Mission: Get The Storm (Pt 2)

River was busy growing some plants and mixing them into pastes for healing and making tea with. “I’ll make sure to have a lot of stuff to help us with.” She explained. “Most of this paste will be for burns if anyone gets hit by lightning.”

“You do that,” Loreen commented as she walked over to Riley.

“Don’t need to be rude…” River whispered.

“Ugh, stop with the fuckin’ arguing.” Riven groaned. The women had gotten into a debate on medicine in the car that had become a full blown argument until he and Alex shut them up.

Riley sat further away from everyone staring up at the stars.

Loreen flipped Riven the bird before she sat down next to Riley. “What’s on your mind?” She asked.

Riley rested his head on her shoulder “this is the first time I've ever seen the stars. I used to dream seeing them with Klaire for so long but that's a life not meant to happen. It hurts but at the same time it doesn't. I just feel so lost and broken.”

“You’re free, Riley. And that girl, River…” She glanced toward said girl, who was still working on her herbs. “She seems to really like you.”

Riley deflated a little it seemed like no matter what he did Loreen never responded to his advances. “I don't know how to be free, MegaCorp is all I know. You're…. all i know. You're who I trust.”

“And I’m here,” She replied, staring at the sky now. “I’m your doctor.”

That should tell him enough.

She hoped.

Riley nodded before standing up “I'm going to bed I'm not hungry anymore” he whispered walking into his tent to go lay down his heart hurting again.

What he didn’t know was that he didn’t have a sleeping bag. Loreen just watched in silence, knowing River would happily keep him warm tonight.

“You could have confessed” Alex whispered sitting next to her “he would have accepted.”

“I don’t deserve him and I…I don’t think I can handle a relationship.” Loreen admitted, looking at the trees around them. “I’m too cold, emotionless…” It was true, she was too much like the scientist she was pushed to be all her life.

“You do Loreen I've been to some sessions with Riley he speaks the world of you without you there i don't think he would be alive” he sighed.

“He still needs someone that is more positive, Alex.” Loreen insisted. “Stop meddling.”

“I'll respect your choices” he relented “just know I'm here for you if you want to talk or hit something.”

Riley laid on the floor of his tent trying to sleep.

Loreen punched Alex’s shoulder. “Yeah, yeah.”

River would eventually peel the tent flap aside. “You okay in there? I have some medicine to help with sleep…uh…where’s your sleeping bag?!”

“Alex said he would pack it i think he forgot” Riley replied.

“Want to share mine?” She suggested.

Riley blushed “if…. You're…. Ok with that” he stammered nodding.

“I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t, silly.” River said with a friendly smile. “Come on. My tent is a bit bigger, so we both can fit.”

Riley nodded and followed her into her tent before nervously climbing into the bag.

River’s tent wasn’t really much of a tent. It was roots and vines all meshed together into a tent shape, tightly pressed together to keep rain and cold out. There wasn’t even a fabric floor, just the sleeping bag. “I hope you don’t mind plants…” She commented with a slight blush as she hung a lantern on a small branch. “I and the planet are kind of…connected.”

“It's beautiful” he whispered “I've only known cold concrete and metal my entire life. I've only seen plants in books.”

“Plants of every kind are greatly important to this world.” River explained as she climbed into the sleeping bag and used a vine to zip it up for them. It even set the lantern to a dimmer setting so it wasn’t too bright, but it wasn’t dark either. “I love this world…”

Riley blushed thankful for the darker room. River was the first girl that consented to sharing a bed with. “I want to learn everything I can about this world.”

“There’s so much to learn,” River said as she stayed close to keep warm, looking up as the branches and vines moved apart to reveal the star filled sky. “Even I’m still learning. It’s as beautiful as it is ugly at times, but the most beautiful things can be found in the most unexpected places.”

Riley found his arm wrapping around her waist as he looked up at the sky “can you help me learn?” He asked.

“I’ll be happy to help you,” River said, looking at him. “We all need help to learn.”

Riley blushed but smiled as he looked into her eyes.

River kept smiling and would soon gaze at the sky again before her eyes closed and she slowly started to sleep for the night.

Riley lasted a bit longer before passing out. In his sleep he would pull her closer into an embrace.