"Hyah!!!"
We continue to traverse through the field of Red and White, determined to finally reach the Endfield.
"There's so many enemies!"
"Don't fret, Denji! I've got your back! Queen's the strongest figure after all."
Dashing through the armies clad in red, we finally reach the end of the board.
"Finally... God that was awful."
"Fussy baby."
A loud booming voice then rang out.
"Congratulations on reaching the Endfield! However there can only be one winner. Who's it gonna be? The man in red or lady in white?"
"God damn it. Can't let us enjoy the moment together."
"Well, guess our roads end here, Denji. En garde!"
We battle it out together in a flurry of lights and precision strikes. Since that first shared dream, my abilities as a dreamer had grown significantly and I'm able to keep toe-to-toe with him.
And I can tell he isn't mindlessly throwing the game. Good. I really hated it when he did that. Now he properly sees me as his equal.
"Ggh!!..."
Try as he might, it seems for once I reign superior. Now no longer a damsel in distress. I can feel my strikes becoming quicker and quicker until.
"Gah!!!"
He fell to the ground. He's on the brink of fading, so I managed to speed up the crown falling atop of me. I want his dream to end on a high note.
And so, I feel my body bask in light. The crown adorns my head as I feel myself transforming something into beautiful, something into...
...
"So that's what happened, huh?"
"Indeed, I felt so... elated! God I feel so proud!"
"While I'm out here feeling like something fell down on top of me, god it hurts."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah; guess I carried away to suddenly imagining myself feeling pain."
"Hmm..."
"I feel like I've only hindered your ascension..."
Coyly, I rest my head on my palms. God I like looking at him like that.
"Well, I wouldn't have been able to even go on a such grand adventure. You may deny it, but... It is your interest in dreams that had sparked mine."
Denji blushes, averting his eyes - still maintaining his prickly persona.
"I-I suppose..."
This guy is way too easy to bully. His timid nature is a sight to behold. Catching him out of guard like this... Ah...
"Anyway, your imagination is pretty grand, if a little derivative. Being able to meet such a wide array of dream characters is pretty notable. A Hatter held prisoner, Oriental Red Queen and Western White Queen, Lion and a Pony... That's as far as I can remember at least."
"Not Pony, Unicorn."
"What's the distinction?"
"Unicorns have a horn on their forehead!"
"So rhinoceros?"
I can't even tell if Denji's being sarcastic as always or that genuinely has no idea that unicorns are real and have that as their trait. Nevertheless, I laugh. Imagining a rosy grumpy rhino being all whimsical - is a sight to behold.
It's been three years since we first met and I am in love. Denjirou, for all his flaws, is a rather charming and gentle person. He may growl, he may bite - but he will lick the wound after the fact or sulk in the corner.
Because of his more closed off nature, it's hard to get a sufficient read on what he feels. Do I genuinely wonder how he truly feels about me. There's no doubt that he's willing to tolerate my company but... Wouldn't it be nice if...
"Can I borrow that table please, I need to study."
""Ah, sorry!""
Wha? Did we just go in sync???