Chapter 2: Progressions

"Raine."

"Yes, Lloyd?" Raine popped her head back out from the kitchen.

"Dirk isn't going to be home for a couple of days, some friends of his needed his crafting skills over in Triet. Normally I'd be fine, but...well, um, I was wondering if maybe I could-"

"Say no more, Lloyd. You can stay with us until Dirk gets back." Why was I so quick to say that? Raine wondered. "Besides, we need to figure out what's going on. We need to save Colette."

"It's all my fault she's gone!" Lloyd exclaimed angrily.

"Lloyd, you can't blame yourself. You didn't do anything. You couldn't have known." He smiled at her thankfully.

"You always make me feel better, Raine." he complimented her. She blushed furiously.

"I...I didn't really do anything." she responded, looking at her hands which were folded in her lap.

He was in front of her now. Using his hand he tilted her chin up so he could gaze into her eyes. Lloyd felt kind of awkward, he didn't know what he was doing or why he was doing it. They were only about half a foot from each other, and the gap was closing. Raine didn't know what was going on. What am you doing? She shouted mentally, but she just closed her eyes and let things take their course. Three inches, two...

SLAM!

Genis came running in the door, kendama bouncing wildly. By the time he got to the living room, Raine and Lloyd were already both flushed, glaring down at the floor.

"What's wrong, guys? You guys weren't like, kissing or something were you?" Genis inquired.

"Uh, uhm, well you see-"

"Relax, Lloyd, I was just kidding. Anyway, I was talking to Colette's grandmother, and she said when she woke up this morning the words on Colette's wall were gone."

"What!" Lloyd exclaimed, his close encounter with his first romance all but forgotten in his current confusion and rage.

"Genis, Lloyd and I need to talk. Will you go to Phaidra and get more details please?"

"Sure." he replied solemnly. He trotted off back to Colette's.

Both half-elf and human blushed more furiously than before.

"Well, Llyod, now that we have a bigger house, we have a guest bedroom you can stay in. Unless you don't want to be alone, then you can sleep in Genis's room with him."

"Well, Professor, I was wondering if I could stay in your room tonight" What did I just say! He mentally exclaimed. "Well, it's becuase I want you to be there in case there are any new developments. About the nightmare, I mean. I have a feeling something is going to happen." he quickly explained. "I mean, I can sleep on the floor"

"Oh, well, I guess that's alright. Sure, Lloyd, you can stay in my room tonight. I think we both need to figure out what's going on."

Later that night

"Lloyd, I've changed my mind. You can't sleep on the floor. Get up right now."

"What?" he asked. "Aww I was almost asleep!"

"Get up in here in the bed."

"What?" he said a little bit too loudly.

"We don't want you getting sick. It's a very cold night, and we only had that one spare blanket. Get up here now, no arguments."

"Alright" he mumbled as he noisily clambered into the warm bed with her. He laced his fingers into hers, to Raine's great surprise and pleasure (What's going on? she wondered again), and gave her hand a reasuring squeeze. He couldn't conceal his feelings for her any longer.

"Raine? Can I tell you something?

"Sure, Lloyd." she was comfortable with his firm stomach pressed against her back, sharing his body heat. "What is it?"

Snoooooooooore. Lloyd was fast asleep. He was a clumsy, oblivious idiot. But he was her idiot. What! Oh, forget it the voice said. A blind man could see the attraction between you two! Raine grinned as she snuggled sloser to him and evetually fell asleep too. Both of their nights were free of nightmares.

A/N: Yeah, I wanted a more romancy chapter. I don't really like it, but i wanted to write and get some updates done. That and I couldn't think of how to update the plot. Don't worry, next chapter will be better!