“Excited?”

Yi could only chuckle at the comment Li had made… Was he excited… yes… but was he also scared… most definitely. If such an emotion can bring this amount of pleasure and joy… what pain will it bring when it gets violently taken away? This was all that Yi could think about… pain… pain was all he knew… He hated it… he wished the pain would go away… but he could not imagine a life without pain... But this kiss… the single kiss on his cheek washed all of it away… “yes..”, replied Yi softly, his voice stuttering in... of all things... excitement.

Her head fit so comfortably on his shoulder; almost as if it was meant to be there. He loved it with all his heart. He could feel his eyes lids drooping slightly as he felt exhaustion and tiredness consume his mind. He was getting tired... but he wanted Li to stay in his arms… But the true reason… the underlying reason of Yi not wanting to sleep, was that he was afraid… afraid of his now uncontrolled brain, the lack of order and restraint, all the bad memories were no longer repressed leaving his subconscious and dreams open for a broadside assault… He did not want to sleep. He felt Li move slightly, and Yi moved his shoulder in the appropriate response.

“I don't mean to ruin another moment, Yi. But where am I going to sleep?”

The thought never crossed his mind… he didn’t want her to sleep on the floor; she deserved better then the hard wood floor… “You can have the mattress” , replied Yi softly. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the mattress... but it was wrong and a sign of a bad host to let a guest, especially the one you love... sleep on the floor while you relax easily on a mattress…

He was giving up the mattress for her? Oh she couldn't do take that from him. "You don't have to give the mattress up. I can sleep on the floor," she said, looking up at him, "It's okay...I don't mind. Sometimes...Dad would lock the door to my bedroom and would give me the choice of sleeping on the floor of the hallway or sleeping outside. And on the nights when he didn't make me sleep outside, I learned how to sleep comfortably on the floor."

She shifted a bit on Yi's shoulder. Her eyes were burning again, though not from tears. She was tired and her eyelids were growing heavy. Today was truly an eventful day. And now that all the excitement was dying down, she realized how tired she was. Li Mei would sleep well tonight. Knowing that Yi loved her was enough to let her sleep peacefully.

“Please Li, I insist… It will do you good to sleep on a mattress… “, replied Yi in a caring but forceful voice. He didn’t want her to sleep on the floor, and. he would not allow it in any way! Yi could feel Li shift her head into a more comfortable position. Even with the shift, her head still seemed to magically fit on his shoulder. He glanced down at her; her eyes and facial expression clearly showing her fatigue.

Yi smiled lightly as he raised his hand up to her cheek. Slowly and with the softness of a feather he ran the back of his index finger along her cheek. He could feel a chill run up his arm. He loved the feeling of her face… it was far softer then the skin on her hands… He loved the softness and the silky feeling. When his finger reached the bottom of her cheek, he lowered his hand onto hers. With the skill of an artist, Yi wrapped his hand around hers.

“Besides… I don’t sleep that well at night… I usually end up in the corner of the room anyway…”, added Yi with a soft caring voice… he knew that he was telling the truth… he can’t remember the last time he actually got a good night’s sleep… but maybe things will be different now with Li here and the voice gone… but a feeling still lingered in the back of his mind… What happens if it gets worse?...

Li Mei felt bad about taking his bed. But he seemed to insist on it. She sighed and smiled faintly as she felt the skin of his finger tracing her skin. She loved the way he touched her. She felt so calm and warm. She wanted nothing more than to continue to sit like this, but fatigue and the fact that she thought her head was killing his shoulder caused her to lift her head. His hand gracefully wrapped around hers and she smiled at the sight. "Thank you."

She was very happy to be with Yi. After gently pulling her hand free from his, she stood and stretched before turning to the mattress. This would be her first night not sleeping on the ground in about three days and she was secretly grateful Yi let her have the mattress. Tomorrow night she would insist on sleeping on the floor. Turning back to Yi, Li Mei leaned forward and kissed him quickly. "Good night, Yi..." she said. She stretched out on the mattress before carefully curling into a ball.

Yi felt Li removed her head from his shoulder; a tingling sensation engulfed his shoulder. He didn’t want the sensation to end, but Yi knew that she was probably tired, and Yi respected that. Yi nodded in response to her thank you, his heart fluttered slightly as he looked into her lovely blue eyes. They looked like a fresh crystal mountain spring. He was ashamed that in a few minutes he would not see them until morning… but Yi clung to the hope that he would see them again… he hoped that he would survive the night; he was a soldier deep in enemy territory... and the enemy was out for blood… A slight chill ran down his spine at the thought.

