man destroys god || i. malcolm

7

Aria couldn't lay down on her back without irritating her injury, so her only option was to lay on her side on the ground. Once she drifted off, she was clearly uncomfortable, squirming around and inhaling sharply at the pain her injuries caused, even in her sleep.

Ian moved her gently and laid her so that her head leaned on his chest. Her discomfort disappeared quickly.

Ian considered himself a respectful man. But with his height, the angle that Aria slept, and the fit of her tank top, he struggled just the smallest bit with keeping his mind from wandering.

Aria stirred, then woke up with a start. Clearly both of them were having trouble sleeping after the attack. She moved around for a second to gather her surroundings and remember where she was, before turning to see what man she was resting on.

Her expression turned from surprised, to embarrassed, to annoyed. "Of course." She muttered. She moved to get up but saw the slightest change in Ian's expression. "It's your leg, isn't it?"

He shook his head, but he wasn't convincing.

Aria shifted back to face him and examine his injury. She leaned over his leg to adjust the tourniquet. "You need real help, we have to get to the visitor center." She looked up at him, then sat back on her legs. "You can't seriously be checking me out right now." She grabbed his chin and pushed his face away.

"Would it be so bad if I was? I've seen you sneaking looks at me." Ian grinned. Aria couldn't deny that. She was guilty of admiring the man just as much as he looked at her. She did not reply, simply reaching to her neck to scratch it, then remembering her injury and grimacing at the movement of her arms.

She sighed in frustration and laid back down on the ground — determined not to end up on top of her companion again. She needed more sleep if they were to make for the visitor center at first light. She heard Ian huff, then move around to get comfortable for resting. They'd given up on the whole 'keeping watch' thing. Both of them needed to sleep, and sleep they would.

Aria was asleep before she heard Ian's breathing even out.

Aria moved towards the warmth encasing her. Sure, Costa Rica was hot, but the night had cooled down and according to the pale purple of the sky, the sun was hardly beginning to rise.

Now back to the warmth behind her. She tried to turn around, but realized that she couldn't move. She was tightly trapped by an arm. A tanned arm, clad in a rolled-up black sleeve. Aria let out a groan of frustration. Why did everything bad have to happen to her?

Aria's first attempt to get up failed due to sleeping-Ian's disinterest in letting her go. He pulled her closer to him. She tried her very best not to rub up against him, but her best wasn't very good. They were too close for her to avoid it. As soon as she felt the contact, she removed his arm swiftly and stood up, however much it hurt.

The harsh movement didn't wake Ian in the slightest. Aria kicked him. Nothing. She squatted down next to him and grabbed his head. "Get up, Malcolm." She lightly slapped his face a few times without result. She hit him harder, and his eyes finally fluttered open.

One of his hands immediately found her own face, the other snaking around her waist. "This is a rather nice way to wake up." His eyes flickered down to her lips.

Aria quickly let go of his head and backed away. "Get up, Sleeping Beauty. We're going for a walk."

Ian groaned childishly. "I can't walk, Aria."

"I'll help you. I'll carry you if I must, but we need to get to safety."

Ian resigned, and Aria helped him up onto his feet. Well, foot. The other foot couldn't handle any amount of weight. He slung an arm over her shoulder and she grabbed it to keep his weight steady on her shoulders. She put her other arm on his back. They made their way towards where they thought the visitor center was, but made it about fifty feet before neither of them could take the strain on their injuries.

Aria found a rock and sat them both down on it. "So this won't be as easy as expected." She muttered.

"No shit." Ian muttered.

Aria closed her eyes to banish the black spots engulfing her vision. She squeezed them shut, wishing that she could stay in that dark forever. She was clearly headed towards it, because she started feeling woozy. She was going to pass out.

Ian shook her by the shoulders. "Aria, stay with me. No, wake up. No no no." He hit her on the face a few times, just as she had early that morning.

"We have to stop meeting like this," Aria grinned. "Such proximity can't be good for self-control."

"What could you be implying, Miss Mayfield?" Ian mirrored her own expression. "What's challenging your self-control?"

Aria smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. Definitely not woozy or confused. She ignored his question, answering indirectly. "Dr. Malcolm, I fear we've come across an interesting situation here."

Aria couldn't believe her own words. She'd met this man a day ago and here she was... well, she wasn't really sure what she was doing. It wasn't like she hadn't had any one-night stands, or gone home with anyone from a club or bar. But this was hardly the appropriate time nor place to be confessing attraction to an older man she'd known for approximately 19 hours.

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gah!?