~Raiden~
I’m dreaming of her, and it’s the sweetest dream.
She’s walking toward me, her mile-long legs carrying her easily my way.
Her California tan making her Scandinavian skin glow like radiant moonlight.
Her long blonde hair in waves down her back, some making its way into her eyes, she pushes it back, looking up at me with her glacial blue eyes, so beautiful.
She reaches me and wraps her arms around my waist, chin on my chest looking up at me like I’m the only man in the world. Until this moment, I never knew I wanted to feel like this, but having her look at me like that makes me want to hold onto this feeling forever.
I hold her close for a few minutes, relishing the feeling of having her against me. Then I bring my hands up lightly trailing up her back, over her bare shoulders that are all but begging me to have a taste.
I lean down, unable to resist and start peppering her sun kissed skin with kisses, my lips finding their way closer to her neck, up it, as she leans to give me better access, her breaths coming out in rapid puffs.
I finally get to her jaw and leave a trail of searing kisses there as well.
Just as I’m getting to her pouty perfect lips, amazed at how badly I want this beautiful woman, I hear something, off in the distance.
“Fffffffffuck, NO, NO BACK OFF!”
I look down at Elli, my sweet girl, who is just as confused as I am at this commotion somewhere in the background.
“AHHHHH NO, NO, GET AWAY.”
I whip around, losing the grip I had on my girl, trying to find whatever is making the noise.
I turn around to look for her and she’s saying something but I can’t hear it, I can barely make out her lips mouthing, “Weston, help Weston.”
It’s then that I wake up, bolt upright and lock eyes on Weston’s thrashing body.
I leap off of my cot and skid over to him, a hand going to his shoulder.
“Motherfucker, get off me! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you before you kill me!”
His screams are wracking his whole body, his breathing hard and heavy, he’s practically hyperventilating.
“WESTON, WAKE UP!”
I yell, shaking his shoulder and pinning him to his cot.
His eyes snap open and he looks around disoriented.
“What happened, Raiden?”
He goes to grip my wrist, probably trying to move me off him but just holds on, and I can feel him shaking.
“You were having a nightmare, man.”
His ragged bloodshot eyes look up at me, still gripping my wrist, and I can all but feel the fear, the anguish coming off him in waves. Like a sonic blast, I’m hit with all the emotion swirling in from his nightmare.
“You good, man? I’m worried about you,” I say, tightening my hold on his shoulder a little, letting him know I’m here, I’m real and I am really worried about him.
“Yeah man, I’m good, I just get these memories coming at me in my dreams every now and then and it kinda wrecks me.”
He releases me and relaxes back on his pillow.
I look at him pointedly. “You need help sortin’ that shit out, you come to me, West. I might not be able to help get rid of ‘em but I can at least listen to what’s going on.”
I back up toward my own cot.
“Thanks, brother. Don’t know what I would do without you.”
He rolls over ending the conversation and on that, I sit down, the adrenaline fading I find myself suddenly mourning the loss of dream-Elli in my arms, and sure as hell worried about my best friend, my brother. Leaning back, I check my watch seeing we only have about an hour until we have to be up and facing another day in this sandy hell.
I don’t know what’s going on with Weston but I know he won’t see anyone about it, he’s just too stubborn. I can only hope that he can talk to me about it and maybe getting it out will help it stop weighing on his subconscious. He would do the same for me and it’s honestly the least I can do for him. I don’t want to push him and I don’t truly know how to deal with this.
I bring my hands behind my head and close my eyes trying to coax the woman of my dreams back to me.
Ahhhh, there she is.
I see her, everything else fading to a dull haze, my focus solely on her.
She’s walking toward me again, coming to rest in my arms.
She places a hand on my chest, smiling up at me, a smile so bright it’s lighting up my whole world.
I bring my hand up to cover hers, my eyes locked on hers, my oceans staring into her glaciers. I run my callused fingers across the backs of her feminine soft ones and come to rest on a ring.
I look down to see what hand is on my chest and realize that it’s her left hand, and the ring I was just feeling is an engagement ring.
Not just any engagement ring, but my mother’s.
She also has a slim platinum band nestled next to it.
She tilts her head and takes the hand I’m using to explore hers with and intertwines them together.
It’s just then that I realize on my left hand is a simple platinum band as well.
I open my eyes, the sunrise filtering through the mouth of our tent casting the ceiling in shadows. I rub my eyes, not fully understanding what’s going on in my head at this current moment.
Marriage.
Mama’s ring.
Elli.
I’ve never really wanted to settle down or gave it any thought, but that just felt incredible. I mean, I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of content happiness that I had, looking down and seeing Elli, my wife’s hand in mine with both of our wedding rings.
I shake my head, pushing the sense of longing I have for that feeling back so I can go out and face the day.