Slowly she became aware of the sunlight filtering down through the tent fabric and even more obscured by her still closed eyelids. It was freezing outside of the bedding and she had no desire to get up just yet. As criminal as it was she wanted to feel his body pressed to hers. Not necessarily for sex, she just wanted to soothe away the fears that were filling her mind.
She turned and reached out. It was cold and empty beside her. He was gone. Brazen opened her eyes to look at the rumpled covers but she was full of fear. The worst was the one that had haunted her all the previous day. If she gave in he would have what he wanted and leave, move on to his next conquest. It seemed to be more then a fear but the truth. He had left.
She sat up in the empty tent feeling the lump of tears forming. She couldn't get the feeling of his lips out of her mind and now he was gone. Brazen pulled her knees up tightly to her body for comfort. What was she going to do now? He'd made her a criminal and then abandon her. How could he?
Taking a deep breath she finally looked around the tent. At least he'd left everything for her. There was nothing she could do about it. Susan would have to make the best of it. She found her pants under the covers and pulled them on. The dull pain in her thighs nearly brought tears. It wasn't the hurt but the reminder of his body that got to her. Of all the things she imagined Plissken doing, deserting a companion was not one of them. She had been wrong about his character before now she was paying for trusting him too much.
Susan had told herself she wouldn't cry as she resolutely dug in the bag for a shirt. Her own was hopelessly lost in the tangle of blankets. She pulled the shirt on and it wasn't until she noticed how big it was that Brazen realized it was his. Susan wrapped her arms around herself pressing the fabric tight to her skin. She could remember this shirt. She'd woke against it in the car, up on the pass after he'd saved her life. It still vaguely smelled of him and she choked on the memories. She wouldn't cry Brazen repeated inside to steady her emotions.
The boots and jacket went on mindlessly. Susan couldn't think. If she did it was Snake she would see and she didn't want to see him or think about him. He was gone now it seemed. Brazen opened the flap and stepped out into the bright, brisk day. The snow had accumulated to ankle deep overnight but Brazen was focused on the Indian camp across the clearing. It was bustling already and when her eyes came to the Chief's tent another bout of heavy sickness hit her body.
"Thought you were going to sleep all damned day!"
His voice was loud and startled Brazen to a cry of surprise. It couldn't be. Instantly she turned to look between the tent and the semi-circle of brush. Plissken! He was sitting there tending a fire, cooking something. She didn't think she would ever be so glad to see him as she was at this moment. She thought about it, her reaction had been silly. Plissken was always up before her no matter how early she woke. Susan tried to hide her excitement as she walked over to join him on the tarp he'd spread before the fire.
"What's for breakfast?" She asked sitting as close to him as possible.
"Breakfast?" Snake laughed at her not looking up from his fire. "You missed that hours ago honey."
Hours? Brazen looked up at the sun. It was high overhead. She really had slept for a long time. The crackling of the fire drew her attention back down from the sky but not in time to eliminate the surprise of his arm slipping around her waist. Brazen felt embarrassed that she'd slept so long.
"Last night too much for you?" His voice was lurid and taunting but it was the kiss on her neck that started the fluttering in her stomach. It still had all the desire, if not more then it had. There was relief in that knowledge. He still wanted her and that served to calm her fears of abandonment. At least he wouldn't leave, just yet.
"No." Brazen shot back.
"I'll have to try harder tonight."
She couldn't look at him but she could still feel his breath dangerously close to her ear. He was intolerable and he'd been busy. Her eyes had settled on a stack of cut wood across the small clearing from them. It was enormous but why?
"How long are we staying?" It was the logical question. Surely it wasn't going to get so cold they'd need that much wood for a few days.
"Week or two." Snake shrugged. "Give your arm some time to heal." Snake was partially lying. He did want her to heal but it wasn't so bad they needed to stop traveling. There was another reason to stay so long. It'd been so long for him. So long since he'd had a woman with him. Last he could remember was before Cleveland. Since then had been a whore here and there to fill a night or two but Plissken knew himself. The fear she would leave or he would have to run always pushed him to get what he could. The next few days he'd be distracted every time he saw her.
Plissken loved woman. It wasn't only for the sex, though that wasn't something he was going to complain about. Women kept him grounded and reminded him there was more then death and the darker things he'd seen. In the arms of a woman he could remember what it was to be human and somewhere come into contact with the man he used to be before the war. He felt alive with them and despite accusations Plissken was more for a long term companion then a one night stand. Trust made the woman more appealing and really let him be the man he was losing to the world around him.
Snake leaned over kissing her neck. It wasn't something he could stop. His sex drive would burn raging hot until he was sure she wasn't going to leave. He'd calm some. Not that he'd want less, no, it was simply the knowledge that he could get his desires satisfied whenever he wanted that ended the distraction. Until that happened they would need the protection or at least eyes watching for danger while his couldn't focus on something other then the curve of her hips and the taste of her lips.
