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Tae rolled his eyes when she said she would be saving the memory of him admitting his pain and then looked at her with displeasure when she said she might have used him as a lab rat. Amani had a point though. However experimental the treatment she gave him was, he felt so much better that he was willing to put that aside. His confusion deepened as she burst into a fit of giggles.
“I wouldn’t believe you anyway.” He responded when she offered to lie to him. He looked up at her hand as she checked his temperature, making him question what side effects he was supposed to be looking out for. “Better.” He responded when she asked how he felt. “Really anything is an improvement on feeling like death but it’s closer to my normal pain level now. Whatever you did, it worked.” His tone was genuine when he said the last part, this time actually intending to reassure her that he was going to be okay instead of the joking remarks he made earlier.
Tae chuckled when she stated that her fiancé didn’t like him much. “That’s an understatement.” He quipped. He probably would have used the term ‘pure, unwarranted hatred’ but her description worked too. When she put her head on his shoulder, he was pleasantly surprised by the gesture and returned it by gently leaning against her. “I wouldn’t provoke him if he didn’t make it so easy. That party didn’t help at all but how many times do I have to tell him that I don’t see you like that before he stops feeling threatened?" He added, rolling his eyes.
He laughed as Amani continued to ponder which of the Duman cousins was the most mature, eventually landing on Tae and his sister. “Liss can have the title. I think I’ll continue being immature.” He replied. She scoffed when he explained the situation to her and he felt reassured that at least one person was on his side. She then lectured him about not letting Renlin’s stupid comments get to him, adding on that if he wasn’t going to do that, he should at least use his magic. “Yes, Amani.” He teased, using a child-like tone, as if he were a child being lectured by their mother.
He laughed again when she told him about his cousin’s drunken exploits at the ball. “Damn, I wish I had seen that.” He playfully lamented. “I also would have loved to be a fly on the wall when he got in trouble.” Was he enjoying this a little too much? Maybe, but it was very fulfilling to hear the person who often cast him aside as a mistake making big mistakes of his own.
He listened attentively as she described her latest dream to him. “Maybe it is a memory.” He suggested, making eye contact with her. Tae had a few dreams of his own that had a very similar feeling to what Amani was describing. The kind where he woke up confused, unsure of whether his dream was just a dream or if it was something he had actually lived through. “You said her face was blurry, but can you remember anything else about her? Maybe she was someone you knew a long time ago.” He felt as if they were trying to put together a puzzle that was missing the pieces most crucial to deciphering the image. Like they were so close to an answer, yet still so far away.
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@Kristi - Amani