Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 23

Mark stood near the airlock, fully suited up and ready to leave. The helmet sat cradled in his hands, the visor catching the dim light of the Hab as he shifted his grip. He looked like a man made for the vastness beyond the walls, yet at that moment, the suit only served as a reminder of the dangers waiting outside. The air inside the Hab felt heavy, laden with unsaid words and mounting anticipation, thick enough to feel in every breath. Olivia leaned against the worktable, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, as if bracing herself for the emptiness that would follow once he stepped through the airlock.

"I'll be back in about a month," Mark said, his voice steady despite the weight of the moment. His eyes flicked to hers, searching for reassurance. "Two weeks to get there, two weeks to get back."

She nodded, but the simple motion did nothing to loosen the knot tightening in her chest. He had gone over the plan meticulously, walking her through every step, every contingency, until it was burned into her memory. It was logical—necessary, even—but the thought of him being out there, completely alone for that long, twisted something deep inside her. Her leg still wasn't fully healed, and the guilt of not being able to accompany him gnawed at her constantly. She had always been someone who took action, who refused to sit on the sidelines, but now... now, all she could do was wait.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Olivia asked, her voice betraying the turmoil beneath the surface. It came out softer than she'd intended, edged with a quiet fear she couldn't entirely suppress. The overwhelming urge to ask him to stay, to delay his departure for just a little longer, tugged at her heart.

Mark's lips curled into a small, reassuring smile, though the intensity in his eyes remained. "Yeah, Liv. I've got everything I need. The Rover's in top shape, I've triple-checked the oxygen levels and rations—we're good."

Olivia exhaled sharply, her arms tightening across her chest as she tried to hold herself together. The ache in her leg pulsed with each beat of her heart, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the knot of anxiety coiling tighter and tighter in her gut. "I don't like the idea of you being out there... alone," she admitted, her voice breaking slightly as the fear she'd been holding in began to creep through her defenses. "What if something goes wrong?"

Mark's expression softened, his blue eyes filled with a tenderness she had come to depend on. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and cupped her cheek with one gloved hand, his thumb brushing gently across her skin. His touch was warm and solid, grounding her in the here and now.

"Hey," he said, his voice low and full of quiet conviction. "I'll be careful. I'm coming back."

Olivia leaned into his hand, her eyes closing for a moment as she soaked in the comforting warmth of his touch. She wanted to believe him—needed to believe him—but the uncertainty of Mars was a constant, looming threat. She opened her eyes, meeting his steady gaze, and nodded. "You better be," she whispered, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to hold it together. "I'm holding you to that."

For a long moment, they simply stood there, the world narrowing to just the two of them in the quiet space. His thumb continued its slow, reassuring stroke along her cheek, and she found herself clinging to the strength in his eyes. It was as if all the words they hadn't said were floating in the air between them, the weight of what was unsaid almost too much to bear.

Then, without warning, Mark leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a kiss that was soft at first—gentle, tentative—but quickly deepened into something more. Olivia's heart skipped a beat, her hands instinctively reaching up to grasp the front of his suit, holding him close as if letting him go now would mean losing him forever. The kiss was full of everything they hadn't said—hope, fear, longing—and for a moment, nothing else existed outside of the warmth of his lips on hers and the feel of his hand cradling her head.