Little Phoenix
IX

It’s a year into the war, and a year since we left from training camp. Luckily, there’s only been one death in the Valante Military. All of us have suffered injuries, but nothing major. And tomorrow is finally that unfortunate day. We have to go to Clamamus to defeat the Banshees. So to celebrate the fact that the war is almost over and we’ve only had one death, we’re having a bonfire.

All of us sat around the fire. Vesper and I are sitting next to each other, our hands intertwined as I lean against him—attempting to steal his body heat. Voices surrounded us and at some point, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

- Dream -

The skies are black and the stars shine dimly, as if they were forced to shine but don’t want to. The clouds are a mix of white and a pale grey, the trees above me showing no signs of colour either. The pine trees towering above me are a dark grey, not black but still grey. Their trunks were definitely closer to black than grey, and yet they didn’t look like it.

The strike of a pale white streak of lightning made me look lazily at the clouds. Thunder cracked, echoing throughout the forest surrounding me. Rain poured all around me, pattering down. Without warning, I hear screams, startling me. What the bloody hell was that? I spun around, looking for the source of the screams. But what I say scared me more than the screams.

I’m restrained by two arms. In front of me, I see Vesper and a Banshee. The Banshee screamed, and pain tore through my head as horror pooled in my stomach.. No, no, no. Vesper’s goin’ to die and I can’t do anythin’ to save him. My head was pounding with pain, and I felt blood begin to run down from my nose. I screamed out, fighting against the arms that were restraining me.

Pain shot through me as the volume of the scream increased, now being also directed at me. I clutched my head, tears falling from my eyes. The scream stopped for a second before another one released, directed at both me and Vesper. I feel blood start to run down from my eyes and my ears as the blood running from my nose increases.

Blood trailed down from Vesper’s ears, eyes, and nose. No, no, no! He’s dyin’! Red tinted my vision and in front of me, I saw Vesper. My anger rose as Vesper looked over at me, the spark in his eyes fading as blood trailed down his face from his eyes. I watched his mouth move, reading his lips move to make the words “I love you,” and then it stopped.

Everything just…stopped.

- Dream Ends -

I shoot up, gasping for breath as I feel tears trail down my face and hands holding my cheeks. In front of me, I see Vesper. Oh thank God. It was just a nightmare. I sigh in relief, and practically tumble into his arms without a word. I rest my head on his chest, where his heart is beating steadily. I wrap my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He’s alright, I think with relief. It was just a nightmare.

Vesper doesn’t take long to reciprocate the hug, his fingers running through my hair comfortingly. Vesper’s grip on me tightens as he lowers his hands to my waist, slightly lifting me so he could hold me better. I bury my face in his neck, smelling his comforting scent. I’m sure I look pathetic right now, clingin’ onto him like a child.

Vesper lets go of me, trying to look me in the eyes. I don’t move, not wanting to let go of him. Vesper whispers, “Yeh gotta let go of me, little phoenix.” I shake my head, murmuring, “No. Yeh’ll disappear if I do.” Gods, I’m bloody pathetic. After a few seconds, I force myself to let go of him, and Vesper gently grabs my hands, moving to crouch down in front of me.

His eyes look up at me, concern filling his eyes. He asks, “What’s going on, little phoenix?” I look down at our intertwined hands that are sitting on my thighs. I mutter bashfully, “I had a nightmare.” I woke him up with my screams. Gods, I’m so bloody pathetic! I let go of his hands, running my right hand through my messy hair.

I apologised, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake yeh up.” Vesper moves to sit back down next to me. He shakes his head, “Hey, no. Don’t say that.” I turn my body so I’m facing him, crossing my legs as well. He assures me, “Yeh don’t have to apologise about that, not to me.” Vesper’s hand finds its way to my right leg, his hand comfortingly lingering just above my knee.

He gently asks, “What was it about?” Flashes of my nightmare flicker through my head, of Vesper bleeding out. It felt so real. I thought I actually lost him. Even with him sitting right in front of me right now, I feel like I could wake up at any second, and all of this could be a dream…like maybe he is really gone.

“Yeh were hurt,” I finally say after a beat of silence, Vesper’s features growing more concerned with every passing second. “I couldn’t save yeh…so yeh died,” my voice cracks, an unfamiliar feeling washing over me. A feeling I hadn’t felt…since Zephryine died. Without a word, Vesper sweeps me into his arms again.

I don’t argue, climbing onto his lap. My legs wrapped around his waist as I hugged him tightly, burying my face into the crook of his neck once again. His hands rubbed delicate circles along my shoulder blade as he placed gentle kisses along the side of my head. He whispered soothingly, “I’m okay,” bringing me reassurance.

“I thought I lost yeh,” I admitted, my voice quiet. He’s okay. I haven’t lost him. I took a deep breath, feeling my eyes beginning to water. I bite my lip, holding back a bitter laugh as I thought, he’s okay. I quietly sighed in relief before telling him, “I thought I’d never get to tell yeh.”

Vesper slightly releases his grip on me, leaning back so he can look me in the eye, his hands lingering on my waist. He asks, “Say what?” forcing me to look him in the eyes. His eyes are soft and hopeful, making my heart leap in my chest. The words seemed physically impossible to say out loud to him, but the thought of losing him and never getting to say it back scared me.

I whispered, “That I love yeh.” Vesper smiles, his dimples on full display. At the sight of his cute dimples, I have to resist the urge to lean forward and kiss them. He teases, “I’m sorry, could yeh repeat that? I think I misheard yeh.”

I roll my eyes, a genuine smile coming to my lips for the first time since waking up. Gods, he makes me so happy. I didn’t think that it was possible to feel this happy until I met him. “Yeh’re the worst,” I say, but my smile reveals that I clearly don’t mean that. “Just one more time,” he pouts playfully before telling me, “I’ve been waiting ages to hear those words.”

I sigh, but don’t hesitate to say the words any longer, “I’m in love with yeh, Vesper Wyndelle.” Vesper doesn’t reply to me for a few seconds. Instead, he places a chaste kiss on my lips before resting his forehead on mine. He tells me, “I’m in love with yeh too, Elias Tempest.”

If only our love was a part of Fate’s plans.

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