A/N- Sorry for the super late update! Trying to get things back to normal! Thank you for your patience. ❤

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"...What is it?"

I took in a breath, recalling what it was, that I was supposed to ask him about. Laurance seemed a bit impatient with me, but I didn't really blame him. I would get impatient with me, as well.

"I was speaking with Lady Aphmau, 'bout the reasoning behind your...actions towards someone such as I," I started, shifting to face him dead in his light blue eyes. "She spoke of how...something made you the way you are towards me... Why is that?"

Laurance narrowed his eyes at I, balling his fists. "Oh, did she now?"

"Yes...does thou need speak of the matter?" I held my hands together, gently placing them in my lap. "It would help me understand, as to why thou finds I so...how you say...revolting?"

"Listen, I'm just going to say it here and now, I don't...hate you," Laurance glanced over at me, for just a split second, "completely," he finished. "You're obviously really annoying, but, dude... You're actually pretty intriguing to me. Sure, you get on my nerves, and frustrate me, but I...kinda like you. I dunno. Something about you just draws me in...like...magic, or something like that."

Well, I am not a warlock, or some other kind of magicks user, so that is obviously not the case. Unless...he is. Perhaps.. I don't know that much about Laurance- except that he supposedly is kind of a bastard. Still, the answer he gave, did the fulfill the quota of the question I had previously asked. Maybe he misunderstood what I had asked-

"I can assure thou, I am no magicks user, however...you did not answer the-"

"Let me get there, Arthur," Laurance interrupted I, with a roll of the eye.

Arthur?  I do not understand...

"Pardon?"

"Stop interrupting me! My Irene..," Laurance stood up, dusting dirt off of his pants. "Listen, buddy, you're an attractive guy. Surely you must know that."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, and...when I saw you for the first time, you kinda attracted me, for some reason. I don't know why," Laurance shrugged, reaching a hand out to me. I hesitated for a moment, before allowing him to help me stand. "And...to brush away from those feelings, for fear of...falling for someone again...I distracted myself, by kinda just being a dick. But, looking back on it now, I kinda want to start over... So, what do ya say..?"

I stared at him in complete ponder. Why should I agree to start over? I don't want to be here any more, then he's shown to want me here. And, he obviously doesn't trust me enough anyways to tell me why he's treated me like the scum of the Earth, since I've had my stay in the Village of Mystreet.

"No."

"What?"

"I hate thou, more than I hath distaste for haggis," I crossed my arms, taking a few paces backwards.

"I...can't understand that analogy," he shook his head, outstretching his arms. "Listen, I'm serious. I want to start over. Even at the risk of mistakingly falling for a loser like you..."  Suddenly, his eyes went wide, and he looked panicked. "Hey"

"GAH!" I collapsed to my knees, holding my head in my hands.

Not again, not again, not again...

~~~

"You should be more careful out there... You almost gave me a heartattack..."

"It 'tis but a flesh wound. I can handle myself out on the battlefield. However, m'Lady needs me by her side."

A blurry man shook his head, bandaging a bloodied wound on my arm. I could feel the pain, even though I was completely sure this was just another memory. It hurts...stings. And the wound is deep...I was lying about being okay...

"You know I wouldn't be able to live with myself, if I found out you were hurt," the man chuckled lowly, cupping the side of my head with his warm hand. "You mean everything to me..."

"--------, listen--!" I yelped from the pain, as a great deal of pressure was applied to my arm. The man rapidly apologized, and my past self waited for the pain to subside before continuing. "...--listen, I know how you feel about I... But..."

"Garroth, it's fine..." I could hear his voice breaking. He was holding back tears. "...It's okay, that you don't feel the same... We've been over this..."

What is this conversation 'bout?

"Your heart is too pure... That's going to get you killed one day, my dear comrade," I muttered, restraining myself from swatting his hand away from causing more physical harm.

"Hasn't it already?" The man sighed.

Now would be the best of times to change the subject, myself.

"Why are you even tending to me. -----? Why not a medic?"

"Doctors are all busy tending to the other guards."

"And why are you not back on the field? Those damned soldiers are eradicating our defeanses-- AHHH! MY IRENE!" I cried out in pain, mumbling curses under my beeath.

"Quiet down. Others are asleep," the man finished with the bandages, standing to check me over. "Do you need anything else, Captain?"

The way he said that title, seemed to cause some sort of tension in the air. I didn't respond for a moment, but merely refused to meet his eyes. I wish these memory fragments supplied more context.

"Explain to me why...why you continue to feel this way. Shouldn't a rejection be a nod, to move on?"

"You want to know why I continue to hold onto this..," he paused, before lifting a blurred hand, to presumably wipe something from his face. "Even at the risk of mistakingly haven fallen for an idiot like you? Because I don't just let go of an opportunity, Garroth. I have hope and optimism for a better chance in some future... Maybe you should try it sometime..."

The man walked over, taking a hold of my hand. My past self did not retract it, but instead watched with curiousity. I felt warm water drip onto my bare-skinned hand, followed by the brush of lips. I looked down at my lap, shaking my head.

"Rest up, Captain Garroth. You'll be able to return to your post tomorrow. For now, your second-in-command will take charge."

"And that's you..."

"I know."

"Hey, --------...," I paused, retracting my hand, as I softly rubbed the skin where it had been kissed. "Try not to get yourself killed..."

"I'll try my best..."

~~~

I snapped awake, urging the headache I had grown used to, to subside. Laurance stood in front of me, narrowing his eyes at me...  I despise these dreams so much.

"Can you stop doing that, for like ten minutes! My Irene! You almost gave me a heartattack, again!" Laurance snapped angrily, grabbing my hands to help me to my feet.

"Kiss my hand."

"I'm sorry what?" He rose an eyebrow at me, letting go of my hands.

"Everything lines up far too well, my dear Laurance. I insist, that you place a gentle kiss upon my hand, as if I was a maiden in need of courting."

"You are a sad, strange man," Laurance shrugged, gently taking my right hand. "Okay, Princess, if you wanted some kind of kiss, I could've given you more than just a small peck on the hand~" He suggestively did some sort of movement with his eyebrows.

"No time for futile flirting, I command thee to just place a kiss--"

"Ooo, kinky," his expressions were blank as he rolled his eyes. Slowly, he brought my hand to his lip, pausing. "What'd you do? Piss on them or something?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's just such an out-of-the-blue request--"

"Please just do as I ask..."

"Alright, alright," he pecked a kiss onto my hand, before dropping it. I froze, bowing my head. "There. Are you satisfied..."

I rubbed the skin of my hand, biting upon my lower lip. Glancing back up for a split second, I stormed past Laurance. Anger built up inside of me, as I shoved past him, back towards the inside of Dante's home.

"Yo, Weirdo, what the Hell?!"

"I need some time to be alone... I beg of thee, for that time..."

"Uh...sure..?"

"Many thanks..."

"Pfft...Whatever..."

Oh my Irene...this can't be true...

~~~

A/N- No question this time, because I didn't have time to dig through for one. But, if you have any, leave them here:...

Also, again, sorry for the long wait. Things have just been going so wrong lately. Updates will hopefully go back to normal soon. Fingers crossed! Once more, thank you for the patience. I appreciate and love all of you. 💕

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