JM BENAVIDEZ

I sat up in my bed, thoroughly confused; how the hell did I get there if I was just in the lagoon? I looked around the dark bedroom; all of my sisters were tucked soundly in their beds. I shifted on my mattress, slipping my hand beneath it and reaching for the journal I had stashed there. I felt instantly panicked, it wasn't there! I slid out of my bed, kneeling next to it and lifting the mattress, feeling the entire frame; it really wasn't there! I sat back on my heels retracing my steps until it dawned on me; I didn't have a journal. I hadn't needed one because this was the first night I had ever had a dream about my half-brothers. I ran my hand back through my short hair. What kind of messed up trick was this? I silently stood to my feet and crept over to the window, it was still very dark out. I shook my head and slipped out of the room, my mind was too wired to try to go back to sleep now. I decided to head into the kitchen for some ice cream. It didn't matter how terrible or out of sorts your life felt, ice cream could always make it feel more manageable.

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I scooped up a nice helping of vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough topped with chocolate and caramel syrup. I pulled a stool over to the center island and leaned over my bowl, closing my eyes in heavenly delight over the first bite. "That's better." I mumbled through my full mouth, reopening my eyes. The kitchen door slowly swung inward and I turned my head towards the intruder. Zuriel stood in the doorway blinking at the bright light; his hair was disheveled from sleep, he was shirtless and wearing blue and green plaid pajama pants. I stifled a groan and motioned to him with my spoon and I shoved another bite into my mouth. How dare karma send him of all people into the kitchen after the dream I had just had about him. 

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He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck looking at me uncomfortably. I thought back to my dream and I chuckled. What were the odds that he had shared the same dream with me like he had in the dream? I put my spoon down and cocked my head as I looked at him. "Rough night?" He wrinkled his face and I caught myself thinking he was quite handsome when he first woke up. I looked down at my bowl, forcing the thought from my mind and shoving another bite into my mouth. Where the hell had that come from? That dream was screwing with my head; I never would have thought something like that before! Zuriel shuffled towards me. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. What about you?" I shook my head, refusing to look up at him. "I had a strange dream." 

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Zuriel poked his head over the counter, looking into my bowl and chuckling. "Strange enough to warrant ice cream therapy?" I shrugged, peeking up at him and instantly wishing I hadn't. My eyes met his and it was just like in my dream, every fiber in my being wanted to lean over the counter and kiss him. I didn't know what else to do. I scooped a big bite of ice cream and held it up to him. "Bite?" He wrinkled his brows and then looked down at the spoon, considering my offer. My heart fluttered at the thought of his mouth being on my spoon and I fought the urge to gag at my own idiocy. I looked down at my bowl and was surprised when he took a bite. I bit my bottom lip thoughtfully. If I continued eating like nothing was wrong, he'd never know how stupid I was being. But if I took the bite, I would surely have to freak out about it later. 

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I set the spoon down in my bowl as he looked across the counter at me awkwardly. "Would you like me to make you a bowl?" I offered eager to put some distance between us. He smiled. "No thanks, I'll make my own. Just relax and enjoy. Would it bother you if I joined you?" YES! My mind screamed and I smiled sweetly, shaking my head and looking down at the treacherous spoon. "Of course not. You still never told me what brought you here." He turned his back, retrieving a bowl and after a split second where I considered dropping the spoon on the floor, I stuffed it into my mouth. I wrinkled my face, disgusted at my inability to control myself and then smiled sweetly, pulling the spoon from my mouth and dishing a bite as he turned around. "In all honesty, I had a strange dream too." I raised my eyebrows, wondering if my anxiety was hidden behind my attempt at interest. "What was yours about?" 

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He turned his back to me, dishing his bowl and putting away the ice cream. "Actually, it was about you." His voice was very quiet and I set my spoon down, forcing air into my lungs. "It was?" I squeaked and he turned to face me. I coughed, pretending to choke on a bite as he looked at me curiously. I cleared my throat and patted my chest. "I hate it when I try to eat and breathe at the same time." I joked, still trying to calm myself. Had he and I really shared a dream? He nodded and brought his bowl to the island sitting opposite me. Did I try to get more information from him or confess? He lifted a bite nonchalantly and cast me a quick glance. "What was your dream about?" Damn, damn and double damn! He beat me to it. I shrugged, scooping another bite. "It's funny you should ask. You were in my dream too." 

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He set his spoon down and stared at me, narrowing his eyes. I set my spoon down and tucked my hair back behind my left ear. "So what happened in your dream?" I asked as calmly as I could under his intent stare. "I dreamed that we had been having the same dreams." I giggled nervously, it seemed like maybe we had shared a dream. I looked up into his eyes and I wrinkled my brows. "That sounds like what I dreamed about." He sat back on his stool crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you trying to be funny?" I shook my head solemnly, peeking up at him. "No, I'm trying not to freak out. You have a really intimidating stare. Did you know that?" He uncrossed his arms and stood up, stalking around the island towards me. I cringed as he stared down at me. "Stop copying me. Give me a detail about your dream." I laughed nervously. "I really wish I was copying you. If you could take a step back so I can think, I'll tell you." 

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He took a step back and I lowered my eyes, looking at my lap. Think... think! I needed some small detail that would clue him in but not give him anything to throw back at me if we hadn't shared a dream. "We had an argument at breakfast and you made me spill my cereal?" I asked raising my eyes to meet his. His jaw clenched and I fidgeted with my hands. "Then we all went swimming and you gave me a hard time about not jumping off the diving board right away." He held up his hand, stopping my rambling and closed his eyes. He placed his hand on the edge of the counter near me, steadying himself. "I think our dreams may have been telling us something." A nervous laugh escaped my throat. "That we're crazy and sleep derived?" His eyes met mine. "You got upset again and then left the pool, but I chased after you and we went to a lagoon together." I lowered my head. "I don't think the ice cream is helping anymore." Zuriel chuckled and lifted my chin, looking down into my eyes. "It was just a dream." I sighed and closed them again. "Yes it was." He released my chin and returned to his side of the counter, sitting down and stuffing a bite into his mouth.

"The ice cream kind of helps." I picked up my spoon and looked at it curiously before shrugging and taking another bite. "I think I'm going to get fat because I think this is going to need a lot of ice cream." He wrinkled his brows, looking down into his bowl. "What bothers you most?" I shook my head, choking on the words I refused to say out loud; that it wasn't real. "Just the whole idea of it." He shrugged. "Would it bother you so much if we hadn't had the same dream? If you were the only one who had dreamt it?" I nodded. "Probably more. At least I know I'm not the only crazy one." I smiled and held a bite of ice cream up like a toast. "To having crazy romantic dreams about people we can't have." 

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He lifted his spoon and his eyes met mine about the same time I realized what I had just said. I frowned and put the spoon down. "That wasn't supposed to come out like that." The corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "So I guess I wasn't the only one who enjoyed it." I shook my head and stood up. "I'm sorry. I refuse to have this conversation. I'm going back to bed." He chuckled as I put my bowl in the sink and ran water on it. "Maybe you'll have a dream about Amadeus now." I cast him a quick glare and bolted out of the kitchen, followed by his laughter. "I better frigging not." I grumbled as I stalked across the courtyard to my bedroom.