Random Bonus Relinquish & Kurome Moment #16

I Hate Dreaming

I hate dreams. So very, very much. Often they produce nothing but

nightmares, at least in my case. But rarely, oh so rarely... They canproduce something beautiful.

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I don't exactly... Dream often. Never was the type to. Despite how fast my brain moves, it rarely ever thinks of anything while I'm unconscious. I'm quite glad that fact exist, to be honest. Because when I do dream most of the time they are just nightmares. And they are never light. Never something you can easily just break free of. They are terrible, agonizing, the worst things my mind can spawn in the deepest, darkest corners of my own subconscious. I'll wake up in sweat, possibly with tears in my eyes, shaking in fear- something I seldom feel. The worst part is they are never about me. They never focus on me. I'm sure my own psyche knows by now that I'm seemingly immnue to all of lifes parasites, the things that bring a man down.I've never feared my own death. Never evaded the thought of aging. Gladly welcomed the dark. And some, Kurome for example, go as far as to say that I have a dangerous lack of value for my own well being- I would not disagree with her.

Tonight was one of the terrifying nightmares I had ever been forced to view in all my life. Something that made he shudder in horror. I was surrounded in absolute darkness, my hand and knees bound to the flat, black surface in seemingly unbreakable chains. And... Kurome was in front of me. Begging for my help as she was swallowed into the surface, into the dark floor itself. Calling my name as loud as she could, and clinging onto me for dear life, I could do nothing to help her- not even respond.

I was powerless.

And eventually.

She became apart of the mass.

That was when I woke up.

I screamed louder than I probably ever had in my life, and at seemingly the same darkness that I saw in my nightmare. I must have sounded like a banshee, but I was still in so much shock that I did not care. My eyes were darted open, scanning for any movement in the darkness while adrenaline filled my system. I was ready to lash out at the first thing I saw, and I nearly

did- if it was not for her.

Kurome quickly grabbed my waist, and wrapped her arms around me tight. She must have been able to predict my actions in advance before she did this, because if she was not so low on the bed I may have accidentally struckher in the face with a quick punch I threw, which luckily hit the headboard instead. She then told me to calm down, convincing me that it was alright, and I was completely awake now.

Those words; 'Awake'. 'Dreaming'. I find that these days not much separates those two from each other.

I woke up to cruel reality after realizing what I had almost done, I could not live with the thought of knowing that I had almost struck her. Instead of being glad that I woke up from my nightmare, my heart just sank further.

"Kurome..." I began. "I'm so, so sorry! Are you alright?!"

"Its okay, Relinquish. You didn't hit me... We might need a new headboard though."

I turned my head to the right, trying to see what she was talking about- there was a slight dent in the middle of the wood from me landing a good strike onit earlier.

"Oh... My apologies. I'll work on fixing that tomorrow."

"It is tomorrow."

Kurome pointed towards the clock on the right of our dresser, and I looked- it was 3:32 am.

"... I am quite the idiot, eh my lovely."

"Just a little."

"..."

I take it she does not know that question was rhetorical?

Kurome lifted herself up from the beds surface, sitting next to me, rested herhead on my shoulder, and held my hand tight.

"Did you have another bad dream?" I could tell from her grip she had no intention of letting me go.

"Yeah, if you want to call them dreams..."

"It must have been pretty rough. You were rolling around for ten minutes."

"You're kidding?"

"I was trying to wake you up, but you just kept saying stuff under your breath."

"Ha... Seems my mouth is like my brain, it never stops moving."

I tried my hardest to laugh, to muster up a smile. I've learned throughout my life that when reality throws you hell, you just have to laugh sometimes. Its what keeps you sane... But if I were to try, and stretch my face into a transparent grin, I would be lying- and I don't quite like lying.

"If that's true then I'm surprised that you're not dead silent by now."

"...."

I would be offended, but I always know that she is just joking, evident in how she ruffled my hair and flashed me a smile I could barely make out through the darkness- causing my own grin to form.

I love jokes. They revolve around pain.

My strength lies in pain.

At least that's what I believed.

Until she convinced me to think otherwise.

"So..." She began. "... Do you want to talk about it?"

"... No thank you, Kurome."

Funny. I'm supposed to be her Knight, yet my words are those of a coward.

... There is nothing funny about that, is there?

Maybe I just don't get the joke.

"Are you sure?" She continued. "You know I'll listen, we can stay up past dawn if you want."

"I'm too much of a coward to speak, Kurome."

She just laughed.

And placed a kiss on my cheek.

"Please. The day you become a coward is the day I get fat from all these sweets."

Kurome reached to the right edge of the bed, on her side- on the ground nextto her was a box of sugar cookies- which she placed right in her lap like some sort of puppy.

"Want one?"

I glady took it. Especially after remembering the days where she wouldn't give me the time of day, much less offer me one of her sweets. Yet before I took a bite, I realized something...

"... Kurome?"

"Yeah."

"... Why do you have a box of sugar cookies near the bed?"

"You know how some people sleep with water next to them, just in case theywake up in the middle of the night?"

"I suppose..."

"I have a box of sweets next to me, same difference" She ate one of the cookies whole.

"..."

Screw it.

I've seen weirder things in my life.

We ate those cookies until there was not a single one left, but I of course let her have the last one. While she does share now you bloody well better not deny her the last sweet. Trust me. Its not worth the punishment.

