Drev sat in the middle of the dojo room in lotus position, deep in meditation. His eyes were closed, his hands rested lightly on his knees. He'd been in that exact position since shortly after Wren had left. He'd been hit by a wave of paranoia and doubt, and had convinced himself that she was never coming back. He'd been able to force the panic away and drifted in meditation that was free of worry and stress.
When he heard her call "I'm home", it had cut through his meditation like a knife. All the anxiety and doubt melted away and a massive rush of relief filled the void in his heart and mind. He had to keep from running out into the living room and sweeping her up into his arms, though. Things were still very touchy, though this was a step in the right direction.
When he did come out, wearing only his black exercise pants, Wren was in the shower. Strong, insidious thoughts and feelings swirled around in the back of his mind, thoughts that involved wet skin sliding over wet skin, but he forced them down. He went into the kitchen, drew himself a glass of water from the filter on the faucet, and drank it all before refilling the glass. He went into the living room and dropped onto the couch, put his feet up, and turned on the television, waiting for Wren to finish her shower.
Then Comes the Night (private)
Wren took her time closing up the Studio, so long, that Joey arrived just as she was running out of things to pretend to do. With a sad smile, he took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.
"I'm no relationship expert, but you should go home to him, Wren. Talk about what happened, work it out, and start moving forward. It's the only way you'll get back to being you. I need you back to being you, Ana needs you back to being you, and you need you back to being you. So go home to him, okay?"
Wren nodded mutely and found herself enveloped in a big bear hug, that stole her air and nearly cracked a rib or two. When Joey finally let her go, she was laughing. She gave him a playful smack on his rock hard peck. "Thanks Joey, you always know how to cheer me up."
Still chuckling, she gathered her things and left the Studio for home, but the closer she got, the more the good humor from Joey dissipated. She had no idea what she was going to say to Drev, or if she even wanted to talk about the whole thing now, or ever again.
Rain began to patter her windshield as she pulled into the small lot behind their building. The rain started coming down in a torrent as she opened the door and pulled her bag out with her. With a girly scream, she dashed to the back entrance and sighed at her dumb luck as she dug for her key card. As usual, Mrs Carmichael was peeking out her door when Wren made it dripping to the bottom of the steps.
"Evening, Mrs. Carmichael."
"Evening Wren." The door shut behind the lonely old woman and Wren was left to climb her soggy way up the stairs alone. She wondered if they had new neighbors in the third floor unit yet, and she hoped they were nice if and when they ever moved in. She came to her own door on the second floor and stood before it for a long long moment, before she slipped the key card into the slot and let herself into the condo.
"I'm home." She called wondering if Drev was even home, since just the security lamp on the end table was on, and the house was silent. Since she was dripping wet, she dropped her things in the entry way and pulled off her top, toed off her shoes and peeled down her jeans. She carried them into the bathroom, and started the shower before throwing the clothes along with a few others into the washer and started it. It was a familiar routine and it felt right and normal that she could go on doing such things and not think about the outcome of her next encounter with Drev.
She wasn't dreading it, she just was so unsure of it that she wanted to avoid it for a little while longer. After adjusting the water from boiling to the slightly cooler skin flaying, she stepped into the pounding spray and let it warm her rain cooled skin and relax her work tense muscles.
Milazo
17 years ago
Wren
17 years ago
Wren stayed in the shower until the water started to run tepid. With a sigh and a shiver she turned it off and wrapped a towel around her hair and then one around her body. Habit had her replacing the curtain, then rubbing her hair vigorously, she hung up that towel, and ran a comb through her hair. The other towel followed the first and she rubbed lotion into her skin, and body butter into her feet.
She padded naked into the bedroom and pulled a pair of Drev's silk boxers out of the drawer and one of his old faded t-shirts out of another. She pulled them on, and padded out to the living room, her hand skimmed across his shoulders, out of habit and a need to touch, as she passed by on her way to the kitchen. She filled the kettle, and puttered around until it whistled shrilly at her. She poured hot water over the infuser filled with a mix of green tea, chamomile flowers, and orange peel. She put the mug on a plate, with a spoon and a honey stick, grabbed four girl scout shortbreads from the cookie jar and went back to the living room.
She was determined that life should be normal, just because something profound had happened, didn't mean they couldn't watch Leno together and eat cookies, like they always did. She set her tea on the coffee table, and folded herself on the couch in the curve of Drev's body, like she always did and laid her head on his shoulder, as he flipped the TV to NBC and Jay Leno came out onto the stage amidst thunderous applause.
She had a desire to speak, but squashed it, with her unflinching need for this night to be normal. Funny, how she was stuck on that word, like a dog with a bone. It seemed so important that things be normal, yet she'd avoided coming home for as long as she could, had not yet spoked a single word to the man she loved and was down right ignoring the large pink elephant in the room with them. She needed to ignore it, at least for a little while longer. So she raised up, dunked the infuser a few times, then broke open the honey stick and let it ooze into the tea, before settling back to her place against Drev's side.
