Title: I Want You To Need Me
Author: Mary (SlayerKnight2@aol.com)
Website: none
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I Want You To Need Me 15
By Mary
This was it.
This would decide everything.
Riddick's hands clenched unconsciously at his side. The past flew by him at warp speed, brining with them long-forgotten emotions.
//The screams of the boys at the orphanage. Why a priest? Why someone that he trusted? Never trust again. Never care again. Let down your guard and this is what happens.//
//Juvy's rough. He saw his friend Keen again. Kid's hocked up on something. Can't blame him, everyone suffocates here under the unrelentless tension and confusion.//
//Prison's easier. Had a couple of fuck buddies but no emotion. He felt dead in here and the damned doctors were picking his brain in the autopsy. The guard's turned his back.. never turn your back//
//Johns. Quiet, alone, beaten on those steps. Should've just kept walking. But he looked so different. Call it morbid curiosity.//
//Took him back to my apartment. No one's ever looked to me for comfort before. It's odd to hold someone but I don't want to let him go.//
//"Where'd you go?"
"Where I'm going to take you now."
"You're too late. I've already been to hell."//
//"So, you're trying to clear your conscience of the past with me?"//
Riddick shook his head. The past haunted him with living ghosts of lessons never fully learned. Trust another, let your guard down, and the scars will never heal. Those scars never really heal, they just fester. After years of proof of this, Riddick had reopened the same wound. He'd allowed himself to trust and this was his punishment.
The beasts screamed around them, the scent of blood driving them into a frenzy. One landed a few meters from Johns. This as it. The end was near. Riddick moved closer. Could he let this happen? He couldn't kill Johns with his own hand, could he still himself to simply watch the same fate?
Johns stood up shakily, his wide blue eyes full of panic. He, too, saw the creature. Riddick took off after him. Pulling Johns to the ground with him just as the creature would have flown at him. He landed on top of the wounded man, hearing a grunt of surprise and pain from the man underneath him.
Riddick himself did not understand why had acted all he had known was that this was not the way this was supposed to happen.
For a moment, he relished the feeling of Johns; his body pressed up against him almost in a mockery of the past. He moved his hand to find it covered in blood. Ice coiled in his stomach. The monsters moved in. In the dark he could see them honing in on Johns. He roughly grabbed Johns' arm, pulling him up and half dragging him away.
"We have to find the light."
Riddick wasn't sure if Johns heard. The other man stumbled along after him, his eyes glazed over. They approached the others without incident, which made Riddick more nervous. this meant that these things were planning something.
The others were already in the canyon. Everyone was shocked to see them both alive.
Imam moved to Johns' side. "Are you alright?"
All the energy seemed to have seeped out of Johns along with his blood. He nodded numbly at the man's question. He allowed Imam to take his arm, his light shining over Johns. Riddick knew they couldn't move on just yet, they needed to regroup.
He moved the others to a rock formation, moving the 'door' out of the way for the others to file in. He eyes followed Johns but the other man ignored him.
It was fairly large cavern but secure. No openings, save the huge boulder, that allowed the monsters in. Riddick watched Imam help Johns to sit down all the way in the back of the cave. The other man slumped down, brining his knees to his chest and folding his arms around them, resting his head on them. Imam wanted to help but took the hint and left Johns alone. He sat down next to Fry and the girl to pray for salvation.
Riddick walked up to Johns, standing above him for a few moments before choosing to sit down next to him. The whole time, Johns didn't move. He turned to watch Johns. The young man had looked almost exactly the same way he had that night. So lost and alone, curled up in an age-old gesture of insecurity. He'd been injured then, too, by a man who Johns had trusted. The truth stabbed at Riddick. This kid really did follow a pattern. They had been at a crossroads then and had chosen a beaten yet interesting course. Here they were again. What path would they chose now that they knew where the one lead?
He could see that Johns was shaking. Impulse drove his hand to caress the side of the young man's face. His heart ached as the other jumped and recoiled. A week ago, hell an hour ago, Johns wouldn't have reacted in such a way.
Blue eyes looked up at him. Not full of malice but devastation. "Don't touch me."
"A little late for that request." He couldn't help the jab. He was hoping for some sort of spark in the crystal eyes. But Johns simply turned away to look at the wall, hi head still resting on his arms as though he hadn't the strength to pick it up. "I just want to help."
"You've done enough." Riddick mentally winced at the bitter words.
He looked up to see Imam hand him some brown cloths. "To staunch the bleeding. I'm afraid there's little else we can do until we reach the ship."
Riddick nodded his thanks. He gently placed them on Johns' back, over the wound. The shirt was soaked with blood, it's white purity turned to a crimson stain. The sight was foreboding. He felt Johns jump beneath his hand but was surprised when the young man didn't move away.
"I just don't want to bleed to death." Johns' voice was soft, tilted with a sad sarcasm.
Riddick pressed down on the cloths, trying to stop the blood. They just sat there in silence for a while. After about a half hour, Imam walked over to them.
"He's asleep."
Imam looked at him. "How do you know?"
"His breathing. It's soft and slower." Riddick moved quietly, pulling Johns into his arms. The young man leaned against him, his head lying on Riddick's chest.
Imam looked unaffected, as though he had known of the relationship. Maybe he was smarter than Riddick gave him credit for. "He fell asleep?"
"More like passed out."
The religious leader nodded. "The others are tired as well. We should spend a few hours here to sleep."
"No rush, holy man. These beasts are planning something. Might as well just sit back and watch what happens."