The Book of Gemma -Apocalyptic Fantasy Romance-

CHAPTER 25: DEECON'S FIRST COMBAT

I awake to Djinn's head squishing against my temple. I crack open one eye to see barely any light coming through the door.
Sunrise.

I wrap the blanket around myself and climb onto Djinn's back.
"You wanna see the sunrise with me?" I croak with my morning voice.
Djinn slinks out of the cave with me bundled up on his back. I look around to see a couple people already prepping for breakfast but I see no sight of Gem.

I steer Djinn to the hole in the rock wall to see the sun come over the desert.
The dark orange rays glowing in the distance.
I hear a heartbeat skip above me, I look up at the tall rock formation that shelters the community.
Gem sits right on top, dangling her feet over the edge.

'I see you've been practicing with your levitation skills.' I say lowly.
She blushes.
'It's starting to become as easy as lifting a finger.... Like this.'

She lifts her hand and I feel the pull of it as she floats me up to her.
I'm gently sat on the rock next to her. Djinn looks up to us and back to the sunrise.

"Djinn?" She calls down. It swiftly looks up to her call.
"-Come back soon, the children want to meet you."

Djinn looks back to the desert but doesn't step forward, it circles around the sand and lays down. He doesn't want to leave her.

"I don't think it wants to leave you after you saved it." I told her.

She begins to chuckle under her breath, Darus how I've missed your laugh.
"Feels good that someone doesn't want to leave me given the chance." She replies with a little heavier meaning.
"Do you think I would leave you given the chance there wasn't a manhunt for me?"
She hangs her head, shaking it very slightly, "Don't take this the wrong way but sometimes I wonder if you would be happier meeting someone on Sky who could give you a more peaceful existence." She tries to crack a smile but fails, she hopes I don't.

I place my finger under her chin for her to meet my gaze, please show me those eyes full of life.
"I don't want a peaceful existence. I want you, Gem. I want every evil act and blinding light you give my life. I don't want to be just your friend... and I know you don't want that either. You want me just as much as I want you. I understand if you need time to trust me again after the horrible things I have done. I can wait as long as you need me to.. But you can't tell me I am just your friend. That's where I put my foot down, I know you are the one in charge when it comes to power but I will not stand for your denial of us together."

She leans back and bites her lower lip to hold back lashes at me.
I don't care, try to scare me off and I will still remain instead of fleeing.
"I cannot forgive myself if I put you in harm's way.."
She goes to continue but I pull her face away from the skyline and back to me,
"Send me to hell and I will still find a way to crawl back to you... Why do you deny your love for me?" I begin to have firmer words to break into her hard headedness.

"Because I-" She turns away from me, I can tell she is begging her body to let her cry. To feel the pain of words.

"-I am afraid when you die, the heartbreak will be too heavy to recover from. Your life is a blink of an eye compared to mine, who knows how many years my star has given you but I know it won't be eons like mine. Missing you is already so painful, even last night I sat up here alone. I kept thinking that one day it will be like that. Albi, Edna.. you. All of you will leave me one day."

I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to comfort her state.
"So you would rather distance yourself from me to not feel as much pain when I pass? You would rather sleep alone instead of in my arms at night? To feel nothing instead of everything life has to offer?"

Don't nod your head, whatever you do.. Don't agree with my statements.

"Wouldn't you?" She shakes.
"Fuck no, are you kidding me Gem?-"
She pulls her head off my shoulder and narrows her brows, confused at my outburst.

"-Do you love me? If you tell me right now that you don't have the slightest passion for me as I do for you.. I will drop this and hide on Lower by myself so you don't endure the pain of my passing... but if you tell me there is chance you could get out of your own fucking head and let yourself be vulnerable to the beauty and pain of love.. I will stay and hold onto the hope of you saying I love you back to me one day."
I don't care how harsh my words came out, my throat is raw from remembering all of our fights. This one is different though, I've never fought for her love this hard.