Psymon stared out at the valley, remembering that day so long ago. He could
still hear his friends daring him to jump the gap. He had made bets with
people, as had his friends, that he could make it. Nothing was suppose to
go wrong, but it had. Everyone had just written it off as a miscalculation
on his part, on it just being an impossible jump, but he knew that was
wrong. He should've checked the bike over before getting on it. He hadn't
guessed someone would tamper with it. Someone had wanted to win a bet
pretty bad to put his life on the line. He sighed and got up. With one last
look over his shoulder, he walked to his motercycle, got on, and left.
Zoe saw Psymon getting off his motercycle by his winnebago and went over to him. She leaned on the side of what he called home and watched him. He looked rather troubled, and yet somehow peaceful. She cleared her throat, bringing him back from whatever thought he was lost in.
"Oh, hey, Zoe," Psymon said, smiling at her. Zoe walked over and hugged him.
"Where've you been? The officials have had us tearing this place up looking for you. They figured you were off doing something crazy," she replied. Psymon just shrugged.
"I went off to do some thinking. I didn't know it was a crime," he said, grouchiness creeping into his voice. "Besides, I'm home. I just wanted to drive around a see what changes have been made."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Zoe answered, following him into the winnebago. "You want me to make some tea?" She had gotten him to actually stock his kitchen with real food since she had been seeing him off and on. She had figured he needed more to live on than liquor and potato chips.
"If you want. I'm gonna take a shower," Psymon replied, pulling his shirt off. "Do me a favor and feed the snake, eh?"
"Um, sure," Zoe said, looking at the aquariums warily. She heard the door to his bedroom close and walked over and looked at the mice. "I'm sorry little mousie." She picked one up and dropped it in with the snake, then went over and washed her hands. Next she got a kettle of water on the stove and plopped down in a chair by his table to wait for it to boil. The winnebago was so much smaller than the tour busses the rest of them lived on, but she liked it a lot better. It was nice and comfy. The whistle of the kettle brought her attention back and she filled up two cups with the water and set some tea bags in them: green tea for Psymon, and raspberry tea for herself.
"The tea smells good," she heard Psymon say behind her. She turned and saw him standing there with a towel around him. "Sorry. I came out to get my pants."
"Oh, they're over here," Zoe said quickly, trying not to stare at his muscles. She handed the pants to him and he walked back to his room and closed the door, not all the way though.
"Have the officials decided to lift my suspension yet for setting Elise on fire?" Psymon called from his bedroom.
"Yeah, that's why they had us looking for you, to let you know you could be in this event," Zoe called back, stirring the tea. She felt Psymon's arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder.
"Well, yay. I get to race in my hometown. Nice of them, eh?" he said softly, rocking her a bit. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned against him.
"You know, they wouldn't suspend you as much if you would try not to fight with the others," she said, laying her arms on his.
"And where's the fun in that?" Psymon asked her, then pulled away and picked up his cup. He walked over and sat down at his table and looked at her. "Even when I'm nice to them, they still bitch at me."
"Well, most of them are egotistical jerks," Zoe relpied, sitting down across from him. "You have to just hang out with the ones that actually get along with you."
"Funny, I thought I already was doing that," Psymon said, winking at her. He sipped his tea, looking out the window. Zoe sighed softly and looked him over. When his hair was wet it didn't stick up as much, but it still looked cute. The light coming in from the window made his icy blue eyes look almost colorless. She traced the chain tattoos along his body with her eyes, not aware he was looking at her again. "Earth to Zoe. Hey, you okay?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I was, um, just looking at your tatoos," she replied, blushing slightly. "Why did you choose chains?"
"To remind myself of restraint," Psymon answered simply. "Why'd you choose a butterfly?"
"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to show that under all my toughness, I'm still a girl," Zoe answered placing her hand over Psymon's. He moved his hand under hers, turning it so he could hold her hand, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand.
"To some people, a butterfly would mean freedom. You're a lot more free than I am, Zoe. You're not afraid to be who you are," he said softly, looking back out the window. "Oh, crap. Here comes Kaori."
"What?" Zoe asked looking out the window. "Damn, she must be looking for me. I told Kaori I'd help her with her 900 Crippled Squirrel."
Psymon let go of her hand and got up, picking the cup up, then went to the sink to wash them out. Zoe knew he was miffed about their quality time being interrupted. She hadn't quite yet told the others that she was seeing Psymon. She just didn't know how they'd take it. Getting up, she quickly kissed Psymon's cheek, smiling at his soft growl, and walked outside to catch Kaori.
