Leaves rustle in the breeze, the sun-dappled grass brushing against bare skin with each step. A delicate melody floats around them, encasing the couple in their own intimate, little world. In his left hand rests another that feels as if it were made to be held by his. Meanwhile, his right tenderly holds his partner’s waist, craving to close what small gap exists between them. Instead, his gentle gestures lead their feet in perfect harmony, all the while the beautiful visage has him entranced. Nothing has ever felt more perfect, a happiness he’s never known filling his heart to the brim.
Glittering eyes gaze up at him. On those enticing lips, a smile is born as they motion his name.
“Hm?”
“Silver.” Weight suddenly settles into his body.
“What’s wrong?”
Music fades from his ears. “Silver, wake up.”
Around him, his world dissolves, even the perfect person in his arms disappears in the dust, leaving him in utter darkness.
“Hey.”
Another shake of his shoulder, coerces the young man into opening his eyes. Though leaves quiver in the sky above, this is not the haven he’d just been. No, this is Fluer City, beneath one of the campus trees at Noble Bell College. Disappointment washes over him; he’d fallen asleep again.
A familiar face pokes into his view. “Ah, Monsieur Sleepyhead, welcome back to the world of the living.”
Drowsy Silver sits up, reluctant to shake the dream from his thoughts just yet. “Sorry, I must’ve dozed off again.”
His gaze grazes across Rook and Riddle, both fully prepared for the evening’s events.
The fellow second year folds his arms. “If you’re that tired, perhaps you should return to your room and rest.”
An offered hand by Rook is gratefully accepted. “No, it’s fine. Besides, I doubt Sebek would let me live it down if I missed the ball. Afterall, Malleus has been looking very forward to this.”
“That’s true,” Riddle agrees.
“Then you’d best return to your room and get dressed,” Rook says. “It’s almost time for our group to gather.”
“Of course. Thank you for waking me.”
Silver bids the two goodbye and wanders into the school where the Night Raven College students have been given rooms to borrow for the social. Yet while his feet are focused, his head is not.
It started months ago when Night Raven College so graciously volunteered its student body to help out with Port Fest. Class A had decided upon producing and selling churros as their way of contributing to the festival. Silver worked diligently to do his part, taking several measures to ensure he stayed awake.
Then there was an order for one of the sophomore churros, which Silver fulfilled. As he steps to the counter to pass off the final result to the customer, he freezes.
It was an angel standing there, wearing a radiant smile. Silver had been convinced he slipped up and was dreaming. If he was, he didn’t even care. It left him mesmerized as an unknown feeling swelled in his chest.
Taking the order, the customer thanked him with a voice that seared into his brain. There was a quick, heavenly smile before the strange began to leave.
He wanted to reach out, to shout, to say something, to do literally anything looked at a second time. But he just stood there until Kalim bumped into him, nearly dropping the next few orders on the ground. And when Silver lifted his gaze once again, the angel was gone.
From that moment on, Silver’s thoughts were repeatedly intruded on. He frequently caught himself wondering about likes and dislikes and how one might handle different situations. There were definitely admissions of his descent into insanity. Then he began to daydream, which quickly devolved to full on dreams. Most often, those dreams were fleeting, simple little incidents, but the best ones were the ones like he just had—where he was entirely in over his head and happy to be so. Actively encouraging him to slip into dreamland, it did not help him with his sleep problems.
“Silver! Snap out of it!”
Flinching back to reality, Silver’s eyes blinked, staring back at him. He’d done well to get so far into donning the uniform gifted for the occasion, but Silver was still not ready. He’d done it again.
“Sorry,” he murmurs, buckling the belt around his waist.
“What’s gotten into you?” Sebek huffs. “I swear your air-headed nature has gotten worse lately.”
Not exactly sure how to go about this discussion, let alone with Sebek of all people, Silver directs his attention to his boots. “It’s nothing.”
“Well quit daydreaming and finished getting dressed. We can’t keep Malleus waiting for even a second.”
“Right.”
It’s a struggle, but Silver keeps focused long enough to dress, meet up with the others, and offer their welcome gift to the Nobel Bell College for hosting this social. Still, his head keeps wandering to the clouds and his schoolmates keep recalling him from his thoughts. Yet his hearing hyper focuses when a particular song begins to play.
Silver’s attachment to the melody stems from his exposure to it as a child. It was one of the few songs Lilia didn’t scream at him to lull him to sleep and it simply became a source of comfort. It’s the one that fills his dreams and, left to his own devices, it immediately begins to take his mind away.
Into his vision strides his angel, peering up at him with eyes he’ll never forget. A reverent bow is all the exchange the pair needs before stepping out onto the dance floor. Their gentle sway sends them into their own little world of solace, still as perfect as he imagined. He’s utterly consumed, lost to his fantasy and there’s nothing he wouldn’t give to drift forever in this moment of bliss.
Just as his heart begins to convince him to lean a little closer, a flicker of red draws his eyes. It morphs into the shape of Jamil, dancing with Riddle. Confused, he dares to let his gaze venture beyond, sighting Ruggie and Idia and the other Night Raven College students among the dancing figures.
That’s right.
He’s at the Nobel Bell College.
At the ball.
But then that means…
Peering at his dance partner, the young man now sees the silver mask concealing that face. Even so, he knows those eyes.
The music stops. Without breaking the mood, his partner smiles and bows once again in gratitude. However, his conflict must be visible.
“Are you okay?”
That voice pierces his heart. Despite the wound, it now pounds in his chest. A hand, terrified to destroy the delusion, reaches out. There’s some uncertainty and his hand recoils while he stumbles to regain his manners.
“May I?” It’s incredible that the quiver in his breath keeps from his voice.
Rightful hesitance takes a moment before a gracious nod acquiesces. Dancing fingers delicately trace the mask as if reality might shatter. His breath hitches in his chest as he reveals the face he’s been obsessively dreaming about for months.
Standing here, Silver doesn’t know what to do. Part of him wants to scream while another part wants to hug as if his life depends on it and a distant third part of him might just pass out. He never thought he’d see his angel again so it never occurred to him how their meeting might go.
He never does figure out what to do though before careful fingers slide the mask from his face. He blinks, now just as exposed.
That curious expression studies his face, some hint of recognition sparking in those eyes.
“Have we met before?”
His chest fit to burst, Silver smiles.
“Once upon a dream.”