Tanjelavi

Ree and Goe

I had no dreams whatsoever, just this black desert stretching further and further for hours straight—until I woke up feeling someone turning my left foot from side to side and saw Goe sitting crossed-legged on the sand like a true samurai and actually examining my ankle with a look of wonder and contemplation

"Have you built it yourself?" asked he without even turning his head to me

"Y-yeah... It's a location disguiser..." said I to him trying to take my ankle away from him, but he was holding it with a force no one would expect from a skinny creature like him, so I had to lie there still, waiting until he was finished with examining my creation

"Interesting..." whispered he at long last, as if to himself, but still holding my foot

"It's still raw though..." desperately answered I, feeling my leg becoming numb because of his holding it in the air for good five minutes straight or even more!

"You know, I could try improving it", said he in a low voice, finally (!) letting my leg free. "Even if I'm not a professional—nor an expert..."

"Well, me neither", said I sitting up, "I just built this and the bike—and put the location disguiser there, too, by the way..."

"So you're quite handy after all as far as I see", whispered he and stood up, going to my bike to examine it, too

"If one out of the three built stuff being finished and actually working makes you handy, then yes..." was my blueish remark to Goe, who didn't seem to listen and whose eyes were already all over the navigator

"Rods's garage, hm... Is this your workplace?" asked he, about to sit down on the driver's seat—

"Ahhh, yeah, yeah—" rushed I to him right away, "—it was my workplace"

He looked at my trying to push him away from my bike and only smirked, saying, "Don't waste your energy on such a silliness, Ree... But anyway", stood he abruptly up and turned to me, "why was though?"

"Problems with the boss", said I and checked the driver's seat

"You don't trust your savior, Ree?" smirked he even wider with a sweet scorn in his voice

"I only don't want to lose the only thing that's mine", looked I angrily into his eyes with even my brows frowned

"You could just lose your life if it wasn't for me, youngster!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know you were that easily offended!"

"And I could imagine such a greedy guy could be that possessive", smiled he now with a kindly teasing smile

"I was starving, okay—!"
"I know, I know; don't waste your energy on such minor things: there're still a few kilometers until we reach a nearby town"

"We? I thought you were now about to say goodbye..."

'Well, I won't go anywhere until you get my bottle you've drunken back" 

"Are you serious?"

"No, of course not... I'll get it myself", said he stepping closer to the bike. "But I hope this time, you'll let me ride at least on the back seat"

I only smiled to this and shook my head slowly from side to side and helped him pack our things and said, "Sorry, I don't have a second helmet"

"We'll get one in the town, don't worry", smiled he wider and added, "and until then, I'll just hold on to you tight like this..."

"Hey, don't try popping me up!" screamed I nearly chokingly to that strangling hug of his

"Just kidding, sorry", playfully bent he his head to my shoulder so that I felt it there, heavy and disturbing, and turned my head to his face: he winked... But his sincere wide smile didn't make me feel uncomfortable at all—and he was the one who literally saved my life after all, so I felt comfortable and comforted with his arms now wrapping my torso, as a mother would wrap a basket with her baby—it was such a weird feeling I can't describe it, but it didn't much disturb me apart from its oddness... As if Goe was himself finding comfort in my mere presence, that he wasn't alone anymore... If he could, he would cry too, I'm sure: despite his sarcasm and sharpness, he is really gentle at heart... He seems to have gone through even more... And to be much, much older than me—or is it his life that was more intense and stressful than mine...?
Was he now going through the same process of thinking about me anyway? Or was he just thinking finally, two lost souls had met each other and it would be easier—much, much easier—and less lonely than before? Finally someone to help and to forgive... his past mistakes