Renevere Mars: Part Three

Episode 31: Real Life

Ren wasn't sure what time it was, only that it was still dark in her apartment, night still filling her bedroom window. She remembered immediately what she and Duren had just done, because she was still completely naked, an unusual sleeping choice for her. But she couldn't feel his warmth behind her in her narrow, double bed from where she lay facing the wall. A creeping chill trickled down her spine and sunk like an anchor in her stomach.

He's gone, she thought. She considered falling back asleep to not find out until morning, but she probably couldn't, and better to face it now anyway. She felt along the bed behind her with her foot. She made it all the way across without any obstruction. He was gone.

Her eyes opened fully now, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest to observe the baren bed beside her. And then the bathroom door opened.

"Oh," she said, startling a little in surprise. He was just in his underwear, muscles relaxed and expression sleepy.

"Sorry I woke you," he muttered, moving for the bed.

"No, I- I thought you'd left," she said.

He hesitated, poised halfway onto the bed, hands propping him up against the matters. He faltered, though Ren didn't quite understand. "Right, I..." he leaned back to stand, one knee still perched on the edge of the bed. "I can go if you- I mean I should probably—"

"What? No," she said hastily. He froze in his retreat. She reached out and took his hand, pulling him back into bed with her. "I don't want you to leave." She laid back and pulled him to lay beside her. He peered down at her, propped up on his elbow above her while she rest on the pillow.

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

She nodded, blinking up at him. "I never want you to go... it's just that, you always do..."

His features hardened minutely. Ren felt a tiny fear flair up in her heart that the slate man was returning. Still his voice was gentle when he said, "Don't do that. You know why I was staying away before."

Ren searched his features. "And now?" She nearly held her breath. "Are things... different?"

At this he softened, averting his gaze towards the foot of the bed. "Ren," he said, gentler than he'd ever said anything. "You think after tonight I would..." His brow flexed. "I guess I've earned that." He met her gaze again. "I'm sorry. I'm not leaving. Not until you want me to."

Ren could nearly cry if she wasn't so warm and relaxed, half dazed with sleep. "Good," she sighed, and burrowed herself into him again as snuggly as physics would allow, once again inviting in sleep with the comforting promise that Duren would stay.

And he did.

When she next awoke, the sun was streaming through her apartment and Duren was still asleep beside her. His arm was thrown over his head and his features were so peaceful they were almost childlike. The motion of her stretching and rolling onto her side to face him, stirred him. His eyes blinked open, and it was in that moment that Ren realized why he looked so innocent. His eyepatch was resting on the nightstand beside him. His black eye now peered out from under the lid, onyx and shining like an oil slick. He caught her gazing at it and shut just his black eye as though reflexive.

Ren slid up higher to be a hair taller than him in bed and put her arm over him to brace herself, leaning over him now. She moved slowly now, watching for him to tense up or frown, any sign he wanted her off him, but there was none. He closed both his eyes as she leaned down to kiss his left eyelid as gentle as a butterfly. When she pulled up again both his eyes relaxed open. They looked at each other wordlessly. Ren placed her hand on the side of his face, fingers touching his hairline by his ear. She traveled slowly and carefully toward his eye, touching the skin just under his lower lid. He let her, eyes remaining open, trusting she would be gentle. She used her thumb to run along the bottom of his eyelid to wipe away any sleep sand and she peered into it's inky black depth.