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Riley walked over to a circular window overlooking the driveway. He put his hand to the cold glass, then his forehead. Looking out over Aspen's car, then the road, then stopping where the trees meet the road. Visions of Riley's family danced through the forest across the road. Laughing, smiling, that's how he knew they were visions.

He looked sideway over to Aspen, watching her from behind as she went through the boxes. He vaguely heard her speaking, probably more book titles he should read. He watched her and imagined what it would have been like for her to meet him in a different life. One where he had been able to read all the things he wanted and to master his piano skill and learn different languages. And be sane. Don't forget about the sanity. He turned back to the window, quietly sliding down the glass until he sat with his back against the window sill, head leaning against the glass. His eyes staring across the street like a corpse.
 
Aspen looked up, to where Riley stood at the window. "Hey," she said softly, standing up and joining him at the window. "What's wrong?"

Aspen touched his back lightly, looking at his face worriedly. Aspen went through what she had said just before, worried that she had said something upsetting.
 
Her touched surprised him. He had been away from reality and he did not expect her to be so close when he looked up again. He jumped slightly, eyes darting over her face. When he recognized Aspen his shoulders relaxed and he placed his hand lightly over hers. she felt warm compared to the glass. She felt warm compared to him.

"I..." he croaked softly. Without finishing, he rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes, shutting in his mind's ramblings.
 
Aspen slowly sat against the wall, pulling Riley down with her. She held him close, keeping his head on her shoulder, as she slid her arms around his chest. "Are you okay?"

Stupid question, he obviously wasn't. But Aspen didn't know what else to say.
 
Riley half smiled, "Comparatively? Great. I'm not in Syria getting shot at by other Syrians." He said matter-of-fact. Riley knew she was trying to comfort him, and he could never express how much her being there helped him not jump out of this window.

But at the same time, he wished she wasn't there. He didn't like seeing her worry so much, especially over something she could never solve, like him. He wished he knew what exactly he was feeling, what his was thinking, what he was. But riley didn't like digging through his brain looking for answers, he never found anything good.
 
Aspen pushed her glasses back up her small nose. "Being in Syria right now would kind of suck," she agreed.

"Riley, is there anything I am able to do to help you? In any way?" Almost as an afterthought, Aspen brushed his hair away from his face and kissed him on the forehead.
 
"Just be here," he said after a long silence. "I don't know a lot of things and I'm scared of the answers." He touched her face, then let his hand rest on her collarbone, fingers just touching her neck. "I'm sorry. I know you're worried and I'm sorry I don't have an answer for you. Please know that the only reason you see any of this in me at all is that I feel comfortable enough with you to feel.
 
Aspen hugged him tighter. "Riley, it's fine, I don't expect anything from you." She spoke the truth. "I don't expect answers. I just want you to be here."

Aspen lightly kissed him on the lips.
 
Riley appreciated the kiss. He wasn't sure how she wanted him to respond however. He wanted to sit with her and yet he also wanted to follow the soft kiss with more.
 
Aspen kissed him again, slower this time. She didn't know what he wanted her to do. She didn't know what he wanted to do to her.

Aspen slowly traced the hard muscle of his back, over his shirt, waiting for him to respond.
 
Riley looked down at her arms around him, to her hair falling around her face, to her eyes staring into his, to her lips, just slightly open. He opened his mouth to say something. Something along the confusing lines of "Are you sure you want to be with me? Are you sure you trust me? Want me? Tell me if you don't." All of these questions and more rose up in his throat, hovering on the edge of his tongue.

Before a word could escape his lips, his body moved independently from his troubled mind. He wrapped one arm around her lower back, both supporting her and bringing her closer to him. He brought his lips to hers, kissing her. Slowly and softly, inviting her reaction, either approving or not so. He slowly laid her down on her back, supporting her descent with his arm, the other stretched out to support their combined weight. Still kissing her as the two gently lay down. When her back was against the floor, her hair splayed out like a golden fan, he leaned his face back. Looking into her eyes for any sign of protest, or invitation.
 
Aspen smiled a small smile, and reached upwards to wrap one arm around his shoulder, cupping the back of his neck with the other. She pulled him down until their lips met again. She smiled into the kiss.

Aspen wasn't sure what she wanted to do with Riley right there, but she knew she loved him. She loved being around him, she loved kissing him. Aspen loved feeling loved by Riley.
 
Riley smiled against her lips. He rolled to the side, breaking the kiss. He propped himself up on his elbow and slowly ran his fingers up and down Aspen's neck. Riley wanted her, but he didn't think they had known each other long enough to go that far. More accurately, he was still waiting for her to change her mind about liking the crazy kid.

He lay down on his back and pulled her over to next to him, his arm around her shoulders, holding tight but not so much so that she couldn't move away if she wished it.
 
Aspen leaned her head on his chest, smiling. She loved him, more than anything.

"Okay, I hate to be the killjoy, but I think you should go to your appointment tonight," she reminded him. "What time is it again?"

She checked the time on her phone. 2:17pm. They had a few more hours, at least.

"Oh, and did you want to keep that Sun Tzu book?"
 
Riley murmured something in the affirmative, but his mind was elsewhere. He was staring up at the attic ceiling, tracing the lines in the wood with her gaze and letting consciousness drain out of him. He felt close to Aspen and her gently weight on his chest was comforting. After a soft silence, he asked her what she was thinking.
 
While Riley was absently staring at the ceiling, Aspen concentrated on his chest rising and falling. Her mind wandered, as it did when she was distracted, and his soft question snapped her back into reality.

"I was actually translating random phrases into Russian in my head to see if I can still do it," she said quietly.
 
"Of course" he said didactically. Leaning his head back until it touched the floor, he closed his eyes. "Do your language odyssey out loud," Riley requested softly. He began counting his breaths.

In: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Hold. Out: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Hold.

Riley focused on the melodic tones of Aspen's voice, and began to fall asleep.
 
"Language odyssey?"

Aspen thought for a moment, then began reciting a Russian lullaby. She said it twice in Russian, then twice in Spanish, and twice in Italian.

"I'm learning French and German at home, I probably can't sing you anything in those. Sorry."
 
"Mmhmm..." Riley sighed as he fell asleep. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was Aspens face, looking down at his, the light reflecting off her blue eye. He smiled, touched her face with his fingers and let his hand slowly fall to his chest.

As he surrendered himself to the abyss of sleep, four letter words that start with L danced in his head.
 
Aspen let him sleep, guessing he needed it. She busied herself with Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzsche. She had no problem deciphering the occasional German.

Aspen finished the book at around four o'clock. She then crawled back over to Riley and shook him gently. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, wake up, my mom is expecting you soon."
 
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