Gone along with the wind

A few plump veggies and cuts of venison lay boiling in the broth between them. One with a thick blindfold to his eyes, whose blank face was contrasted by the young woman in front of him who stared with wonderment. The scalding charcoals cooked quiet well for being the remnants of their earlier campfire. She was quiet as she gulped with her hands digging into her dress. Her feet were twitching at the itchiness of the grass, but she didn't appear to care nor notice.

“You know, if you hang over like that your hair will catch on fire.” Biting her lip, she retreated only a little bit and just a moment later she was being drawn in again. He sighed before tapping her arm. 

“Oh?” Her voice was hoarse and after that she was hurriedly swallowing the little saliva she had to curb the uncomfortable feeling in her throat. The man smiled a little bit and tugged on her arm. 

“Sit next to me. You’ll get the food earlier if you do.” His voice was soft, indistinguishable from adoration and human, although his fluid actions betrayed that. As she clambered over, her panting and disorganized movements made his forehead wrinkle as he moved to lay the spoon down and faced his body towards her, his other arm already stretched out to catch her. She shyly hid her face of thanks with a nod and put her hands out.

“I’ll hold you then, ma'am.” Laying the spoon on the top of the pot, he stood to steady her shoulders. 

“There you go ma’am. You’ve just come back from more than a millennia of sleep, you can just depend on me like you always do. That’s why I’m here after all.” Now standing beside her, the top of his head was only an inch above her own as he draped his arm over her shoulders, his grip holding her upright, while the other held her shaking hand, making note of it as she laid against him, nodding as she collapsed into him. 

“..Tired..” She quietly said, as if mumbling would alleviate the dryness of her in her throat and mouth. The man nodded in understanding, his wrinkled forehead and firm grip betraying his concern.

Sitting down he held her hand with one to steady the shaking, his thumb going in circles while the other to briefly wiped the sheen of sweat off her forehead. Her lower lip trembled from time to time as she looked away longingly into the mummified city. That's what made him squeeze her hand, to get her focus on him and the smell of soup lingering in the air. She looked back with her back now slumped and her trying to get her hand out of his. Trying to bring her legs up to her and bringing her head down closer to her chest. His hand was frozen at her shaking forehead as he stared at the quiet sobs that shook her shoulders. She kept her eyes wide, as if to keep back the tears.

Why would she do that?

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to carry you for this last leg, next time I’ll scout the area ahead with more caution than I did today.” He felt her gaze and her timid nod before she reached for the spoon. Grabbing the spoon, she huffed at the effort to keep the spoon still to enter the broth. 

“Your nerves are still overactive. For now, we’ll have to wait, so I’ll take care of you until I safely deliver you to the rest of the androids waiting for you, ma’am.” She bit her lip, looking down in defeat, and with disappointment she brought it to his waiting hand. That’s when her finger shook again and he grasped her hand to steady it. At the sudden warming in her face he frowned as he looked at her. Feeling her tense and warm, he put it down as additional data for something, just to look back on. There was no need to worry her as she couldn’t even articulate a sentence at this point.

But she still had that wrinkled forehead and he sighed. “Here, help me pour the soup in the bowl.” At that, her head perked up and found himself with a grin. Holding her arm and the bowl with his other hand, he blinked at the empty space beside her, one the fire's light didn't reach and he found himself moving to face her.

“Ma’am?” She looked up to him with doe eyes and her brows lightly strewn together. It made him chuckle without realizing as he brought his hand away from hers to his thigh. 

“Can you sit in front of me?” The girl's heart that barely calmed started to pick up its pace again. But she nodded without hesitation. Putting the bowl and spoon away to his side, the girl was already prepared for his arms as she loops her hands behind his neck. 

Just like she was no weight at all, she dropped down with a little plop between his legs. At that, she relaxed into his chest and his hands find hers again. Even though her heartrate picked up, it calmed down just like the stiff muscles of her back, just like his own thoughts and worries about the darkness of the night that laid all around them.

Her hands tenderly held on tighter to his fingers before bringing them down to her lap and the man was tilted his head to the side. The woman had a sad smile on her face as she looked at his blue eyes under the blindfold. “You don’t want to help scoop?” She shook her head, her own hands at her lap that grasped so hard onto one another. 

“Then, let’s taste it first.” With her meek nod, he brought a spoon to his own mouth to blow, while his other arm securely laid over her to catch any hot droplets. 

“Ma’am we should do this more often, you being anxious isn’t going to help you rehabilitate from cryo sleep.” The girl could only nod to his lectures, excited as he brought the spoon to her lips. Holding onto her dress, her mouth was watery as the broth came to her lips. Simple and rich, the pepper he sprinkled in before cleared her head while the warmth filled her stomach. He smiled at her leaning more into him with just a taste of the soup. 

“In the past, would people say, nothing like a warm soup before one hits the sack?” She shook her head and reached up to ruffle his light, soft blue hair. 

“..Seven..” Her hand dropped to his cheek, lightly touching the edge of his blindfold with the pads of her fingers. Seven’s face softened and without knowing, he let himself fall into her hand, his blindfold revealing the very eyes that mesmerize her in the first place. 

Blue eyes that shouldn’t look to be full of so much longing. The warm food was forgotten as both looked into each other’s eyes. 

“I’m not human, I was only made in the image of humans.” A sad sigh came from Seven, his voice wavering at his routine words, but he couldn’t get himself to move away from her touch. Her breath caught at his soft voice and she brought down his hands with her own to grasp onto them tightly. 

“Unfair..” Her lips and tongue were clumsy in their pronunciation as she looked down to let her tears fall. Tightening his hold to bring her closer as he felt the tears fall on his hands, he hummed brokenly. 

“Is it alright for you to tell me about the world before? I imagine tall grass wasn’t supposed to grow on the road, right?” He said, with a light tone to his voice, albeit forced. As she let go of his arms, he looked down to her glassy eyes, so clear he could see himself and the moon reflected in it. Seven stopped breathing, just dazed. She smiled while tears started to fall. 

With a little nod from her, he reflected back with a small smile. 

“So, you have to eat the food I made for you. I’m certain it’ll taste better than last time.” A little giggle turned into little coughs as Seven gently patted her back. 

“Take it easy, the so-” A little grunt as the air was knocked out of him once she turned to hug him quickly. Nuzzled into his neck as if to turn away from the new world around her into a familiar warmth. Once again he could feel the warm tears shower onto him. The little sniffles and his smile wavered away for him to bite his lip as he patted her back. 

Her breath was shaky as the cicadas sang at night, as the koi in the little lake below muddled the reflection of degrading buildings and the moon. But soon she fell asleep, her quiet breaths and tear stained cheeks covered by the man’s coat that he laid onto her.

Looking sadly into the soup that he had to sift through millions of data to even cook would have to be eaten in the morning. He hugged her back as he buried his own face into her. 

The relief and heightening anxiety for the future, that will have to wait for morning, won’t it?