winked.
I stepped back—
And we were once again on the shore by the fire. The book loomed in the shadows to my right. The dress I'd created moved in the breeze. "Alice—"
"She's not here."
Dags stood by the fire. He was dressed the same as in the physical world, but here his hair was longer. Almost as it'd been when we met. He stepped toward me and put a hand on my cheek. "She's minding the store."
I wanted to feel his hand there. God I just wanted to feel again...
He stepped closer as his hand slid from my cheek, just brushing his thumb over my jaw, and then cradled the back of my head as he pressed his lips against mine. I sobbed as I slipped my arms around his chest. How many nights, days, hours, and minutes had I floated in that limbo of nothing and dreamed of holding him again?
Of feeling him against me? How could I express my agony at seeing him become little more than a doll, left alone in that room for hours at a time.
I heard music from somewhere on the wind across the water. It was Plumb's "Cut" and I held him tighter as he ran his tongue along my lower lip. I knew it was there...but I just couldn't...
"Dags..."
He stopped and looked at me. There was nothing in those eyes but love. "What is it?"
"I can't—" oh God how could I ruin this moment? How could I do this to the both of us? "I want to but I can't—"
"You can't—"
I put raised my arms and put my hands to the sides of his face. I was touching something solid. But I couldn't feel his skin, or his warmth. "Dags I can't feel you."
I was surprised when he smiled and gave a soft, deep laugh. "I can't actually feel you either, Zoë. But this is the realm of the inner mind. We're just shades of ourselves."
It made sense. And I should have known that he'd know what I was feeling. Or what I wasn't. "But I can't even feel you when I go corporeal. It's not like it was before when I was OOB from my own body—"
"I know."
"—and it's just—you know?"
"Yes. Maureen used to talk to me about it. I don't know why it's that way. Maybe it's because as Familiars you're no longer creatures of flesh and blood?" He moved his hand to my cheek again. "But it doesn't matter, Zoë. You and I can remember what it was like to feel one another. I have my memories of making love to you—they're alive and with me all the time. We might not be able to feel one another now—but we're together again. I can see you, touch you in a manner, and I can talk to you. Zoë," and his eyes were red rimmed. "You have no idea how alone I've been—"
"Oh the hell I don't," I said and pulled him to me. I was afraid I was going to crush him I held him so tight. "I've been in that damned egg for so long. No touch. No contact. Not even my father came to see me, Dags. He locked me away—" and that's when I realized my own eyes were wet.
He pulled back and moved his thumb to my eyes and gently wiped away my sadness. "I'm here. They tried to keep us apart."
"They can't ever do that."
"No," he said and leaned his left cheek against my right one. In my ear he whispered, "I will be with you till the end of time. Not even the stars can burn as bright as my love for you."
I exploded inside at that moment—filled with a happy I thought I'd forgotten. And then it didn't matter if I could feel his touch, or if he could feel mine. We were together . One to one.
There was a fire, the sound of the water, a distant music and time for us as his body slept.
But even as he led me to a bed of pillows and blankets by the fire, I worried that if we made love it would tire him out. Unfortunately, I'd said that with my outside voice.
"Oh...I don't think so," he said and pulled me down beside him. He directed me to lay back on the blanket and I watched him under the moonlight as he smoothed my hair to the side. Dags removed his shirt and I reached out to run my hands over the contours of his shoulders. His muscles cut deep grooves and soft shadows. I knew I
I stepped back—
And we were once again on the shore by the fire. The book loomed in the shadows to my right. The dress I'd created moved in the breeze. "Alice—"
"She's not here."
Dags stood by the fire. He was dressed the same as in the physical world, but here his hair was longer. Almost as it'd been when we met. He stepped toward me and put a hand on my cheek. "She's minding the store."
I wanted to feel his hand there. God I just wanted to feel again...
He stepped closer as his hand slid from my cheek, just brushing his thumb over my jaw, and then cradled the back of my head as he pressed his lips against mine. I sobbed as I slipped my arms around his chest. How many nights, days, hours, and minutes had I floated in that limbo of nothing and dreamed of holding him again?
Of feeling him against me? How could I express my agony at seeing him become little more than a doll, left alone in that room for hours at a time.
I heard music from somewhere on the wind across the water. It was Plumb's "Cut" and I held him tighter as he ran his tongue along my lower lip. I knew it was there...but I just couldn't...
"Dags..."
He stopped and looked at me. There was nothing in those eyes but love. "What is it?"
"I can't—" oh God how could I ruin this moment? How could I do this to the both of us? "I want to but I can't—"
"You can't—"
I put raised my arms and put my hands to the sides of his face. I was touching something solid. But I couldn't feel his skin, or his warmth. "Dags I can't feel you."
I was surprised when he smiled and gave a soft, deep laugh. "I can't actually feel you either, Zoë. But this is the realm of the inner mind. We're just shades of ourselves."
It made sense. And I should have known that he'd know what I was feeling. Or what I wasn't. "But I can't even feel you when I go corporeal. It's not like it was before when I was OOB from my own body—"
"I know."
"—and it's just—you know?"
"Yes. Maureen used to talk to me about it. I don't know why it's that way. Maybe it's because as Familiars you're no longer creatures of flesh and blood?" He moved his hand to my cheek again. "But it doesn't matter, Zoë. You and I can remember what it was like to feel one another. I have my memories of making love to you—they're alive and with me all the time. We might not be able to feel one another now—but we're together again. I can see you, touch you in a manner, and I can talk to you. Zoë," and his eyes were red rimmed. "You have no idea how alone I've been—"
"Oh the hell I don't," I said and pulled him to me. I was afraid I was going to crush him I held him so tight. "I've been in that damned egg for so long. No touch. No contact. Not even my father came to see me, Dags. He locked me away—" and that's when I realized my own eyes were wet.
He pulled back and moved his thumb to my eyes and gently wiped away my sadness. "I'm here. They tried to keep us apart."
"They can't ever do that."
"No," he said and leaned his left cheek against my right one. In my ear he whispered, "I will be with you till the end of time. Not even the stars can burn as bright as my love for you."
I exploded inside at that moment—filled with a happy I thought I'd forgotten. And then it didn't matter if I could feel his touch, or if he could feel mine. We were together . One to one.
There was a fire, the sound of the water, a distant music and time for us as his body slept.
But even as he led me to a bed of pillows and blankets by the fire, I worried that if we made love it would tire him out. Unfortunately, I'd said that with my outside voice.
"Oh...I don't think so," he said and pulled me down beside him. He directed me to lay back on the blanket and I watched him under the moonlight as he smoothed my hair to the side. Dags removed his shirt and I reached out to run my hands over the contours of his shoulders. His muscles cut deep grooves and soft shadows. I knew I
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