Flames Nightmare

~Balt...~

I awoke in a cold sweat, the name "Balt" still fresh in my mind.

"Dammit.." I muttered, turning to shut off the alarm, which was blaring. I had been plagued with dreams for the past month, all of them ending the same. With just that name. Who..or what.. is Balt?

Unknowingly, I had spoken aloud. "Balt...who ARE you?" I whispered, climbing out of bed to get dressed. But I heard a noise. A low..chuckling sound. "W-who's there?!" I called, looking around. All was quiet..I was starting to freak out. Then I heard it again, still low, but much closer.

"Hmhmhm...Nebula." I gasped. How did..whatever it was...know my name?

"W-who's there?" I whispered, my heartbeat slowly speeding up. The man, I was sure now it was a man, chuckled again.

"Don't you remember me? I'm the one who saved your life..seven years ago." he murmured. He was close enough for me to feel his breath on my neck, but far enough for me to have difficulty seeing him since it was only 5 in the morning. I gasped as the memory hit me full force.

~I was ten years old, slowly dying after my father had stabbed me in a drunken rage. Luckily he had missed the most vital organs in my body. However, he had pierced my small intestine. The pain was excruciating. The last thing I remembered before blacking out was a man hovering over me, busily trying to stop the bleeding.~

"I-it's you!" I cried.

"Yes. It's me Nebula." he said. "Do you remember anything else?"

Another memory hit me. It was when I had woken up after blacking out.

~When I had finally woken up, I saw him sitting i a chair next to my bed. I went to go speak, but he quieted me. "Hush young Nebula. Everything's going to be ok." he whispered, trying to soothe me back to sleep. I gazed at him in wonder. "H-how do you know my name?" I had whispered, looking down at my sheets when he turned to look at me. "I've...been watching you. When the time comes I'll explain more. But for now all you need to know is my name, Soleo Cross. However, most people call me Balt."~

I looked around my room, frantic. "S-soleo?" I called, hoping he'd show himself.

"You remembered...my name." He whispered, appearing at the foot of my bed. I had sat down after the second time he chuckled, so I stood and walked down to him.

"How could I forget?" I whispered. "You saved my life...you saved me from my father." I had to restrain myself from hugging him as tightly as I could. I had no idea why I felt the way I did with him here.

"Nebula... I HAD to.. I couldn't let the one girl I-" he fell silent. I hid the faint blush rising on my cheeks.

"The one you...what?" I prompted.

He groaned softly and suddenly pulled me against him in a string, but warm and oddly comforting, embrace. "...Do you really want to know...Nebula?"

I nodded, blushing for an unknown reason. He lowered his head so the he could whisper in my ear,

"The one I've loved for so long..."

I blushed again. "S-soleo..."

"Shh..Call me Balt, my love." He whispered, leaning down ever so slightly and lightly pressing his lips to mine.

I blushed more as he kissed me, sliding my arms up his strong, well-toned chest and around his neck.
"Balt..." I whispered when the kiss ended.
"Yes..Nebula?" He also whispered, gazing at me with a look of such tenderness, I began blushing again.

"Why..why me?"
"Why not you?"
"I'm..just an ordinary girl! There's nothing special about me!" I cried, looking at him.
He chuckled.
"Dear Nebula. You couldn't be more wrong."