How I See You
By Sarah Bross
Part One
A Recluse's Portrait of A Warrior
By Sarah Bross
Part One
A Recluse's Portrait of A Warrior
You all know him as Ajax. A Warrior, tough, mean, foul-mouthed and let's not forget always up for a fight.
Well, that's the side of him you know. The side I knew was slightly different. A side he'd never show to his fellow Warriors. He was still the Ajax you knew but to me he was someone else.?
I heard the door slam, signaling he was home. It was 2 AM, he was earlier than usual. I was in the kitchen, washing dishes. My apartment was a bit small, but to us that didn't matter. It was warm enough in the winter and it was a roof over our heads. I saw him leaning in the doorway out the corner of my eye.
"Hey." I said. "You're back early."
"Yeah..." He responded, still leaning in the doorway. I turned to look at him. I was shorter than him and very pale, because I don?t go outside as much as he does.
"Well?" He asked me.
"Well what?" I responded, even though I knew perfectly well what he meant.
He rolled his eyes and walked over to me. I had to tilt my head up to look at his face.
"You know what I mean." He muttered, leaning down to kiss me. His lips tasted like beer. I didn't mind, even though I hate alcohol. He pulled away from me to go look through the fridge. I went back to washing dishes.
"So why are you home so early?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the sink.
"No reason." Was his response.
"Did you...miss me?" I asked.
"Nah..."
"Liar." I thought to myself. I'm good at reading people. "Nah" in Ajax-speak means, "I really did want to see you, I just don't want to admit it because it makes me sound sentimental." I don't call him Ajax. I call him Jack. Why, you ask? Because he lets me.
I finished washing the dishes and put them away. By then, he was in the living room, his Warriors vest slung over a chair. He took off his gloves too. He saw me standing in the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room. I walked over without a word and sat next to him. He took my chin in his hand and turned my head to look at him. He had blue eyes. My eyes are brown. He swiped his thumb under my left eye.
"What's with all that black s**t around your eyes?"? He asked me. I wore a lot of eyeliner and mascara.
"I like it." I told him, my expression not changing. He let go of my chin and took a swig of beer before he spoke.
"You look dead."
"Hmph."
He knew that was Emma-speak for "Tough luck." It's funny how we can say what we mean without actually saying it. We sat there on the couch in silence, too lazy to get up and turn on the TV.
"Jack?"
"What?"
"Why do you care?"
"Never said I did." He responded.
"How come you can't give me a straight answer?" I asked him. I ask a lot of questions sometimes. He looked at me, and didn't answer.
I don't why I asked, I knew what it was. 'Ajax' had only one fear. And that fear was showing weakness. Not even to me, the person who would never tell anyone. Aside from him, I had no friends. I lost contact with my estranged father years ago. My mother died when I was three. I'm an only child. Jack was all I had. Ajax been living with me for a year. He used to live next door, and I didn't know him. He was late all the time with the rent and the landlord was throwing him out. I let him live with me. The landlord wasn't too happy because she didn't like him. Oh well...
I thought we were going to just sit on that couch all night. We've done that before. We just sat there until we nod off and then I'd wake up the next morning with my head on his shoulder. Not tonight.
He got up and took off the black tank top he usually wore. I stared, naturally. He turned to look at me.
"You comin' or what?"
I got up, and followed him. He used to sleep on the couch. That was before...never mind. I went into the bathroom to change into my pajamas. He didn't have shame around me, but I did. When I came out he was already under the covers. I got in next to him...and no sooner did my head make contact with my pillow did his lips make contact with my neck. He was in one of those moods.
"Jack..."
"Mm?" Was the only response he could give with his lips glued to my neck.
"...Never mind..."
I don't know why I bother putting on pajamas, they most often end up on the floor by night's end. You know what I mean. I know he's been with other women...and for some reason thought up by my warped logic, it's okay with me, it's not like we're a real couple anyway.
We woke up at noon, obviously, after what we were up all night...um, sorry, I'm not going into detail about that. He leaned in to kiss my slightly bruised lips, which I blame on him. I will admit that he gets pretty rough when we're...you know...but that's the way he was. I loved him for it.
Even though I never said it.
(The next part will be from Ajax's POV)
i can't wait for the end. maybe you should do one like this with cowboy, or rembrandt.
I'm getting all choked up here, oh I have something in my eye. That's is a really great story SpaceToaster, it's says alot without going overboard; no over dramatical dialouge and over the top emotional outpouring it suites the charater Ajax and his girl Emma just right. But I think Vermin and Rembrandt are lookin' to get a butt wuppin' real bad.