leaving the house in the first place. He knew it would be good for him to get out of the house, anyway.
    "Eight?" Jay asked.
    Adam nodded. It didn't matter what time; he was always doing the same thing all day anyways. Besides, they were living in the same house, they could leave together anytime they wanted. Jay nodded back and uncrossed his arms. "See you then." He said simply, then he walked away. Adam stared after him a few minutes, before he breathed a sigh and went back to scrolling through his instagram.

Adam wasn't thrilled about being out. As soon as he got in the car, he realized he was at risk of having another flash. Even being in clothes that weren't pajamas made him feel less in his comfort zone, and more at risk of causing a disturbance, and then in turn getting stared at by dozens of strangers. Nonetheless, he tried not to think about it as he went. He drove downtown while Jay gave directions. Adam hadn't been so deep in Seattle since he was a kid and living in an apartment in the heart of the city.
    The pub they went to was a little jazz bar that could only be accessed through a door in the alleyway. On the street-facing side of the building, there was only a huge mural of a few men and one woman playing jazz instruments; a piano, bass, trumpet, and drum. Jay led Adam inside, and down a small flight of stairs, and there was the restaurant, underground; it was self-seating, so Jay went right to the bar. Most of the guests were sitting in pairs or groups at round tables, with lit candles rested on top. The room in general was dark, with some deep blue fluorescent lights strung up on the walls along with some artworks having to do with jazz, and a few signed pictures of jazz celebrities. The guests of the place were either talking to each other in cheerful but murmuring voices, or listening intently to the live band of three musicians playing some smooth jazz.
    The bartender, a woman with short, unnaturally colored hair and a lot of piercing came over to them after a few seconds and asked what they would like to drink. Jay ordered himself a tequila, before he looked at Adam. Adam blinked, then hesitated, looking down as if it a menu, but there was none. "Uh..." He hesitated, then shook his head. "I'll - I'll just have a vodka rocks."
    The bartender nodded wordlessly and walked off to get their orders. As they waited, Adam glanced around him. Nobody seemed to have even noticed that they had come in, they were so enthralled either by the music or their own conversations. Adam saw it as a sort of relief; he didn't dislike attention normally, but now, he avoided it at all costs. He was also happy to notice that this place didn't seem familiar to him in any way shape or form, so hopefully, he might even be able to avoid another flash. He looked at Jay again, who was doing something on his phone, texting someone it looked like. "How do you know this place?"
    Jay didn't answer for a moment as he finished and sent his text, but then slid his phone away in his pocket when he was done and turned his attention to Adam; the ringer was still on. "I travel a lot, and I've found myself in Seattle plenty of times. I just came across this place by accident on one of my visits." He looked around, hesitating. "...Funny thing is, I don't even really like jazz. I'm more of an electronic fan. But for whatever reason, I just like this place." Jay looked back at Adam. "Do you like jazz?"
    Adam shrugged. "It's alright... I don't dislike it." He hesitated. "...Jay, why are you living with me?"
    Jay hesitate, choosing his next words very carefully. "Well, it's a long story..." He said. He glanced at Adam searchingly, eyes narrowed thoughtfully, before he continued. "By now, you must have noticed something funny going on, right? Something that feels impossible?"
    "...No?"
    "Your dreams, Adam."
   Adam blinked, and realized what he meant. Those were indeed strange, and unnatural; beyond vivid, and more like reality. They were scary, really, especially since they all seemed to be in the same setting... and like he was the same person experiencing the occurrences in the dream all the time. But then another thought occurred to him. How did Jay know about his dreams? Adam's eyes narrowed a little in suspicion. "How do you-?!"
    "You should try to keep an open mind." Jay interrupted carefully. "The world is strange... All of them are." Adam wanted to ask what he meant, but was distracted when the bartender gave them their drinks, Jay thanking her, before she stalked off again. Adam wasn't sure what to think anymore. His mind was muddled by the lack of sleep, and he was out drinking with this random stranger who had broken into his house with his Russian body guard or whatever and was not living with him, but at least the smooth jazz was relaxing. He let out a sigh, rubbing his face with two hands. Jay looked at him sympathetically. "Try not to think about it too much, you'll just stress yourself out, trust me." He took a rather courageous gulp of his tequila. "...You know you're not going crazy, right?"
    Adam snorted a little. "Not really..."
    "Well, you're not."
    "What are you, a psychiatrist?"
    "Mm... Not really.
    "Them what are you?"
    Jay hesitated, searching for a good answer. Adam thought that was strange; didn't he know what he did for a living? "...Let's go with supervisor." Jay finally told him. "What do you do?"
    Adam breathed a sigh and shrugged. "I don't really know anymore."
    Jay thought for a few moments. "...You have a kid, don't you?"
    Adam looked at him uncertainly, but Jay held up his hands quickly. "You don't have to tell me, I was just curious, it's alright! I get that, you wanna protect your family, and I'm a total stranger."
    Adam's suspicious look remained as he kept staring at Jay. "Why are you here? Why are you staying in my house?"
    Jay breathed a slow sigh. "Let's just get drunk now, yeah?"
    Adam snorted and shook his head, taking his first drink of his vodka in answer. Jay smiled at him. "Cheers, man."
