From the Ashes

I walk down the hall in front of Roman, rounding the corner of the upper balcony on our way down onto the strip to go eat breakfast in the lower cabin. Roman gave me one of his zip-up hoodies to keep warm in, and I swim in the thing.

“We’ll have to keep our relationship on the quiet side,” Rome says as we climb down the spiral staircase. I glance back up at him before he continues. “I’m not sure how pleased my mother and family would be with us sleeping right across from each other, knowing we’re... romantically involved,” he laughs, “She thinks we’re nothing more than school partners. She trusts me.” I nod, tugging up the over-long sleeves of the dark grey hoodie.

“Makes sense,” I agree, turning toward him once we reach the front door. He reaches around my head to tug the hood up snuggly, before kissing me.

“It’s drizzling outside,” he chuckles into my lips. I wrinkle my nose at him.

“Thanks, Mom. Now I won’t catch a cold.” He snorts in amusement, and leads the way into the unseasonably chilly and dreary summer morning to go eat breakfast with the rest of the family.

Eggs and home fries are on the menu this morning, made by our usual cooks, Roman’s uncles. We find Sage and sit with him to eat, and he mentions the same thing Roman did about hanging out at Mazie’s camp with her and Bennen tonight. Rome confirms it.

We burn the dreary, chilly hours away in the lower cabin, down in the basement where the den and game room is. I sit curled up under a soft blanket on a couch, watching Roman and Sage play an intense game of air hockey. One of the little dogs is curled up in my lap, a grey pomeranian-maltese mix named Gizmo. We’ve been here for a few hours, and I figure it must be around noon as I lean my head back against the arm of the couch and close my eyes. I scratch Gizmo’s feather-soft ears as I listen to the loud, monotonous clacks from the table game, Roman and Sage both laughing and crying out periodically as they play. I give a silent grunt, not feeling like moving a single muscle in my body as I think about how amazingly comfortable this freakin’ couch is. Our late night must be catching up on me.

I guess I dozed off into a sound slumber, because the next thing I know, I start to wake up to the sound of relaxed conversation.

“-you weren’t in there when I got up this morning,” the sound of Sage’s low and laughing voice reaches my ears, “and the bathroom was free, so I assumed that’s where you were.”

“Can’t fool this one, huh?” My heart flutters at the sound of Roman’s rumbling voice, hushed to a whisper like Sage’s. “Yeah, I was with Allie.” The two fall silent for a beat, and I strain to pick up more of their conversation.

“Did you guys...”

“God, no. No, I went in to check on her last night. She was a human popsicle, so I slept in her bed. No, it’s way too early for that.” I feel my cheeks heat up with color at Sage’s suggestion as Roman continues. “I asked her out today,” he whispers softly. The sound of Sage’s airy chuckle reaches my ears, and I peek open my eyes to see that I’m lying flat on the couch, on my side facing the back.

“What did she say?”

“A very sarcastic yes.”

Sage chuckles.

“I like her the more we get to know her.”

Roman laughs lightly at that.

“You and me both.”

I can’t help but smile at the back of the couch. Every time I remind myself that Roman and I are together, my very soul skyrockets with such excitement and head-spinning disbelief. I’ve never felt this way about anything before, let alone anyone.

I am Roman’s. Roman is mine.

The thought makes my heart swell with unbelievable happiness. It’s all I can do to keep still, and stop myself from leaping off the couch and tackling my boyfriend.

I haven’t gotten used to saying that to myself yet, and I take heart-pattering pleasure in using that title for Roman. But even now, that word seems strange in the way that it doesn’t really do justice in describing what he is to me. My boyfriend... He already seems more than that. That word, to me, sounds like such a misused understatement. It doesn’t describe the bond we shared even before we started this relationship, the one that snuck up on me and rooted itself deep within. The one coaxed by the project, sowed by this camp, amplified by the tournament, and blossomed by the cold night we shared. He was more of my partner, than my boyfriend. And now that I’ve gotten to know him, and spend time with him, I have faith in the strength that we’ll develop.

Lost in my head-spinning thoughts, I am drawn out of them when the couch sinks with another’s weight.

“Alright,” Roman’s voice whispers behind me, “I’ll be up in a few.” Footsteps sound on the stairs that lead up to the rest of the cabin, and I close my eyes back shut when I feel a hand trail lightly over my shoulder before the blanket is tugged up over it. The cushion of the couch sinks further as a body leans down over me, and Roman’s lips touch my temple lightly. My eyes flutter open, and I turn my head toward him.

“Hey, darlin’,” he says softly, still leaning over me to kiss my forehead. His tender, relaxed smile fills my chest with warmth, and I close my eyes with a sigh as he runs his fingers through my bangs as he smooths them back.

“How long was I sleeping?” I ask, my voice a scratchy whisper.

“About an hour. Lunch is on us today, are you getting hungry?” I rub my eyes and think about food for a second. When nothing happens, I shake my head.

“No, not really. What about you and Sage?”

