Lunaticus

13

The feast got postponed. Apparently, the village didn't have the required rations either. We ended up having the usual lentil soup and garlic bread. 

  It was past midnight by the time I found myself dragging my corpse-like body to bed.

The shower was the last thing on my mind, but I reeked too much to avoid it.

When I arrived, the room was empty, the twin bed vacant. I shared my room with another female, but since she had been assigned to patrol duty, we only saw each other in passing, either when I was waking up and she was sleeping in, or when I was going to bed and she was going for duty.

I didn't mind being alone. It was so much better to break down or stare at the ceiling in person than with someone snoring just two feet from you.

But the loneliness did bother me. At times, when the night got too quiet and my thoughts too loud, I wished there was someone to talk to. A distraction, a support.

The steam of the shower unknotted my muscles. A long day indeed. I let the water wash away the grime, and the soap lather the dirt. Always without looking down. Always avoiding the sight that lay beyond my chest.

No amount of scrubbing could ever wipe the stains of my past.

Deep breaths, I reminded myself. I'll try to sleep tonight. I will sleep tonight. I need to. I have to be okay. Loads of stuff to do tomorrow.

I changed into my threadbare shirt and pajamas and went over to the sink to brush. As I did, I wiped the steam off the mirror, coming face to face with the tired existence that was me.

The dark circles had become a permanent fixture; I no longer dread them. Nor the sallow cheeks and sunken eyes and the all too prominent veins on my face.

I wonder if Lyell ever looked at me and had second thoughts.

I spit into the sink and gurgled. The pills that the captain had given me sat untouched on the counter.

I breathed in deeply and turned around. Not today demons! The exhaustion would be enough to make collapse today surely. Hopefully.

It was like this every night. And yet almost every night I stayed awake, despite the pep talks.

With the towel to my face, I made my way to the bed and sat at the edge, yawning. I wonder if he was asleep by now. What his bed looked like. Did he snore? He didn't look the type. Did he sleep with his shirt on? With anything on?

I clapped my cheeks with my fingers. "You need to be baptized under the moon girl." With a groan I fell back, letting my arms open wide.

"Who put a pillow in here?" As I went to remove the bulky object hitching my hand up to the right, I realized something.

A, that was definitely not a pillow.

B, the holy goddess I had almost worn a towel to bed.

"Hey."

"Aa-mph," He clamped his hand over my mouth. He crawled down until his eyes were to my level.

"Are you done talking to yourself?" His silver eyes shone with mirth, "And screaming?"

"Lemme go-" I bit his finger and he yelped, waving his hand frantically in the air.

"Lyell? What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"Ow!" He put his ring finger in his mouth, "You bit me!"

"And you entered my room without my- how did you even do that."

"By climbing the ladder," He mumbled through the finger still in his mouth.

"What ladder?!"

"Um, what do you think I was making when I wasn't making tables and stuff?" He shrugged his free shoulder. "Why do you think I took up the job of the carpenter when I could have just asked to be your apprentice?"

He nodded slowly when I didn't answer. "Because, I thought I would get to spend more time with you here, than in there." He poked my nose playfully, "Without everyone watching."

I fell back, crossing my hands over my chest protectively. Calm tf down heart. It doesn't matter if the only thing on my chest right now is my shirt. "This is a violation of my privacy. I don't like it." That too riddled with holes.

"You don't?" He snorted. I didn't answer, ignoring him, staring holes through the ceiling. A handful of seconds passed. Than-

"You're telling me-" With one quick movement he was on top of me, gathering both my hands in his and caging them above my hand. He was so close. I was suddenly very much evidently laboriously breathing.

"That you don't like me?"

He kissed me then, pressing his body toe to toe with mine, fitting every hollow and every crevice perfectly. Warmth flooded through my body, in places I had never felt it before. His tongue pried through my teeth, moving in symphony with mine.

I moaned.

He pulled back, breathing just as heavily as me. Silver hair fringed his forehead, crowning his dark eyebrows. His pupils were dilated, almost as dazed as mine.

And then just as quickly, as if it hadn't affected him at all, he rolled back. Propping up on one elbow, he raised one eyebrow critically, "As you say," He said in a sultry voice. "I guess I should be going then. Good night."

"Oh don't you dare mister," I leaped onto him, straddling his chest. "You won't be getting away that easy now that you've stolen my sleep."

"I've stolen your sleep?" He laughed haughtily. I felt butterflies flutter in my bellow when he placed his hands on my thighs.

"That, and a lot of other things." I placed my lips back onto his. 

***

Guess the shower's not the only place that's steaming here. ;)