Cross My Heart || Popov Safehouse #33

Ashleen, mumbled into her pillow, pulling the object closer to her, cuddling it into her face. She took comfort in its softness. Really she took comfort in sleeping at all. Even if it was all she seemed to do anymore, lay about her room - half the time she could hardly bring herself to get up - she never seemed to get any relief from everything that went on in her head except when she was asleep.

Her blonde hair sprayed around her, rumbled slightly with sleep, unknownace to her it was frizzing, sticking up in little clumps. Not that she mattered, it wasn't like anyone could see her anyway.

Across her feet, Heaven snoozed proctectivly, never willing to leave the girl for long, if at all anymore. Not that Ashleen would let her.

A soft summer breeze came through the crack in the slightly openned window, drifing over her, and cooling down the otherwise warm room, a slim sheet, which she had knoted up around her with tossing and turning, was the only thing protecting Ash from the air.

She let out a soft sigh, and a slight smile - one that would disappear as soon as the fantacies of her dreams left and reality sunk in again - tugged at her lips.

He was insane. Absolutely fucking insane.

That was the only plausable explanation for why he was here, on the roof outside the Safehouse, three floors above the ground. He was just bloody crazy.

It was the sanest he'd felt in two weeks. That was the last time he'd seen her. Somehow he'd convinced himself that maybe if he did this once... Just once... He'd be able to go on without her.

It was a long shot, even for him.

Sliding silently forward, the teen opened the window easily. It was almost identical to the one she'd had in her room in America. His tattoo glinted slightly beneath his black muscle shirt, and he was inside, standing on her carpet and feeling like a complete intruder.

Heaven's head snapped up, and a warning snarl flitted across the dog's snout. Tre held up his hands in surrender, ready to turn tail and forget this crazed obsession with the idea he'd had, but a warm breeze drifted through the window, lifting the curtains around him. Heaven sniffed the air, her tail wagging at the familiar scent before she laid down again. Tre stepped forward uncertainly, unsure of whether the dog would make a move, but Heaven stayed where she was.

Moving silently, he picked his way toward the bed, pausing when he was standing over her.

She looked so at peace without him there.

He reached out a hand, to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear, but hesitated. She had said not to... Not to...

Heaven nudged him forward, and then he was touching her, caressing her cheek and measuring her breathing to make sure she was alright. He'd just... Just... Make sure she was fine and leave. That simple. Short and sweet. He'd stay out of her hair.

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before turning back for the window.

The girl, still asleep, tensed ever so slightly as her beloved pet's growl drifted to her unconsious ears. She muttered a bit more, stilll rather unintelligable, though were one to really attempt to pick appart the words, they would have heard something that sounded a lot like an order to heal.

Of course in her mind, she wasn't seeing a darkened room with a shadowy intruder, silently making his way around her. No, she was - as she had every night, and would every night following - retreated to the world of her dreams, the world where she was still alright, still normal...

The world where he never left.

Heave ran forward, seemingly smaller, almost a puppy again. Ashleen ran after her with a exasperated grin. "Heal you stupid dog!"

"... Dog..." The girl sighed, and shifted in her sleep again.

The sun beat down on them, but she didn't mind. It was summer, that was what summer was for. It made the water, endless water glissen. It looked beautiful. But some part of Ashleen was still hesitatant to go towards it. Heaven didn't seem to have that problem. The dog got right to the edge, frollicking around the waves. Ashleen hesitated a moment, her voice going whinny as she stopped her foot in the sand, "Heeeavenn!"

She let out a whimper as a hand was pulled away from her. She rolled closer towards the source.

She took a hesitant step forward, and then another. She really didn't want to go closer towards the water. She couldn't help but feel.... there was something wrong with the water, something bad. Her eyes wide eyed as a figure went pass her, closer to the water, his light hair sparkling in the sun like the water. She reached out a hand to stop him, but he was too far away, and she didn't want to get closer, go after him.... she couldn't... "Don't.."

"Tre," her breathing evened out, and her mumbling became more clear, "Don't-" her hand mirrored her dream, reaching out slightly, hanging just off the bed, just out of reach of the boy she didn't even know was there.

Tre scooped up the dog, who let out a little yip of protest, but allowed the boy to carry her back to her mistress. Ashleen smiled and reached out a hand to stroak the dog's now damp fur.

"Just fine," Tre said presenting the dog to her, leaning over and kissing her forehead softly, "You worry too much, Wings."

Ashleen blushed slightly and continued to focus on her pet, though her eyes flicked up to Tre ever so briefly, her words - to one who was focusing - could have easily been implying to both beings in front of her.

"I love you."

It was quite ironic, the way his heart lifted and his body froze. He felt like a kid again, a Russian in America, a fish out of water, unused to being so close to someone. He looked over his shoulder at her, his heart flipping anxiously as his golden gaze moved over her. He wanted... he wanted to reach out and take her hand, crawl into bed beside her, never leave her again.

But she didn't want him to touch her when she was awake. Whatever she was feeling as of now, everything she was saying, everything she was wanting...

She only wanted it when asleep.

He took her hand and kissed the back of it gently, his eyes lightening drastically. "I love you too." He said softly. "I always have, and I always will."

Another breeze lifted the curtains from the window, and he was gone, as if he'd never been there.