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"I, as a transient dream, shall dare to ask this… Has your journey so far been fun for you?"
"Of course… Rider! This is a journey… to follow in your legacy!"
Iskandar took several steps, extending his arm as he moved forward. The man known as Lord El-Melloi II shut his eyes and winced, expecting to be flicked on the forehead… but the oh-so-familiar pain between his brows never arrived. Instead, a heavy weight was placed onto his head, wobbling his neck as it tilted from side to side. It was the gentle touch of a giant.
"There, there," Iskandar comforted, repeating the phrase until Waver opened his eyes. "Why are you crying, boy?"
Waver swallowed through his sobs and sniffled. He briefly considered wiping his tears away and then decided against it. There was no point in trying to hide his emotions. He had already stopped worrying about faking his voice. This was a dream, after all.
"It's been fun. It truly has." The professor paused to take a heavy breath. He looked away. "It's just… It would've been so much better if you were with me. I thought that, by now, I'd be able to bring you back, but there's so much left for me to do. I'm just not ready yet."
Iskandar exhaled through his nostrils and moved his hand from the top of Waver's head to the side of Waver's face — calluses pressed against damp tear stains. Waver's eyes widened, and Iskandar offered him a smile of reassurance. Everything was going to be fine.
"Ah, that just means you shall have more stories to tell me when the day arrives! Until then, I will be here, waiting for you."
The professor sniffled and leaned into his king's imaginary caress. "Idiot. I know you're just a dream."
"A dream that you have been chasing for ten years, no? You would be wise not to underestimate me," Iskandar chuckled, showing no sign of offense. "A man like me knows the power of dreams all too well. Who are we to say that dreams and reality are so different, after all?"
"I can't… I can't bring you back through dreams," Waver sobbed. He punctuated his words with a labored sigh. "That's the difference."
The King of Conquerors hummed in acknowledgement.
"Perhaps… but you can find the strength to do so while you're here."
Waver nodded. He sniffled again, this time regaining his composure. He looked a mess — cheeks tinted ever-so-slightly pink, tears sliding down his face, and snot trailing from his nose. Still, nothing could quench the fire of determination burning in his gaze. He stared into Iskandar's eyes, unblinking, at his own reflection. For the first time in ten years, he was proud of the man looking back at him through the eyes of his king.
"I won't give up. I'll continue to struggle, no matter how futile it may be, until the day we can be together again."
Rather than replying with words, Iskandar wrapped his oversized hands around Waver's tiny waist and pulled him closer. Waver whimpered — a combination of astonishment and longing. This may have been the professor's dream, but that couldn't seem to stop the King of Conquerors from being so unpredictable. Before Waver's surprise had the chance to wear off, Iskandar pressed a chaste kiss against Waver's lips. Even after ten years, Waver's memory of Iskandar's lips was still fresh in his mind. He melted into the feeling of those calloused lips kissing his chin, his cheeks, his nose, and, finally, the deep creases between his brows.
"Rider…" Waver whimpered once again, leaning all of his weight into his king's chest, hands resting against the firm breastplates. His breathing slowed. He was taking the chance to savor the moment. This was a dream, and he was going to have to wake up eventually, no matter how much he yearned for this moment to last forever. Before long, he would be forced to face reality.
"I believe in you, Waver. Your students must believe in you, as well."
The professor nodded slowly. The mere sound of Iskandar's voice was so soothing, even more soothing than the ocean waves lapping beneath his feet and the scent of saltwater in the air. He wouldn't trade it for the world.
"I won't let you down."
Struck with a burst of confidence from hearing his real name coming out of his king's mouth, Waver lifted himself onto the tips of his toes and brought their mouths together once more. Tugging on the straps of Iskandar's cuirass, he was determined to make his intentions clear. He wanted this memory to last, even if it was all just a fabrication of the imagination. Iskandar indulged him, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Every sensation had nearly been forgotten by the former master after so many years — the warmth of another body, the wetness of another mouth, the intimacy of being interlocked with another soul. Holding each other so tenderly in the middle of an empty sea, it felt as if they were inseparable for just a moment. Tears pricked at the corners of Waver's eyes, but he was too lost in the act to care.
“I love… I love ki-kissing you,” Waver mumbled with hesitation as he pulled away. Before he had even finished speaking, he had begun to shake his head in embarrassment at his own words. Even in dreams, the Great Big Ben London Star was an anxious mess.
"I… I should be waking up shortly. I have classes to teach tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Iskandar asked. His lip curled into the slightest of pouts.
The professor exhaled and nodded reluctantly. “Gray will worry if I don’t make it to my lectures. It would be an inconvenience to everyone. Besides, I have… I have a legacy to uphold, don’t I?”
“Indeed. Time flies by so quickly when a man is dreaming,” Iskandar observed with a sad smile. He lingered for a moment before speaking again, seemingly just as reluctant to part with the man standing before him.
“Well then. Until we meet again, boy.”
Waver nodded once more as he closed the gap between Iskandar and himself for a final embrace. Before Iskandar could squeeze back, Waver was gone, his presence fluttering into the ocean breeze like a speck of dust. All that was left was the murmur of rolling waves, the smell of brine in the air, and the heartbeat of a king who would continue to wait for the day he could live side-by-side with the man who had given his heart a reason to beat again.