If Atem Lived in my Head

Morning Stretch

I waft the smell of my morning tea towards me as I walk outside with a yoga mat. The morning air is still cool from the night but the sun is strong overhead.

"What are you doing?" Atem asks me.

"Stretching." I take a drink of my tea and set it beside my mat on the porch. I reach my hands toward the sky.

"Ah... you mean praising ra?" He asks.

"Not sure if this is how you praised Ra back in the day but today it is called Yoga and I just do the stretches." I explain "I don't do all the mediations."

"I see." he murmurs.
I fold myself forward and walk my hands and push myself into a cobra.

"You make it look easy." He smiles at me as I bring my leg up and settle into pigeon.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he looks concerned at the angle of my leg.

"Nah, it just looks weird" I pat the space beside me, go on, try it with me."

Atem looks a little hesitant. I smirk at him.

"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid of a little stretching." I joke with him.

"Of course not." He puffs his chest up. I am beginning to see how to get to him. He's a fairly level headed dude but he's got his pride too.

"Then come on." I challenge. He gives me a curt nod and mimics the first flow of my stretch. He winces a bit.

"Don't push too hard, you want a bit of strain not full-fledged pain." I instruct. He nods as he pulls back a bit.

"There you go." I can tell by the look on his face when he's pushing too hard. "now follow me." I push up and back and stretch my ham strings.

"This is enjoyable to you?" he asks me.

"It feels better once you do it everyday." I tell him.

"I see." He followed me as I switch legs and fold back into pigeon.

"Then I will have to do this every day." He winces when he pushes too hard but quickly re-adjusts. I like this. I like having someone to share these things with.

I go through the final few stretches and lay back on my matt, feeling the sun on my skin and listening to the birds in the air and Atem's breath beside me.

"Thank you." I sigh, unable to keep the smile off my face.

"For what?" he asks, I can hear the amusement in his voice.

"For doing this with me." I tell him "you could have just watched or gone back into the puzzle."

"Of course." He smiles at me "I enjoy doing things with you, you have interesting tasks."

"Hobbies." I supply.

"Hobbies." He amends.

I let a moment of silence pass. "it's nice not to be alone all of the time."

"I couldn't agree more." He's smiling at me gently, his knuckles brush against mine as he shifts positions and turns his face towards the sun.

I suppose he's been alone all this time too I think stealing a glance as he lays in the sun beside me.