A/N: So so sorry this fic hasn't updated in so long! I went on vacation for a few weeks and then I got c0v1d, but now I'm back! I'll try to finish the fic soon. Thanks for sticking around! ^^

"Don't go," Charlotte mumbled in her sleep.

Yami's hand froze on top of the duvet he had pulled up to her neck, to keep her from shivering from the night breeze. He bickered with himself whether or not he should follow Charlotte's bidding. He looked at her tenderly sleeping face, so unlike her typical icy demeanour. His internal monologue flittered back and forth.

"She'll murder you when she wakes up."

"But she did tell you not to go, so you're just being nice, right? She looks cold, too. I'm sure she won't mind a little heat."

"The last time you touched her, she ran away screaming into the city and scared a bunch of citizens."

"But just a while ago, you hugged her during that attack and she didn't let go of you!"

"You dumb ass, she was obviously trying to survive."

Yami's thoughts paused for a moment, his hand still on top of the bed's covers. He felt the warmth of Charlotte's cheek on the back of his fingertips. It sent electricity throughout his body, and he remembered how their bodies were so close just a while ago. Yes, it was a life-or-death situation, but the thought of being near her like that again was too good for Yami to pass up, and so he had decided, "Well, it's time to surpass my limits."

Soft rays of sunshine filtered through the slits of the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. Charlotte had never felt so refreshed after sleeping in a while, now, but she hardly remembered falling asleep. She smiled, cozying up to the warm pillow next to her, eyes still closed. She wanted so desperately to return to her slumber, mostly because she just had the best dream she's ever had.

Now, Charlotte's no stranger to having dreams about Yami; however, her dreams are usually very absurd, and the subject matter of her dreams were easily forgotten the moment she realizes she's dreaming, but this time is slightly different. Was it because Charlotte finally experienced firsthand what it was like to be held by Yami? Nonetheless, her dream felt so vivid, intense, and detailed, which is why the Blue Rose's captain did her best to keep her eyes shut, and hoped to relive her dream.

In her dream, Charlotte found herself wrapped up in Yami's strong embrace, just like the night before. Except this time, there was no danger around them. She could feel his left arm laying across her waist, while the right supported the space of the back of her neck. She moved closer to this dream-version of Yami, and buried her face on the white tank top he wore so often.

She smiled. She could smell the hint of cigarette on his clothes - a habit she hated on everyone else in the world. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest while he breathed, in tandem with the strong beating of his heart. The Black Bulls' captain snored ever so quietly, something that Charlotte didn't expect, but of course, Charlotte was aware that this is all just a dream version of Yami.

Charlotte relished the feeling of finally being this close to the man who had ensnared her heart after all this time. She wished that she could make this dream a reality, where she could be with Yami without feeling so insecure. A large part of why she had struggled coming to terms with her feelings was because of her upbringing. She bore the heavy burden of being born into the house of Roselei. As much as Charlotte defied tradition as a captain of a Magic Knights squad, she felt that she still needed to bring honour to her family. Realistically, Yami was crass, and a foreigner, to boot. Charlotte was sure her family would disprove of him.

The curse upon her also plays a role in her hesitation to confess to Yami. She had always known that her curse could only be broken by true love, so Charlotte built a reputation as someone who was strong and independent; someone who could break a curse all on her own. But in doing so, she unknowingly created thorns to protect herself from being vulnerable.

Still, it was nice to pretend, even for a while, that Charlotte could be a normal girl. Just a girl snuggled up with the most wonderful person she could think of. The thought of it made her blush.

Charlotte opened her eyes. She was met with Yami's sleeping face. Instinctively, she raised her right hand to caress his face. She wanted to etch this dream into her heart. Her finger brushed away the dark stray hairs that covered his eyes, which revealed his surprisingly long lashes. Charlotte traced the outline of his eyebrow, moving from his temple, down to his jaw. The sensation made him flinch, and caused his forehead to wrinkle ever so slightly. She smoothed over that wrinkle, her fingertip slowly moving down his nose. She admired the stubble on his face. She stopped when she got to his lip.

Somehow, Charlotte felt nervous, as if this was real life again, but she knew that this would never happen in reality. Foolishly, she smiled, moved her finger out of the way, and planted a kiss on Yami's lips.