With one last pull, Li pulled her hand away from his gently; her soft sin running along his. It tickled slightly, sending several small shocks up his spine. His mind screamed in agony as the contact with Li was broken… All his body could do was whimper in sadness… But Yi tried his best to reassure his mind that he would be with her tomorrow… tomorrow… for the first time in his life, he prayed to the spirits not to take his life… a chilling shift from his usual pleas of absolution.

He glanced up at Li as she stood up and stretched out… he was amazed that his clothes fit nicely on her… Yi only wished that he had money to buy her the clothes she should be wearing… But the hidden money was for emergencies only… he knew better then to tap into that fund… Yi stood up next to her and smiled. Even though he just met her... he wished he could do more for her… such a nice girl should not be forced to sleep on the ground and flee around the world and live in rags… He felt guilty that he couldn’t do more... but this was the best he could do… he cursed himself for not doing better… Even with the voice off in its own land, Yi still berated himself

He was quickly shaken out of his guilt by a soft quick kiss. His body went in to shock as he instinctly closed his eyes. Her lips were so soft and warm. He was in bliss and he enjoyed it... no matter how short it was to last. She pulled away and laid down on the mattress, her body stretched out. Yi smiled and pulled the thin blankets from the edge of the bed. He opened both of them up and rested them down on top of her. He knew it was going to get cold tonight… but he didn’t care… “Goodnight Li, ill see you in the morning….”, replied Yi softly… his voice hesitated slightly… he really hoped he would be ok tomorrow… I prayed…

With Li safely tucked away, he started to clean up… he hated a dirty house… He kept a smile on his face as he reached down and grabbed the nearly empty paper boxes. He sat them gently on the counter, as not to wake Li. With the food taken care of, Yi extinguished the lantern with a soft and steady blow. The half of the room went dark. He walked back towards the center of the room where the stools were. He picked up his metal gauntlets he took off earlier and placed them on top of the dresser. He glanced down at Li’s old clothes that laid on the floor, folded in a messy haste. It drove Yi mad just by looking at it. With delicate hands, He folded the Earth Kingdom attire, paying no attention of anything in the pockets, and sat the now crisply folded clothes on top of the dresser alongside his gauntlets. With a scared sigh, Yi blew out the lantern… Darkness quickly filled the room…

Yi’s eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he let out a quiet sigh… He didn’t want to sleep… he didn’t want to sleep... but he had to... he needed sleep. Not wanting to risk waking Li up, Yi carefully walked over to the far corner. He rested his back in the corner and slowly slid down; bringing his legs up to his chest. Yi reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver piece of Water Tribe money. He ran his finger over its textured surface, taking in the design… he enclosed it in his palm and held it close to his heart as he slipped into sleep… praying that he would wake up.

With all the comfort Yi had given her, Li Mei had forgotten she hated sleeping in new places. Paranoia always set in and she would wonder if she had been discovered. This night was no different. She tossed and turned a bit under the blankets before she sat up and looked around. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and she began to recognize where she was. She sighed with relief and lay back again. There was nothing to worry about, she had Yi's protection. And yet she found it difficult to sleep again. So she lay there staring up at the ceiling and occasionally glancing around when a peculiar noise could be heard.

What was the matter with her? She had Yi and he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. So then why couldn't she sleep? She sat up again and looked around the room. She spotted Yi sitting in the corner of the room. She looked down at the blankets and couldn't help but feel guilty. Taking one of the blankets, she tiptoed over to him and gently covered him.

Turning back to the bed, Li Mei moved toward it and curled into a ball under the other blanket. One of the advantages she had to sleeping outside had been staring at the stars when she couldn't sleep. She was tempted to go outside and sit for a while. But Yi...she didn't want him to wake up and worry about her. Going outside wasn't an option. She couldn't take Yi being angry with her. She wondered for a moment about her mother and what was happening in the North Pole. She clamped her eyes shut. Perhaps thinking of her mother could help her insomnia.

((ok.. lets see what a pot of coffee can give us!))



