Dream

For the one who constantly appears in my dreams

"No, wait" I called out as she turned to leave.

Her hand paused in the act of turning the door knob.

"Yes?" she turned around and looked at me quizzically.

Our entire group had long left. The project meeting was awkward to say the least. The tension between the two of us was palpable. It was difficult to tell if the rest noticed but I know she felt it. Almost everything we did was charged with that tension. Despite sitting across each other, we hadn't make eye contact once and neither did we talk to each other directly.

"Yes?" she asked again.

"I… I just want to say, have a good weekend ahead. Well, whatever that is left of the weekend anyway."

"Oh, you too"

"And Soi Fong,"

"?"

"Don't forget to book the room for our next group meeting"

"I won't. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"

"Erm… I… never mind. It is nothing, nothing worth mentioning."

"Okay then. Bye."

I watched as the door close with a soft thud, the image of her retreating back burned into my mind.

"Damn it!" I swore under my breath. I had this one chance to confess and yet I blew it. I yanked open the door and ran out of the room to chase after her. It was a Sunday evening and the entire school building was empty.

"Soi Fong, wait!"

She jumped. I ran the rest of the distance to the lift lobby.

"I…" I can't seem to get the words out of my throat. No matter how hard I try, they seem bent on staying where they are.

"It's nothing"

She looked at me and start dragging me back to the study room which we just had our meeting. Closing the door, she turned around eyes blazing.

"Why is it that you just can't tell me whatever it is that you want to say? You always start off with something and end with 'never mind. It's not important, not worth mentioning, nothing…'" she half yelled.

"God! You are driving me mad. First you won't stop smiling like an idiot whenever you see me, then you proceed to ignore me and my entire existence and now you're preventing me from going home. If this is a game to you Yoruichi…" she stopped for a while, struggling to go on.

"If this is a game to you, then I'm not playing anymore. I don't think I can take it"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she turned around and yanked the door open. I crossed the distance between us in 3 strides and pushed the door close; trapping her between me and the door.

"No. It's not a game to me" I said looking into her eyes.

Pushing myself away from the door and putting some distance between us, I continued

"Me? Drive you mad? You're the one driving me mad. You don't know how much pain you have caused me just by being in the same group. To sit next to you in class, sharing a cup of coffee, sitting across you during meetings… it is what I dream of but I never knew that it would be so painful. I was glad, happy, elated but it still hurts. I told myself countless of times from the moment I watched you wake up during camp last year that we are just friends and nothing else. I cannot feel anything else for you. Yet I still did. First you talk to me, like a normal person during mock camp, and then you proceed to semi-ignore me during the actual camp. After the actual camp, you practically don't talk to me unless I talk to you first, it doesn't matter where we are, in class, during meeting, on our way home, online… I don't know what to think. Each time during the period when we don't talk, I tried convincing myself, talking myself into forgetting you. Telling myself I should ignore you. Yet each time, I failed. Because every time I'm on the verge of forgetting you and everything you are to me, you come along and destroyed my efforts. So who is driving who mad?"

I turned around to look at her.

"You want to know what I have been trying to tell you the whole time."

She nodded.

"I think you already know the answer to that question"

She looks at me.

"I like you. I like you a lot. I don't know anything about love or what it means, but I know that I never want to see you upset, to see you hurt. I would do anything in my means to make you happy. There. I've said it. Feel free to bolt."

I look up to see that she is holding onto the door to support herself. I rushed over.

"Are you okay? Did you skip lunch again?"

I looked at the time. Nine pm.

"I shouldn't have kept you. God, why didn't you tell me you didn't have lunch? You should leave and pretend you didn't hear me calling you. Wait for me; I'll go get you something to eat."

I was about to leave the room when she grabbed my wrist, halting me.

"I'm fine"

"You call this fine? You can barely stand. Soi Fong, stop acting strong and just sit there and wait for me to get you something to eat."

"I'm really fine. Seeing you this concerned makes me fine."

I look at her weirdly. In the midst of my worry, I had forgotten that I just confessed.

"I had my own suspicions right at the beginning. I had a feeling that you like me but I wasn't sure. Then I realize that I don't know how to face you. Slowly, I begin to fall for you. I have no idea how to deal with it. I have to see you in class, sit next to you. During presentation, when I was introducing the group, I panicked. After introducing myself, I forgot how to introduce the rest of you, so I looked at you and suddenly I know what to do. After I finished my part, I wanted to fall into your arms and rest there. But I couldn't. I don't know if I could and there is the rest of the class to consider. So I settled for lying on the spot of the wall next to you."

She moved away from the door and stumbled. I caught her and brought her to one of the chairs.

"Just like that, just stay this way and don't let me go." She grabbed onto my wrist rather forcefully when she felt that I was about to move away.

"But you still need to eat"

"So do you. I shall wait for you to pack up your stuff and we will go for dinner."

After dinner, I walked her home. Reaching the door of her house, she searched her bag for her keys.

"Crap! I think I left my keys at home."

"Call your parents and get them to open the door for you?"

"They are both out on business trip. Oh man."

The weather is turning chilly. A sudden gust of wind caused her to sneeze.

"Tell you what, why don't we go to my house while you think of a way? It's just down the road."

"Wouldn't that be rather inconvenient for you?"

"Nah, my parents are out too. Only my brother is home and he doesn't really mind."

"If you say so"

Reaching my house, I opened the door to find the house empty with a note on the back of the front door: Sis, I'm staying over at a friend's house tonight. Don't tell mom and dad.

Taking the note down, I switched on the lights.

"Oh well, looks like it's just you and me then. Take a seat and make yourself at home."

I went to the kitchen to pour her a cup of drink.

"Thanks" she said taking the drink.

"So did you find someone to open the door for you?"

"I was thinking, if you don't mind, could you let me stay here for the night? I mean, since we have the same class the next day and all."

"Yeah. Sure. Would you like to bathe first?"

"I'm fine. You can go first."

"Right. Make yourself comfortable, I'll go get a change of clothes for you."

She nodded and I left.

"Your turn"

"Soi Fong?"

Seeing that there was no reply, I walked out to the living room to find her asleep on the couch.

"Soi Fong" I shook her gently, waking her.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"If you're too tired, how about you bathe tomorrow? Just go change out of your clothes. The bathroom is down the hall, first door on your right."

I waited for her to change.

"Look, you can have my room tonight."

"What about you?"

"I'll just sleep in my brother's room or on the couch." I tried the door of my brother's room. It's locked.

"Okay, the couch it is"

I shooed her into my room before she could protest and grabbed a pillow and blanket for my night on the couch.

"Good night!" I shut the door.

Lying down on the couch, I was asleep before I knew it.

-Next morning-

I woke up to find myself embracing her. Shock couldn't cover what I felt. It definitely feels like a dream come true. As I was extracting myself from the position, when a hand grabbed mine.

"Just stay like this for a while longer" she mumbled, half awake.

I returned to my original position and promptly fell aslp.

"BRINGGGGGGGGGGGGG!" the alarm went off.

A hand shot out from the covers and smash the offending instrument.

I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Looking around, I was puzzled to find myself alone.

"Soi Fong?"

Looking at my surroundings: I'm in my own room and everyone else was home. It was only then that I realize it was all a dream.

AN: Been having really random dreams this few days. Hope you all like this fic! =)