It was all just a dream

Bonus Chapter - A Christmas Night

Lilac's POV:

"Here, let me help you."

Darius took some of the ornaments from the box I was holding and walked to the Christmas tree.

I watched as he decorated the tree gingerly, placing various ornaments in a scattered arrangement.

I smiled at how focused he was, setting the box down on the floor and picking up a few ornaments to decorate the tree as well.

"Thank you," I said as I started to place the ornaments beside him.

It was a Christmas night and we were at my house decorating the tree.

We were doing some last-minute decorating before our families arrive for dinner.

It had been nearly half a year since I woke up from my coma.

During this period of time, we had become very close friends and hung out a lot at each other's houses.

The dream I had of him still lingered in my mind from time to time, but I had never told him about it.

Would I ever tell him about it?

It's kinda weird though.

But why...

Why do I want a part of the dream to come true?

I must be out of my mind...

My train of thought stopped when I felt Darius' hand graze mine when we were going to put an ornament on the same part of the tree.

I felt my cheeks heat up and I turned away from him.

He moved his hand away quickly as if he had touched something hot.

"My bad." Darius apologised and continued decorating the other side of the tree.

"It's okay."

I forced a smile as I felt my heart ache slightly at his reaction.

Why...

Why do I still like him?

Over the past few months, we had made many memories together.

He often came to my house to help me with my studies and we also went to a lot of places together, like the park, cinemas and many more.

Every moment I spent with him, only made my feelings for him grow.

Undoubtedly, I was in love with him.

This was not because of my dream, but because of the reality that I shared with him.

He was so kind, always helping me and keeping me company whenever I had troubles.

I was also undeniably attracted to his smile that always seemed to light up the room, and his bright blue eyes that always held so much affection and care.

I really wished that he liked me too, just like the dream I had.

It felt wrong of me to want that, but I couldn't help it.

If only...

I felt my eye tear up against my own will and my fingers started to fidget slightly.

Why can't I let him go?

Just being friends is already a blessing, but why do I want something more?

I didn't notice that a tear had already escaped my eye until I felt a finger wipe it away.

My eyes widened and I turned my head, meeting his bright blue eyes.

He was only a few centimetres away and I could see the look of concern in his eyes.

I couldn't look away and I was rooted to the ground.

"Lilac? What happened? Why are you crying?" Darius asked.

I lowered my head and looked down, not knowing what to say.

Shit, why did I cry in front of him?

I looked back up again into his eyes, a mixture of emotions flowing through me.

Then, my eyes trailed down, landing on his lips.

My heart ached, as another tear escaped my eye.

If only...

Suddenly, I felt Darius' hand cup my cheek and his other hand on the back of my head.

He leant forward, capturing my lips in his.

My eyes widened as I felt his soft lips on mine.

Wait, what?

Is this really happening?

I closed my eyes, my heart beating rapidly against my chest.

He kissed me tenderly and I kissed him back, letting all my emotions flow through me.

When we pulled away, I was still shocked at what had happened.

I watched as Darius moved his hand through his hair, a conflicted look on his face.

"I'm sorry." He said, looking away from me.

"Why?" I asked.

He looked back at me, slightly surprised.

"Are you not going to scold me? I just...kissed you without your permission." He replied.

I smiled and said, "Didn't I kiss you back?"

Darius grinned and brought me into his embrace.

He whispered into my ear, "I really like you."

I blushed into his chest and muttered, "Me too."

"Why were you crying?" Darius asked, releasing me from his embrace.

"I just...really wished for you to like me back...because you're very dear to me," I confessed.

I watched as he smiled affectionately at me, making me feel butterflies.

"Why did you kiss me just now?" I asked.

"Seeing you cry like that made me want to take your pain away. You were looking at my lips and I had the sudden urge to kiss you. I wanted you to feel loved."

I blushed at the part about me looking at his lips.

"Did you want to kiss me that bad?" Darius smirked.

"No...maybe. I don't know...shut up."

He laughed at my reaction and proceeded to peck me on my nose.

"You're very dear to me too, Lilac."

I smiled, his words warming my heart.

Ah, so this is how love works.

Even though it was a cold winter, having Darius around gave me many warm nights.

Someday, I would tell him how much I loved him.