Justin knew he was in a dream. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew. The dream was still forming around him, halfway there and halfway not. Misty around the edges, with objects appearing and disappearing in front of his eyes, like an artist drawing and erasing items from a pencil sketch. Was he in a classroom, at Tribeca Prep? No, the desk he was facing rearranged itself to match the one in the classroom in the Wizard's Lair. He looked down at himself and let out a sigh of relief. He was still clothed, so not one of those anxiety dreams about showing up at school naked. He turned around and immediately realized exactly what type of dream he had created. There were seven Alex (Alexi? Alexes? He had never figured out the multiple of Alex) sitting at the tables and chairs set up in the Lair. Each was dressed differently. There was the one dressed as a cheerleader. The one dressed in a doll costume. The one dressed in the jumpsuit from the competition. Each one was dressed differently, each one from a different fantasy. He felt his gut twist in either joy or fear, he wasn't even sure. They all smiled that cat-and-mouse smile that never boded well for him and rose up as one. They all moved forward and reached for him…
He awoke with a sudden start and stared at the ceiling. Was it regret or relief he felt that the dream had ended? He wasn't sure. His heart hammered in his chest as he remembered the dream. It had been very vivid and he could still remember the sensation of Alex touching him. With a shock he realized he still could. He looked down and there she was, her arms around his neck and her head lying above his heart. She was snoring gently and there was even a little trickle of drool that that had run from her slack mouth and had pooled on his bare chest.
When had she gotten into his bed and more importantly why? She had done that when they were much younger and she would crawl into his bed whenever she was scared or emotionally distraught. Sadness welled up inside of him as he realized why she was here. She had just dumped that loser Mason so it must have affected her much more than she let on.
He watched her for a moment, sleeping peacefully. He felt a rush of emotion take over his mind, body, and soul. Each emotion consumed him to where he couldn't articulate each one properly. Grief at how closed off she could be sometimes. Obviously she loved him like he loved her. But she would never express it except when he was in trouble. Like the time he was almost stuck for the rest of his life as the Invisible Man. Or when he was on the verge of being erased from reality.
The other emotion that was so strong it actually made his chest constrict with each beat of his heart. And that was happiness. She was here, holding onto him and it felt so very right. He was happy that she was next to him, happy that she came to him when she needed someone, happy that he could be there for her. Even if all it was holding her so that she didn't have bad dreams while she slept.
He slowly and gently caressed her hair, marveling in the texture. It was like rich dark silk and he wanted to lie there for all of eternity. Just watching over her as she slept content. His hands moved to her cheek and he gently stroked the velvet skin, careful not to wake her. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, what the future held in store for them. He just closed his eyes and relished the sensation of his skin on hers. For however long it would last.
