Solemn Hour

The rising sun blared passed my closed eyes, interrupting my unusually deep sleep. Stretching my body I noticed I was being held back from completely extending my limbs. Bryce still had his arm firmly around me, still breathing softly, unaware that it was already sun rise.

"Bryce." I said softly, not wanting to wake him up too harshly. My only answer was a muffled groan as he buried his face in my shoulder, "Bryce, it's dawn. Hey, we have to get moving."

Keeping his eyes closed, he reached up and covered my lips with two fingers, "Shh, Princess. Haven't you heard of sleeping in?" I hadn't. "We've been going at this little adventure of yours pretty hard, let's take a day to just refuel ourselves."

He was right, if we weren't continuing on we were hunting, eating, or sleeping. My muscles did ache, and I wouldn't mind closing my eyes a little longer. Bryce removed his arm and stood up. He looked around for a few moments and finally reached for his blanket and his bag, and started walking.

"Where are you going?" I said, curious if I had irritated him by not responding.

"I'm going for those trees. I'm not going to let this sun light ruin my plan for laziness." His teeth shined bright with the sun, his eyes still very tired.

I grabbed my sack and blanket and followed suit. Moving slightly quicker than he, I wanted to be reunited with my blanket as quickly as possibly. The morning still chill was ever present and I didn't want to experience it any longer. Once under the shade Bryce laid down our tarp and threw down the blankets haphazardly.

Normally such an act would have made me want to organize it and place everything as neat as possible, but the last couple of weeks seemed to have caught up with me, and all I wanted was to lie down, and rest.

Lazily, Bryce flopped himself down, and sighed. "So, tell me about you Princess. All we've ever discussed was your curiosity of the most minute things in this world."

"Does my curiosity bother you?" I laughed.

"No, but it is interesting. I've never known any one who had never seen a deer before."

"Okay, I guess you have me there." Pushing my locks past my face I turned to my side to face Bryce fully, "What do you want to know then?"

"The simplest and most basic question I can think of; what is your favorite color?"

I chewed on my lip as I thought. The outside was so vibrant, so many different shades of color, how could I possibly choose ONE? I re-imagined every new thing I saw since I left the Sanctuary. "I suppose the dark reddish-orange color, when the sun is almost done setting."

He nodded in response, "That's a nice color. I like blue, like the color of a blue jay." He smiled, silently remembering some memory.

"A blue jay?"

He nodded again, "Yeah, it's a little bird. Perhaps we'll see one, and then I can show you. Maybe you'll even change your mind about the color of the sunset."

"Unlikely, but i'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say maybe. Anything else?"

"Oh, I'm not even close to being done."

"Is this how you plan on spending your day, bombarding me with useless questions?"

"Useless?"

"Yes, what is there to gain knowing what color I like, or anything else about me personally. It has nothing to do with our survival."

It didn't. Talking about someones personal interests wasn't exactly what I was used to. The girls who did talk to me usually talked about how they couldn't to become a full member of Sanctuary. Karen always talked about how she wanted to be a healer, or to carry children. She wanted to help sustain life in Sanctuary in some way. I didn't know what foods she liked. What colors appealed to her. If she enjoyed being outside.

"Everything doesn't have to be about surviving." He sat up, "I'm going to show you what it means to live. All the other people were so eager to actually live their own life. I see you want it, but something's pulling you from completely letting go. I mean look at where we are, that was you taking control. Maybe you should be using this time to get to know the real you too, not just the world. Deer can wait." He laughed at his own little joke. I smiled too, I knew he was right.

"I didn't think of it like that. Everything doesn't have to have a destination."

He smiled brighter, "That's the idea, Princess. Sometimes things can be pointless and that makes them so much FUN." On the last word he grabbed my waist and pulled me to his chest.

"Bryce!" My eyes widened. His touch startled me. My muscles tensed and I tried to pull away. It was unfamiliar, but part of me found comfort being so close to someone else.

"I won't force you, but just try to relax." He breathed.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay so close to him, but curiosity was stronger. Slowly my body relaxed, and I gave into his arms.

"I imagine this is really weird for you." He murmured into my hair. "I doubt they cuddle in Sanctuary."

I laughed in agreement. "No, they do not." He started to loosen his grip, but I put my hand on his arm. "I'm willing to try and get used to it. I want to experience everything I couldn't while I was there."

"Okay." Re-lacing his arms around me, he pulled me closer. I breathed in his smell and felt a pang in my chest. My breathe caught in my throat and pulse quickened. He smelt like the trees and like a wet rainy morning. I didn't want him to let go.

"I haven't laid with someone like this in so long." Picturing him being this close to someone else fueled something inside of me. Not quite anger, but not quite sadness.

"You've done this before?" I asked softly.

"Well I mean cuddling isn't something that's exactly unheard of."

I was quiet for a moment, "It was for me."

"Well I know that, but I mean, when I was little my mom would always hold me like this. Whenever I was sad, or couldn't sleep. She said it was the best way to forget the world, holding onto someone. It helped you to remember what was real and what mattered."

"How do you forget what's real. I mean, I'm real, you're real, everything around us is real."

"Sometimes when you're really angry, sad or scared, you make things up, and you believe it, and you need something that's actually real to kind of.. wake you up from it."

"Is that what you need? To wake up?" I pulled back a little to look at his face.

The corner of his lip turned up a little. "Yeah. Being alone did a toll on me, I didn't have anyone there when my dad died. Your company has been keeping me from going back inside my head."

Out of some feeling of intuition I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I didn't want him to feel sad. I didn't want him to forget what was real. I couldn't imagine how terrifying that feeling could be.

His voice broke my thoughts, "That doesn't make you feel weird, does it, Princess?" I heard worry in his voice.

"No. No, not at all."