A Court of Dreams and Heartache

1. Leia

I was walking to class. It was dawn, just before sunrise, and gentle rain was falling. I had left my dorm without my raincoat, but I didn't mind so much. I was, however, missing my gloves. My fingers hurt from the cold. My first class of the day was history, and I thought idly about my notes as I strolled toward University Hall.

I was following the path around the campus green, dodging puddles, when I became aware of a tall figure walking ahead of me. It was early and no one else was out. The silhouette was male, with broad shoulders and long, straight legs. He was dressed in dark pants and a dark overcoat. As I observed him, he came to a stop under a light fixture and looked about. I was still walking towards him when he turned and saw me.

His stare rooted me to the spot. No one had ever looked at me with such intensity, certainly no one as beautiful as he was. Deep, dark blue eyes gazed at me above a straight nose and pink lips, which were parted in shock. His hair was the darkest I had ever seen, shining blue-black under the lamplight. It was longish, curling gently at his razor-sharp jawline and around his delicately pointed ears...

"It's you," he gasped, taking a step towards me. I felt as shocked as he looked. My heart pounded against my ribs and I felt a warm excitement stirring in me. "I can't believe it's you," he came to a stop a couple paces in front of me. I breathed in sharply and the smell of him rushed me like a train. Like fresh air and the wind between pine trees, but underneath was the earthshaking scent of male.

"What... who...?" I managed to gasp. A hopeful smile spread across his face and it was all I could do not to shake.

"It's overwhelming, isn't it?" The humor in his voice warmed me like hot cocoa. "I..." his gaze slid past me, and his brow furrowed. "What is this place?"

"The campus green..." I started to say as I watched him turn, taking in his surroundings again.

"I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming..." he murmured before he turned back to me and came another step closer. The tension in my chest seemed to tighten and loosen simultaneously. "I don't know how long I can stay, but I must know your name."

"I'm... Leia," I said slowly, trying to process the magnitude of his gaze. 

"Leia," he said softly, my name sounding like music on his perfect lips. "Leia..."

He extended his hands and gently held mine between his. "Wha- your hands are like ice!"

I had barely begun to reply when he gently placed my hands against his chest, the material of his coat brushing my wrists. His hands were pleasantly rough over mine. The heat of him surprised me, but it was the steady hammering of his heart against my palms that had me feeling dizzy.

"Who are you?" I gasped, looking up into his downturned face. His inky hair had fallen across his forehead and I could see a constellation of freckles across his nose.

"I'm Nyx," he whispered. "I..." It was as if he had rippled, the solidness of him diluting. "I don't think I have much longer."

"Are you real?" I asked softly, my fingers digging into the soft material of his shirt. 

His laugh was like the summer sun. "Of course. Leia..." I watched his eyes wander to my mouth. "I don't know if I'll ever make it back here. Can I... kiss you?"

It was all I could do to nod as his tongue flicked across his lip. I felt my breath hitch and my lips began to tingle as he slowly took my bag from me and set it on the ground beside us. No thoughts were in my head as his bent towards mine. I was completely encompassed by him as his lips brushed gently against mine. The smell of him filled my head and his arms went around me, pulling me greedily closer as his lips met mine again. His hand squeezed my hip and I gasped, sliding my fingers up across his jaw. My hand slid into his silky hair and his chest shuddered under my other hand as he groaned against my lips. I was burning; I could feel the energy crackling between us as there was a sudden tug in the back of my mind. His lips broke from mine and I felt the burning cold as he pulled back to look into my eyes. 

"Could you feel that? The bond?" I nodded slowly, feeling the bond as it wove through my body. "I can feel it too. Leia..." His form flickered and I could see the desperation in his eyes. "This has to be more than a dream, I'll..." Another flicker, and I watched as a tear slid down his perfect face. "I will find my way back to you, I promise."

I nodded. With each flicker, I could feel the strange, new bond aching. "Nyx," I whispered, feeling my hot tears mixing with the cold rain. His smile was swollen with emotion as he pulled me closer and nestled his face against my neck. "I'll find my way back, Leia," was the last thing he murmured before he flickered into nothing.

My arms fell to my sides as the warmth of him faded in the rain. My heart was hammering as I tried to reconcile what had just happened. The bond was tingling through me and I could hear a distant ringing as I sat down hard, my arm grabbing onto my bag. The bag that he had taken off of me. My head spun as the residue of him clung to my brain. I was full of confusion, but I was sure it was real. He would come back to me.