PEACE PACED AWAY

Dimitri parked his car on the side of the street across his house, should've done his routine; to open the gate of showing his front yard, and drive his car to park on it. But his eyes are laid on the window upstairs that is already lit. It is such a warm night and took his blazers off, his eyes pasted on the lit up window which is his room, while cautiously made his way to the gate to open it. 

"What are you doing here?" he immediately asked as he swung open the front door of his house only to see Annie, with her lingerie on and calmly sipping a cup of coffee. 

Annie jumped in surprise and put her leg down from the center table as she is calmly sitting in the sofa. She gave him a look, the one that holds the deepest breaths and worries. 

"You are early, you don't usually get home this early." Annie started and laid the coffee down to the center table. 

In his puzzled expression, he hanged blazer on the arm rest of the sofa and walked towards the kitchen counter. He didn't answer her question but his siren eyes sent chills on Annie, a cue that her actions are not in the right time to have him deal with it. Annie's calm demeanor is slipping away as her palms started to get cold. With an unanswered question, she immediately took her sleeping robe and wrapped it around her. 

"You don't want me here?" another question was laid, Annie intently stared in Dimitri's troubled face, eagerly waiting for an answer. " Come on, say it." 

"I missed you, I missed you so bad that I am so afraid." He said meeting her gaze with his eyes welling up with tears crying out to get out of his eyes. Dimitri clenched his hands that rested on the kitchen sink. He leaned forward while his breaths are getting heavy. 

*If only you know how much I wanna cover you with my embrace hugs right now. * Annie thought hesitant to move a step closer to him. She knows that something is up with both of them, something they avoid to talk about keep on welling up in these times. Annie's heart grew anxious in every word he might speak, as it starts to get heavy making every breath so hard. 

"I am here, embrace me__"

"I missed you that I am so afraid___ I want to keep you all to myself but I don't you here. I am confused." Dmitri added with his voice shaking, silhouettes of the things outside hid Annie's face as he tries to grasp the right words for her. 

"Just tell me how you feel, I will listen to it." *even if it might hurt me.* "I will listen to it with all my heart." Annie's words, that is somewhat became whisper to both of them. "Help me understand so I could know what I should do." 

"I want you." Dimitri blatantly said as he lowered his head. He veins are hiding again in his flesh, his fists became calmer it is as if he lets go of something. 

His words are enough to ease down the storm that is about to form in Annie's thoughts. Her lips formed a tight smile while her legs moved by itself closer to Dimitri; her arms open to give him a warm embrace. Dimitri hugged her back, gently stroking her hand against her back up and down to calm her down. He can feel her hand still shaking as it touches his nape. 

*I'm cold* He thought and rested his head on her shoulder. *This feels so wrong, being with her feels so wrong. I am so afraid.* 

His eyes pasted on the ceiling, laying down to his bed with Annie beside him sleeping so peacefully. Drowsiness doesn't seem to visit in his being as he still wide awake, he mind is a mess going on with these thoughts so rubbish. He closed his eyes as he felt the rush to tiredness on him and a bag full of worries. *What should I do?* He thought, never in his life to be this afraid of something that he didn't do. 

"I am so tired." He whispered and the ceiling gets blurry. 

His heart is pounding to fast as he catches his breath. His palms landed on a small and soft hand. The hand is so warm that it had him grip his hold tightly. The fear that he felt became a part of his system and running as if his life depends on it. He gently pulled her hand and still letting her know the urgency to get away to the mansion. The scene of the mansion and the farm is now so little and blurry sight to see in their eyes. It is cold of a night but it didn't bother him with only wearing an old heel-length pants and a brown long sleeve to keep him warm. She looked so beautiful with her in all smiles as they reach the lake outside the land acre her family owns. 

The night has become so deep that the moon is in the middle of the night sky with all the stars dancing on their around the beauty and light of the moon that lit up the lake. It is so clean, and wide that its shores are crystal clear behind the darkest the night has given. She took off her slippers and pulled her 'saya' or skirt up to avoid it from getting drenched into the lake. He watched while only sitting on the rocky shore of the lake, in every splashes that she makes as she makes her every steps in the lake. Where the water is in her knee level deep. He laughs as she keeps on retaking her balance in every small stumble because of the bigger pebbles she stepped on. 

He rested his palms on the shore and leaned back roaming his eyes around the area. Taking in the beauty it holds without the people in the scene, the green and healthy grass as soon as the rocky shore of the lake ended is good place to play around with children; he thought. 

"My love." 

They starred to each other and laughed as they both called out to each other at the same time. 

*If only its this peaceful forever.* he thought as they laughed together. 

She ran back at him and with a big smile, she caressed his arm and put her chin on it, locking their eyes to each other. 

"Let's run away." She exclaimed with her voice almost a whisper as if like they're doing a sneaky crime. 

Listening to her words, his smile fell. 

Dimitri's dreams are always so vivid if there are people in it, only the scenery are clear; sceneries he is very sure that doesn't exist in real life. His slowly opened as he got his very peaceful sleep in almost 5 months of bad dreams and stress. His eyes were hit with the morning light from the window, he glanced beside him without Annie on it. He ran his hand on his side to feel cold that only meant that Annie woke up long before him, he slept in. However, he didn't bother and took all of his time to process his dreams. *The scenery were to beautiful, I wish I could see them again.* he smiled as he closed eyes having his trip down to memory lane in his dreams. 

"Let's run away." He whispered to himself as his smile fell and opened his eyes. A sudden surge of anxiety came on him as he remembers the last scene in his dreams. *Her face were crystal clear, she looks so familiar… where did I see her?.....Where…..I saw her.___In Theo's museum that p____*

"Run away? Where do you wanna go?" Annie started with her holding his breakfast in bed. 

He gazed upon her and what he felt last night came rushing again. He sat on his bed and gave her a tight smile. "Nothing." 

"Just a case I've been working on. Good Morning." 

"Okay."