Psymon sighed, watching Zoe and Kaori walk off. It hurt that she didn't want the others knowing that they were seeing each other, but he could understand it well enough. Most of them wouldn't take it very well, and that might effect how they competed with her. He shook his head and went to his bedroom to look for a shirt. He pet the crow as he walked by, then rummaged in the closet and pulled out his usual white wife-beater shirt. He put the shirt on and walked back through the winnebago to the closet where he kept his boards. He grabbed up his Dogs of War board and headed outside toward the Garibaldi course to get some practice runs in.
"Where are you going?" a voice said behind him. Psymon sighed and looked back to see Elise standing there with her hands on her hips.
"I'm going for a few free rides down the Garibaldi course. Got a problem with that?" Psymon snapped. Elise frowned.
"Yeah. You're on suspension for your little fire back at Mesablanca. You're not taking up practice time for other boarders," she said.
"The officials took me off suspension. I'm allowed in this event, and I'm going to go practice. You can come along if you'd like, but otherwise, piss off," Psymon replied, smirking. Elise's eyes narrowed.
"Fine, go practice. I'll just go talk to the officials about it," she answered.
"I'm in my hometown, Elise. They're not gonna keep me on suspension for it. Besides, I promise to be good," the crazy boarder said, then flicked his lighter close to her, making her jump back. Psymon couldn't help but laugh. "See? I'm not as stupid as you think I am."
"Oh, Psymon, you could never be as stupid as I think you are," Elise retorted, then stormed off to find the officials. Psymon just shook his head and continued on to the start of the Garibaldi run. At the top of the mountain, he looked out at the course. The land was as beautiful as he ever remembered it being. Coming home often made him wonder why he'd ever left. He sat down in the snow to strap his board on, his mind flooded with thoughts of the past. It never failed, whenever he was here, he couldn't hide from his past. He closed his eyes, pressing his hands to his ears, trying to close out the memories, but to no avail. In the back of his mind, he could hear the whispers.
"I don't want to remember," he said quietly to the voices.
I'm here, I always will be. You can't run from me, Psymon. I know you inside and out.
"No. Leave me alone," Psymon whimpered. He hadn't even realized he had curled into the fetal position. The laughter from the back of his mind haunted him the way it always had. Ever since...no, even before the accident, he'd heard it. His failure laughing at him. He flopped onto his back and sighed, looking up at the sky, ignoring the coldness of the snow on his back. He wiped away the tears he hadn't known he had shed and covered his eyes with his arm. "Why can't I just be normal?"
After awhile he got up and looked at the course, then pushed off and rode the slopes. The sound of his board going over the snow was calming. At the first few jumps, he pulled off a few simple tricks, working his way into the harder stuff. He wanted to relax more then practice anyway. Even the few tumbles he took didn't bother him. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Zoe about her being free. Out here on the snow was one of the few places he felt free. He wished he could have this feeling while doing everyday stuff.
Psymon soon came to the end of the course and slid to a stop, then unfastened the board. He walked over and sat on the ramp and looked back up the mountain. Tomorrow they'd have it set up for the showoff rounds of the event, but for now it was all peaceful snow. He pulled out a crumpled pack of Pall Malls and lit one up, enjoying the serenity of the moment. He heard a noise behind him and looked back to see Brodi standing there.
"Hey, Psy," the surfer said. Psymon just nodded to him as he walked up. "Enjoying the snow?"
"Yeah, one of the things I love about this place. Peaceful," Psymon answered, blowing smoke away from Brodi.
"I am reminded of a Zen saying. 'Lovely snow flakes, they fall nowhere else.' It seems to fit," Brodi said, sitting down beside Psymon.
"That may be the first of that Zen crap you spout that has ever made sense," the Canadian replied.
"A lot of it makes sense if you listen," Brodi chuckled. "You really should be more open-minded."
"Why? It's a lot of crap," Psymon scoffed. Brodi just sighed and closed his eyes, as if listening.
"'There is no grasping the nature of true nature, and no casting it aside. Only so can the center of the unattainable be attained. It is silent when it speaks, and speaks when it is silent. Wide open stands the mighty door of the giver of Truth.' Words to live by, friend," Brodi said, then looked at Psymon.