She padded naked into the bedroom and pulled a pair of Drev's silk boxers out of the drawer and one of his old faded t-shirts out of another. She pulled them on, and padded out to the living room, her hand skimmed across his shoulders, out of habit and a need to touch, as she passed by on her way to the kitchen. She filled the kettle, and puttered around until it whistled shrilly at her. She poured hot water over the infuser filled with a mix of green tea, chamomile flowers, and orange peel. She put the mug on a plate, with a spoon and a honey stick, grabbed four girl scout shortbreads from the cookie jar and went back to the living room.
She was determined that life should be normal, just because something profound had happened, didn't mean they couldn't watch Leno together and eat cookies, like they always did. She set her tea on the coffee table, and folded herself on the couch in the curve of Drev's body, like she always did and laid her head on his shoulder, as he flipped the TV to NBC and Jay Leno came out onto the stage amidst thunderous applause.
She had a desire to speak, but squashed it, with her unflinching need for this night to be normal. Funny, how she was stuck on that word, like a dog with a bone. It seemed so important that things be normal, yet she'd avoided coming home for as long as she could, had not yet spoked a single word to the man she loved and was down right ignoring the large pink elephant in the room with them. She needed to ignore it, at least for a little while longer. So she raised up, dunked the infuser a few times, then broke open the honey stick and let it ooze into the tea, before settling back to her place against Drev's side.
Milazo
17 years ago
Drev didn't stare at Wren when she came out of the bathroom, but he watched her very closely out of the corner of his eye. He could see the tension in her shoulders, the straightness of her spine, and yet she was overly relaxed. He kept watching her as she came into the living room. When she dragged her fingertips over his shoulder, the soft touch ignited something within him. Nothing sexual; it was a feeling similar to the one you get when you return to a favorite place after a long absence. Thoughts and feeling reeled in his head.
When she came back in with her tea and snuggled up against him, he was perplexed. He didn't question it; he was elated that she could bring even a tension-laced comfort back to their relationship. There was a lot of shit on her mind and in her heart, but she was making a valiant effort to ensure things stayed the way they've always been. Pride and love made his heart swell as he pulled her a little closer.
He knew they were going to have to face that 800 pound gorilla stalking around the living room, but he wanted to cherish this moment while he could.
When she came back in with her tea and snuggled up against him, he was perplexed. He didn't question it; he was elated that she could bring even a tension-laced comfort back to their relationship. There was a lot of shit on her mind and in her heart, but she was making a valiant effort to ensure things stayed the way they've always been. Pride and love made his heart swell as he pulled her a little closer.
He knew they were going to have to face that 800 pound gorilla stalking around the living room, but he wanted to cherish this moment while he could.
Wren
17 years ago
Wren chuckled here and there at the monologue, it wasn't his best work that evening, because the Trump jokes were getting old, but it was decent enough. She sat up again and pulled the infuser from her cup and while it dangled and twirled over the mouth, she stirred the tea and honey then placed the infuser on the spoon on the plate. She picked up the cookies and with a mock reluctant sigh handed Drev his two. Some idiot in a lab coat was making rock music with the gear shifts of the cars he was testing as she bit into one of her cookies. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and surprising herself, spoke.
"I know there's a lot that we need to talk about, but I don't want to talk about it tonight. I have thousands of questions, and I will ask them, but in my own time and my own way. Okay?"
"I know there's a lot that we need to talk about, but I don't want to talk about it tonight. I have thousands of questions, and I will ask them, but in my own time and my own way. Okay?"
Milazo
17 years ago
Drev took the two cookies without thinking, and ate one of them whole. He wasn't paying much attention to the television; just enough to chuckle at the right spots. Most of his attention was consumed by the feeling of Wren's body against his. It hadn't been long since their little... discovery, but it had felt like an eternity since he'd last been able to feel the muscles of her lithe body, smell the natural scent of her skin, and just bask in her presence. Even though they were cuddling now, things could change drastically once she finally rounded up the nerve to ask him all her questions. He was dreading that moment, yet he was looking forward to it as well. It would give him a chance to convince her of the vastness of his love and devotion to her.
"Whenever you're ready, I'll be here," he answered simply.
"Whenever you're ready, I'll be here," he answered simply.
Wren
17 years ago
"Really? You're going to wait right here until I'm ready? That's going to be interesting when you have to pee."
She gave him her best look-at-me-I'm-harmless smile and bit into her cookie. This was the point when he'd probably tackle her to the floor and tickle her until she cried mercy or kissed him senseless. She loved that little game, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to play tonight and so she half regretted her levity and half didn't. In response to the confusion, she stuffed the rest of the cookie in her mouth and turned her attention to the TV where Ross the Intern was babbling his gay way through something stupid.