Yi awoke from his deep sleep. When he opened his still tire eyes; his vision was blurry, as if he was swimming in a filthy lake. As much as he rubbed his eyes, they wouldn’t focus. All around him, the ear piercing screams of some inhuman monster filled the still air. Like ails on a chalkboard, it caused Yi to cringe in pain; as the high pitched scream echoed loudly in his head. He tried his best to cover his ears; but to no avail. He could feel his ear drum begin to sever. A warm liquid dripped onto his shaking hand… Instinctly, Yi pulled his hands away from his ears, the scream still present in the air. Glancing down at his hands, he saw something red; his vision still blurry. It felt warm and sticky and almost viscous.

The piercing scream finally relented; leaving nothing but silence in its wake. Slowly, YI’s vision returned to normal; his heart beating faster than it ever had before… He didn’t know where he was or what was going on… All around him wall walls sot out of the ground; blocking out all light, and leaving Yi enclosed in a darkness filled room... no light able to penetrate the thick walls. Yi slowly stood up and staggered over to one of the walls. There was nothing special about the wall; it was built of earth and nothing more. Yi placed his hand along the wall; it felt so real… so alive… he felt a pulse, a subtle thumping feeling could be felt along the surface of the wall.

Soon panic filled Yi’s mind as he started violently beating on the walls with all his strength. Yi could feel the walls closing in on him… the air getting thinner and thinner. Yi tried to shout for help, but noting came out of his mouth. Instead his throat only tightened up; making him struggle to breathe. His once rapid breathing now reduced to a strained wheezing. Soon blood stains appeared on the wall where Yi’s hands have been hitting it. The sharp pain caused Yi to pull away; his wheezing forcing him to fall to the floor. Yi could only gaze at his hands as he lay motionless on the floor; his eyes darting back and forth in a vain attempt to find a way out. A surge of warmth surrounded Yi’s head as more and more blood dripped from his ears; pooling all around his head. Still struggling to breath, Yi tried to sit back up, but he couldn’t move; something was holding him down. The grip was stronger then iron; Yi kicked and rebel as best he could, but nothing changed. He was trapped; trapped in a room with enclosing walls.

Yi’s heart was racing, his breathing still shallow. He was scared… tired to wake himself up, but nothing happened. He was alone, in a small room, with no light... The pool of blood from Yi’s ears and now bloody chewed up hands, so grew as large as his body. Like quicksand, Yi started to sink in his own blood. Yi screamed and screamed for help, but still nothing came out of his mouth. Yi’s lower body and most of his torso were now completely sunk in the bloody ground, leaving only his upper shoulder, neck, and head above the crimson red quicksand. Yi could only cry, for he knew that he would die, drowning in a poll of his own blood.

Slowly, Yi sunk further and further. His lower extremities felt numb. Nothing registered from the parts of his body that have already sunk in the blood. Just as his chin reached the bloodline…. It instantly solidified. The once crimson red blood seemed to have dried out and was now nothing more than a large dried blood stain on the brown earth. Yi tired to move his body, but he could not feel it, he felt nothing below his neck… not a thing… Yi quickly scanned the room the best he could with his slightly immobilized head. The walls had changed drastically. No longer the grey earth color, they had become alive. Pink tissue and organs now covered the once plain wall. A fine layer of blood covered the throbbing organs. The sound of a thousand beating hearts filled the room.

Panic rushed through Yi’s mind as he still tried to wiggle his body free. Soon, a dim orange light filled the small enclosure. The sharp detail of the organs on the wall became more defined; the lumpy ridges of the intestines, the sticky leathery look of the lungs. Yi wanted to throw up, but only ended up dry heaving instead. His throat burned and strained as noting came out of his mouth. He was in pain… endless pain…

Suddenly... the beating of the hearts stopped and silence filled the room. A loud ominous crash filled the room. As if some wild animal was trying to escape a steel cage. Yi’s heat was still beating out of control as sweat started to slowly drip from his face. Without warning, a large sharp object made of bone shot out of the wall, sending blood and pierced organs flying into the air. Blood spattered on Yi’s face as he looked at the protruding object. It was stained with dried blood, and wickedly curved, like a scythe. With a loud crash, the object slammed its point into the hard ground; as if it was pulling itself out of the wall. Seconds later, another similar scythe shot out of the wall, impelling the ground next to the other one.

