Many hours later...

"You're a failure Jones..."

Jonesy's eyes shoot open as that oh so familiar voice rings through his mind.

"Ugh... god my head..." He groans. "What happened to me?"

Standing up with a wobble, Jones takes in his surroundings... only, there was nothing around. He seemed to be stuck in some kind of void. His subconscious mind perhaps?

"I... haven't seen a place like this before? What is it?" He questions himself. "Am I dead? Or just stuck in my thoughts?"

A cold breeze flies by him, making him hug his arms with a shiver. Footsteps approach him from behind, causing him to turn around. He's expecting maybe a person or figment of his imagination to be there, but what he finds is something worse.

It was hard to tell in the dark but what looked like a combination of two people and a goopy, slimy amalgamation was towering over him.

"What the actual fuck is that thing?!" He yells out.

The creature morphs into a more familiar figure, staring at him with white soulless eyes. It's taken the form of Slone, only more unnerving.

"Slone? ...no, y-you're not her. What are you?"

"An amalgamation of your fears... your cowardice." It replies. "To put it simply, I'm all your worst qualities."

"I'm... I'm not afraid of you-"

The figure of Slone melts down into a puddle, slithering behind him and forming another person he really didn't want to see. Case in point, his deceased wife Janice.

"You're feeding yourself a lie my friend." It hisses into his ear as he covers his face. "You're a failure to her and the Imagined Order Jones. You always were and always will be."

"N-No... I'm not... I..."

"Yes you are. You're nothing." It taunts him, covering his mouth. "Nothing but a coward who relies on others to save his worthless ass. Admit it."

The creature sprouts tentacles from behind itself and wraps Jones up in them, a wide devilish grin spread across its face. The floor opens beneath him, revealing an endless looking drop.

"No no no please! Janice! I was your husband!"

"If you really cared you would have saved her from Slone. Instead, you stood and watched as she was shot in the head."

With no hesitation it lets Jones go, dropping him to the endless abyss below. He curls up and covers his face, crying out for someone, anyone, to help him.

"No please!! I don't want to die!! Midas!!"

Clutching his head with tears brimming in his eyes, Jones lets a pained yell erupt from his mouth.

Then, everything goes white...

-------

Meanwhile, Midas had finally managed to fall asleep for a good amount of time before eventually his insomnia would start kicking in and keep him up. But this time, it wasn't his night terrors waking him up.

A nearby yell of terror wakes him immediately from his slumber.

"What in the fuck? Who makes this kind of noise at 3 in the morning?"

Putting on his slippers Midas leaves his room and practically runs into Jones' room. He was shocked to see him shivering under his bed covers, shedding what sounded like tears.

"Jones!"

He grips onto his bedsheets tighter, struggling to wake up from the personal hell his mind had conquered up to torture him with.

"Jones what's wrong? Wake up." He tells the blond, taking his hand and leaning closer to him, his lips parting slightly.

"Can you hear me?"

------

Breathing heavily Jones continues to run.

Where?

He didn't know, nor did he care.

All he knew was that he wanted to escape this nightmare.

"Ugh! Leave me alone! Get away from me!" He shouts, shooing the tentacles away.

Trying to make another run for it, Jones stumbles and falls onto the ground upon noticing chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles. The creature stalking him is about to grab him until some sort of barrier of light intervenes, protecting the blond.

"Huh?"

"Jones!! Can you hear me?!"

"...Midas?"

The creature covers its vision, the light blinding it. Screeching incoherently, it slinks away out of sight and the chains fade away, and the bright light getting bigger and bigger...

------

Midas hums, brushing his hand across his cheek.

"C'mon Jonesy..."

He suddenly stirs in his troubled sleep, his baby blue eyes fluttering open and looking up at Midas. Tears immediately begin forming in his eyes as his mind recounts the nightmare that went on in his head.

"Jones! Thank goodness you're finally awake." Midas sighs in relief. "Are you okay? I heard your cries and-"

"Midas..! It was terrible! This odd creature showed and said it was a representation of my fears." He whimpers, hugging him tightly. "I couldn't wake up and escape. It was like I was stuck in my subconscious with no way out."

The golden mastermind sighs out of pity and takes his hands, both their foreheads touching.

"It was just a nightmare Jones. Nothing can hurt you in there." He reassures him, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "I'll be here to protect you from your fears for as long as I can. I promise."

They lean closer to each other to the point their lips were almost touching, a flush of pink appearing on Jones' cheeks. Although Midas shuffles back a little, slightly going red in the face.

"But if you're too shaken by this sudden nightmare to fall asleep again...then why not allow me to sleep with you."

Midas runs his hand through Jones' hair, admiring its colour and how soft it was. He pulls away, only for the blond to grip onto his wrist, pulling his hand back.

"Don't... don't leave."

"Very well then. I'll stay with you."

Jones shuffles aside to let Midas come under the covers alongside him. He already felt more comfortable with someone here to share his company.

"Hey, Midas?"

"Hm?"

"Would you... give me...a kiss?"

Jones turns bright red out of embarrassment of the stupid question he was asking. Midas snickers quietly, going a slight pink in the face.

"Someone's a bit desperate, aren't they?"

"Well...I just don't want to feel as though I'm alone again is all."

Midas hums with a small smile, moving a hand through his messy blond golden locks, while Jones slides his hand across his face.

"You'll never be alone my dear."

As per his request, Midas hums as he and Jones lock lips. The kiss was a deep one, passionate even. The blond grips onto Midas' arms, giving him the sign that in this moment, he needed him. He couldn't help but feel the same way.

Whatever the circumstances they'd find themselves in, they knew one thing for sure;

They needed eachother and didn't want to loose eachother, having both already lost too much in life.

"Are you alright?" Jonesy asks, pulling away to catch his breath.

"Yes. It's just that...my heart doesn't want this moment of ours to end. Is that a bad thing?"

Jones smirks, leaning a little closer to Midas.

"Well I don't think that's a bad thing. Besides...I don't want this to end either."

Jones happily nuzzles his head under Midas' chin as they lie down, resting it near his elbow. He simply puts his arm around him, his golden hand resting near Jones' chest.

"Rest well blondie." He whispers softly.

There was just something about Jones that made him feel... happy. Whatever it was, he was glad he finally decided to let these romantic feelings towards Jones take the reins.

As for Jones, he was relieved Midas decided to stay and keep him company for the rest of the night.

But in the back of his mind that...thing still lurked within his conscious. The representation of his deepest fears and his cowardice.

Was it always there? Would it always be there?

Whatever the case he knew he'd have to deal with it sooner or later, or else his fears would begin destroying him from the inside out.