    Several jazz melodies passed by as well as a nearly equivalent number of drinks, mostly on Adam's end. Jay drank less, though Adam was too tired to really notice. If he had been sober, or even in his right mind, he would have been alarmed about how Jay had been so eager to get him drunk, but didn't get drunk at all himself. Finally, some time after midnight, Jay sent a text, put away his phone again, and stood. "We should probably go home now."
    Adam nodded, murmuring an agreement in a rather slurred tone. Jay rolled his eyes a little and took his arm, helping him up with a small smile. "C'mon, up we go."
    Adam told him he could stand by himself, and Jay agreed with him kindly, but helped him anyway. He left what they owed on the bar and led Adam gently outside. Adam wasn't completely out of it; he had been drunk before. He just stumbled a little every now and then as he walked, and he spoke like he was tired, but he had Jay to help him along.
    They went up the stairs of the bar, then outside onto the street. It was much more quiet than it had been when they first arrived, Adam noticed. There was the sound of a police siren, and honking horns a few streets away, but such was the ambient noise of the city at night. Every now and then a car would pass by down the street and depart again without trouble. "Where're we goin...?" Adam asked, yawning.
    "Just to the car." Jay said. "We're going home remember? The car is right here. Don't worry." Jay stopped him and held out a hand. "I'll need your keys."
    Adam took a moment to register what he was asking, before he nodded and patted the pockets of his jacket. He retrieved with some difficulty the keys to his car and handed them off to Jay, who promptly unlocked the car. But he didn't open the door, hesitating. Adam was about to ask why he was waiting, when suddenly, he felt something that made his blood run cold.
    Something hard and metal pressed to the small of his back. It was a knife.
    "Get into that alley." A voice growled behind him.
    Jay looked up quickly over Adam's shoulder and his eyes widened in fear. "Sh-Shit...!" Adam looked behind him, and somehow felt even more scare in his muddled mind. The man holding a knife to his back was huge, with a beard as big as his head. He was wearing a bandana and a cut up leather jacket and a dirty shirt - he looked like a biker, and he looked very dangerous. "I said get your ass in the alleyway!" He snapped out in a low, angry voice, hinted with a southern accent. Jay grabbed Adam's hand and pulled him into the alley like he demanded. "T-Take it easy, man..." He said carefully, holding up his hands.
    Adam was still in shock as he turned to face him. The biker stepped forward and stood in the entrance to the alley, glaring at the two males. He was so big, he took up the whole entrance, making it impossible for them to think of escape. Adam could hardly stay standing now, with his heart racing. "Take out your wallets, now give 'em to me." The biker snapped, still brandishing his pocketknife (which wasn't the largest of knives in reality, but to Adam at this moment, it was the biggest knife he had ever seen).
    Jay instantly fumbled with his wallet in his back pocket, but Adam was still frozen. The biker's beady black eyes turned on him instantly. "Hey, get it out, wise guy!"
    Suddenly, Adam felt cold, like his body temperature had dropped twenty degrees. His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening. A flash. Oh god, not now - but there was nothing he could do. He stood there in horror, unable to think, a knife pointed at his chest.
    The biker snarled. "I'll just have to take it!" Suddenly, his knife hand jolted forwards, and Adam felt his heart stop. Time seemed to slow, and he inexplicably knew exactly what to do, even though his mind was totally muddled both by panic and by alcohol.
     Before the knife could reach him, Adam grabbed the biker's fat wrist and bent his arm upwards. Surprised by Adam's fast movement, the biker shouted a curse and dropped his knife. Adam took his chance.
     With his free hand, he uppercutted the biker in the jaw with strength he didn't know he had and flipped him onto his back using the other arm. The huge biker hit the ground so hard and with such weight he seemed to shake the ground. Adam panted, glaring down at the dazed biker while Jay stared at him, stunned. Then the reality of what had just happened hit him. Adam's eyes widened and he quickly let go of the biker, stumbling back. He looked at his hands, his breath speeding up past panting and to hyperventilation. "Wh-Wh-Wh...?! H-Hh...!" He put one of his shaking hands over his racing hard, staring at the biker's form on the ground with terrified eyes.
   "H-Hey, hey, wait!" Jay suddenly appeared in his field of vision and grabbed both of his shaking hands tight in his cold ones. "Look at me! Adam, look at me!"
    Adam let out a shaky sound, blinded by fear - mostly of himself.
    "It's over! It's all over. It's okay, he's - he's out cold, it's okay, we're safe!" Jay insisted.
    "H-How did I do that...?!" Adam cried, voice shaky and high. "Th-That wasn't me, I-I can't - I-I c-can't-!"
    "You're alright!" Jay squeezed his hands tighter in one hand now, the other touching his face, staring him intently, bright blue eyes on scared brown ones. "Listen to me... something strange is going on inside you. Your nightmares, they're mixing with reality now, aren't they? Aren't they?"
   Adam nodded, too afraid and overwhelmed to even wonder how Jay could know about his nightmares.
    "I can help you." Jay said, his gaze reassuring and surprisingly calm. "I can make the bad dreams go away, and get you back to normal, help you get back to work and see your kid again and everything. But you have to let me help you... can you do that?"
    All Adam cared about was seeing Mason again. He missed his son terribly, and he would do anything to get him back... even let Jay, this total stranger, do anything he had to. "Y... Y-Yeah... Yeah." Adam nodded shakily, more times than he had to.
   Jay smiled in something of relief. "Good..." He looked around the dark alley, then down at the unconscious biker. "Let's... Let's get you in bed..."