Yi’s heart felt like it was going to explode. He could hear the rapid beating of his heart in his head. Seconds later, the thousand hearts in the room starting to beat in time with his… Soon a loud but low thumping filled the room; Each heart beating as fast as his and in time. A smell of decayed flesh filled the air as a fine mist of what looked like water shot out of the wall where the two bone scythes had shot out from. The beating in the room got louder and louder, Yi could only close his eyes, as he felt the hot smelly breath of some creature hovering over him….

Yi’s eyes shot open immediately, his pupils the size of pinholes… his breathing was rapid and shallow. Wit out moving a muscle, Yi’s eyes darted across the room, scanning it for signed of the unseen beast from his dreams. A chill ran through his body, as the bucket s of sweat on his body condensed into cold salty water. There was something around him, some surrounded him. Instantly Yi shook it off, his heat doing wind sprints in his chest. Yi threw the object that surrounded him across the room as he curled back up in the corner, eyes the object with uneasy eyes.

It was only a blanket, and nothing more… I let out a staggered sigh of relief. Never before did he have a dream like this... never before was he this scared… Yi could feel his body convulse as an unsettling feeling appeared in his chest. And throat. YI fought back the urge to throw up as he tried to l his breathing through his nose. He glanced over at Li who laid on the mattress. He hoped that he didn’t wake her… He sat there rocking back and forth slightly in fear… he would never sleep again… never….

Li Mei's breathing had finally steadied, indicating she had finally fallen asleep again. However, her light slumber was disturbed by an overwhelming feeling that something was wrong. Her eyes opened slowly, half expecting to see her father standing over her with a weapon, ready to smash in her skull. Her eyes scanned the darkness carefully, searching for any sign of his unwanted presence. On finding none, Li Mei rolled over in Yi's direction.

Were her eyes deceiving her? Was Yi awake? She propped herself up on her elbow and watched him. In the darkness of the room, she could make out his frame rocking back and forth in the corner of the room. She rose quickly, concerned. What happened? She moved over to him and got to her knees. Her hand reached out to touch him gently. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out his frightened expression. Li Mei could only imagine the horrors he had seen in his head. "Yi?" she whispered, her hand gently grazing his arm.

What could she say to comfort him? Her mind had not been plagued with nightmares in ages. As a matter of fact most of her nights remained dreamless. And she missed them. She escaped in her dreams. "Yi? Are you all right?" she asked, her voice filled with concern and fear. Li Mei was scared of what he had seen. She knew that the 'other Yi' didn't like her and she was worried he had plagued Yi with...something horrible. Was this her fault? Was she the reason Yi was curled in the corner and looking as though some ungodly beast had tried to end his life? She prayed she wasn't.
Li Mei couldn't live with herself if she knew she had hurt Yi again.

Even though it had been a few minutes since he woke up, he could still feel his heart beating out of control as more and more adrenaline was pushed into his body. Yi wanted so badly to cry out in terror, but his throat wouldn’t allow it. He could only sit lost in his delusions. His eyes still darted around the room as he noticed a figure moving toward him. He could feel his heart literally stop beating; his chest growing tighter and tighter, making it harder for him to breathe. He could feel the fear growing and growing inside him, he was pinned between the corner and the approaching figure… all Yi could do was force his eyes shut and hope that it wasn’t going to be painful…

“Yi?”

Yi’s eyes shot open, it knew his name!! Oh spirits what madness was this?! Paranoia quickly mixed with his fear, creating a deadly mixture of panic. He begged and begged to himself… Please let this end…. He felt something quickly brush along his arm. His body involuntarily tensed up, causing the rocking to stop. Why was he being tortured like this? Why wouldn’t the beat just end it?!

“YI? Are you all right?”

The voice was now familiar to him, the seemingly endless surge of panic and fear was instantly flushed away; causing reality to hit him hard in the face. Slowly, he felt his heart return to its normal pace, but his breathing remained rapid and shallow; the tightness in his chest not going away. He tried to push he pain out of his short circuited brain. He looked up at Li, her face barely visible in the darkness of the room; his eyes filled with tears, but seemingly unable to break away from his auburn eyes. Her caring face and voice made Yi fell safe. She was his life preserver, his anchor to reality that prevented him from drifting away into the twisted world that was in imagination.

