Redolent

Chapter 4: The Kiss

My breath caught in my throat. Cold, icy fear ran its hands along my spine as I realized just how serious the whole situation was.

"Trey… Entron. We have been ordered for your arrest. Your condition was not specified," the computerized voice slipped through the black-mecha helmet. Our captors were obviously mecha, or at least majority of them was. We would have no sympathy.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Trey's hands came down over my mouth. He shot me a look. Then it hit me, they had only noticed Trey, they didn't know who I was yet. He was protecting me.

The other soldier pointed his gun at me and Trey stiffened. His hand slipped into mine and I gripped it as though it was my only hope. He took half a step in front of me to shield me from any potential harm. Very softly, I felt him press something into the palm of my hand. It was a sphere, I could tell that much. Rivets and lines criss-crossed across it's surface, I realized that it must be. Closing my eyes, I saw the data from the vehicle stream through my ID chip. It was the new Xenon209, a completely translucent motorbike, complete with inlayed silver paint and white tires that had no need for traction because the engine was absolutely silent but ran on carbon dioxide. There was a slight dip in the front, where you could lean your head forward behind the handlebars. Every time you breathed, it would increase the speed by a little bit more. Even the controls were updated, once it was loaded into your ID chip, you could technically control it by your very thoughts.

He tapped the inside of my palm three times, pulling an identical sphere out of his pocket in his other hands. We would make a break for it in…3…2…1

We surge forward, calculating quickly, I brought down a helmet from my suit as it transformed into the defensive mode. The skintight polymer morphed until it resembled a light-weight armor. The helmet brought all the controls before me and I flung the ball into the air, jumping on top of the bike as soon as it exploded in a burst of light.

Trey was right next to my side as we sped across the desert.

"I can't believe we just did that," I cried, breathless.

"Me neither," Trey replied, his eyes alight.

We rode the rest of the way in silence, stopping only when the bikes seemed to die a little in power. We decided to stop for the night, making a tent underneath a rock face.

I put my hands up near the small fire, pouring some steaming water into a packet of spaghetti. Slurping the creamy tomato sauce out of the bag, I wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, collapsing backwards with a great sigh. I shot Trey a side-ways look, his form illuminated by the crackling fire. His sharp profile stood out against the dark night. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that Trey, really was good looking. I always imagined him as the enemy, the husband that would keep me under his careful watch all the time. But in the space of a few days, my perception of him had radically changed.

"Hey, Trey," I whispered quietly.

"Yeah," he turned to look at me and I felt a blush creep up my face. I put my had between my knees in embarrassment.

"Thanks, you know… for back there…" I trailed off lamely. I didn't know how to express it. He had saved me. He saved me by running with me, saved my from being captured… Without him, I wouldn't know what to do. He listened to my story. He told me his own. We were somehow…bonded. He was like my safety, my guardian, he was becoming the friend I never had. Friend… Somehow that word made my heart sink a little.

Almost… As if I wanted to be more than that.

"Hey, Aris…"" his voice wafted out into the night.

"Yeah," I turned to look at him and found myself staring right into his deep, chocolate eyes. His hands wound through my hair and he brought my face up to his, pressing his lips gently against mine. Shock electrocuted my body at first, but then I felt myself melt, slowly, as though my brain had stopped functioning and nothing made sense. I leaned farther into him, and we stayed like that for a while. Together, in the midst of the cold night.