Chapter Text
Wataru can't really remember what her life was like before the dreams started. She also can't really say when did they start either. But she knows what the dreams are, even if she can't remember anything about them.
They are the dreams.
The only thing Wataru remembered of the dreams, was a light feeling of happiness along with a silent nagging feeling in the back of her brain. It wasn't really unheard of, the dreams affecting your state of mind when you woke up. Exactly the opposite actually, the dreams were supposed to affect your mood.
After all, they were the precious dreams you shared with your soulmate.
Some people said you start to see them around the time you can possibly run into your soulmate. Others say it's when you first make contact with your soulmate. Wataru didn't know. Sure, Rei had only started to see her dreams near the end of their first year, while Wataru had begun seeing them at the beginning of their first year, but it could always just be different for every person.
So Wataru went to school like normal, skipped class like always, attended club like usual.
"I fell in love."
The chatter of mostly Wataru paused in the dim light music club room. All three pairs of eyes were on Rei.
It was nearing the end of their second year, when Wataru started to truly think of what it meant to fall in love.
After no one said a word, not even Wataru, Rei continued.
"I wasn't completely sure about this, which is why I didn't talk to you earlier. But I woke up this morning, remembering our dream, and I was cleared of my doubts."
"Waa, that's great for you, Rei," said Kanata, the first one to open her mouth.
"Yes, that is, truly amazing Rei, I'm happy for you!" was what Wataru managed to let out.
She was still baffled; how couldn't she have noticed this about her friend. She also felt a pang of jealousy hit her. Why was it Rei that had fallen in love with her soulmate before Wataru. Wataru had started seeing her dreams before Rei, so she should've found her soulmate before Rei too, right?
Rei kept talking about her dreams for a little while, Wataru and Kanata intently listening to her, Wataru trying to keep her usual eccentric nature up, while Shu contributed comments once in a while. Shu claimed she didn't believe in the dreams, and the other's left it at that. Everyone had a right to their own opinions after all.
But still, the topic kept bothering Wataru, even as she was laying in her bed, trying to sleep.
When Wataru opened her eyes, she was leaning against a tree. It was her dream, but she wasn't there yet. The sky was hollow, devoid of clouds or colour, fitting to Wataru's mood.
She got up from the ground, brushing her hands against her pure white dress, in case she got dirt on it. Not like it mattered – in dreams, clothes always seemed to be in pristine condition. She sat down on the swing hanging from a branch of the tree, looking around the small dream space they had.
The tree was located on a small hill, that rose above a field of colourful flowers. In the flowers there was a gazebo with a table for two, they often used to drink tea. Everything was lined with tall hedgerows, green and well kept, since in the end, their private dream oasis was located in the middle of a huge maze.
Wataru sighed. She loved her dreams, and she loved her. But because she loved her, she kept their promise. She understood why she suggested it, but in times like these, it was hard. Wataru wanted to hold her, all the time, not just when she was asleep, but she couldn't. They weren't in love with each other in the real world. And they would never be.
"Wataru? Are you okay?"
It was her. The voice brought Wataru out of her thoughts, and there she was, standing in front of her in all her beauty, blue eyes hiding a sliver of worry in their depths, blonde hair glistening even without any sunlight.
Wataru smiled, a sad smile completely uncharacteristic for her awoken state when in front of other people but a norm in front of her, and brought her right hand to touch her golden hair.
"Rei remembers. She told us about it today. I'm happy for her, I really am, but I wish I could remember you. I know I will probably never remember you, but I don't remember that when I'm awake. So the awake me was feeling a little down, which is why we are experiencing this slightly depressing scenery this fine night, my dearest empress. But it’s alright, just seeing you brightens my mood."
She smiled, the same kind of sad smile Wataru had given just a moment ago, returning her action and tangling a hand into Wataru's silken locks.
"Wataru, my Wataru, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she apologized, a heartfelt apology that pierced Wataru's heart.
"Oh no, no no, you don't need to apologize, Eichi. There's nothing for you to apologize about," Wataru squeaked, stopping the tiny movement of the swing to cup Eichi's face. "Do not apologize to me without a need to. I don't want to hear it if you don't have a good reason to."
Eichi smiled again, a genuine smile this time, and it got Wataru's lips to curl upwards too. A smiling, happy Eichi was the best Eichi after all. Wataru loved Eichi's smile, her real genuine smile, which filled Wataru's heart with sunlight and made it feel like it was going to burst.
"Shall we go to enjoy some tea to the gazebo? You can tell me why you were so late or I can talk about my day, whichever you prefer," Wataru breathed out, bringing Eichi's face a little closer to her own.
Eichi brought her hands to grasp Wataru’s. “We should. But I don’t mind just standing here with you like this.”
Wataru felt her cheeks heat up a little.
“Ah, did you have a bad day? I guess student council is busy all around the year, you seem to be working all the time when at school. Or maybe it wasn’t the student council. You seem to enjoy overworking yourself with them. So it was your family again-?”
Eichi dropped her head down, to rest her forehead against Wataru’s.
“You are rambling again, Wataru. I just wanted to feel you like this, your hands are always so warm and nice, you know,” Eichi’s breath felt hot on Wataru’s face as she talked, not really a whisper, but not out loud. “Besides, I like it when you hold me, even if it’s just like this.”
“Hm, whatever you say,” Wataru hummed, closing her eyes. This might have been a dream, but it was their reality. And Wataru was fine with just that, she really was.
They stayed like that, basking in each other’s warmth, calm breaths mingling together, before Eichi broke contact. She stood up straight, taking Wataru’s hands off her face but still holding them.
“On a second thought, I think I need your tea as much as I need you to hold me,” she smiled at Wataru, pulling her up.
“Oh? So now her majesty is fine with some tea and a lovely night at the gazebo? I’m truly hurt, her majesty just wants me for my body,” Wataru answered with her usual dramatics, overdoing it completely.
Eichi let out a small laugh. “Well, Wataru’s body is the only body I want, why wouldn’t I want it? But there are also much more qualities in Wataru that I like~”
The rest of their night was spent sitting at the gazebo, enjoying tea that always just appeared out of nowhere when they desired some, exchanging glances and chaste touches, here and there. But like all nights, this one was to come to an end, like all the nights before it, and all the nights to come after it. Usually it was Eichi, who’d wake up first in the real world, but tonight it was Wataru.
“Ah, it seems I haven’t been sleeping well this night and I’ll have to bid you an early farewell, my angel,” Wataru sighed as she felt herself disappearing.
“So it seems. But it’ll be fine, we’ll see each other the next evening,” Eichi said, letting her hand brush through Wataru’s hair once it still was there.
“We will. But before that-“
Wataru leaned in to leave a chaste kiss on Eichi’s lips. The look on Eichi’s face was wistful, and Wataru knew her own face was most likely mirroring it. She also felt Eichi’s hand grasp her hair tightly.
“Wataru, I-“ Eichi began, unable to finish.
She smiled at Eichi.
“I know. We promised.”
“I’m sor-“
“Shh, don’t apologize. I understand. There’s no reason to apologize.”
Wataru could sense the panic in the air around Eichi. She sometimes got like this, and Wataru didn’t need her freaking out when she was disappearing. Wataru took a deep breath, hoping Eichi would do the same.
“I won’t go back on my promises.”
“I know that. I know. I trust you. We are fine like this.”
Wataru only nodded. Her time this night was up. The last thing she heard, were Eichi’s quiet words she had heard many times already.
“We can’t fall in love with each other outside.”