“Im sorry I woke you Li…, replied YI in a raspy voice, a voice that seemed like it had been unused for ages. He slowly removed is arms from around his tucked in legs and softly grabbed Li’s hand. “I had the worst dream ever…it was horrible… nothing that I had ever dreamt before… I was so scared…”, replied Yi in an almost sobbing voice.

Li Mei felt her breath catch in her throat as she listened to Yi. She looked down at his hand as he reached for hers. She was almost afraid to ask about the dream. "Oh no...you didn't wake me, Yi. I couldn't sleep anyway..." she said, trying her best to sound reassuring. She sat down beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. She pulled him closer to her. "Don't worry, I'm here," she whispered.

Li Mei didn't know what to say to help him. He was frightened and she didn't know what to say. She felt helpless and useless. Think of something, Li Mei... her mind scolded. At that moment, a completely random thought came to mind. "The Avatar...have you heard about him? I heard he's an Airbender and just twelve years old...."

She hoped she didn't sound insensitive. She simply wanted to direct Yi's thoughts away from the dream and she wanted to help fill the silence in the air, even if it was with meaningless conversation. If Yi didn't know anything about the avatar, she would gladly tell him what she knew and heard about him. Her hand wandered up to his hair and ran her fingers through his locks slowly.

Yi couldn’t help but feel completely helpless...he felt empty again, unsure of what to do, or what to think. He felt terrible and useless… He was a male, he should be stronger than this... he should be able to deal with his emotions in better ways. But he had the mind of a child... he want to crawl up in a corner and rot away. Yi was happy to know that he didn’t wake her up, it was one less thing for him to worry about and stress over. He wanted to cry so badly…but some held it back… he hated that… he hated feeling this way…

“Don’t worry, I’m here”

Yi could feel the stress and fear fade eve more away… she was here… she cared for him… she was there for him… Even though the fear was still prominent in his face, he felt so much better inside… He knew that him feeling better on the inside, wouldn’t show Li that he was fine…He just wanted to hold her... be with her… forever… Her arms around his shoulder felt so warm, and comforting. He slowly pulled himself closer to her… He wanted to feel something other than pain… he wanted to feel her softness, he wanted to feel her warmth… he wanted so badly just to sit here in her arms… He curled up slowly in her arms, wrapping his arms around her waist; the silver piece she gave him still clenched tightly in his fist. He felt safe. Oh so safe with her…He was still scared….nothing more than a scared lost puppy.

“The Avatar...have you heard about him? I heard he's an Airbender and just twelve years old....”

Yi hadn’t heard much about the Avatar… With the recent achievements of the Avatar, and the utter failures of the Fire Nation at the hands of the Avatar… it was wise not to speak about him much… Yi really didn’t care about the Avatar… he didn’t care what ever happens with the war or who won…. He only cared about himself and the ones he loved… If the war was to effect the ones he cared about.. he felt he had an obligation to shield them from the pain… he saw himself as an expendable line of defense… He wanted the people he cared about to be happy… and not have to worry about the pains of the war.

“Tell me about him…please…”, pleaded Yi softly and quietly… he already knew much about the Avatar… but he just wanted to hear Li’s sweet and caring voice… her voice… hoping that her voice would ease his mind enough to allow him to figure out his dream…

A soft smile crept across her lips as she felt Yi's arms encircled her waist. She placed her other arm around him and held him close to her. She didn't know much about the Avatar, only what she had heard in her travels. "I think he is the last Airbender, a little boy named...Aang. I know he has a big flying bison. I bet that really is a sight to see..." she said with a gentle laugh. A sad realization came to mind, but Li Mei made sure to keep a gentle smile on.

"...A lot of the people I've met in my travels have asked me why I haven't done more to help with the war...It makes me feel guilty that I haven't done anything to help...but you and I...we fight a very different war. A war that has dragged us through a lot of pain of suffering..." Her voice trailed off and she looked ahead, staring off into the darkness. She had lost her voice or had lost the will to speak. She wasn't sure which. She wasn't trying to make it seem like their problems were much more important than the war. But it was just hard...

Yi felt so comfortable in her arms, his current position and mindset made him feel like a child… He never experience life as a child, he was forced to grow up at such a young age, from both his father and the voice. They would always yell and scream at him for being weak… Li felt so warm and soft, the feeling was amplified by her wrapping her other arm around him. She felt so good... Yi couldn’t help but muzzle his head against her arm as he listened to her talk. Her rhythmic voice soothed every cell in his body… he was safe… his chest loosened up slightly, allowing him to breathe normally. A faint smile appeared on his face as he pulled her ever so gently closer to him.

