June felt something.

 

Her eyes shot open. All she could see was darkness. Then, slowly, her eyes adjusted to the eerie street light glow that permeated through the apartment. She could make out a small figure with elven ears, standing over her.

 

“Doctor Chi-Min?” She mumbled.

 

A long silence followed. For a moment, June was afraid it wasn’t Chi-Min. At last, however, his voice sounded from the darkness.

 

“Miss June, I need to tell you something.”

 

“Mmngh?”

 

Chi-Min took a breath, a culmination of everything he had wanted to say for the past three years. His heart was pounding, and as much as he tried to control himself, he was visibly shaking. Sweat beaded on his palms. His face burned. The longer he waited, he knew, the worse it would get. He needed to get it out in one shot.

 

“Doctor Chi-Min?”

 

“Miss June,” he spoke seriously, “I have known you for a long time. You might not have realized it, but the best days of my life have involved little to no money. In fact, they’ve involved orange juice.”

 

He’s so random, she thought sleepily.

 

“When you gave me the journal,” he continued, “it forced me to think about the rest of my life. And I came to the conclusion that I needed to do something about it before I die. I’ve enjoyed my time with you immensely. I wish there were more days...” He shook his head. “I’m rambling.”

 

“No, keep going.”

 

“Miss June, I assert that I am in love with you.”

 

Silence.

 

“I hope I haven’t offended.”

 

Still silence.

 

To June, it was as if Chi-Min had just told her, in all seriousness, that a giant three-eyed purple polka-dotted squirrel had climbed up through her disposer. She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or go back to sleep. She was having really strange dreams lately. She didn’t doubt this was just another piece of hay added to the stack of stress.

 

“Of all the things I’d dream about,” she said finally, “I didn’t think I’d ever be dreaming about Doctor Chi-Min declaring his love for me. This is too funny...”

 

Chi-Min paused. “You think you’re dreaming?”

 

“I gotta be.” She shifted on her twin mattress. “I dreamt I was attacked by cleaning supplies the other day. That was a rush. And then at work I got sent to break up a fight happening in the restroom. A drunk teen was attacking the janitor with her own spray bottle. Made my day.”

 

“And if this is a dream?”

 

“As long as you don’t give me nightmares, I don’t really care. Just don’t turn into a big scary monster...” She mumbled.

 

“Miss June, turn on the light.”

 

“Mmngh...”

 

Silence, then June felt soft skin on the back of her hand, someone guiding her fingers to click on the lamp. Soft light flooded the room. June groaned again. It was too early to get up.

 

“Alright, I’m up. What’d you want to show me?” She shifted, lifted her eyes up... and blinked. She thought for a moment that her eyes were playing tricks on her (and from the blotchy spots on her vision, she wasn’t sure). But then her eyes adjusted to the raw light, and it was still the same.

 

If it wasn’t for his distinct coloration, she might not have recognized Chi-Min at all. The elven doctor was staring at her with mature eyes, one eye piercing crimson and the other dead black. His face was angular, sharper, more defined, devoid of childishness. He wore very casual clothes, a light blue polo and bone pants. His collar was undone a few buttons down, and she could see quite clearly his frame was adult and, dare she think it, toned. And, somehow, in her grogginess, she had missed the deeper inflection in his voice.

 

“Miss June?”

 

Chi-Min was grown up. In fact, he looked downright handsome.

 

June laughed. “I am dreaming, aren’t I?”

 

“I don’t know. Let’s test that theory.” He spoke seriously. “Give me your hand?”

 

June swallowed hard.

This was definitely new. But he was her physician. She was used to his directions. She offered her palm to him, as if she were going in for her daily check-up on sanity. He put her hand against his chest. Her fingers splayed naturally, and she felt the starchy fabric of a pressed shirt.

 

She could feel warmth and the hardness of his chest. His rib cage rising and falling steadily, lifting with breath and declining with exhales, like a gentle ebb and flow. His heartbeats strummed through her fingertips.

 

Thubump.

 

Thubump.

 

When he spoke, deep, soothing vibrations passed through her hand. She could literally feel his words to her.

 

“Do you believe me now, Miss June?”

 

She lifted her hand away. Her face screwed up. “I’m...not sure.”

