Opposites Attract

Reunited

She ran almost an hour, her calfs and lungs burning, the rising sun illuminated her path, and her heavy breathing mixed with the sound of her footsteps to become a steady rhythm, urging her forward, faster, faster, until her hair was flying behind her and her feet hardly touched the ground.

When she finally collapsed to the ground she was panting, dripping sweat and crying. She tried to force herself to her feet but she collapsed again, and finally, she allowed herself to rest her face against the cool dirt, struggling to catch her breath.

She stayed that way for another twenty minutes, before dragging herself to her feet and continuing. She found she couldn't run anymore, so she kept walking, one foot in front of the other. Her skin turned an angry red, but she refused to stop in the shade. She only stopped as the sun went down, feeling overheated and dirty. She started a fire, curling up at its side and closing her eyes.

---

She woke a few hours later to find her fire out. She dragged herself up again and kept walking, lighting a small flame in her hands to light the path. Her hair hung in her eyes, her hands hung limply at her sides. She'd done this same walk a month prior, but somehow now it seemed longer. She was walking a lot slower now, definitely, which added to the feeling that she was getting nowhere.

She managed a few more hours before her knees buckled, and she cursed her own weakness. Tears filled her eyes and spilled over, leaving her crying on the dirt path, mud smeared across her face. She cried herself to sleep.

---

When she woke up again it was to rough hands shaking her. She jerked away, her palms alight with flame, but it was only Jax.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came after you, dumbass."

"I'm not going back."

"I never said I was going to take you back. Get up."

She struggled to her feet, swaying a bit.

"Christ, you look like shit."

"And you wonder why you can't get a girlfriend."

He scowled and started walking, leaving her to stumble after him. They walked on for a few hours without taking breaks, until her legs were shaking and every step was a stumble.

"Can we- Can we take a break? Please?"

He turned to look at her, taking in her flushed cheeks and how she swayed on her feet.

"Alright. Sleep a bit, yeah?"

She half-collapsed, laying her head on her arms and falling asleep immediately.