Meeting him in a Dream by Kuichi Zai (best book clubs .TXT) 📕

        "That young lady quite lovely and  is one lucky girl," the lady commented snapping Kaelum out of his reverie. "Is she your companion?" she asked. In their place, when someone says companion especially of the opposite sex, they usually refer to it as your partner like in a couple.

        "Kael! let's go check the other store!" Heylan yelled.

        "Uhh... okay," he replied back to Heylan. He turned around to the lady and said, "not yet, and with where the things are going.. I don't think that will ever happen," he said paying the lady and made his way out following Heylan.

END of Chapter 13.

        "This is so beautiful," Heylan sighed while gazing at the view that was right in front of her. They were somwehere in the upper part of the Capital. It was such a lovely sight to see,green grass and trees surrounding them. There weren't many houses in that part, it was just a lovely forestry. It is so sad, that sooner or later she'll be going back home to her world and might not come back again. "How did I even ended up here?" that thought was a mystery to her. Surely there's an explanable reason why she was brought in this world in the first place, right?

        Heylan closed her eye for a moment taking it all in. The peace the quiet, it was lovely. Kaelum just stared at her. He will be leaving her soon, and this is probably their last moment together, why not make it memorable for the both of them?

        A while later he noticed that her peaceful demeanor quickly changed. And there seems to be a frown forming upon her face. "I---I....wish I could just stay here...." she whispered quietly to herself. Even though she whispered those words, he still manage to hear it. Barely.

     "Then...why don't you?" he asked her. Taken aback by his words, she was rendered speechless. She could stay here, right? And if she did so, then that would mean she'll be leaving her old life and her family. Her family... She shook her head no, "I wish I could, but I have a life there, there are still some things that I needed to do, people to see, my friends, my family... and my dog..." she whispered the last part. 

        "I see, then I won't hold it against you," he said calmly. "Oh and before I forget, here...." he handed her a bag. "For remembrance..." he said awkwardly not meeting her gaze.

        She took the bag from his, and peeked inside. All she saw was white, what could it be? "I don't know when is the right moment to give you that, so..I just uhhhh.... I'll just give it now," he said while scratching the back of his head. She stared at him, then back to the bag. She slowly opened it, and gasped. Inside was the dress she saw a while earlier. She was not one for dresses, but this one was an exception. It was simple and beautiful at the same time, but the prize was a little expensive. Its not just because she can't afford it, but also she doesn't have the kind of money they have here. Couldn't believe her eyes, she turned her gaze back to Kaelum who was facing the other direction not wanting to meet her gaze.

        "You didn't have to....." she said. It was sweet of him really, but she just couldn't accept this. This must have cost him a fortune. "I wanted to.... so please, just accept it," he responded still not meeting her gaze.

        Not knowing what to do, she rushed into him and gave him a hug. He was taken aback by her sudden action. Slowly yet unsurely he hug her back. "This feeling.... what could this be?" he thought. It was foreign to him, he never experience such feels. (A/N: lol)

        "Kael.... I..I," she was going to do it, there was no point of keeping it a secret. She will be leaving soon anyways, might as well let him know how she feels about him. But why was it so hard? She always thought that girls confessing to the guy they like, were stupid because they couldn't do it and sometimes back out. Now she knows how they feel, but why was it hard? Is it because of fear that he doesn't feel the same way? fear of rejection? Or she was just embarrass to admit it?

        "Let's go back, its getting dark," he said quickly. She sighed and nodded. "Later..." she promised herself. 

        Once they were back to the place they were staying at, Heylan then began to practice what she's gonna say to him. While she was in the middle of practicing in front of the mirror, Kaelum came out of the bathroom dripping wet, wearing close to nothing. She breathed in mustering up the courage to talk to him. Once she turned to face his direction, she collapsed.

        She woke up at dawn, which she got confuse. "What heppen?" she asked no on in particular. Glancing around the room she was in, she can't help but noticed, that someone was absent. "Where could he be?"

