02-14-2009, 12:55 AM
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Private. 500+
She knew it was the afternoon, because although winter was cold enough to creep inside the walls of Haven Mansion, she could feel the warmth of the sun against her back. Light was muted from behind her eyelids as she lingered between dreaming and the dark chasm of true, dreamless sleep. And, feeling a familiar warmth wrapped around her back, she struggled to stay in that place in her mind with soft edges, muted colors, and vague images. Sighing, she turned toward the source of that warmth, burying her face against a familiar heartbeat.
"I dreamed of you again," she murmured.
"You're dreaming of me now."
His voice was so clear in her mind. She could feel the rumble of it in his chest, the warmth of his breath against her shoulder as he reached to run his fingers through her hair and down her back. She screwed her eyes shut tightly to keep light from invading the insides of her eyelids. If this was indeed a dream, she didn’t want it to end. Not yet.
She felt his hand come to rest on her cheek. She leaned in to that touch, curling her own fingers into his ribs, bringing her arms around him to hold the small of his back. ”Open your eyes,” he prompted.
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. ”Geneva, I want you to look at me. Is that so much to ask?” His voice was gentle, teasing, coaxing. Geneva shook her head and pressed her face against his body. ”I promise you I haven’t gotten too terribly ugly,” he teased, running his fingers along the side of her face.
”I don’t want to open my eyes,” she mumbled against his neck, digging her fingers desperately, almost roughly into his back to make sure he stayed solid with her.
”Why not?” he prompted.
”I want you to stay,” she whispered, pulling him against her, almost to the point of pain.
He reached behind his back and caught one of her hands in his own, moving his fingers to circle her small wrist. He pulled her hand to his mouth and laid a gentle kiss on her palm. ”I promise to stay a little while.”
She moved slowly, turning her face out of the space between his neck and his shoulder. She turned her face until she could feel his breath on her face and blinked open her eyes. It took a moment, and she blinked once more to bring his face into focus. The sight of him floored her.
She could see his face clearly in her memories, and her thoughts lingered on him everyday. Still, it was stunning to see him in front of her eyes instead of behind them. Even prone, she could make out the proud arch of his neck, the quiet intelligence in his yellow eyes. The smile on his face would have brought her to her knees if she had been standing. ”Jordan.”
He smiled and nodded, curling his hand behind her neck to better look into her face. ”I promised I’d never leave you."
She stared at him, dry-eyed. She felt tears pricking the backs of her eyes, but fought them off. She didn't want anything to cloud her vision at this moment, refusing to blink as air stung her eyes. He just smiled, giving her neck a small squeeze. There weren't any words. But she didn't need them.
Geneva's face was expressive. She wore every emotion in plain sight. But she had never been able to hide anything from him anyway. He knew her inside and out.
"Gennie, I need you--" he said.
"Jordan, I need you too. I--I don't know. Some days are so hard to take."
"I know," he said, passing his fingers down her back. "Geneva, I need you to--"
But then the light burst from behind him, swallowing him whole. She felt it burn her eyes, and reached blindly for him as she felt him disappear. "No, no!" she called out, struggling to move against the gravity of the dream. Lime green eyes flew open to survey the dim gloom of the muted winter light coming in from under the curtains. She swung her legs out, sitting up from where she had fallen asleep on the sofa. The book she had been reading had fallen to the floor.
She clenched her hands together, resting her head on her fists. "Anything," she whispered. "I'll give you anything." Please come back.
She knew it was the afternoon, because although winter was cold enough to creep inside the walls of Haven Mansion, she could feel the warmth of the sun against her back. Light was muted from behind her eyelids as she lingered between dreaming and the dark chasm of true, dreamless sleep. And, feeling a familiar warmth wrapped around her back, she struggled to stay in that place in her mind with soft edges, muted colors, and vague images. Sighing, she turned toward the source of that warmth, burying her face against a familiar heartbeat.
"I dreamed of you again," she murmured.
"You're dreaming of me now."
His voice was so clear in her mind. She could feel the rumble of it in his chest, the warmth of his breath against her shoulder as he reached to run his fingers through her hair and down her back. She screwed her eyes shut tightly to keep light from invading the insides of her eyelids. If this was indeed a dream, she didn’t want it to end. Not yet.
She felt his hand come to rest on her cheek. She leaned in to that touch, curling her own fingers into his ribs, bringing her arms around him to hold the small of his back. ”Open your eyes,” he prompted.
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. ”Geneva, I want you to look at me. Is that so much to ask?” His voice was gentle, teasing, coaxing. Geneva shook her head and pressed her face against his body. ”I promise you I haven’t gotten too terribly ugly,” he teased, running his fingers along the side of her face.
”I don’t want to open my eyes,” she mumbled against his neck, digging her fingers desperately, almost roughly into his back to make sure he stayed solid with her.
”Why not?” he prompted.
”I want you to stay,” she whispered, pulling him against her, almost to the point of pain.
He reached behind his back and caught one of her hands in his own, moving his fingers to circle her small wrist. He pulled her hand to his mouth and laid a gentle kiss on her palm. ”I promise to stay a little while.”
She moved slowly, turning her face out of the space between his neck and his shoulder. She turned her face until she could feel his breath on her face and blinked open her eyes. It took a moment, and she blinked once more to bring his face into focus. The sight of him floored her.
She could see his face clearly in her memories, and her thoughts lingered on him everyday. Still, it was stunning to see him in front of her eyes instead of behind them. Even prone, she could make out the proud arch of his neck, the quiet intelligence in his yellow eyes. The smile on his face would have brought her to her knees if she had been standing. ”Jordan.”
He smiled and nodded, curling his hand behind her neck to better look into her face. ”I promised I’d never leave you."
She stared at him, dry-eyed. She felt tears pricking the backs of her eyes, but fought them off. She didn't want anything to cloud her vision at this moment, refusing to blink as air stung her eyes. He just smiled, giving her neck a small squeeze. There weren't any words. But she didn't need them.
Geneva's face was expressive. She wore every emotion in plain sight. But she had never been able to hide anything from him anyway. He knew her inside and out.
"Gennie, I need you--" he said.
"Jordan, I need you too. I--I don't know. Some days are so hard to take."
"I know," he said, passing his fingers down her back. "Geneva, I need you to--"
But then the light burst from behind him, swallowing him whole. She felt it burn her eyes, and reached blindly for him as she felt him disappear. "No, no!" she called out, struggling to move against the gravity of the dream. Lime green eyes flew open to survey the dim gloom of the muted winter light coming in from under the curtains. She swung her legs out, sitting up from where she had fallen asleep on the sofa. The book she had been reading had fallen to the floor.
She clenched her hands together, resting her head on her fists. "Anything," she whispered. "I'll give you anything." Please come back.