Chapter Twenty-One

Eddi and Luc lay entwined stretched out on the sofa; she snuggled up to his uninjured side with his arm wrapped around her as they relax listening to the pitter-patter of the rain against the window. The morning started off so promising and now this, so what better way to spend a lousy afternoon than cuddled up dozing in the warmth.

Luc's got his eyes closed and he is enjoying the ministrations from Eddi as she absently runs her fingers up and down his clad chest. A little smile lifts the corners of his mouth as he finds a bare bit of skin and delicately uses his index finger to create lazy circles on her hipbone. With her head against his chest she can hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, soothing her and she sighs settling further into his embrace.

"So how many relationships have you been in Luc?" she asks breaking the silence.

His eyes flicker open and he lays staring up at the ceiling.

"Including my marriage and you? Four."

She sits up to stare down at him, his arm falls but he retains contact by placing his hand on her thigh.

"Four? Is that all?"

"Well if you haven't noticed I'm not exactly the best at conveying emotion. I'm naturally a recluse."

"Yeah, I think I worked that one out for myself what with you holing yourself up in your lab and disappearing without a word. Are you a commitment phobe?"

"I wouldn't say that considering I was married. I'd say I'm weary of getting attached. I gave my heart once only for it to be destroyed. Let's say I learn from experience."

"So what did you learn from your other relationships? When were they? How long did they last?"

"Nosey aren't you!" he smiles up at her.

"Only curious to know what makes you tic and what not to do to cause you to run."

"Just being you is enough for me."

"But you ran from that."

"And I came back."

"Only because Sacha called you."

"I would have come back eventually Sacha just kicked me into gear that's all."

"Hmmmm. So what about the other two relationships?"

"What about them?"

"Luc!"

"Okay, okay. The first ever relationship I had was when I was eighteen…"

"Eighteen!"

"Well looking after my mother was a full time job, didn't exactly leave much room for meeting girls. Kind of a romantic kill joy, you know. As I was saying, I was eighteen when I entered my first relationship. My friend's sister set us up which was rather odd really considering I never met her."

"You never met the girl you dated or you never met your friend's sister?"

"Never met my friend's sister of course. I know I'm recluse but not physically meeting my girlfriend is pretty ridiculous even by my standards!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she chuckles. "Please, carry on."

"Anyway, it didn't exactly last that long, just over a month."

"What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Eddi simply raises her eyebrows at him in that all knowing way. "I asked if I could take some of her blood."

"You what!"

"I was a young aspiring doctor! What did you expect me to do? I was fascinated by blood!"

"Still, you don't go and ask your girlfriend for a sample!"

"I asked you and you accepted."

"We weren't even dating, plus you tricked me. I thought you were going to show me a surprise."

"Well I did didn't I? You weren't expecting me take your blood and as I recall you got a much more satisfying surprise instead."

"You never did take my blood."

"No, but I got to take something else," he smirks.

And a look is shared between the two. No words are needed, but before being drawn into his eyes she speaks.

"A-and what about your other relationship?"

"The other was when I was nineteen and this time it was an older woman."

"How old and how did you meet her?" she says raising her eyebrows.

"She was thirty-one and I met her at a summer solstice at Stonehenge."

"You were at a…no actually I can see you at a spiritual gathering…"

"Actually my friend dragged me to it."

"But you enjoyed it? Don't try and deny it!"

"Fine, fine, I did."

"And that's a pretty big age gap for a nineteen year old."

"I was attracted to her ease and friendliness. She also only looked twenty-three."

"Lucky for some, must be the years rolling around in the mud. Good for your skin apparently. So what happened with her?"

"Ah, for once I had a decent reason to run," he sits up warming to the subject.

"This has got to be good," even Eddi leans forward.

"Well, I'm all for spiritual healing and things, everyone to their own, but once she found out I had a thing about blood she took it a step too far. She wanted a sample of my blood and I thought I found a kindred spirit. However, when she said she wanted to drink it because it would bind our souls, well I had to get out of there and unfortunately at the time I was wearing only a bin bag, don't ask. So there was me running through the street in broad daylight…what are you laughing at?"

Eddi couldn't retain her amusement and as soon as he mentioned himself legging it away in a bin bag, well, she couldn't hold it in any longer otherwise she'd physically combust. Now she's clutching her side and has tears rolling down her cheek. It's an image she will not be able to get out of her head for a long while.