(Hold me Close...)
00
(Kumatora P.O.V.)
It's already been six months in this new city of ours; for the people of the Nowhere Islands, who lost their homes when the Dragon woke up, this place became our haven. A good part of the region being a city, but the majority of the landmass being the same rural villages and life before the Pig Mask Army modernized everything; New Tazmily, the revival lands. Even though it doesn't sound right to me, I guess it's fitting.
And I've really warmed myself up to Lucas's family during those months. Well, him, his dad, and his dog anyways. Boney always liked me, but there's something about Lucas's old man, Flint, that just seemed to unnerve me. I guess he only seems approachable the first time I saw him. It's been like, he'd always give me this weird stare whenever Lucas wanted to take me somewhere; I dunno whether it was some kind of fatherly instinct, but it was like he gave me the stare that seemed to say 'You better bring my boy back in one piece' or 'keep your hands where I can see 'em.'
And Lucas... Well, just like I told him, I was his, and he was mine. I always thought it was cute whenever he acts all tough and in control, trying to make himself look all dominant in front of others, unlike the scared crybaby that he was before. I like making him all flabbergasted by intentionally acting girly, saying sickeningly cute things, all-in-all enjoying a good laugh with him when I finally drop the act. I especially remember telling him that I should try growing a beard like the Magypsies had, in my most serious-sounding tone. Okay, maybe the look in his eyes that said 'You can't mean that...!' with the added threat of a waterfall of tears was a little much, so I calmed him down, saying that I was just joking. Besides, like Hell I'm gonna grow a beard! If I did, I'd have to shave every day just to keep it off of my face! What do I look like, a man?
...I love Lucas. I love him for being strong and confident. I love him for being so warm, shy, and protective. I even love him for making me feel like more of a girly-girl around him. In fact, he pretty much influenced me to grow my hair a little longer, now down to the bottom of my neck. He wants to protect me, just as much as I want to protect him and keep him safe. I want to be there for him when he's down, and I want to be there for him when he needs to be loved.
Just a few hours ago, Lucas turned fourteen. Sure, he's still about three or four years beneath me, and the top of his head is now up to the base of my neck, the little pervert, but I'm still happy, since the majority of the villagers threw a party for him. It was a great time; everyone was joyous. Parties aren't that interesting to me, but since it's his day, I'll make that exception. He seemed so happy too. He didn't get a lot of gifts, but he said seeing all the people together brought back a lot of memories for him, and that was the best gift to him.
...I bet he misses him. I bet Lucas misses his brother, and his mom. It can't be that momentous of an occasion if the closest person you ever knew since birth, or the woman who brought you into the world and looked after you, is no longer there to share the day with you. And that's how it'll it be from here on in. But he still smiled, trying to be strong over this realization.
Admittedly enough, old man Flint stayed to give his son his wishes, as well as a personal talk with him. What the talk was, I'd never know about. But after that, he went by foot all the way to the city, to fix up some issues with the villages out here.
It had gotten to be evening, and just as soon as it was me and Lucas, after he had returned Boney to his house to guard the lot, I invited him to spend the night at my place. The way his face turned red was perfect, and I laughed again, telling him that my place had a second room, just for him in mind. He more than took my invitation with acceptance, the way he held my hand so tightly and kissed me.
Now it's the middle of the night... damn, two in the morning. My mind felt some kind of weird zap, jostling me awake. Well, since I'm awake, I'm gonna go hastle him for a bit. I get up out of my bed, in long-sleeved pajamas, and made my way to Lucas's room. Just as I was about to knock on his door, I heard a weird breathing sound.
"Lucas?" I questioned. "Lucas, is everything okay?"
I opened the door immediately the instant I heard no answer. He's laying there in his bed, his body breathing fast, his head shaking very slowly from side to side. Something was wrong with him.
00
(Dream P.O.V.)
"No... No... this can't be..."
Lucas looked all around the field of destruction. Razed plains, blistered earth, scarred nature, demolished buildings, and littered all around him, was perhaps the most unbearable sight of them all: scattered bodies of the people. Of his people, the ones who thought they had finally gotten away from the terrors of him.
"DUSTER!" He called out as loud as he could. "BONEY! DAAAAD!" To his horror, their lifeless, blood-soaked bodies laid there, becoming almost a matching set with the seared ground.
He fell to his knees, and his cry of anguish was interrupted by a flash of bright red, destroying more ground, attempting to bury him underneath the uprising. Lucas had dodged the burst narrowly, looking up to see a nightmarish thing he thought he'd never see again.