“A bit. We’re gonna grill hotdogs. Do you want to come up, or stay here and keep napping?” he asks, touching his forehead down on mine as his other hand comes up to cup my face. I smile into the gesture, reaching up to touch his face too.

“I think I might stay here, I dunno... Naps make me really drowsy for forever,” I groan with a chuckle, and Roman kisses me lightly.

“Up to you, sweetheart. You still look really tired,” he says between kisses, and my hand finds the soft hair on the back of his neck. I love it when he refers to me by pet names. I can’t even believe how sweet he is. I sigh into the next kiss, as they gradually grow deeper and fuller, and Roman’s hands continue to stroke back my hair and caress the skin on my cheeks.

“Mm, if I stay here,” I mumble into his lips, “I’d want you to stay and cuddle, and I’d never stop being drowsy. All day.” Roman’s warm lips spread into a smile against mine.

“I love cuddling.”

“Me. Fucking. Too,” I groan with a grin, as Roman pulls away slightly to nuzzle his nose on mine.

“I need it to live,” he laughs, and I frown up at him.

“Stop copying me,” I glower, and he plants a huge kiss on my lips.

“You’re fucking adorable,” he grins, peppering my face with kisses that trail to my neck. I give a high-pitched screech, squirming beneath his grasp as the tiny kisses tickle me.

“That... tickles! God damn it! Cut... it out!” I manage between snorts and laughs as I try to wiggle my way out of his hold. He stops suddenly to chomp down on my neck, holding the bite for a few seconds before I shoo him off. I wipe his saliva off of my neck as he grins down at me. I glare up at him, smearing the drool off on the front of his shirt.

“What was that for?” I growl. He beams evilly at me.

“Tag, you're a zombie.”

--------------------------

I head upstairs with Roman, still feeling pretty drowsy from my nap. He and Sage cook up a lunch for themselves and some of the children, and the smell of the grill and the cooking hotdogs coax my hunger to emerge. After eating down around the fire that always seems to be burning, we let the adults know where we’re going to be for the rest of the day. Amy actually gives us a time to be back tonight, a reasonable curfew of midnight. She told us she gets nervous with us out late driving around with all of the parties and drinking that go on in a lot of the camps. After talking with her for a bit, we head to Roman’s truck to go spend the remainder of this dreary day with Mazie and Bennen.

Roman drives us on the same road we took to go to the Emerald Lakes, and a good 15 minutes down it, we pull off down a fork in the road. Another block of bumpy riding finds us at a small and cozy 1-story cottage, tucked in a cleared-out property nestled in a grove of towering pine trees. The cottage is modest, sporting a small porch, slate-colored paneling, and a dark roof. Mazie and Bennen sit outside in lawn chairs beside a fire ring, cooking hot dogs on pokers. Bennen spots Roman’s truck as we pull into the driveway, and Mazie waves us over with a huge smile when we all hop out.

“Well hey, guys!” she greets, propping her bare feet up on the edge of the fire ring as she rotates her stick near the flames. We return her greeting, and she offers us the empty seats positioned around the fire.

“Being bums like us today, huh?” Roman grins, pulling up a chair close to the fire next to Bennen. Sage goes to sit beside Mazie, who uses his lap as her new footrest.

“There’s nothing to do when it’s cold here but watch movies inside, or huddle by the fire,” Mazie grunts, pulling her hot dog out to inspect it lazily. I complete the circle, seated between Roman and Sage. I hunker down into Roman’s hoodie, burying my hands deep into the front pocket.

“You wanna hand me that bag of hot dog buns, Allie?” Mazie asks, pointing to the plastic bag full of buns that used to occupy my chair before I moved them onto a stool made out of a stump behind me. I grab them and pass them over to her, and she thanks me. “So how, when, and why did you dye your hair such a vibrant color? I’ve been wondering since we met ya last night,” she giggles, tearing into the bag of hot dog buns in her lap. I snort, propping my feet up on the edge of the stone fire ring to warm my tootsies.

“Midlife crisis?” I mutter with a shrug, and Mazie guffaws. “I wanted a change, I guess. It was a friend’s idea, not mine,” I add with a snicker. Roman snorts beside me.

“Well, I like it,” Mazie grins with an approving nod, “It makes you stand out.”

Our conversation shifts to the reason I came here with Roman and Sage, Mazie driving it and Bennen staying fairly quiet the whole time. The conversation shifts again once we exhaust the previous one, and Bennen asks us if we remembered to bring our cell phones along to utilize the booster.

“All the people I’m usually in contact with are all here,” Sage says simply with a shrug, and Roman agrees. I shake my head as well.

“It’s only been a few days away from home, but thanks,” I chuckle, curling my knees up in the seat, “I didn’t even remember. But next time, definitely.”