 

June paused. It was an odd moment, very awkward.

 

Was she dreaming?

 

She breathed deeply. She could smell his cologne.

 

She wasn’t sure what was going on in his mind. Maybe he was formulating a different way to prove his existence to her. Of course, the real Chi-Min would do that, too.

 

Why was she having this dream?

 

Did she secretly wish...?

 

Heat rose to her face. Well, she had wondered what he looked like as an adult. Maybe this was her brain playing the entire scenario out. Or maybe she had gotten really drunk.

 

She had to be dreaming.

 

And if she were dreaming...then she could...

 

No! That was a stupid reason! You didn’t take advantage of people who trusted you with their life! Most of all little elven doctors that you called friend. Even in dreams!

 

But he wouldn’t know, her mind churned.

 

Well... So she had felt his heartbeat and breathing. So what? June had, at one time, pinched herself in a dream and woke up from pain when she subconsciously mimicked the action in real life. So maybe this was the same thing, and all she was feeling was her own heartbeat and breath. Warmth and cloth easily transferred from dreams to the real world.

 

Her mind drifted. She was going to die very soon... It’s not like it would matter when... Augh, she hadn’t imagined Chi-Min like this, ever.

 

He was still staring at her, intense eyes focusing on her. He was waiting for her to pick a way to prove his existence to her.

 

June shifted. She hated words, hated close situations like this. She was afraid. At the same time, another part of her... But... if this was all a dream, then it didn’t matter.

 

And...if she actually wanted to entertain the idea of being intimate with someone she trusted and now found attractive...

 

Ugh, she just needed to get it over with. At this point she just didn’t really care. She wanted normal peaceful sleep back again.

 

June Blue Delias sucked in a breath.

 

“Doctor Chi-Min, close your eyes.”

 

Chi-Min blinked. He wasn’t expecting the request at all. He had guessed she wanted some sort of viable proof, maybe poking and prodding him; but closed eyes? Hopefully, she wouldn’t be using the opportunity to garner a baseball bat. Now that would be an ironic way to die. Slowly, he shut his eyes.

 

He heard June shift on the mattress. He felt her presence near him, looming by him. A movement of warm air, and then he felt her hands cup either side of his face. Was she checking-

 

Soft lips on his.

 

Thubump!

 

June kissed Chi-Min. She wasn’t quite sure what she was doing. Somewhere in her mind it was all logical. Assuming this was all a dream, she would probably find herself making out with her pillow upon waking. With drooling possibly involved. And then she’d peacefully fall back into a deep slumber, and wake up tomorrow morning, and...

 

Chi-Min’s lips were incredibly soft.

 

Wait a minute, she thought.

 

Her fingers brushed over his cheek slowly. Hard jawline... His skin was smooth. He had to have shaved recently. And yet...

 

He wasn’t doing anything. Chi-Min’s lips yielded to her pressure, but it was like he was frozen in time. No movement. No rejection or affirmation. No response whatsoever.

 

And here’s where she’d wake up…

 

Wake up, she chided.

 

Wake up.

 

He moved.

 

June nearly jumped. She felt Chi-Min pull away slightly, taking in air. And then she felt the contact of his mouth again, soft brushes, slight pressure, as he returned her kiss fully.

 

It wasn’t a dream! Crap!

 

“Doctor,” she pulled away, almost gasping, “Doctor Chi-Min...” She had made a grave, grave mistake.

 

 

June sat up.

 

Wait, wasn’t she on her knees? How could she...

 

The apartment was dark again. She was sitting, butt against the mattress, legs stretched out in front of her. She looked up and realized there was a distinct lack of someone. No cologne smell. No warmth. No heartbeat.

 

Dr. Chi-Min was nowhere to be found.

 

June slapped her palm to her forehead.

 

“Ugh,” she spoke aloud. “I blame it on stress!”

 

=========

 

Chi-Min woke up sweating.

 

What an odd dream, he thought. His hand drifted up to his mouth. He could swear he could taste Miss June. Granted, he normally didn’t dream of himself as an adult. Or confessing his love of his female patient...

 

He hadn’t expected her to be so forward…

 

It was going to be odd giving treatment to her today.