Letters From The Sky (JoongNine AU)

Chapter 23

Joong

"Joong, let me off..aish", he was struggling to get out of my hug. I had been hugging him for the last 5 minutes, because Nine had to leave early for work. P'Tha had booked a taxi to bring Nine back to his home to rest. Nine had the night shift for today, so, by arriving at Bangkok as early as possible, he would have ample time to rest before work started.

"Can't you stay for another day?", I mumbled with a dispirited voice. Usually, when we were separated for work, it had become such a norm that I was not this clingy. But, because of my condition; which was not that serious anyway; but still could be used as an excuse to play for his empathy; my heart felt so heavy to let him go. Nine pushed a little and hold my arms. He looked at me with a contented look and smiled.

"Why are you such a baby today? You know I can't, right, Joong. It's not that I'm not worried, and that you're not important, but we both have works to be done, hmm, okay?".

"P'Lek let me have a couple of days off, and asked me to rest. Can't I follow you home?", my mouth was almost pouting. He raised his hand and hold the side of my neck.

"Then you have to travel back again. It will be tiring to both, you and P'Tha. Just stay here and get that rest, Joong. My heart will feel better, rather than having a tired you at home".

P'Tha knocked before entering, maybe he was afraid that he would see another surprise.

"Nine, ready? The car is waiting at the lobby. Give you another 5 minutes, okay? And Joong, don't even try to do anything naughty at this early hour, Nine need to go". P'Tha left after giving such firm warning to me.

"Should I follow P'Tha's warning?", I asked Nine as soon as the door closed.

"What do you have in mind?", Nine was looking at me skeptically.

"Hmm, 5 minutes, damn, P'Tha is petty. Take a deep breath, Nine".

"What?". I just raised my brows, smirked and kissed him senseless for the remaining time.

I smiled because Nine was blushing liked a lobster in front of P'Tha; for having a messy hair that I grabbed almost tight; swollen lips; and a little bite at the crook at his neck; just because I couldn't help it. If he saw that later, he would be cursing me more, but it's alright, at least he'd be thinking about me.

P'Tha talk a bit with the driver, and the chance was used by Nine to hug me tightly and kissed my cheek before going into the taxi. I sent him away with a smile, though I was having a hard time keeping it all inside.

Nine still wanted to leave. The fact alone caused me to fear being far away from him, even for a while. I wanted to ask him to tell me, the reason why. But, I didn't want to pressure him more. I could see it in his eyes, in his words, in the way he touched me; that he didn't want it to happen more than I do, but yet he was so sure it would happen still.

"Ai Joong, stopped looking liked a sad puppy. Now, go back to your room, it's cold. I will go back to the hotel and will fetch you later this afternoon when you are discharged. Get some sleep, the shadow under your eyes were terrible. What were you doing last night? Ah, never mind, forget that I asked", P'Tha ushered me back into my room and even helped to put the light out.

I laid back on the bed, and thought about last night. Nine was already asleep on the sofa. I waited until he was asleep to go quietly and covered him with my blanket. If I were to do it earlier, he would reject it immediately, I could tell. But, the room really was quite cold and Nine was still wearing his work attire. Must be uncomfortable to be wearing that to sleep. After spending some time looking at his serene face, I switched off the main light. The moonlight that seeped through the half-opened curtain lighted the darkness a bit.

I was almost asleep, when I thought I saw someone standing near Nine, looking at his sleeping form. A ghost? That was my first thought, but I don't really believe or scare of one, maybe because I had never seen any, God forbid, but his features were human-like. I was trying to really configure whether I was dreaming or not; because the same thing happened before; that time when I collapsed to the other's eyes; but all I remember was, to be in such long dream.

His hand reached out, maybe to touch Nine, and my breath hitched to alertness, that a stranger was approaching Nine. The figure turned, alerted by the sound that I made and I managed to see his face that was looking at me, even only for a brief second and then disappeared. The face was familiar, of course I remembered, because it was the day that I decided to confess, and he was there as my witness. Such memorable and embarrassing event would never be out of my mind.

The moment he's gone, I blinked my eyes rapidly, still wondering whether it was a dream or an illusion. Even if it was a dream, why should I dream of Nine's friend, that I only saw just once and never again. Maybe I should try to ask Nine. Will he think I'm crazy? Maybe. But, my curiosity suddenly peak.

The Sky, Dome of Illusion

Areo

I was invited to see Dromiere, the wise. I also wanted to know the answer about Nine's dream. Why did such a dream come back to Nine, when the memory that associated him to the event was already blocked for so long. It was a rare occasion for an Angel to face such predicament, but the Guardians must had a very strong reason that allowed them to do that.

"Areo...welcome", Dromiere who had lived for so long, maybe one of the oldest living Angel was a mysterious being. She managed the Dome by herself. The Dome, if you could see it, was full of interlacing thin silk thread, that of people's dreams; with such interesting and complicated patterns; unique liked each pattern of the snowflakes, or fingerprints.

"Speak with your heart, Areo. I could listen to something no others could hear, even if I already could sense the pattern coming off from your mind. Maybe I'll thread it later, just for my study...", Dromiere said with his whispery melodious voice.

"Nine shouldn't remember, isn't dream supposed to be linked with at least some stimuli, happenings or memories?"

"Dream is unique, Areo. It is never based on anything solid. Sometimes people just wanted to dream, sometimes it is spontaneous. If all dream is based on reality, my Dome will be decorated with such boring patterns".

"Did you do it? Did you weave that dream for him?". Dromiere was laughing, the sound was beautiful, almost liked a lullaby.

"Do you want to see his dream's pattern, Areo? Here, this one. The pattern is not complete, isn't it? Because it was only a half-truth. Oh, do you want to see the pattern of Joong's, his loved one. Here, looked at it, at first it was in tangle, but since today, there's an obvious pattern that has started to show. Do you see what I'm trying to show you?

I could see, clearly. Each dream pattern supposed to be unique; yet for these two, even when the weave was half finished, both of the halves already shown a similar pattern.

"To answer to your earlier question; no Areo, I didn't weave this pattern for them. These came from their unconscious desire, longing for the truth. One is aware but couldn't remember, another one could see but didn't understand what he was seeing".

I nodded, and already turned to leave after giving Dromiere a respectful bow.

"And, Areo...", my step was halted, and then heard what she said, "you're the only Angel that got to hold both of their Leaves".

I didn't understand, but when I turned, the Dome was again obscured from the naked eyes. Yes, Dromiere chose the person she wanted to entertain. And with such power, she might hold so much secret; only that she couldn't tell. So, her words that had been said, must had meant something for me to think about.