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Chapter Thirty

Lukas James

Wow.. she's even more alluring in person...

"Lukas, are you okay..?" Meredith whispered softly, her hand cradling my face with a gentle touch.

I couldn't help but feel the red blush burning my ears. She's.. here. She used her Dream Factory attribute to come here. My hand went up to pull a strand of her soft brown hair away from her face, letting it hang behind her ear. Her eyes sparkled brightly, and I almost lost my breath just staring into them. Her eyes— oh god, they're so beautiful in real life. I clenched my jaw, closing my agape mouth, and sat up quickly, wrapping my arms around her as tears squeezed out from the corners of my eyes. She was taken aback, a little startled by the upfront response.

"You're actually here..!" I exclaimed quietly, trying to suppress my excitement. "I look like a total hot mess right now, oh my god! That's not okay!" Meredith's giggles made me blush a little more, and I pulled away, my hands on her waist as she held my shoulders. "Oh Jesus, your eyes are lovelier than ever!"

Meredith flushed at my excited gaze, smiling slightly. "You seem to have taken a liking to my eyes, hmm?" I nodded, being honest, and she laughed a little bit again. She peered up at me, adding in, "I think your blue eyes are pretty too."

My heart pounded as her voice filled my ears, and I leaned over, my head on hers. She's.. too pure. She's too perfect here for me. I closed my eyes and smiled, leaning side to side with her enveloped in my arms. Earlier, she kissed me. My eyes peered down at her, and I felt her arms wrap around me, stuffing her face into my hoodie. My cheeks flushed lightly. Er, was it a kiss? I held my breath, letting it out softly as I let go of her. She looked up at me, and her eyes widened as I leaned over towards her, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

Looking down at her, I whispered with a grin, "Next time, kiss me when I don't look like an idiot."

Meredith's ears burned red, and her hands clutched the fabric of my hoodie tightly, as if my statement embarrassed her. She suddenly leaned over, and I was a little overwhelmed by how close she was to me, my own face reddening. We were almost an inch away, and when I looked at her eyes, they were glowing happily, soft yet bright. I didn't notice I was leaning over until her finger was placed over my lips, gently stopping me.

"No promises," Meredith responded lightly, a small tinkle in her voice.

My gaze softened at her voice, and I hugged her again, making her laugh lovingly at my actions.

~~~

"This is Lyra's school," I told Meredith, her hand clasped in mine.

After having an intimate meeting with her, I suggested taking Meredith out to see my world. She was amazed at all the old technology and geography, and seeing her so excited made me realize how much more of a soft person she was than what she made herself to be. I decided that I would later introduce her to Lyra. The only reason I wasn't afraid of my parents finding out about her was because they were on a business trip. Mom was going on Dad's business trip because he insisted that she took a break, and she had to agree. She trusted the two of us to take care of ourselves.

Meredith pulled on my sleeve, and I peered down to my left, seeing her looking up at me with her eyes bright. "I'm hungry," she said, an almost childish tone in her voice.

I couldn't help but laugh a little. I led her back home, and when I opened the door, Lyra was inside, awake from her nap and cooking up some dinner. When she heard me walk in, she skipped over to welcome me home, only for her words to stop as soon as her gaze stumbled upon Meredith.

"O-Oh my god!" Lyra exclaimed loudly, squealing. She set down the ladle, clumsily walking towards the brunette with a smile. She clasped Meredith's hands in hers, giddy. "Meredith?!"

"Lyra!" Meredith cheered happily.

Lyra looked over at me, her eyes sparkling. "H-How?!"

Both Meredith and I sat Lyra down at the dining table, and we began explaining what had happened with her Dream Factory attribute and our parallels worlds. She was a little shocked, and Meredith even went so far as to using her Summoning attribute to convince her we weren't lying. As Meredith munched on a snack, I laid beside her on the couch, my head resting on her lap. She watched TV, her eyes glued to the screen. Her hand was lightly running through my hair, comforting me as I tried to nap, my eyes closed.

She's.. warm.

Opening my eyes tiredly, I looked up at Meredith. She finished eating a bag of chips, and I closed an eye as her thumb rubbed my cheek softly. I couldn't help but huff lightly, smiling up at her. How can she be so alluring? It can't be because she's from a futuristic world. Slowly, my hand held onto hers, the one holding me. She peered down at me, and her eyes widened with a blush on her face as I kissed her knuckles lightly. I tried to resist, but the small smile pushing me appeared on my face as I left her hand against my mouth.

"I don't think I'll ever get over how alluring you are to me," I whispered softly to her.

Meredith smiled softly, flustered. "I could say the same for you.."

A canopy of brown hair hung over me as she leaned over, placing a small kiss on my cheek. My other hand held the back of her head, and I moved a little, letting her lips touch mine.