The way back to the camp wasn't in complete silence. Although their situation wasn't ideal, they tried to make small talk so it wouldn't be more awkward than it already was.
"So," Rick said in an unsure tone. His hand scratching the back of his neck.
Prim lifted an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "So?"
"You and birds... I guess it's a real thing, isn't it?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around them at the treetops, trying to spot some. "How does it work exactly?"
Prim sighed. Pondering how much she should tell him, trust him. Of course she knew she would have to talk about it one day, but was she ready to do so? She closed her eyes, wishing things could be simpler.
"How long until the helicopter gets here?" She asked Rick and watched as he took his hand out of his pocket to check the time.
"Around thirty-seven minutes. Why?"
"How long until we reach the camp?" She stopped walking and faced him. Her eyes searching his trying to find a reason not to tell him anything.
"Twenty, maybe twenty-five minutes. Is everything okay?" His brows furrowed in worry. His lips sealed, and she asked herself if to prevent more questions from spilling out of his mouth.
Prim ran her fingers through her hair, throwing the curls over her left shoulder. Her eyes followed the beetle making its way around the grass near her foot. Movement by her side caught her attention, and out of the corner of her eye, she watched Rick take a step in her direction to halt and take a step back. In his face a mixture of concern and turmoil.
She bit her bottom lip and lifted her eyes to look at him again. Her lips curved when a strand of hair hid his left eye, and she walked closer to him. Her fingers pushed the hair away and caressed his skin in the process. She noticed the slight hitch in his breathing, and her eyes fell to his parted lips.
"Everything is fine." She nudged his boot with her foot. "I just... I..." Getting all the courage she could, she walked to one of the many trees and leaned on its trunk with Rick following close behind her. "Can we stay here? For a moment, pretty please?" She watched the way he studied her face and nodded, giving her what she needed.
"Take your time. I'm sure Harley and Boomer wouldn't leave without us." He flashed her a comforting smile and sat beside her feet on the tree's root, leaving his gun lying on the ground beside him.
In silence they stayed. While Rick played with one of the leaves on the ground, Prim watched him with a tug at her heart.
"My mom." She took a deep breath before sitting by his side. Her hands rummaged the ground until she found a tiny seed to play with. "I can talk to birds because of my mom."
Rick remained silent, giving her time to express herself.
"I wouldn't say talk, talk. It's more like I can understand them, and they understand me?" She pulled her knees close to her chest.
"Some sort of mind-reading?" Rick tried to understand the new information.
Before answering, Prim chuckled, raising one hand with the seed in her palm and offering it to the sky. "No, I wouldn't say mind reading. I can hear them talking, just like I can hear you." She tilted her head in his direction and grinned when he looked confused.
"Like words? Sentences?" Rick asked. He followed her arm in the air with his eyes and stopped at her opened hand. From his right, he saw a bird fly and land on her palm, eating the seed without a care in the world. "It must be sad."
Prim frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Not hearing them sing." He pointed to the bluebird staring at him.
YOU ARE READING
Ipê Branco
FanfictionRick Flag already has a lot to worry about with the group of criminals at his command. But when an unknown woman named Prim volunteers to accompany them, Rick gets lost in his personal world. Despite the risks of his job and the fear of getting hurt...