"The... THE PERFECTLY SAFE MACHINE?"
It was indeed the Perfectly Safe Machine, with ruptured parts, exposing metallic tentacles, devastating the land around the poor boy. One blast after another, Lucas had to escape from this monstrosity. A well-aimed laser, however, made the ground explode under Lucas's feet, sending him into the air, and being grabbed by the waist by a mechanical appendage.
"You thought you got rid of me?" The old, withered, and now distorted voice of the vile, disgusting Pokey, emanated from inside. "You thought you could contain me? You foolish mortal! You fools just gave me the perfect weapon!! With this, I am now invincible! No one can stop me!" Another appendage revealed the fallen red-headed girl, wrapped like a python around its prey. "She thought she could stop me! So I gave her a hug, Lucas! I HUGGED THE LIFE OUT OF HER!!"
Lucas couldn't believe his eyes; as the vile Pokey continued laughing incessantly, his hand extended out to her. "Kuma...to...ra... no...!"
"Aww, sad, little Lucas!" The vile Pokey taunted. "So many people who were close to you, seem to just DIE on you! But don't worry, you won't suffer that fate any more! BECAUSE YOU'LL JOIN THEM!!"
The appendage wrapped around the blond started squeezing tighter. Then two more tentacles encircled what showed of his form. They were going to crush him with agonizing force.
"Ku...ma...to...raaa..."
00
(Normal P.O.V.)
"LUCAS! WAKE UP!!"
Kumatora shook the boy hard, causing his eyes to burst wide open. His breathing had accelerated uncontrollably, and his eyes were looking around the dark room in a panic. Moonlight had coincidentally shone on Kumatora, forcing the boy's eyes to take her in.
"Lucas! What's wrong?" Her voice showed the deepest concern to him, and when his eyes were filling with tears of agonizing pain, she threw her arms around his body, resting her head on his shoulder. Even like this, she could feel him hesitating; he felt like a dam that was about to burst, but he was fighting the urge to. "It's okay Lucas..." A hand of hers rubbed his back slowly, whispering gently to him. "Just let it all out..."
She lifted herself slightly, so that she could serve as a rest, for when Lucas finally let the dam burst. He practically wailed, crying his eyes out on Kumatora. Her arms wrapped themselves protectively around him, while his arms just clenched tightly onto her body. 'Lucas needs me now,' she had thought, as his bawling continued, his tears staining his face. She couldn't care less if this was girly or not; she was going to stay there for him, shushing him softly and caressing his hair and back.
The bawling, now trickling down to tear droplets and sniffles, he had stopped, his saddened eyes looking up at her. "Ku..." He sniffled. "Kumatora... you're really here..."
"Lucas, what the hell happened?" She inquired quietly.
"H-h-he came back..." Her eyes widened to Lucas's statement. "He destroyed everything... he killed Dad, and Boney, and Duster, and... and he even killed you, Kumatora..." He sniffled again, clutching onto her tighter. "He told me, that all the people who were close to me, always die... I-I'm scared, Kumatora..."
"That's only a dream, Lucas." She said, looking into his eyes. "We stopped Pokey, trapped him in that machine, and put him in the center of the planet. He'll never come back. He'll never cause nightmares to us again."
A little more time passed now; it was half past two A.M. now. Lucas had dried his eyes, and Kumatora held him close to her heart. She felt a strange, almost motherly sensation come over her as she comforted her young boyfriend.
"Feel better, Lucas?" Kumatora asked. He nodded into her body. "Alright then. Sweet dreams, Lucas."
The moment she got up, though, she felt her hand being held tightly.
"Kumatora..." Lucas said quietly. "Stay..."
"What?"
"Please..." he timidly spoke. "Stay with me here, tonight... please?"
She felt red in the face immediately, but the feeling coursing through their joined hands made sense of what he wanted.
"Of course, Lucas."
Lucas shyly lifted the covers and bedsheets, letting Kumatora in to lay down beside him in the small bed. The blond nuzzled himself closer to his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her back as his head laid comfortably on his shoulder. Her arms embraced him around his shoulders, immediately feeling him get drowsy again.
"I love you, Kumatora..."
She smiled sweetly, leaning in for a quick kiss with him. "I love you too, Lucas."
And with that, her eyes closed, and both went off to a now peaceful sleep.
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Note: Though some of the characters are more or less OOC here, I have been working on incorporating some of their traits in, i.e. Kumatora being a tomboy. This might not be updated consistently, but bare with me on it. I do have other works too, you know?
Please read and review and tell me what you think of it.