It was already happening. Plissken felt his body begging for the food to be forgotten for the woman next to him. He looked her over, his hands pushing down into the warmth between her thighs. Few days wouldn't be so bad. Besides the USPF would expect them to flee instead of staying still. Everything fit nicely for once and he wasn't about to pass up a few days of relaxation.
She leaned her head on his chest and he knew that he was going to have to wait. Women are like gliders. If you wanted to get it to the ground you had to push the right buttons in the right order. He could wait especially now that he knew she was more then willing as a partner in crime.
Snake smiled letting his arms relax around her waist as she leaned heavily against him. Her demeanor had changed and the fact she had chosen to sit so close was a good sign. There was 12 feet of tarp she could have sat on but she had all but sat in his lap. Plissken liked what that could mean.
"What about the Indians?" Brazen looked up at him. She wanted to be held and he seemed to oblige that desire. It made her happy and further quelled the fears that were making her restless.
"What about 'em?" Snake sounded distracted to her but it was the usual.
"Do you trust them?" Brazen relaxed between the warmth of his body and the fire. Whatever he was cooking, something on a spit, brought a growl from her stomach. Finally, Plissken shrugged.
"Enough."
Brazen rolled her eyes at the answer. Back to his cryptic answers. Rarely did she know what he truly thought of anything.
"I'm going to patrol with the scouts." His voice was nonchalant almost bored. She could easily imagine a patrol in an empty wilderness would be painfully tedious to someone like Plissken. Brazen got the idea though. If they felt they were helping, they would no doubt be less hostile. It made sense from a tactical perspective.
"What about me?" Brazen wanted to get out too. She wasn't the best scout and her horseback riding skills were the bare minimum to not fall out of the saddle. Still she wanted to do something. Snake shrugged again.
"Indians don't let women patrol." Brazen felt her hope sink at those words. She knew by the tone in his voice it was some sort of rule they had because he had a disgusted undertone.
"Sure you can find something to do." Plissken added after a silence. His tone was curious and thoughtful but it was unclear why. Brazen let it go determined to go down into the Indian camp while he was out and find something constructive to do.
"What are we eating?"
"Bear."
"Bear?" Brazen didn't know whether to feel disgusted or inquisitive about the prospect of eating it.
"Shot it this morning."
Brazen almost laughed at the hint of pride in Plissken's voice. Despite anything else one could say about Snake, he liked to work. Susan knew it was right on the verge of being a workaholic. He was always busy.
"You should go see her." Snake pointed out a woman walking across the field toward the woods with two children in tow.
"Why?" Brazen was confused.
"She's got the hide." Plissken started poking at the fire and then stood to get more logs. Brazen just stared at him not following his train of thought at all.
"Do you some good to learn tanning." Snake answered her as he stacked a few pieces of wood into his arms.
"Oh." Brazen looked over at the woman not sure of what else she should say. It would be a useful skill now that she was considering it. Susan started to smile as she looked over at Plissken adding the logs to the fire. He was a survival expert. She was sure of it. Maybe she could use this time to hone her skills to something comparable even if she lacked the years of experience. Then he wouldn't treat her like she was so helpless.
Things were looking up compared to when she got out of bed. Brazen got to her feet to help Snake stoke the fire. Cooking was one thing she really needed to learn. If it didn't come in a ration pack she was clueless. Brazen added a few logs to the side of the fire they had been sitting on. More so now then before she was eager to help. Part of her understood why. After the run in with Malloy she realized she couldn't go back to where she had been. This was what she had and she better make the best of it.
When she stood Plissken was right behind her with one devil of a grin. Brazen smiled much happier with the Plissken she was seeing now then the grumpy, aggravated one she was used to. Maybe he just needed laid? Brazen couldn't help to laugh at her own thoughts. His brow rose at her.
"What's so fucking funny?"
The confusion in his expression only made her laugh more. It all stopped when he grabbed a hold of her. His fingers tightened oh her ribs and she shoved him away screaming. It tickled so much it hurt. Brazen watched him stumble back and fall in the snow.
"You goddamned cunt!" His voice was furious and Brazen felt guilty. They'd been having a good day and now she'd started the fighting again. Susan looked down and felt something cold slam into her. She looked down at her chest to see snow and slush stuck to her jacket. Susan couldn't get her mind around what was going on. She looked to Plissken for an answer. He was still sitting on the ground. His whole expression was anger except the slight curl to his lips. It was quite possibly the most mischievous look Brazen had ever seen. She was hit again. Plissken was throwing snowballs at her? That didn't make sense at all. The next one hit her in the face and stung.
"You bastard!" The words were out before she could stop them. She grabbed a handful of snow from the tent and pelted him with it. Her aim was much worse then his but she managed to hit him anyway as he got to his feet. She threw another one and then he was moving toward her. Brazen smirked and turned running away. She could hear him chasing her down. He was gaining and then she was face first in the snow.
Rolling over she sat up watching him walk
back toward the fire. He was laughing but there was nothing cynical
about it. He was really laughing. Brazen stared. Either someone
replaced him with a clone or he'd lost his mind this morning while she
was sleeping because this certainly wasn't the Plissken she knew.