She gave him her best look-at-me-I'm-harmless smile and bit into her cookie. This was the point when he'd probably tackle her to the floor and tickle her until she cried mercy or kissed him senseless. She loved that little game, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to play tonight and so she half regretted her levity and half didn't. In response to the confusion, she stuffed the rest of the cookie in her mouth and turned her attention to the TV where Ross the Intern was babbling his gay way through something stupid.
Milazo
17 years ago
Drev's instinctual reaction was to tickle her half to death for the quip, but the remaining undercurrent of tension stayed his hand. He wanted desperately for things to be back the way they were, or maybe to just move beyond this.
Even though she sat curled against him and he could feel the heat of her body against him, he missed her.
Even though she sat curled against him and he could feel the heat of her body against him, he missed her.
Wren
17 years ago
Wren relaxed a little more against him, when he did not tickle her and her attention was drawn to the television. She felt like a fly drawn to light by it, for all the attention she gave the flickering screen. She wanted to talk to him, but this desperate need to be normal for one night was getting to her.
When Jay walked over to talk to his music guest and told every one good bye, Wren stood and stretched. Her whole body went into it, from toes to fingers, and had her arching backward to fit it all in. With a small moan she lowered to her flat feet and picked up her half full cup of tea, and took it into the kitchen. She rinsed the cup, and infuser and left them in the sink.
She stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching Drev for a moment.
"I'm going to bed. Would...would you like to join me?"
When Jay walked over to talk to his music guest and told every one good bye, Wren stood and stretched. Her whole body went into it, from toes to fingers, and had her arching backward to fit it all in. With a small moan she lowered to her flat feet and picked up her half full cup of tea, and took it into the kitchen. She rinsed the cup, and infuser and left them in the sink.
She stood in the doorway of the kitchen watching Drev for a moment.
"I'm going to bed. Would...would you like to join me?"
Milazo
17 years ago
"Sure," Drev said, hoping that the surprise couldn't be heard in his voice. When he rose and looked at the woman standing in the doorway to the kitchen, a wave of shame washed over him.
"I don't deserve you," he thought sadly to himself.
"I have to pee first," he said with a half smile before going into the bathroom. When he was finished, he washed his hands and brushed his teeth before padding silently into the bedroom. His mind was strangely serene, which he seemed to find comfort in.
"I don't deserve you," he thought sadly to himself.
"I have to pee first," he said with a half smile before going into the bathroom. When he was finished, he washed his hands and brushed his teeth before padding silently into the bedroom. His mind was strangely serene, which he seemed to find comfort in.
Wren
17 years ago
A small chuckled tickled Wren's throat, and curled the edges of her mouth. They couldn't go on like this and she knew it, but facing it was so very hard.
She finally pushed away from the wall and walked into the bedroom. She thought maybe she should change into lingerie, but she wasn't sure if she wanted sex. It was odd, this war inside her. She settled on just climbing into bed and crawling under the covers.
She gave Drev a small smile when he entered the room.
"I've decided that my questions will come when they do, and that I'm not going to worry over them. I want to just move forward from here Drev, okay?"
She finally pushed away from the wall and walked into the bedroom. She thought maybe she should change into lingerie, but she wasn't sure if she wanted sex. It was odd, this war inside her. She settled on just climbing into bed and crawling under the covers.
She gave Drev a small smile when he entered the room.
"I've decided that my questions will come when they do, and that I'm not going to worry over them. I want to just move forward from here Drev, okay?"
Milazo
17 years ago
Drev nodded with a smile, then climbed into bed after Wren. He wanted to get all this over with and move on with their lives, but he knew that if he wanted the best possible outcome, he'd have to wait until she was ready.
He wasn't sure if he should put his arm around her, or what level of contact she wanted, so he just relaxed, close enough to be intimate, but not imposing.
"All my centuries on this planet," he thought to himself, "women are by far the most confusing..."
He wasn't sure if he should put his arm around her, or what level of contact she wanted, so he just relaxed, close enough to be intimate, but not imposing.
"All my centuries on this planet," he thought to himself, "women are by far the most confusing..."
Wren
17 years ago
Wren sighed softly. Everything would be okay. Life would go on and she would go on loving and being loved. Hiccups and bumps, and detours were natural, and they would navigate this with the strength and dignity they'd traversed everything else with. She was sure of it.
She wiggled and moved until her back was pressed against the long line of him. Drev turned over and curled around her in what would always be her favorite sleeping position. Wren found herself drifting off to sleep almost instantly, safety and security will do that for you...
((Drev and Wren out))
She wiggled and moved until her back was pressed against the long line of him. Drev turned over and curled around her in what would always be her favorite sleeping position. Wren found herself drifting off to sleep almost instantly, safety and security will do that for you...
((Drev and Wren out))