Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

24 Hours to Storm Warning:

The Martian sky blazed with fiery oranges and purples, casting long, uneven shadows over the red landscape as dusk descended. The fading light created an eerie, otherworldly beauty, but Olivia barely registered it. She was focused on the delicate wiring in front of her, her gloved hands moving with precision, her body low to the ground as she crouched beside the equipment. Each twist of her wrist, every adjustment of the wires, felt calculated—purposeful.

Olivia could feel the weight of the Martian dust clinging to her suit, the fine grit seeping into every crease and fold, leaving her skin tingling beneath the material. The wind was starting to pick up, faint but noticeable, brushing loose strands of her auburn hair across her face. Despite the cold, her body felt warm, a mix of exertion and something else—something that stirred every time Mark Watney was close.

A dull thud sounded beside her. Mark tapped a wrench against the side of the equipment with a soft grunt, crouched opposite her. The shadows deepened around him as the Martian light faded, but she could still make out his expression, the slight furrow of frustration in his brow as he inspected the uncooperative machine.

"This thing's more stubborn than I am," Mark muttered, his voice tinged with irritation. He gave the equipment another half-hearted tap for good measure. "You sure we can't just duct tape it and call it a day?"

Olivia glanced up, arching an eyebrow in his direction, the corners of her mouth lifting in amusement. The wind tugged lightly at her hair again, tickling the back of her neck. His presence had that strange effect on her—it stirred something under the surface, something she wasn't used to feeling. Her pulse quickened slightly, though she masked it with a teasing smile.

"Duct tape fixes a lot of things, Mark," she said dryly, her voice steady despite the light flutter in her chest. "Doesn't fix everything."

Mark's lips spread into a wide grin, his teeth flashing in the low light. He reached into one of his tool pockets and dramatically held up a roll of duct tape like a prize, his expression exaggerated, playful.

"I'm willing to bet it could fix, like, 90% of problems in the universe," he said, adopting a mock-serious tone. "That's science."

A chuckle escaped her, soft but genuine. The sound of his voice, his lighthearted banter, always seemed to disarm her. She was so used to carrying the weight of responsibility—of being the calm, composed professional—but with Mark, everything felt easier. The tension she didn't even know she'd been holding onto seemed to release whenever they talked like this.

"And here I thought you were a botanist," she said, shaking her head as she adjusted the last piece of wiring. She could feel him watching her, his attention lingering longer than usual, but she focused on the task in front of her.

Mark leaned back on his heels, still holding the duct tape triumphantly in his hand. "Oh, I'm a man of many talents, Dr. Rhodes. Plants, duct tape... top-tier sarcasm. I'm a triple threat."

Olivia rolled her eyes, the smile on her lips deepening despite her best efforts to keep things professional. She wasn't sure what it was about him that made her react this way. Maybe it was the way he could make even the most mundane moments feel... light. Or maybe it was the undercurrent of attraction that hummed between them, a subtle spark she hadn't quite acknowledged fully until now.

"I'll admit," she said, a playful glint in her eyes as she looked up at him, "the sarcasm's growing on me. I might even miss it when this mission's over."

Her words were casual, almost thrown out in jest, but she felt a shift in the air as soon as they left her lips. Mark's grin faltered, just for a second. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but it was different. It was as though something unsaid passed between them, something that hovered in the space where their usual banter resided.