Reunion - chapter 3
CHAPTER 3 - 12.00am
At the stroke of twelve the world surrounding Rex shuddered to a halt, its colours bleached by the large moon rising above the horizon. Melissa's taste became stronger, the bond between them strengthened by the lack of other minds. Rex closed his eyes and concentrated.
Melissa?
There was no reply. Disappointment hit him solidly in the chest. There had always been this possibility. That Melissa was close enough to feel but not to talk to. Rex snarled, his eyes flashing violet in the blue glow. Had it all been for nothing? The memories that had resurfaced, the pain that it had brought him, had he suffered through all of that just for a fleeting taste of Melissa's mind?
His nails bit into the palm of his hands leaving red crescents in their wake. He had been sure that Melissa was close. Even though he had no evidence, something had been telling him that she was here. Almost within his reach. Rex ignored these thoughts. With the knowledge that Melissa wasn't here with him and was probably not going to be with him for a long time yet, the fact that his mind was teasing him with thoughts that she was coming home was too much to bear.
Rex stooped and picked up scattered papers from his bedroom floor. If he kept busy then it might not hurt so much. The one thing Rex knew for certain was that this was going to be one long hour.
OOO
Melissa had parked her car a couple of minutes before midnight, not wanting a repeat of what had happened two years ago. The pale scar still cut across her face, a constant reminder of her frantic drive to save Rex. The street had been empty as she started to walk towards Rex's house. The sluggish minds of late night TV watchers and dreamers washed over her, then suddenly, everything stopped.
Melissa?
She heard Rex call out to her tentatively, excitement and hope laced his mind. All she wanted to do was to answer him, to yell out that she was here and was coming but she restrained herself. This was going to be a surprise, let him think that she wasn't close enough, he would find out soon enough anyway.
Melissa felt the disappointment that hit Rex echo across the blue time. Feeling slightly guilty she sped up, breaking into a run.
As she rounded the corner into Rex's street her eyes immediately found his house. She slowed down, jogging the last few metres before stopping completely.
Hey loverboy.
Melissa felt Rex stiffen inside. She could taste his disbelief and astonishment clearly, so much so that she almost giggled out loud. His reaction was better than she had thought it would be. Seven seconds later the front door crashed open and Rex stood there, dumbstruck.
OOO
Rex stood in the doorway, gazing down at Melissa who was standing in his front yard, the scene almost exactly the same as ten years ago. He blinked a few times, just to make sure that this wasn't some sort of weird hallucination. But no, she was still there, looking like she was about to burst into laughter.
"Where's the pyjama's, cowgirl?"
Melissa's teeth flashed as she grinned.
"You want me in pyjamas?"
Rex could feel the grin spread across his face. Some small part of his seer's mind was telling him that it was undignified for him to act like a giddy school girl but he ignored it. A moment later the spell was broken and they both collided, hugging each other tightly.
Rex's hands tangled themselves in Melissa's hair, crushing her body to him. He could feel her arms snake around his waist and the press of her forehead in the curve of his shoulder. He hadn't realised that he had grown so tall up until now. Her hair tickled his nose and he could faintly pick out the fruity shampoo she used. He smiled.
"You've got hair."
She lent backwards slightly then and rubbed her fingers though his short hair.
"And you don't…still."
Rex's smiled disappeared for a moment.
"I missed you."
"So did I."
OOO
Melissa let her fingers trail the shape of his jaw, telling him how much she had missed him in the past two years through that light touch. Rex hadn't shaved in a few days and stubble darkened his face, tickling her fingertips. She felt his hands tighten, gripping her hair more securely as he made a small noise in the back of his throat. She grinned to herself at the knowledge that she was the only one that could make Rex make noises like that.
"Where are Jessica and Jonathan?"
"They stayed behind. Jessica said that she needed to talk to Jonathan privately."
She didn't need to add that she would probably find out whatever it was that they needed to discuss when she went back. No offence to Jonathan but he wasn't very good at guarding his mind, especially when it was about Jessica. Melissa could normally read exactly what they were thinking, over the months she had learnt to block their thoughts; sometimes it was nice to have privacy. Melissa frowned as she picked up another scent in the blue time.
"Which reminds me…"
She didn't get any further as she was cut off by Rex crushing his lips to hers.
OOO
Rex didn't have to be a mindcaster to taste the surprise in Melissa as he cut her off mid sentence. She had stiffened slightly at his sudden advancement but relaxed almost immediately into him, kissing him back.
Rex opened his mouth and allowed his tongue to trace Melissa lips. She opened her mouth, allowing him access and he slipped into the dark cavern of her mouth, he felt her shudder at his intrusion and he swallowed a small moan as her hands tightened on his waist. She tasted just as sweet as he remembered and pulled her closer, trying to devour what she gave him.
Melissa started to trace small circles with her thumbs on his hips. This time he couldn't bite back the moan and he blushed slightly. If Melissa tasted his embarrassment then she didn't show it, she seemed almost encouraged by his outburst and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her whole body to his, never breaking the kiss.
Rex let all his anxieties flow out of him into her. Melissa took everything he had to give and still went back for more. In the end his mind was blank and Rex just enjoyed the feeling of Melissa's body pressed against him and her soft lips against his.
She moaned into him as he traced the underside of her tongue and Rex felt the darkling in him rouse at the sound. It took over his body swiftly, demanding dominance.
He pulled away from Melissa quickly, blushing harder as he realised that they were both panting and flushed.
OOO
Melissa stood, her body still pressed against his with a slightly dazed expression on her face. She glanced at his face, sub-consciously registering the emotion that passed through his eyes before his embarrassment set in.
She couldn't be sure but she had thought that she had tasted darkling in the moments before he had pulled away from her.
"Wow…" she whispered "I missed that."
Rex cleared his throat and glanced up at the sky. Melissa followed his gaze and saw that the moon had almost set; they had perhaps ten minutes left of their secret hour.
"Well…" she started "I should go soon if I'm going to get back to camp in time to make any progress tomorrow."
"…n't go…"
Melissa frowned.
"What?"
Rex tore his eyes from the moon and stared at her.
"Don't go."
"But Rex…that would mean Jonathan would be alone all day. I couldn't do that, I have to go back."
Rex felt jealously run through him; shuddering when his darkling half seemed to agree with his thoughts that Jonathan could go and disappear somewhere.
"He's got supplies right?" Rex spat out. "He'll be fine for a day on his own. I haven't seen you in two years; I want more than an hour with you."
Melissa paused.
"I guess he'd be okay…" she said hesitantly.
Rex grinned and pulled her up towards the house, trying to get her indoors before the blue time ended or before his restraint snapped and his darkling half slung her over his shoulders and carried her indoors.
"What about your Dad?"
"I slipped him some extra pills. He's going to be out until noon tomorrow at the earliest."
Rex could feel Melissa's disapproval but she let him pull her through into the house. He smiled as the world stuttered back to life.
"We won't be disturbed."