it began with a conversation, and I don't know how I thought it was a good idea, but apparently it was, because I said "we should date." And he looked at me and said "you know what? why not?"
so we dated. But we didn't actually go on any dates. I had too many things to do, and so did he. We were in finals season at school, and he was graduating. He needed to focus on his grade, and I suppose I did, too. The only way we communicated was through texts that were few and far between, but every text made me happy to see.
Over text we scheduled a get together, finally, but on that day I was excited to speak to him so I called him beforehand, and he laughed and said "I'll be there in a couple of hours," and all I could say was "yeah, you will, but. Your voice."
We hung up and he showed up a couple of hours later, just like he said, and we hung out and had the absolute best time ever for an hour or two, and then funding for his project came through and he had to leave to claim it (which in real life makes no sense, but in dreams it all does, of course).
After that we went back to text communication. He tried to set up another date, but his projects ended up eating all of his time. Eventually he told me that he didn't think we'd be able to see each other, since we didn't see each other much then. I realized then that I loved him, but I agreed because I knew it was the best thing I could do for him.
A few days after we ended it, I found myself walking up on campus for the sole purpose of hoping to catch a glimpse of him. When I did, I watched him work for a long time, just to watch him work. After a while I knew I would have to leave, so I started to leave, but that's when he saw me.
We stopped and talked as close friends always do, and then he talked about how he was graduating and the likelihood that we would never see each other again, so he opened his arms to hug me. We embraced for a long while, and I said, "hey, thanks for dating me for those, like, five days" (although I think that the actual dream-time-lapse was actually more like two weeks of 'dating').
And he said "oh, of course. Thank you, too," and gave me my first kiss. But it was the fast kind, the small peck on the lips of quick affection, and after that I told him it was my first, and he said "well, that won't do," and kissed me longer and deeper and only cemented the fact that I loved him.
Afterward I watched him leave me to walk with his colleagues (or professors, I was unsure) who had been watching without my knowledge. After a minute or two I decided to follow them if just for a few more minutes with his face in my eyes, and I overheard him speaking about the way I had inspired his final projects as I helped him through them by way of text, and how I would continue to inspire his projects because of what I did for him. He spoke about how it was sad it didn't work out, and after that I walked too far ahead of him and out of hearing distance to hear why it was sad.
I thought it was sad, too, but I was glad to know that I could be a positive influence in his life, no matter how small or for how long.
He graduated this past semester, in real life, and he confided in me that he thought he would never see me again and hugged me for a long time. I always had a small fascination with him, because he's completely not the person I expected him to be the first time I saw him. He's gentle and creative, and insanely talented, and I think maybe the only thing that kept me from becoming infatuated was the fact that he had (or has) a girlfriend.
I reminded him that even though we met in school, we were both from the same town on the same island, and that if we tried really hard, we could still see each other again. And I promised him that we would, while I was here. I only have four days left on the island, and I have yet to see him. I spoke to him once but I'm a terrible texter, so it didn't last long at my fault. But I must miss him a lot more than I think I do, to dream such a long and thorough dream about him.
I think I'll go text him and try to remember to keep it up.
