Author's Note: Happy Renee Walker Day everyone! I posted this to Tumblr and am now posting it here. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Rivers and roads / rivers and roads / rivers til I reach you...
Her bare feet pressed into the cold moist mud, which hung on the rims of her jeans up to her ankles. They walked like this in silence for a half an hour, soaking in the serene beauty of the nature around them; the snowcapped mountains imprisoned by a light fog, the wide flowing river to their right, and the long swing bridge they were bound for, which led into a lush, green open field. Her fingers stilled tightly interwoven with his. A singing bird broke the silence of the chilled air. Their bodies stepped in sync, going in the same direction with no thought to it.
The hardest part was that she could hear his thoughts, although he was trying to mask them. "Is it always going to be this heavy?" her voice struggled to break a whisper, head looking to the ground.
"I don't know." He was broken, torn and damaged, and all of it could be heard in those three words. Several beats of silence passed before he spoke again. "We could run, start all over." This brought them to a dead stop.
"No. I can't run from the demons in my head-" Renee sniffled, making Jack wonder if she was crying. Shit. He didn't mean to do this. "In my past. Besides, what about Teri?"
Yeah, Teri, the granddaughter who resented him for abandoning her, although she tries to forgive him. They have their good days, but he can see it in her eyes. "You're right."
"I love you." Now his head was turned in her direction, her eyes piercing parts of his soul he thought to have turned into coal dust. This is what kept him going on the hard days, through the panic attack triggered at the sight of Cheng, or who he thought was Cheng. The wind howled around him, preparing for the storm. The calm before the storm, which consisted of hard winds and sprinkling of rain, reminded him of their relationship. This is the calmest they could ever be, lugging years of baggage around with every breath; so much pain for one human to bear. His free arm found her neck and slid down her back, pulling her body close, his mouth hot on her shivering lips. Their movement picked up with the storm, mimicking the fast shifting of the trees around them. Rain began to pour, intensifying their desire. Time lost its meaning until she had to breathe, forced to gasp for the wet air. Soaked, she smiled touching her forehead to his. "Let's go inside," she whispered under her breath.
"I thought you'd never ask," his lips were turned up into a smirk. He held her body close, arm around her waist as they walked along the road, stepping through every puddle they encountered. Renee's head leaned against his shoulder as they walked the ten minutes back to their home for the weekend.
It came in flashes. The softness of the moving sheet over her naked body, moving over his in swift motions; the only thing separating them is the sweat covering their bodies. Bumpy scars pressing into her body as his lips searched for every exposed area. When an unexpected crash of thunder yelled through the night sky, her funny bone hit a dresser, sending them both into hysteria of laughter and cursing. More kissing, hot where his tongue traced the inside of her mouth. Hours passed until she finally curled up into his chest succumbing to sudden exhaustion.
"Kim's bringing Teri up today" Jack said as he skillfully flipped an egg in the skillet. Renee stood across the room, trying to brush the tangles through her wet auburn hair as it dripped onto the rug at her feet. She grunted as the brush met a particularly stubborn knot of hair behind her left ear.
"That'll be great. Maybe she could swim in the river behind the cabin; the current seems to have slowed down a lot." Her voice rose with irritation at the end of each sentence until every strand of hair was knot-free. Grabbing the hairband that made its home around her right wrist, she tied her hair back in a lose ponytail before making her way to the island where warm food was waiting; eggs, bacon, toast, and milk. "Thank you." She rose and kissed his lips, shorter and quicker than either wanted.
Renee watched them through the window. Kim sat on a lone log, soaking in what little warmth from the sun she could salvage. Steven and Jack were alternating pushing Teri on the homemade swing; it was just strong ropes Jack had found and tied to a medium size, flat, piece of wood he had drilled holes into. To an outsider, Renee knew she must look uncomfortable being inside instead of out, but in reality she loved to watch Jack with his family. There was a certain smile he always had around Kim and Teri, one that not even her presence could reciprocate. Teri may still be mad about Jack abandoning her, but just like everyone else had already experienced, it was impossible to stay mad at him forever. The weekend at the cabin Jack had proposed a few days ago had already exceeded her expectations. Renee pivoted, and walked towards several mugs sitting on the stove.
Carefully, she tore five bags of Swiss Miss hot chocolate open and dumped each one in its own might already filled with warm milk. After stirring the instant mix into each mug and adding marshmallows to hers and Teri's, she called the others from outside. Teri came running, her blonde curls bouncing, a stark contrast against the gray sky. Kim started to run after her, only to stop when she looked up and saw Renee beaming at the little girl's excitement. Jack followed but stopped at the door to kiss Renee, gently and cool against her hot lips that tasted of chocolate.
"Thank you, honey." Jack said, taking her free hand.
She was still smiling, but her eyes were happier at his touch. "This is perfect," she replied, setting her mug down to reach and hand him his. He accepted and they made their way to the couch, in front of the warm fire Jack had started a few hours prior. Renee threw off her socks and cuddled next to him, knowing that no matter how heavy things felt, or how bad days got, she would always be home when she was next to him.