Under The Tent Top (COMPLETED)

Fourty

MY breath caught within my throat.

Marius' gaze stayed low, almost vulnerable. His fingers traced my knuckles. His breathing quickened.

My heart trembled, unaware of the foreign words that spilled from the man's lips.

I had been loved by my friends.

I had never been loved my someone like Marius.

My eyes squinted as I cupped his face.

He carefully glanced up at me.

"What's it like?" I whispered almost naively.

He licked his lips. "It's strengthening. It's a great warmth that keeps you comforted. You thrill and scare me all at once. Yet, it keeps me near you."

His voice softened as he spoke. As if he was afraid he'd say too much...but hesitant to stop speaking.

My chest felt tight. My breath shallow. I could barely breathe. Death seemed to consume my insides. My stomach knotted. Warmth enclosed me. But my lips quivered into a smile.

I reached for his arm. He watched as I traced the dips and creases of his skin. I placed his hand on my cheek and kissed his palm.

The night covered us. The dry earth lay under us. We were lost. We were without a home. We we could be dead by morning. But for a moment, the air around me felt warm. I envisioned laughter in busy streets around us. Water trickled from fountains in the park. Families passed as others danced to music played by a street band. The world was as colourful as the tattered photos I'd find in abandoned buildings. People were free and alive, while Marius and I were just a small part of that world.

I gazed up at him, imagining soft street lights highlighting the streaks of blue in his eyes. "I love you."

He kissed me tenderly as his arms tightened around my waist.

When we pulled apart, I took a deep breath. The cool air filled my lungs as my eyes adjusted. The street lights vanished. The fountains disappeared, along with the grass and people.

I sighed, sinking my face into Marius' neck - soon the music in my head vanished too.

~*~

"Wake up, someone's here." Marius whispered.

As I blinked, I spotted a figure in the distance and then another and another. They approached cautiously, their hands up in the air.

"Poppy?" The figure called out.

It didn't take long before we realized the figures were women from Odin's house. Poppy reached for them and placed the ladies beside her.

Short introductions were completed and soon it was Manuel's turn to take watch.

Poppy reached for my hand. The young girl's voice was quiet, yet hits of fear fell through. "I think we need to move before dawn."

"What about the others?"

"The dark is the only window of time we have. They know that." Her voice was heavy. Mournful.

"Okay, a few more hours. Then we'll go."

Two more ladies appeared from the darkness during Manuel's watch. Before long the orange sun had peaked from the horizon.

Poppy glanced one last time at the building in the distance. A final goodbye to those inside - and then we turned away.

Poppy led us west, towards the edge of town where beaten vehicles and war machines had been sent. We carefully weaved our way between early risers and town limit patrollers.