Descent

Chapter 16

Thomas Rush knew not what else to do except interlace his fingers with Mai's as his hips moved against her. Time was a construct at this moment, having lost sight of it once again as they awoke from their earlier tryst. They had begun to lazily grasp at one another, exchanging soft, chaste kisses compared to their earlier, ravenous hungerings. Mai's fingers were plunged into the mattress as he worked behind her, entering her nice and slow. His face was buried into her nape, listening to her soft gasps like it was the sweetest music he had ever heard. Having her engulfed around him was a euphoric experience he could never begin to describe or form into coherent words.

They knew time was of the essence, but who was to say when they'd have another moment like this again. Fate had brought them together again and he wanted to cherish it for as long as he could muster. When they finished, he laid atop her, pecking her neck with sensual kisses, his body still eager to go another round. Mai however looked distant, her mind elsewhere. Rush paused wondering if he had done something to upset her.

"Was it that bad?" He jested, trying to gauge her thoughts.

She snapped to attention as she adjusted herself to face him, looking apologetic. She said nothing at first, instead, choosing to brush her fingers along his stache.

"No. No. It was..." she sighed with a smile, "Absolutely amazing."

Thomas moved himself, allowing her to lay on her back as he looked down at her. She traced his bicep with the tips of her fingers, moving up as the traced the wings of his eagle tattoo.

"I was just thinking about what comes after we get Malik and Roger."

He could hear the lack of confidence and sadness in her voice. He had an inkling of an idea about what she was referring to but he wanted the words to come from her mouth.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"What I mean is that I'm in love with you." she spoke hoarsely, like every word she spoke caused her physical pain, "But we can't be together."

Rush was left speechless as she began to dress herself, her back now turned to him. After everything they had been through. After the love they had just shared, there was no way she could just walk away from that with such ease.

"That's not true." he countered, "You are everything I've ever wanted. Everything that I love."

She was unmoved by his words as she stood up from the bed. Mai had begun to move quickly, purposely avoiding his eyes. She began gathering her things and various supplies like a whirlwind, leaving him scrambling to get dressed. By the time he slipped on his shirt she was already heading out into the main area. He rushed to put on the rest of his clothing, trotting after her. She was a few stores ahead of him, dipping into what appeared to be an electronics store. He followed her, continuously calling her by name. He was desperate to change her mind. Desperate to let her know that he knew this life was unconventional but it didn't matter. He could no longer deny that wherever she went, he wanted to be right beside her, always.

He entered the store, seeing her fiddle with what appeared to be an old HAM radio. The fact that these were still in production at the times the bombs dropped was a miracle in of itself. She worked around the wires, connecting it to some portable generator she had seized from elsewhere within the shop.

"Mai." Thomas called, seeing that she was still avidly ignoring him.

"Mai." his voice grew louder, giving her reason to pause.

She slowly turned to him, looking as though she were in trouble. He knew not what else to say except to tell her how much he loved her. How she had changed his life entirely and how glad he was to have her in his life. He should have. He wished he did.