Honesty

I wipe away at useless tears. They showed how weak I was now. Uncontrollable emotions. A cautious hand attempts to make contact with my curls. A loud smacking sound adds to the sniffling silence.

We're at the base of one of the couches. Fern tilting towards me but at a safe distance from my temper. I'm clawing away at the last evidence of my panick. Unsuccessfully. Reddened eyes give it all away. The silence stretches on till a few deep breaths. My sense of reason rushing back in. Tone, colder than usual, flat.

"What happened?" His body untightens, leaning back against the couch.

"I messed up." Deep blues wander over and away to check my expressions, every minute change. Pity for him I have decades of practice. Not a twitch or twinge of muscle moves.

"Explain."

Perhaps in a learned manner, he leans away. Eyes darting to anything interesting. The words flow out with nerves, yet seemingly calculated.

"After you left the infected rats targeted me. The slime culture turned out to be bound to you not me." He predicted my question. "I assume since you used the culture; you were recognized as its owner."

Something was off as he told his side of the story. Ren escaped the village and met up with the party for a new plan. They used Meril's fire to keep the rats at bay. Though only the infected rats avoided the flames.The few healthy ones left alive swarmed and knashed at the little band. Still it took two days of back and forth running around the rats to reach the gate. In the process Ren and the others received serious injuries.

'Decietful intent Detected.'

I wasn't surprised. The system didn't need to tell me what an unusually nervous body told volumes. The question was what is he lying about?

"Okay."

Ren blinked away. Clearly not expecting a lack of questions.

"That's it?" He asked dumbfounded.

"Will you tell the truth?"

"…" His response is enough.

I surprise him with a sigh. Emotion returning to my face. The frustration visible one moment and gone the next. Letting the mood get to me, I lean my head against Ren's shoulder. His body tenses, probably from surprise. I could feel the instinct to run away. Words end up being my compromise.

"I don't care." I feel a curious gaze from my neighbor. "I'm not going to condemn you. My life was far from squeaky clean. You do what you have to survive. If your regret it later, then so be it. All that matters is making it to the next day." My body can't help but twitch in complaint. I cross my arms in retaliation. "The party made it back alive. So whatever you did won't affect our future chances at survival." I let out another long sigh. "I'm not asking for you to spill every fucked up thing you've done." I dart my eyes over to Ren, his face surprisingly close to my own. I gulp down my saliva. "Just don't lie to me."

His face is full of an unknown emotion. His eyes oozing something sweet and yet conflicted. He turns away, facing the nearest wall.

"I…I may have known the conditions to be considered the owner of the slime culture." He rolls his shoulders back, exposing uncomfortable air. "I wasn't expecting to be attached to… well to you." Heartbeats speed up in my chest. Limbs shifting with impatience. "Your forgotten skill made it safe for you to spread the culture. If I did it, I would have been caught by the rats before I could finish the job. Also there was no guarantee that being in your shadow would have kept you safe from the slime."

"And the party?"

"…" He shifts to look me dead in the eyes. "I could've gone through the gate with you, but we can't survive with just the two of us forever." His eyes trail to the mark on my kneck. Inner heat surfaces on my skin. My hand unknowingly covers it. "Although I'd prefer it was just us."

He crawled closer. Testing my current boundry. Every cell begged me to give him a threat. Don't touch me. He drew his face near mine. Still even I craved touch I've never had, but it would be on my terms. My control.

"Stop." He froze at the command, barely a hair from my lips.

"Artemis…" His voice barely audible. "I want you. I've never craved someone like this before." A small growl could be heard. His eyes giving an unnatural glowing hue for a mere moment. My whole body shook. It sensed the predator before me.

'Lustful Intent detected.'

No shit.

No matter how far I was falling for this man. I would not break like this. I forced myself back and he followed forward. A dangerous action. He practically had me beneath him. I focused on my repulsion, used it to escape his calling.

"No." My voice sounding faintly defiant but weakened. "Not like this, not now." I press a hand to his chest, pressing him lightly back. He gives out a louder more frustrated growl. "If you want me, a relationship. Then we go by my rules." My narrowing eyes, have him cooperating. He moves back to sit on his knees. "In case you haven't noticed I have problems with touch."

"Okay…" He eyes me up gently, observing. Trying to decipher some secret. "Did someone hurt you?" His tone is calm but I can sense the beast at the helm, ready to pounce.

"Of course not."

I rub my temples agitated and frustrated. Recently one of my only moods. I lift myself up to a more comfortable seat on the couch. Offering the spot next to me. Ren sits as close as possible, our sides touching.

"What did I just say?!" I snap. He begrudgingly scoots a tad away. Rolling my eyes at the small adjustment. "Look. I don't know why I hate touch. As far as I know I was born this way. My own mother stopped hugging me when I was little since I hated it so much." I rolled my body back essentially slapping the couch with it. My kneck tilting backwards my head hanging off the couch. Eyes threatening to tear up again.

"Tsk." I turn to face my companion. A face of true defeat. "Clearly I can't live like this anymore." An exaggerated scowl to emphasize my words. "I met you after all."