Moonrise ✔ [Complete]

44 Chocolate (Part 1)

Maeyune woke feeling worse than when she'd fallen asleep. Her mouth was parched, her stomach a rumbling fiend, and there were knots the size of her fist in her back. Her black hair lay strewn across her face, and she saw flakes of dirt collected in their strands.

To her further discomfort, she had developed a cold sweat while she'd slept. The synthetic fabric of her battlesuit's jacket and pants stuck to her in an uncomfortable, second skin.

There was a slight sting in her left cheek. When she ran her fingers across it, she realized she'd slept with her head in hand and her moon bracelet pressed against her face. The energy-less, silver cuff had left behind a shallow imprint.

That was when she felt the heavy layer of grime on her skin. She cringed. A hot bath would have been nice at the moment--or water in general. Yes, she needed water.

After haphazardly inspecting herself, she scanned her surroundings. Darkness had not yet relented its hold. It was still night; she hadn't slept long.

There was no more light illuminating their small space. Reo had put out the fire. The bulbs they had collected from the mother ships were empty shells, and when Maeyune touched them, their cold surfaces told her they had been dead a long time.

But despite the lack of light, the area was still warm.

Maeyune glanced up and saw the translucent dome standing over her--around her. Its surface eddied with gold and emerald hues. A few feet from her lay a dark figure who shared the same space underneath the heat dome. Reo had moved closer to her--to minimize the shield's coverage, she presumed.

He lay on his back, with one hand underneath his head and the other on his stomach. His knee was up, and he appeared as if he were merely basking in the night.

The sight of the sun warrior brought back the memory of their argument, and for a hopeful second, she thought it had all been a dream. When a minute passed by and she realized it hadn't been a dream, a scorching flush of embarrassment spread across her face.

He knew now. He knew that she had feelings for him. Even if she had never declared it aloud, she had said enough--had reacted enough--for him to piece it together.

And yet, he had given no indication of wanting to return those feelings. He had appeared uncomfortable, if anything.

Now, they were forced to remain in each other's company until they reached the base. Could her luck take anymore of a turn for the worst?

She remembered the words that had flown between them. They hadn't been insults, but rather truths that had revealed the extent of their differences.

He doesn't trust me. After all that we have already been through.

The thought pained her.

Obligated allies--that was what they were to each other. She wasn't even certain she could call them friends at this point. Perhaps the only reason they hadn't destroyed each other yet was because of the preexisting relationship between them--the natural bond between Shivra and Yunra.