Nineteen

I chased Selene for what felt like hours. Both of us increasing our speeds until we were nothing more than blurs. Each time I got close to her, she would speed up and pull away. Eventually, I was able to catch her. I reached up and plucked her out of the air. The two of us tumbled to the ground laughing, as we rolled through the dirt.

Trying to catch her breath, Selene panted out, "So you really aren't tired, are you?" "No, I'm pretty sure that I could have kept going forever," was my honest reply. Still panting, Selene replied, "Well, I sure am tired. It's getting dark. Let's rest for the night."

I didn't really want to stop, but I could see how tired Selene was, so I nodded in agreement. I was ready to sit right where we were, but Selene stopped me and said, "I guess it's hard to shake old habits, but I want to sleep somewhere with more cover."

Shrugging, I followed her into the tree line and watched as she scanned the area until she noticed something that I didn't. She happily walked through the grass, with me following, until we ended up in front of a few giant trees.

Sitting down with a sigh, she looked at me and said, "It's going to be cold soon. Do you know how to make a fire?" I nodded my head yes, then paused to think about what she had just said. I had no idea what the temperature was. Reading my mind like always, Selene asked, "So I assume that you can't feel things like hot or cold, either?"

I shook my head, and with a sigh, responded, "No, just something else that I can't feel." It was evident that Selene could hear the negativity in my voice. She pulled me down on the ground next to her and said, "Just because you can't feel doesn't mean that it is a bad thing. Think of everything you can do. You could take over a heavily guarded base all by yourself if you wanted; you are a new breed of warrior. Or if you are serious about taking care of me, you can be the ultimate protector."

I paused to take in what she was saying. Selene was right. While I may be anything but normal, that didn't mean it was bad. Smiling, I said to Selene, "You're right. I have powers that people would kill for. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. Now would you like me to start that fire?"

To my surprise, Selene rested her head on my shoulder and replied, "No, while you can't feel the temperature, you are very warm yourself. This is perfect for me."

I wasn't sure how to react as Selene pressed herself against my body, but I slowly reached out an arm and wrapped it around her waist. Selene was startled by my touch but nestled herself closer into my side.

It was a strange feeling, but I was happy with just the two of us in the middle of nowhere. Looking to Selene, I said quietly, "Thank you for everything. You aren't the only one who was scared to be alone." Without opening her eyes, Selene responded, "I think we both tried to act tough in front of each other. I'm glad that we trust each other enough to stop pretending."

I didn't know what to say, so I sat in silence and enjoyed Selene pressed up against me. In just a few moments, I could hear her snoring gently, already fast asleep. Looking at her sleeping, I couldn't help but smile, knowing that she trusted me enough to let her guard down. This only reinforced that I had made the right decision to help her.