Warnings: None – wow! O_O
Disclaimers: Gundam Wing and all related characters do not belong
to me.
----
Dangerous Dreams – Chapter Three
For a moment, I just stared.
Was I dreaming again? Or were my eyes playing tricks on me?
Those… those eyes of his… their deep purple hue almost flickering in the light like a fire, watching me, waiting… Their hypnotic glow mesmerized me, slowly taking me in… And somehow, they seemed to know me. Even better than myself…
I was snapped back into reality as the boy in my arms almost collapsed again. I had to get him outside somehow, so he could get some fresh air. He looked as if he hadn't seen the sunlight in years.
"Come on," I whispered, and carefully picked up the poor soul – to my surprise, he was as light as a feather. I carried on walking heavy steps with the angel in my arms, trying as hard as I could not to attract anyone's attention. Luckily, most of the people present were praying, and the princess had now disappeared somewhere with the monks. I could only hope she hadn't gone back to the carriage.
Finally, I reached the main entrance and, awkwardly, managed to open the door wide enough for both of us to slip through. My eyes were immediately blinded by the sudden brightness of the day, as I stepped out into the sunlight. Squinting, I carefully walked up to the steps with the boy still in my arms, and set him down.
Breathing harshly, the boy just let himself lie down onto the hot, black stone and closed his eyes.
"You ok?" I asked after his breathing had calmed a little.
He swallowed. "I…" he croaked, and started coughing.
"Don't speak," I said, and slowly helped him up again. "I've got a carriage nearby, and I think I have a water bottle in there – don't worry, I'll carry you."
That said, I helped him climb onto my back for more freedom of movement, and made my way towards the carriage. But my mind was somewhere else, completely...
Wasn't this the angel from my dreams? The angel that had rescued me from the darkness? Or was it just a coincidence? But what about his eyes? Purple eyes were the sign of Shinigami, and Shinigami's magic. Maybe he was... Was he going to...
I quickly shook my head to stop my train of thoughts as I was approaching the carriage that I had left at the end of the Temple District. Looking around, I found that the princess had luckily not returned yet. I carefully set the boy down on the driver's seat and retrieved a bottle of water from underneath it. In summers as hot as these, you tend to have one always nearby.
I took off the cap and gave the bottle to the boy, who finished its contents in about 2 seconds flat. He smiled at me weakly, as he returned it to me.
"Thanks," he whispered hoarsely.
"No problem," I replied, a bit uneasy, since only now did I notice that he was only wearing a black cloth around his waist.
"Um... do you have a place to stay at? I can get you there if the princess allows it..." I started after a moment's silence.
He shook his head weakly.
"Well, I..." I stopped. What was I going to do with him? The princess would never allow a stranger I had 'picked up from the street' to wander through her castle gates... But... I couldn't leave the poor boy here, either. When I had found him, he looked as pale as a ghost, and didn't look much better now, either. I could only imagine what those monks had done to him... There were stories, you know... Horrible stories...
With that thought in mind, I decided, "I can't just leave you here, so... I guess I'll take you with me." The boy didn't reply, so I took it as a yes. He sighed lightly, as he closed his eyes within the bright beams of summer. A light breeze passed him, playing with the long strands of his brown hair. It reminded me of a glorious chestnut horse riding in the wind... In that moment, I realized he was beautiful.
And in that moment, one of his eyes flew open to look at me, and his mouth curled into a small grin.
Realizing I had been staring, I turned away - and saw the faint shadow of the princess coming towards us.
"She's coming!" I hissed to myself, and turned back to the boy. "We have to hide you somewhere!"
He sat up slightly, looking at me expectantly. Now what? My mind rushed through all the possible hiding places on a carriage, when I decided to just stuff it, and go for it.
I quickly helped the boy hide under the driver's seat, and half-covered him with a small blanket that was already lying there. I glanced back at the slowly approaching princess, and quietly whispered to him, "Don't worry. Just keep still."
As the princess was only about two metres away anymore, I pretended to have only just spotted her and made a lame excuse about the Temple giving me the creeps. She wasn't too bothered, though. Her mind seemed to be on something completely different - she didn't look sad anymore. She looked more... content, in a way which is hard to describe.
"Just take me home," she spoke absent-minded.
I did as I was commanded, glad she hadn't spotted the half-hidden boy underneath my seat.
As we returned to the castle, I didn't really pay attention to the markets
or the people, anymore. My mind kept darting back to the boy with the purple
eyes... It unsettled me, somewhat, that this boy came from my dreams. And
I had no idea what to do with him, once we got to the castle. I could only
hope that Nanashi would.
----
I know, I know... slow chapter. I promise it'll get better (hopefully)! I just need to get back into the feel of this story. I mean, the last time I updated this was in September. Anyway, once again, I beg you, please bear with me.