"Yeah, but what's all that mean?" Psymon asked.
"Different things to different people. The path of Zen is different for everyone, but the all reach the same destination," Brodi answered. Psymon just nodded, shrugging.
"Still sounds like your talking out of your ass. I do like that snowflake thing, though. It's sort of how I feel about Canada," he said, looking back up the mountain.
"We all have a destiny in life, Psymon. You may yet find yours. 'Catch the vigorous horse of your mind.' Think about it and you'll find your answer," Brodi said quietly, then got up and walked off. Psymon just watched him walk away.
"I'm not sure that's a horse I want to deal with,"he said quietly. He got up, picked up his board and headed back to his winnebago. Zoe was sitting on its steps waiting for him. "Hey, Zoe. What's up?"
"The winnebago was locked, so I waited for you here," Zoe answered, getting up so he could unlock the door, then followed him in. Psymon put his board in the closet as Zoe brushed past him to his kitchen area. She looked back at him. "Have you eaten?'
"No, not yet. You want to go out and get something?" Psymon asked. Zoe shook her head.
"I thought maybe we could have dinner here. Just us," she answered, resting her hip against his counter. "I'll cook something. Maybe after dinner we can watch a movie or something."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna go feed Sparky, okay?" Psymon replied moving past her. Zoe put her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss. Psymon just smiled. "Or we could skip dinner and just find something more interesting to do."
"No way. I'm starving," Zoe laughed, slapping Psymon on his butt. "I'll have dinner ready soon."
"Alright," Psymon answered and walked into his bed room. He filled the little cup of food for Sparky and walked back to the doorway, stopping to watch Zoe bustle about the kitchen. Was this what married life would be like? Psymon shook his head. What was he thinking? He walked over and put his arms around Zoe, wanting very much to be close to her right now. "Dinner smells great."
"Thanks. I hope you like spagetti," Zoe said, tilting her head back to kiss him. Psymon gave her a quick peck then got out of her way. He plunked down in a chair and watched her.
"Zoe, you ever think we'll have more than this?" he asked. Zoe looked at him.
"What's wrong with what we got? We've got the snow, our boards, each other...what more do you want?" she asked back. Psymon shrugged and shook his head.
"Nevermind. I was just thinking about something Brodi said earlier," he answered.
"Listening to Brodi will warp your mind even more than it already is," Zoe laughed, setting the plate of spagetti in front of him. "Now eat before it gets cold."
Psymon was happy to oblige, not often getting a home-cooked meal. He and Zoe talked about the competition tomorrow and the usual gossip that floated around. Looking at her made him realize he was lucky and his only regret was not saying something sooner. After dinner, he cleaned up and then curled up with her on his bed and watched some old B-movie he had. He stroked her hair, feeling comfortable with her. He was glad that she had started riding with him when they moved around from location to location. The trips had been lonely before, but now he looked forward to the time they spent together. He sighed softly, shifting his weight. Zoe wriggled around and looked up at him.
"You're thinking again," she said quietly.
"Bad habit, I know," Psymon answered. "You've got something better to keep me occupied."
"Sure," Zoe said, leaning up and kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him, kissing her back. Zoe pulled back and looked down at him, her flaming red hair framing her face. Psymon had never seen her look better. He reached up to pull her down into a kiss, but she caught his hand. "I want to run the show this time."
"Whatever you want," Psymon answered, relaxing back against his pillows. Zoe pulled his shirt up, and he helped her get it off of him, then laid back again. He sighed softly as her hands trailed over his chest and stomach. Totally relaxed he closed his eyes, feeling her lips brush against his skin here and there. Zoe leaned down and kissed him. Psymon just wrapped his arms around her again and kissed back, pushing his tongue gently into her mouth. He moaned softly as she sucked on it, massaging it with her own tongue. Zoe sat up abruptly at the sound of someone knocking on the winnebago's door. Psymon just groaned and looked up at her as she got off him. "I guess someone up there doesn't want us having any fun, eh?"
"Maybe," Zoe laughed. "Just go answer the door."
Psymon nodded and scooted off the bed, then walked through the kitchen area to the door. He opened the door and frowned at Marisol standing there. "What do you want, Marisol?"
"I thought you might want to come dancing with me and Seeiah. You seemed like you had such a wonderful time at Joe's Gone Wild," the latin woman said, smiling.
"I'm busy," Psymon answered flatly. He started to shut the door, but Marisol hopped up the steps and grabbed him around the waist.
