OH MAN HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? According to the last update date, it's been 1 year and 45 days! Darn too long for a freaking update. I know, a lot of you have been wanting me to update (thanks for all the reviews guys), and I really wanted to make this chapter good. So I reread everything up to chapter 9 and tried to figure out how to continue. I wrote something, sure but I choked at the resulting chapter. Don't get me wrong, there are parts I like...but I feel the pacing was off. WHATEVER, it's a brand new chapter! I'm gonna go crazy when I try to figure out where the heck the NEXT chapter's gonna go, but hopefully I don't put it off for so long.

If you wanna talk about the new chapter or just try to get me off my ass when an update takes too damn long, I have a tumblr. My url can be found on my profile page, but I warn you it's got some pretty bad stuff on it. So if you wanna stay away, just talk to me over PM's.

And, as always,

Enjoy!

~Goldie

Vincent wished his climb up the toppling tower of blocks went as quick as his train of thought did—leaping over set tracks and crashing each second. It was driving him insane. Since his tormentor's recent reveal that he had indeed fallen for Vincent, all the hero could think of was how the hell he was supposed to deal with this new information. For the fifth time in as just many minutes, Vincent internally groaned.

'He likes me. The guy in the confessional actually, no-joke likes me! How did this even happen?!'

Vincent heaved a sigh, maneuvering around a precarious block ledge. 'Of course, how could I forget? I started this whole thing.'

He mused his mixed feelings with each level he surpassed.

'Well even though I did start it, it isn't like I'm the only one to blame. He played along the entire time! Matching every word I said with one of his own! Although, I guess if he actually meant what he was saying all along-! Oh man, what am I supposed to do now? What's the right choice?" He paused. "….what do I even want to do?'

This, to Vincent, felt like one of the worst situations to be in. Well, it isn't as bad as managing a 3-plus year relationship with a love affair on top- which is harder than it sounds- but it was still a difficult thing to go through. And all of these…feelings writhing inside of Vincent's chest. Was he appalled? Embarrassed? Overjoyed? All three? It was hard to single out emotions while scaling the treacherous tower that offered a fate worse than death. 'Man, what a mess. If I could rewind it all, I…" Vincent interrupted his thought, remembering the little conversation he and Erica had that night (it seemed to be days ago).

"And if you believe your new lover is better than both of them, I'd say give it a shot."

She had been smiling as she spoke to him. Like she peered into Vincent's soul and knew what he wanted before Vincent himself did. "The big question is do you want to be in a full-blown relationship with this guy?"

'...would I really want to rewind it all? If I could?'

As big of a deal he was making it, Vincent knew-deep down, he knew his situation wasn't a problem.

True, he had only met the other a few nights ago, but immediately the behavior Vincent displayed toward him was cocky and flirtatious; not the expected confusion and worry that being thrust into a nightmare realm would cause. The boxer-wearer had questioned his own behavior when first noticed, but couldn't give a reason as to why he acted in such a way. Stranger still was when his supposed tormentor flirted back, Vincent put extra effort into his seducing techniques.

There was also the issue of his bizarrely-symbolic Nightmares he had been encountering for the past two nights. It didn't take a degree in psychology to easily decipher how they tied in with Vincent's strange crush.

Not to mention how the other's behavior lead Vincent to believe it wasn't a one-sided attraction even before the reveal. "Succumbing" to him, how he'd meet all of Vincent's advances with even more suggestive material, and the pet names constantly used are all clear signs of personal interest.

If the man in the confessional liked Vincent, and Vincent liked him...there was no problem.

Vincent stopped. His eyes widened, hands braced on the block in front of him to climb, but frozen.

"There...there's no problem..." Vincent muttered to himself, almost drowned out by the crashing of blocks below the tower.

The worry and apprehension churning in his gut...it wasn't about what to do to prevent this "relationship". Rather, it was about how he wanted to officially start it! Vincent stood still, breathing as he felt something akin to a flower blooming inside his chest. The dark haired man felt lighter than ever before.

"There's no problem!"

A new train of thought began. Vincent continued to scale the blocks with renewed vigor, a sparkle in his eyes and hints of a genuine smile on his face.

'This, this is fantastic! I have to ask him out or-or something! I can't just ignore this anymore. How would I even ask? What could I say?'

Vincent almost laughed, 'This is kind of my first time asking out a dream demon! Can I even date one? How would that work? You'd think someone would have written a how-to book at some point. At least a pamphlet of some sort... 'Ten Easy Steps to Woo the Demon of Your (Literal) Dreams'! I'll just wing it, and hope for the best.'

Row after row he climbed, his mood becoming lighter than it ever had been in this week-long nightmare. He was going to do this. He had to do this. Vincent had dragged the strange flirt fest on for too long; a red block above signaled the end of his ascent, so the boxer-wearer mentally prepared himself to do what needed to be done.