The Elemented

A Long Journey

P.O.V: Iris

When I woke up, a sudden pain shot up my leg, causing me to gasp. Ajax wraps his arms around me and pulls me towards him.

"Just don't move. It will subside." He whispers, his voice barely audible in my ear.

I realized what I had done and I'm a complete idiot. The pain does lessen and I am able to move. I had forgotten I had a bullet hole in my left leg that still had a bruise. My eyes finally cleared the clouds of sleep from my vision. We sat up and I pulled my dirty, unwashed hair into a ponytail. I looked over at him and saw that his hair was askew. I smirked and he gave me a confused and innocent look that I've never seen on his face before. Is there anyway to be more attracted to him? If so, then it just happened.

"What?" He asked, his voice still a little sluggish from sleep.

"Well, your hair is kinda all over the place."

He runs his fingers through his blonde and brownish hair and gets it mostly smoothed over. That is until I ruffle his hair. He gives me a slightly annoyed look and I just giggle.

"Come on sleepy head." I say.

He rolls his eyes at me and starts to get up and put his bedding in a pile near the door where everyone else has already started. He strolls back over and picks up my bag, throwing it over his shoulder. Just then, Emmett walks over to me.

He glares at Ajax before looking at me and asking, "Will you be able to keep walking?"

I nodded and pain spread across my head and I grimace.

"Are you sure, Iris?" He asks, concern steadily creeping into his voice.

"If I can't make it, Ajax has offered to carry me the whole way there." I joke and Ajax stifles a laugh.

Emmett glances between me and Ajax, making it sure as hell clear he don't like him. I'm sure the feeling is mutual because they always seem to be locked in a staring contest, just glaring at each other.

"As long as you are able to get to the base and be treated, it doesn't really matter how you get there." Clearly it does. He gives Ajax another cold glare then stalks off.

"He reeeeeally fucking hates me." Ajax says.

I just nod in agreement. I reach a hand out to him and he helps me stand. My knee buckles just a bit, but Ajax catches me. He's caught me from falling on my ass how many times now? 3? 4?

"It's only been 2 times. I think." He says, being the mind reader and everything.

We all set out into the heat. The sun wasn't even up yet. I turn my gaze to it as it rises into the sky, painting it in pastel colors. I couldn't help but smile. Ajax looked at me as if I was crazy.

"What are you smiling about, Flame girl?"

"I used to sit on the porch of my house and watch the sun rise and set every day. My parents would sit with me and watch my little face light up at the beautiful sky that showed various colors fading into one another." I sigh, remembering the distant memory.

He just looks at me and I can tell that he's trying to imagine me as a small girl with my parents sitting next to me. I looked back at the rising sun and tried to sear the image into my brain. Who knew when the next time would be that I would see something this beautiful?

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After about six hours of limping, my leg became too much to handle. Emmett finally called for a break and I sat down gratefully. Ajax sat down next to me, observing the children walking around and talking excitedly. I nudge him with my elbow and he looks at me.