Everyone makes smores, and after hours of laughing around the fire, it starts to get dark. Which happens around 9 this time of year. Sage suggests a movie with the time we have left, once the added chill of the night starts to roll in, and with it, the bugs. We all head into Mazie cottage, and we briefly greet her parents on our parade to the basement. After much discussion, we settle on Get Him to the Greek. To be devious, Mazie and I curl up under a blanket on the one loveseat, leaving the bigger couch for the three boys to cuddle on. Sage and Roman groan at us adorably, saying we should all pile onto their couch, and we can sit on their laps if need be. Mazie refuses, and I pick up the vibe that she doesn’t want poor Bennen to feel like the biggest 5th wheel.

Throughout the movie, Mazie and I have whispered and giggly conversations, and we end up talking about the boys the entire time. I clue her in on my relationship with Romam, and she nods her approval, agreeing that he’s a great guy. I ask her about Sage, and she bats her eyes at me from under the blanket as she brings it up to cover half of her face comically. I tease her about it, and soon the boys tell us if we’re going to have “girly-chatty hour” during one of their favorite movies of all time, we can either leave or come snuggle with them.

Mazie sticks her tongue out at the male couch at the same time that I flip them off.

With Mazie eventually falling asleep on my shoulder, we finish the movie with perfectly timed quotes and sing-alongs from the mens, and a lot of laughter. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen this movie, even though I’ve heard of it, and it’s pretty freakin’ hilarious.

“What time is it, Ben?” Roman asks once the credits are rolling, and another one of Aldous Snow’s songs is playing.

“11:30,” Bennen replies after flipping out his phone to check. Sage stretches back against the couch, arms over his head.

“Well, we better get going. Rome’s mom wants us back by midnight,” Sage says in a tired voice.

“Thanks for having us, Mazer,” Roman calls across to the other couch as he stands, and Mazie waves a tired hand at him.

“Yeah, of course. Come around any time, we’ll have to all ride quads together, or something,” she says with a stifled yawn.

“Sure thing. Come on, babe,” Roman says, offering me a hand as he comes over to the loveseat where Mazie and I are lying snuggled cozily under our blanket. I groan as I slide out from under the warmth to take Roman’s hand.

“See ya, Maze. Bye, Bennen,” I say, twiddling my fingers at them both before we make our way to the stairs leading up. They return our goodbyes.

Once outside, we scurry through the chilly night to the truck, me being the only one with any sort of warm clothing. We crank the heat on the way back to our camp, and once we get there, we check in with Amy, and divide up the showers the way we normally do. I go through my usual nightly routine of drying my hair before I settle in for bed, and Roman comes in just as I’m finishing up. He brings the smell of axe body wash with him, his hair still hanging in damp strands around his face. I glance up at him in the mirror, our eyes meeting as he stands in the doorway. He holds my gaze with a half-smile, and I return it with a full one as the sight of him standing there in a sleeveless black shirt, white shorts, and messy damp hair sends tremors of attraction through my heart. I flick the blow dryer off and set it down on the vanity before I twist around in the seat.

“Hey,” I say softly.

“Hey.” His voice is low and gentle, and he stands up from leaning against my open door frame to set a pile of blankets down on my bed and approach me.

“It’s another cold one tonight,” he says, kneeling down beside where I sit, “You gonna be alright?” He leans his arms onto the vanity seat, encircling my hips and legs as he looks up at me through his dark, damp hair. I give him a smile as I lean down to give him a light kiss.

“You’re not going to cuddle with me tonight?” I ask with a chuckle, my lips lingering against his. He gives a light snort before tilting his chin up to get a deeper kiss.

“If I sleep with you every night, it will cease to be special,” he whispers, his lips moving across mine, which part slightly with the movement. I close my eyes, letting my hand travel up to caress the warm skin on his cheek, his jaw, his neck, my arm resting against his chest. His hands find my hips as he kisses me firmly, the sensation of his piercings pressing into my lips becoming addictive. He pulls away gently to look at me with those eyes, and the warmth in my chest along with my quick breath tells me I didn’t want him to stop with his kisses. He pulls me to the edge of the seat, against his warm body, and he holds me there as he places light kisses on my bare shoulder. Sliding his hand underneath my legs, he lifts me from the vanity seat. I gasp lightly, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carries me to my bed.

“My hero,” I chuckle as he moves the blankets aside to set me down, tugging them up over my body once I’m in.

“Always, Thea,” he whispers, pausing in covering me up to touch foreheads lightly, and my heart swells with emotion. I kiss him deeply, my hands buried in his hair, before he pulls away to lay the extra blankets out over my bed. I settle in against the soft down-filled pillow, sighing as I watch Roman tuck the blankets in through tired eyes. He returns to my side.

“Warm enough?” he asks. I give a drowsy nod, and he chuckles as he leans in to kiss me once more. “Good. If you wake up before me, come crawl in with me. I do love cuddling with you,” he tells me in between kisses. My eyelids get heavy, and Roman flicks off the light for me.

“Goodnight, Aleithea,” he whispers through the dark, and I close my eyes as his warm lips press against mine one last time. I moan softly into his kiss, too tired to move or give a proper reply. I’m pretty sure I drift off even before Roman makes it out of the room.