        She got off the bed and started walking towards the door leading outside. Opening the door out, the chilly air hit her causing goosebumps to rise. This was the last day of her journey, she would be going to the palace and then they'll send her home. She stayed outside watching the horizon thinking deep, until she notice a silhouette from afar. She approach that silhouette and found out that it was Kaelum all bloody. Gasping she asked, "what happened?"

        "It was nothing, just some creatures..." he mumbled, but the truth was , there was something following them and he took it upon himself to fix that. She nodded and took him back to their room assisting him.

        Heylan took a pale of water and a cloth dabbing it wet to clean Kaelum off the blood. She check for any cuts and bruises and was glad that there were none. There was an uncomfortable silence between them and neither tried to say anything. Heylan just quietly wipe off the blood off Kaelum from his face to his arms and then to his torso, it was a little hard because he was shirtless infront of her and it was very distracting. She tried mustering up the courage to tell him how she feels about him. This was it, she got nothing to loose right? "Uhmmm... K-Kael...." she stuttered but got cut off by him, "Why did you collapse earlier?" 

        Thinking about what happened, she tried recalling until her face turned crimson. When she was about to tell him earlier, she saw him naked that's why she suddenly collapsed. At that moment its seems that Heylan took a huge interest on the floor, not wanting to look at Kaelum.

        He sighed and tilted her chin so she could face him, "What happened?"

        "Y--you.....were..." she took a deep breath and whispered, "naked."

        "Why is that a problem? We already saw each other naked before."

        "Yeah, but we were under the water and it was dark...earlier...it was different... I saw the whole thing."

        "You saw the whole thing?" he asked amuse.

        "Y-yeah! your big thing!"

        "Uhmmm thanks?"

        Ralizing what she said, she turned more red. "T-that's not what I was trying to say! Oh my gosh that came out wrong...! Goodness! my innocent eyes....."

        "Uhmm is no longer innocent?" he finished for her. They both stared at each other and then burst out laughing. After they were done laughing with their little joke, it returned to being quiet again, but this time it wasn't awkward.

        "K-Kaelum... i have something to say...." Heylan started off, now finding the courage to tell him. She stared directly into his eyes, those beautiful grey and amber eyes of his.

        "I I.... like you..."

        He blinked for a moment trying to absorb what she said. "She likes me?" He needs to stop this. He can't let her fall for him, wherever he goes danger follows. He can't let her get involve. He doesn't deserve any kind of affection.

        "I like you in a romantic way, I know this is silly of me to like you. It may started off as an attraction then turned into a crush... but but...." Kaelum shushed her up with his index finger.

        "Heylan, let us not go there. I can't, I still have my problems with me, and my past haunting me. I will only hurt you. So stop, please for yourself. I'm a danger to you."

        "K-Kaelum I also can't.... this will be our last time together... I-I just need to let this out... please...." she said, while a tear slowly made its way down to her cheek. Contemplating with himself he hugged her. She leaned in to his hug while quietly sobbing. He turned to face her, and gently wipe off the tear in her cheek. "I really like you Kaelum," she murmured, "I really do," then she leaned in and captured his lips with hers. 

        Heylan broke the kiss and stared at him, his eyes were close. It was their last day together, why was he trying to stop her? It was already too late. Internally debating with himself, he made up his mind that he'll make this memorable for the both of them.

        "Uhhh f-ck it," he captured her lips with his and this time he won't hold back. He will make this memorable. Heylan responded to the kiss, he wasn't holding back and she won't either. The kiss was desperate and held a bit of longing,neither one of them not trying to break the kiss. Kaelum trailed down kisses to her jaw, down to her neck. Heylan tried to bit back a moan, but it was hard because of the kisses he gave. 

        He stopped for a moment making Heylan confuse, "why did you stop?" she asked.

        "I need to stop before I completely lose control of myself. If that happens then I won't be able to hold myself back, and I don't think you are ready for that," he explained.

        "Don't hold back...." she said quietly. 

        "Are you sure?" he asked her. She nodded, this was their first and will probably be their last with each other. She doesn't have a reason why the need to hold back. She kissed him and continued on to what they were doing. Where was this boldness of hers coming from?

        Kaelum continued trailing down kisses to her neck going down to her chest. Not breaking the