Apollo & Luna

Middle of Nowhere

They’re in the middle of nowhere. Literally.

Aside from the old horse and wagon, the two of them were alone. The place where they were at was a vast field and there was nothing but mountains surrounding them. The dirt road far ahead where imprints of rare vehicles was the only thing which indicated signs of civilization, but so far, he hadn’t seen a single soul.

“Let’s go,” Yann said as he guided Alicia towards the weary horse.

Looking at it, seeing how the poor animal’s nose flared in the heat, he wondered if the horse could make it until they found shelter, food and drink. Thinking that it might perish on the way, his lips pressed together into a grim line, not noticing that Alicia had been watching his face, feeling his worries.

“Yann…” she called softly, and when he looked, she suddenly placed a hand on his cheek.

“Take us to safety,” she added as the businessman felt warmth where her hand was, and suddenly, his stomach felt full, his thirst gone, and his weary body revived.

“Alicia…” Yann called, wide-eyed. 

She had used her powers again. She saved him again.

“You shouldn’t have done that, your body’s too weak,” he added worriedly but she shook her head as she stepped towards the horse, and Yann watched her do the same to it.

In an instant, the horse stopped flaring its nose; its skin beaded with perspiration just a while ago looked refreshed, and then...

“Oh…” Alicia swayed and Yann caught her easily.

“I told you…” the businessman said as he carried her bridal style and placed her on the wagon before joining her there.

Having secured her next to him, Yann placed a kiss on her temple, his action letting her know how worried he was, and she smiled a little.

“Take us back home,” Alicia said and he frowned.

“It’s not safe there. The man might still be around,” the businessman reminded her but she shook her head.

“He would have been long gone. It always happened before, though I knew he would be back. It’s not safe anywhere anyway,” she argued.

The first time the man came, she and Sohyang hid for a while, but they returned to their old house they shared with her father to find him and to gather their things.

Alas, her father was gone. There was nobody there. There was no trace of blood either, just some scorched marks on the floor where her mother last saw him. It was as if her father vanished into thin air. Just a badly damaged domicile remained.

“At least at home, I could go through my…my m-mother’s things and see if I can find something to give me a clue about who I am,” she continued as she lifted her face so she could look at Yann’s eyes.

“We can eat and drink there and bring other things we need. Your things are there too. You can get them and then you can go. Return to where you came from.” When she took him home, Alicia put all his belongings in her drawer except for the torn shirt.

Yann’s frown deepened.

“Are you telling me to leave you alone?” he asked and Alicia looked away.

“You don’t belong here,” she answered evasively.

“What do you mean?” Yann was unhappy. Alicia was trying to make him go away.

 “There are people waiting for you to return. My mother’s gone now. You don’t have to stay. You’re not safe if you stay with me,” she added in almost a whisper and Yann grabbed her hand, pulling her, so she would have no choice but to face him.

“I will not leave you here,” Yann emphasized his words seriously. He would not allow Alicia to get rid of him.

“You have no responsibility towards me. I don’t want to be a burden to you. You don’t even know me,” she tried to reason impatiently, bur Yann was having none of it.

“As you may have forgotten, I promised your mother I would protect you, and I will. From now on, you have me whether you want it or not. Even if you really hated me, I could not – would not leave you.”

“But – “she started to protest but Yann cut her off.

“Don’t think about endangering my life. I’m here now because someone wanted me dead, so staying with you does not change a thing. The only difference is that we have different enemies,” he told her, and silence fell between them.

Alicia looked down on her lap and Yann took the reins and tugged at it to make the horse start moving. They remained unspeaking until they reached the dirt road which forked into two directions, and the businessman broke the silence.

“Which way?” he asked and she hesitatingly pointed to the left.   

Before they turned however, Yann let go of the reins to pull Alicia against him once more, capturing her lips with his suddenly, his tongue invading the warmth of her mouth in a searing kiss.

Yann’s desperate thoughts of wanting to be with her filled his senses, hoping that with this, she would understand. He prayed that she would understand. He could never separate with her anymore in this life.

When they broke apart, his silver-grey eyes remained on her bruised lips, and he planted one last kiss on it before he held the reins in his hands once more.

“You felt what I’m feeling when I kissed you right?” Yann asked and she nodded slowly next to him.

“Don’t… don’t ever ask me to leave you again,” the businessman said softly as he tugged the reins, and the wagon started moving towards Alicia’s home.