Transcendence

21: Her

Fingers slid through his hair.

"Hiroto..." He stirred and slowly opened his eyes to find her above him, a gentle smile on her face. He blinked and reached up to grasp her wrist.

"Rae?" She smiled wider, her teeth showing.

"Why you sleepin out here?"

"Out here?" He looked around them. Vast field surrounded them, the shreds of grass tall and green.

"Rae...how did you get here?" She giggled and leaned down to press her lips against his forehead.

"Don't be askin dumb questions. You're the reason I'm here." He looked up to find her eyes on him, her hair shielding everything.

"You look so tired baby." Her voice was quiet and her fingertips softly caressed his chin. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I am." He felt her kiss his lips before he felt her lean back. He slowly lifted from her lap and laid next to her. Wrapping an arm loosely around her waist, he sighed against her chest. She was so warm. Her sweet scent filled his nostrils and he smiled.

"Rest for a while. I'll be here to protect you." She wrapped her arms around him and soon he fell into a relaxed deep sleep.

*****

He jolted awake. Gripping the side of the tub, he slowly sat up. There was a dull ache in his neck and the water had grown cool. He sighed and leaned back against the smooth porcelain, laying his head back against the rim. Reaching up, he pushed his hair out of his eyes. This was the second time he had fallen asleep in the bath this week. This was the first dream he'd had of Rae in a long while. He felt a soft pain in his chest. His heart ached. Looking up to the ceiling, he grew still. Tears began to well up in his eyes and he didn't try to stop them. He missed her so much. But the pain he had caused her... the pain she felt because of him...It was too much to think about. So he hid behind the mountainous agendas, business plans, contracts, meeting notes and assignments. Behind his cherry wood doors. If he worked hard enough, maybe he wouldn't see her teary eyes and hear them in her voice. Maybe he wouldn't relive the day it all happened late at night. He sat in the bath until it grew cold. But alone, always it never failed. Standing up, he shivered. He didn't want to think about it any more... not tonight. He hoped when he fell asleep, he'd have some peace.

*******

"Mr. Iwase?" A voice called softly. He didn't reply. Instead he stared at the stack of paper work that piled up on his desk. He stared. It stared back. The longer he looked at it, he felt his heart begin to pound in his chest and a vein in his temple throb.

"Mr. Iwase?" The response that met his secretary was a growl and she blinked as she peeked her head in.