i don't know if we should be alone together ;

---

war was never something kalon was afraid of. he was a strategist, a great mind who could weigh the risks and find the benefits of every move his regiment made. kal was able to imagine the various outcomes and estimate the troops he'd unfortunately lose. kalon knew sacrifice was a central piece to winning a war, even if it sunk a knife into his heart with each face he lost. he was a man with a bleeding heart, and bleed it did.

kalon was still in slumber's warm embrace somewhere in the world, but while he slept, he was allowed to explore the dream world that opened before him. rolling slopes of green spread around him, plains grass dancing with the gentle breeze that moved over the land. clusters of wildflowers dotted the green expanse, vaguely reminding him of the meadow his regiment found during a scouting mission. all it needed were his troops.

the herculean man rose to unsteady legs as he looked around, his citrusy scent covering him like a blanket. it soothed his wandering thoughts and gave back his surefooted confidence. he was a captain, a leader and this experience would not get the better of him.

---

for @Saira

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he had not seen her. coiled tight in the space behind him, leeching off the warmth he exuded in a land so strange. she thought him a rock in her hazy stupor, pulling herself into a dream tooth and nail. dreaming the rock would turn into, well, something else was one of the weirder dreams she’d had since arriving in the oasis.

she was but a plush puddle of cream at his backside, wrapped delicately within the strands of green and petals of vibrant hues. perhaps not sleeping soundly but neither petrified in the presence of a large form. he was heavy, that much she could discern from where she laid, his heavy footfall practically thunder in comparison to the soft patter of her own.

saira wished to unravel, to present herself in the face of this odd dream but curiosity kept her wrapped within the warmth he’d left. the warmth she now coveted. would he see her? was he a threat? or was he the very reason her dream bloomed, her mind welcoming a stranger with open arms?

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---

kalon felt his legs tremble after some of time of disuse, the muscles in his shoulders and hips screaming in protest with every step he took. however something behind him sang to kal like a siren, pulling him from his desired expedition. the man paused mid-step, his head craning to look behind him. but upon seeing what he could call perfection, his mind erased any notion of leaving from his thoughts. she was, beautiful. but he wasn't sure how she had managed to appear in his dream. kalon could not recall ever meeting her, in this life or the past, so who was she?

seeing her nestled in the space he had left made his chest tighten, a feeling kalon hadn't experienced in a very long time. she reminded him of someone from before, but the memory eluded him—always just out of reach, but close enough to brush his fingers against.

“are you awake?” he asked softly, almost afraid of scaring the woman. whiskey-colored eyes studied her with interest, noting the steady rise and fall of her side. she was alive, but perhaps still asleep? kal couldn't decide if he wanted to wait at her side until she decided to grace him with her attention or leave her to her slumber. with a soft hum, the man decided to sit some paces away and wait for the strange woman to acknowledge him.

---

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it was curiosity that kept her prone. wonder that alighted every ending as the pause stretched on. would he attack her when she could not defend herself? would he envelope her again, curl upon her frame and offer more of the warmth she’d been feeding on? or would he simply walk away, cease any connection in the face of exploring whatever else lay beyond them within the dreamscape?

it seemed even he didn’t know as his voice rolled over her, a soothing baritone crooning to her as if he did not wish to truly wake a sleeping woman. how sweet. gentlemanly. had she truly been so blessed? what other blessings was she bestowed? could she gather her bearings quick enough to stop him from leaving, whisper to him in one word that she desired for him to stay, to keep her company?

this was a dream. she could do more than that, could she not? saira’s head lifted in a hurry as her eyes flitted open, panic riddled her figure as if she was too frightened to bid such a stranger goodbye so soon. but he was there, sitting, staring at her and waiting as if he had nowhere else to be. as if waiting for her.

her lips pulled into a small smile, sleepy and crooked, as she settled her gaze upon him. “you stayed.” two words. together. strung in a perfect harmony and leaving her without strain. how perfectly normal.

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---

his heart kept him rooted in place, waiting for her to wake, to speak to him—look at him. kalon was unable to describe or comprehend the pull that swirled in his chest, but it wasn't one born out of lust and carnal desires. no, it was, simply curious. curious as to why he dreamt up this beautiful woman. curious as to why she was so comfortable in his warmth.

and when she finally spoke, he could barely contain the soft groan that escaped him. even her sleep laden voice was music to his ears. everything about her was, warm. different. and kalon wasn't sure how it made him feel, but he figured that he'd find out the more he spent time with her.

“i wouldn't dream of leaving.” a small smile appeared in response to her own. kal rose to take a small step toward the woman, but paused at a respectable distance. his eyes drank in the sleepy expression that “though i must ask. what is your name, dream woman?” god, that was corny.

---

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it was different to admire a wolf. different to see them as anything more than the animal they were. it was different to see herself as an animal, to understand things she'd never had to before. saira had always been a girl consumed by lust, consumed by the love of travel—the desires that the world fed into. her dreams, whether it was the force of her or another entirely, offered her the same. they fed into a world of exploration, throwing her under the thrall of something new, and giving her back all she'd lost.

but he was still far. too far. “strangers don't often stay.” saira murmured lightly, limbs pulling her to her feet. her head shifted, wondering lightly as light steps pulled her closer. “are we strangers?” because they must be. friends, lovers, enemies—they all knew each other's names, knew their appearances. saira did not recognize him for anything, nothing but a welcoming comfort.

her nose, emboldened by both his previous groan and the desire to know more about her, shifted to smell the fur of his shoulder. her head lifted and a sweet smile spread across her face. “saira, brute. yours?” her chin fell to his shoulder as she waited, the move utterly familiar as if she'd done it countless times before as he answered her flowing questions.

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