Silent treatment.

No cuddles.

No sexy times.

I digress.

"Hey, Kurome?"

"Yes, my darling."

I blushed so hard after she called me that I feared I would illuminate the nowsoothing darkness with my red cheeks.

"I just wanted to thank you."

"For...?"

"... Being with me for so long."

And I will never stop. Sometimes I fear she truly does not understand how much I care about her, how much I appreciate her staying with me.

"Stop saying that."

What did I tell ya?

"I'm sorry-"

"And stop apologizing too."

"Sorry-"

I felt her annoyed glare through the dark.

"..."

"Got it, Kurome. But its a mans duty to thank one who stands by him, and toapologize when necessary... And please, just remember."'

I try my hardest to stop myself from thinking this way. And never wish to utter these words from my mouth, but no matter how much I deny them, I know they are true.

"If I ever become too vexing, too taxing, if I ever harm you in any way, emotionally, god forbid physically, you are free to leave at any moment, don't feel obligatated to be with me. If you leave, it just means I wasn't worthy enough too be with you-"

I was interrupted by her, a skill Kurome excels at. She grabbed my face and placed it next to hers, our foreheads were touching, and she had her complete attention devoted towards me.

"I know by now that I can't stop you from thanking me, Relinquish... Even so, I want you to remember something too."

That is how she began the words that will forever touch my heart.

"You are my Knight. My darling, loyal Knight, but I stand alongside you as an equal, never above you. And just like I said before, I'm never leaving you,no matter what... Just to prove it..."

Prove?

"I'm going to tell you something else."

Kurome released her hands from my face, reached towards her side of the bed again, turning on the light. I could see her so clearly, she had the most wonderful smile on her face. She grabbed my hands tightly. And began to speak.

"We've been together for over a year now... We're also going to be together forever, just like I said."

"Forevermore, actually." I corrected her this time.

"Shut up."

"...."

"... Sorry, Relinquish."

"Don't worry about it, I deserved it! Just.. Go on."

"Oh, yeah. We'll be together for all of our lives. So I've been thinking really hard about this for the past few days while going to sleep... Maybe... Someday, in... Whatever amount of years. We could have..."

I could almost predict what she was going to say next, but my brain hesitated to spoil the surprise.

"A child."She concluded.

I was stunned.

Absolutely.

But not for the reason most would think.

"How do you think you'd feel about that?" She questioned "... Darling?"

I was ecstatic!

"A child, really!?" I engulfed her in such a hug, and had a smile that I'm quite sure could reach my ears. "Truly?! I'm going to be a father!"

"Yes! At least... Someday you are. When I'm older, maybe when I'm... I can'teven think of an age. And when we have enough money to support-"

"Oh joyous of joys, I'm going to be a sire to my very own spawn!"

Seems I'm the one of interrupting her alot more now.

"Kurome, you're going to be the best mother ever!" I could not halt my zealous actions, I was far too excited!

"Not really. I think I'd just eat alot of sweets while I'm pregnant..."

"Nonsense!" I tried to reassure her. "Ooh, what's Akame going to think now that she's an aunt?"

"Actually... I don't know what Sis would... Wait, you're talking about something thats years away from now!"

"Just a few years, that's it?! Oh god, this is so exciting!"

Poor girl. You should know by now that once you get me started I cannot stop. I was full of such joy that I barraged her cheeks and neck with an onslaught of kisses, fueled by my pure happiness. I had completely forgottenabout that terrible nightmare. It was in pure bliss.

Though I fear I may be going a bit too far... At least in retrospect.

"Oh, do you want to make the child now?!" I asked her in between our kisses while slowly raising her T shirt.

"No, dummy! Did you forget what I just told you?!" That hand was halted by her own.

She eventually convinced me to go back to sleep, despite the excited state I was in. She turned out the light, and I fell alseep, much quicker than I expected while we laid in each others arms.

Its funny...

No. That is not a lie.

Nor is it a joke to dull the pain.

Now it is truly funny. I suppose that is a word I could use to describe it.

The next time I fell asleep, I had a dream. Not a nightmare, mind you, a dream. A real one. Though it was rather basic.

Instead of darkness surrounding me, it was light. Beautiful light, bright, but not blinding. I saw the backs of 3 figures. A tall man wearing... What seems to be my trench coat! There was another. A woman, a tad bit short. Her hair was longer too, not cut in a bob like Kurome's at all, yet I know through experience that its identical to hers. But the one thing I remember the most was the third figure. It was a small girl with black hair. I could hear her laughing... And she was in the middle of the other two, having her hands held by both of them. The three of them seemed to walking down a sidewalk. I could not make out their faces, but the man and woman seemingly turned to look at me.

The last thing I saw before I woke up.

Was the man and woman smiling.

I woke up the next morning in tears.

Not ones of sadness.

But happiness.

... I rather like dreaming.

END

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*Morning*

Relinquish: Kurome, Kurome! I think I just had a dream of the future! :o

Kurome: I think I did too! :o

Relinquish: Really?! O.o

Kurome: Yes! Do you want to know what it was?

Relinquish: Yes, go ahead! Hurry! :o

Kurome It was you making me a batch of cookies this morning. :)

Relinquish: ... *Sigh* I'm on it.

Kurome: Love you, darling! :D

Relinquish: Yeah yeah, sure. =.=