Starlit Moon Children

The question makes her pause. “I don’t know,” she said at last, kicking a leg over his. “Maybe. Maybe not. There are a lot of worlds out there. Who’s to say we’re a constant? But I do like to imagine them. Mostly the happy ones.” She smiled. “Wanna hear them?”

“Yeah, of course I do. But first-” He held up a finger. “Pizza and snacks.” It was kind of alarming how much they indulged on rainy weekends, though neither of them seemed to gain much weight. Probably Tannis constantly training and Raleigh’s running around as an intern at the hospital “Wanna order in or head out? I’m good to drive in this weather.”

No way were they taking the subway.

Tannis smiled and stepped back into the shower. She listened to him undressing as she tilted her face into the spray. She could feel her body defrosting, flesh warming and the ice covering her bones melting away. 

“Help me with my hair?” She asked, lifting a shampoo bottle. Now that the strands were completely soaked, they fell to her waist in a sheet of red. Thankfully, the blood had already washed down the drain. 

“Raleigh…” She touched his wrist. “After this, can we…?” She’s not sure how to ask for what she wants. Hopefully, he understands and can take the words from her mind as they once could.

When the last of his clothing puddled to the floor, Raleigh padded over, stepping inside the deep, clawfoot tub behind her. Hard chest pressed against the woman’s back, nose buried against the fire red, wet strands of hair. “Shhh.” Fingers moved upward, scooping the locks into a mock ponytail at the base of her neck. 

“Only if you really want it.” He had to admit, he’d always been ready for her, but he’d always respected that she wasn’t. Whether she wasn’t interested or did not care for the act in general, he never felt the need to push or prod. Tannis feeling comfortable meant more to him than an orgasm. 

Besides, he had other ways of satisfying that himself.

Reaching for the ancient, half-empty bottle of flowery scented shampoo left behind by the deceased old woman, he began to squirt a relatively good amount on his palm before working on massaging it into her scalp. “It’s not the good stuff you’re used to. You’ll probably smell like a grandma when this is over, but there’s an abandoned house down the road that had a few girls living in it. I’ll get you something better from it tomorrow.”

“Spasibo,” she murmured, her oldest language slipping out. “I’ll go with you.” As if she would be far from him for awhile. No, it would be months before she strayed farther than a few yards from his side. 

She turned around once her hair was full of suds, resting her forehead on his chest as the water began to sluice away the shampoo. Carefully, she began to touch his sides, reacquainting herself with his body. Gently, she traced his scars, remembering how each came to be. When she found the small burn from a cookie pan, she smiled. 

“I said sorry a thousand times for this one,” she murmured.

Tannis turned the shower to hot and let her dirty clothes pool on the floor. Steam filled the room, invading her lungs and defrosting her icy cold insides. The hot water burned at her skin, not that she minded. Standing under the hot spray reminded her of the time she had stood under a glacier fall, the cold water soaking her hair, so cold it was nearly warm.

She looked up at the knock and carefully stepped out of the shower, listening to what he said. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the door. The crease between her brows was her patented “Raleigh, you’re an idiot” crease. With a sigh, she opened the door, never minding her soaking hair or the still running shower. 

“You’re an idiot,” she said to him. “I can’t believe you think I’m going anywhere.” She loved Raleigh but he was a certified moron at times. Even so, she loved him. “Come on.” 

She grabbed his hand and tugged him inside. 

“Help me wash?”

For a moment, he’d thought she was ignoring him. Then the shifting sound of water pounding on flesh to pounding against full porcelain came, followed by the padding of bare feet towards the door. The hesitation before opening the door wasn’t lost on the man, and relief eased the tension in tight shoulder muscles when he caught sight of the cream-colored, dewy face before him.

Teeth sank into lower lip, crystal blue gaze never straying from her own. It was an olive branch, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to grab it with both hands and pull it close. “Yeah. I think I can manage that.”