Yi’s mind was traveling faster than the speed of light…so many tings needed to be straightened out… he told himself that he would figure his dream out, but he was to entranced by her voice to think otherwise. He could faintly hear the beating of her heart as his head rested gently on her shoulder. He could feel the pleasing sensations quickly replace the fear… he was happy again… happy happy happy…

As Yi listened to Li’s voice, he couldn’t help but reflect on his life. A war didn’t begin to describe his life… a massacre didn’t even come close… even genocide couldn’t keep the pace. But Li was right… they were fighting an internal struggle, the worst kind of war… A war with no battles, a war with no monuments, a war with no end… a war with only pain and casualties and suffering… and the worst thing is... you feel both sides of the struggle… the conflict always does collateral damage… and that damage is always the worst… it never healed… It made Yi mad to think that people would dismiss their war in light of another war… it was cheap!

“The war has no effect on us…We… you are stronger then that… the war we fight cannot compare to the real war… The strife we face is far worst then any bloody battle the soldiers face… For that war will have an end… ours won’t… Both wars have made you strong... and me weak… I envy you for that strength…never let anyone damn you for not helping their war… it’s their war to fight… not ours... how can we possible help them... if we can’t even gain the edge on our own war…, commented Yi dryly. The hate built in his mind.., but he didn’t want Li to feel his hatred for the stupidity of others… That comment sent a chill down his spine… It was almost verbatim of something the voice would say… Yi could only force his eyes shut… he was becoming the thing he hated…

Yi glanced outside through the wooden blind that hung in the window over him. It was still night time.. and quite a ways from day… Yi would love to have a few hours of true uninterrupted sleep… Yi could only blush slightly at what he was about to ask. “it’s still dark out, and won’t be morning for a while… I haven’t had a nice sleep in years… could you possibly stay with me until I fall asleep…” asked Yi meekly, almost ashamed to have asked such a thing.. but he needed to feel safe to sleep.. and he only felt safe in her arms…

Li Mei smiled as she felt Yi nuzzle her arm with his head. She had never smiled so much in her life. Even the morning when she didn’t wake up to her father screaming at her mother couldn’t compare to how she felt at this moment. She had waked up smiling that morning…but it was nothing like this. That smile was hollow and empty. But this one was inspired by love and admiration. Holding on to Yi…he was much stronger than he was giving himself credit. “Yi…you are strong. No one could survive what we have been through without some sort of strength. Even if you don’t think you have it, it’s there.” She sighed and glanced at him. He was strong. And that was one of the reasons she had fallen in love with him.

This was not their war to fight. Was he right? Of course he was…they had inner demons to face everyday…it was a constant struggle and without the strength their pasts had given them, they surely would’ve been consumed by them years ago. Her hands traced tiny circles on his shoulders as she listened to Yi speak. Was her strength truly genuine? She couldn’t tell. Sure she had managed to escape. But she was still submissive and a coward, especially when it came to the opposite sex. Had Yi yelled at her earlier, she would’ve cowered in a corner. Li Mei hated that about herself, but it was an involuntary action.

Li Mei sighed and tried shaking off her morbid thoughts. Yi needed her. There was no time to morbid. She listened to his request and smiled warmly. “Of course I’ll stay with you,” she whispered. It felt nice to hold Yi this close to her. He was the only one she felt comfortable enough with to allow this close to her. He had seen her scars and knew the pain behind them. She knew they wouldn’t scare him off. Or she wouldn’t be forced to defend her mother for her choice to leave. He knew and he understood. That amazed her. He was truly amazing. And just one more reason to love him. She would stay with him. She would stay with him…forever. No matter what, she would stay by his side.

Yi could feel his heart flutter with joy at her response. He was fortunate to have such a person in his life. In a way he was lucky... his first true personal encounter in his life was with the one he loved… Love… the word was still very foreign to him… but he knew that he loved Li; he loved her with all his heart. “Thank you Li…”, replied Yi with a grateful smile on his face. But in a way... he couldn’t help but feel guilty… was he too needy? He still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was weak… maybe Li was right… maybe he was undercutting himself… but what is to be expected from a child who was told constantly that he was weak?