“Help me with my hair?” She asked, lifting a shampoo bottle. Now that the strands were completely soaked, they fell to her waist in a sheet of red. Thankfully, the blood had already washed down the drain. 

“Raleigh...” She touched his wrist. “After this, can we...?” She’s not sure how to ask for what she wants. Hopefully, he understands and can take the words from her mind as they once could.

“Nah. Suppose I wouldn’t be either.” Sliding further along the couch, eyes glanced up at the ceiling. “Guess everyone wishes things in their lives had gone in a different direction, I mean fuck, I wouldn’t wish the shit we went through on anyone, but at the same time, it gives us character.” A pause. “Do you think we’d even have met if we had better lives?”

Cont from x with @becausethxnight

Tannis stayed silent, watching him work until he finished. She stared at the gauze, at how it sliced across old wounds, some her oldest. Wounds she had treasured in a way, for the memories they had held in them. And now one that she had gotten for doing something she had never done before. 

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Tannis was cold. Cold like the tundras of her homeland. 

She moved her fingers over the gauze, delicately probing the wound beneath. 

“I’m going to go shower,” she finally said. She stood up and kissed his forehead, leaving his question unanswered. It was better that way. 

Her hair hid blood so well. And watching it swirl down the drain had never been so satisfying before.

Everything left unsaid, words lost in the confusion of this thing they called ‘living’. Silence weighed heavy, and the woman was gone before he could so much as bat an eye.

Pellets of water slapped against porcelain, the only sound aside from the ticking of an ancient grandfather lock left by the farmhouses formers owners. A lovely old couple (going by the photo albums) who were killed in their own basement by looters. Judging by the strong order, their bodies had gone unnoticed weeks before Raleigh had discovered the unkempt home. Out of the graciousness of his own heart, and to save his stomach, he’d buried the bodies in the backyard, next to an empty and ransacked horse shed, opened every single window in the place to air it out, then took full advantage of the canned foods in the cellar. Along with every other commodity the house had to offer. 

He’d been living in the ‘death house’ for nearly a month before he’d come across Tannis. It was a face he’d never thought he’d see in the flesh again.

After a moment’s worth of hesitation, Becket pushed up from the single armchair, booted souls clomping loudly in the cozy, picture covered hallway, and stopped in front of the bathroom door. Shoulder leaning against doorframe, knuckles hesitating before decided against rapping on the closed door. 

She looked up at the knock and carefully stepped out of the shower, listening to what he said. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the door. The crease between her brows was her patented “Raleigh, you’re an idiot” crease. With a sigh, she opened the door, never minding her soaking hair or the still running shower. 

“You’re an idiot,” she said to him. “I can’t believe you think I’m going anywhere.” She loved Raleigh but he was a certified moron at times. Even so, she loved him. “Come on.” 

She grabbed his hand and tugged him inside. 

“Help me wash?”

soft pale icons

Raleigh set the drink down in front of her, plopping into the seat across from the woman with his own. “Don’t think anyone asks for anything when they’re born. We get what we’re given” He commented, throwing back a hefty swallow of gin and coke. “But you wouldn’t be the Tannis I loved if you were any different.  Would you?”

“rise and shine, honey.” 

“some warm milk should do the trick.” 

“shh, it was a dream. you’re safe. everything’s okay.” 

“i think you need a nap. you’ve had a long day.”   

“why don’t we try a lullaby?”

“i’ll carry you.”  

“can you carry me?”

“don’t forget your stuffed animal.” 

“come lay on my lap and get some rest.”

“ah, ah, ah. medicine and then it’s back to bed for you.”

“will you tuck me in?” 

“did you want me to tuck you in?”

“someone slept in late today.” 

“that was a big yawn.”  

“sweet dreams, honey.”

“what if i have another bad dream?”

“wake up, sunshine. i’ve got a nice breakfast waiting for you.”  

“why does the milk have to be warm?”

“can’t i stay up a little later tonight?”

“tell me a story.”  

“good morning, honey.”