He slowly made himself comfortable; he hoped that Li would be comfortable. He lifted his head from her shoulder and rested it against the solid cool wall. Keeping his arms around Luan, he gave Li a gentle hug as his eye lids became heavier and heavier. Giving in to his exhaustion Yi let his head relax on the wall… he didn’t want to fall asleep with his head on Li… he did want t give her room to get comfortable…. “I love you Li…”, Whispered Yi as he could feel his eyes flutter shut. He prayed that the dream wouldn’t come back… he didn’t want to scare Li or himself again…

Please spirits hear my pleas… I know I have never had much faith in you.. but please… help me… I know you were never there in the past for me.. but please… i don’t want to loose her… please help me…[/i], pleaded Yi in his head.. he only hoped that for one time in his short life.. they would actually listen to him…

Li Mei could still feel his arms around her as his head lifted from her shoulder. She was glad to stay with him. She watched him rest his head against the wall. He seemed content and comfortable. "...I love you too," she said smiling up at him. He was okay. Her gaze returned to the darkness. He may be content, but she still felt uneasy. Yi would keep her safe, she knew he would. But...old habits and such.

Her blue eyes darted through the darkness, searching for the frame of her dreaded, unwelcome guest. "He isn't here...Li Mei, stop being so paranoid," she whispered. Sighing, she leaned against Yi and rubbed her eyes. He isn't here... she thought, blinking her eyes. They felt heavy and she closed them. Her body welcomed sleep almost readily as she drew her legs closer to her chest. Her head slowly drifted to Yi's chest and she turned toward him.

The sun slowly rose into the sky. It was morning again. For the first time in nearly 24 hours, the sunlight had the decency to filter its way through the closed blinds. Yi was fast asleep, his back still in the corner. His legs had shifted in his sleep; they were still tucked in, but were horizontal instead. Both his arms still wrapped around Li; her head resting comfortably on his chest. Despite his location of being in the corner with his back against the wall with the window, the sun still managed to reflect off the lantern he left out on the counter and strike him square in the face.

The sun burned his face, and struck him dead in the eyes; causing him to squint slightly in an unconscious response. Out of instinct, Yi slowly twisted his head back and forth in a vain attempt to get the light out of his eyes. After several minutes of trying Yi gave up… He hated mornings… he hated the morning sun… no matter where he slept or how he slept... the sun always managed to hit him in the face. He let out a quiet sigh and looked around the small room. Everything was where it was supposed to be… except for that damn lantern… he slowly glanced down at his chest to see Li sleeping soundly. A faint smile had appeared on his face. She looked so beautiful when she slept…

Yi tried his best to fall back asleep… but the sun wouldn’t allow it. He finally gave up on the idea all together… At least he was able to get a few good hours of sleep… a nice dreamless sleep for the first time in his life. He glanced back down at Li. Gently, Yi moved his hand and with the softness of a feather began to rub Li’s back with his finger tips; running up and down parallel to her spine. He left his head fall back slightly and partially closed his eyes. For once in his life... he didn’t know what day would bring… Deep down… he loved the thought of it.

((It's about 2:30 am here on the east coast. So I'm going to bed after this post. Rp with ya tomorrow, okay ^_^))

Li Mei felt the heat of the sun burning on the side of her face. She normally slept opposite where the sun rose. Her eyes squinted together before they fluttered open and she glanced around. Her head was still resting on Yi's chest and she was thankful to wake up in his arms. She slept peacefully last night. More peacefully than normal at least. She felt Yi's fingers rubbing her back gently and she leaned up and kissed his cheek gently.

"Good morning, Yi." she said, snuggling closer to him. She didn't want to move out of this spot, but her stomach would soon remind her that it was empty. She would worry about breakfast later. For now, she just wanted to be with Yi. She had so much to tell her mother. She was finally out of the Earth Kingdom for starters. And she had fallen in love with a wonderful person. "My letter!" she said, sitting up. Li Mei looked at the spot where she had left her clothes. They weren't there. Where? Oh on the dresser.

She got up and searched through the pockets of her clothes. Once she found the folded parchment and returned to her seat. next to Yi. "I haven't written my mother in a couple of weeks. I know she's upset with me," Li Mei explained as she unfolded the letter, "I've got so much to tell her, and I think I'll start with you," she added with a wink.