"Oh, come on. You can't always stay cooped up in here. Let's have some fun," she giggled.
"He's already having fun," Zoe called from the bedroom door. "Leave him alone, Marisol."
"Oh, I see. You two are such a cute couple," Marisol said, looking from one to the other and back. She quickly darted off, laughing. "Oh, I have got to tell everyone about this."
"I guess the cat's out of the bag, eh?" Psymon said, closing the door. He turned and looked at Zoe, leaning against his door. Zoe looked a little put off. The Canadian frowned. "What's wrong?"
"I wanted to be able to tell them all on my own terms," Zoe answered. Psymon walked over to her and hugged her.
"Zoe, are you ashamed of me?" he asked softly. Zoe shook her head.
"No, it's just that, well, I know everyone's going to come down on me and I just wanted a little more time to prepare for it," she answered, leaning against his chest. Psymon hugged her tight.
"Can we go for a walk? I want to show you something," the crazy boarder asked. Zoe nodded silently. Psymon just stroked her hair. "Let me get my shirt on. We'll have to take my bike."
Zoe saw Psymon getting off his motercycle by his winnebago and went over to him. She leaned on the side of what he called home and watched him. He looked rather troubled, and yet somehow peaceful. She cleared her throat, bringing him back from whatever thought he was lost in.
"Oh, hey, Zoe," Psymon said, smiling at her. Zoe walked over and hugged him.
"Where've you been? The officials have had us tearing this place up looking for you. They figured you were off doing something crazy," she replied. Psymon just shrugged.
"I went off to do some thinking. I didn't know it was a crime," he said, grouchiness creeping into his voice. "Besides, I'm home. I just wanted to drive around a see what changes have been made."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Zoe answered, following him into the winnebago. "You want me to make some tea?" She had gotten him to actually stock his kitchen with real food since she had been seeing him off and on. She had figured he needed more to live on than liquor and potato chips.
"If you want. I'm gonna take a shower," Psymon replied, pulling his shirt off. "Do me a favor and feed the snake, eh?"
"Um, sure," Zoe said, looking at the aquariums warily. She heard the door to his bedroom close and walked over and looked at the mice. "I'm sorry little mousie." She picked one up and dropped it in with the snake, then went over and washed her hands. Next she got a kettle of water on the stove and plopped down in a chair by his table to wait for it to boil. The winnebago was so much smaller than the tour busses the rest of them lived on, but she liked it a lot better. It was nice and comfy. The whistle of the kettle brought her attention back and she filled up two cups with the water and set some tea bags in them: green tea for Psymon, and raspberry tea for herself.
"The tea smells good," she heard Psymon say behind her. She turned and saw him standing there with a towel around him. "Sorry. I came out to get my pants."
"Oh, they're over here," Zoe said quickly, trying not to stare at his muscles. She handed the pants to him and he walked back to his room and closed the door, not all the way though.
"Have the officials decided to lift my suspension yet for setting Elise on fire?" Psymon called from his bedroom.
"Yeah, that's why they had us looking for you, to let you know you could be in this event," Zoe called back, stirring the tea. She felt Psymon's arms around her, his chin resting on her shoulder.
"Well, yay. I get to race in my hometown. Nice of them, eh?" he said softly, rocking her a bit. Zoe closed her eyes and leaned against him.
"You know, they wouldn't suspend you as much if you would try not to fight with the others," she said, laying her arms on his.
"And where's the fun in that?" Psymon asked her, then pulled away and picked up his cup. He walked over and sat down at his table and looked at her. "Even when I'm nice to them, they still bitch at me."
"Well, most of them are egotistical jerks," Zoe relpied, sitting down across from him. "You have to just hang out with the ones that actually get along with you."
"Funny, I thought I already was doing that," Psymon said, winking at her. He sipped his tea, looking out the window. Zoe sighed softly and looked him over. When his hair was wet it didn't stick up as much, but it still looked cute. The light coming in from the window made his icy blue eyes look almost colorless. She traced the chain tattoos along his body with her eyes, not aware he was looking at her again. "Earth to Zoe. Hey, you okay?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I was, um, just looking at your tatoos," she replied, blushing slightly. "Why did you choose chains?"
"To remind myself of restraint," Psymon answered simply. "Why'd you choose a butterfly?"
"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to show that under all my toughness, I'm still a girl," Zoe answered placing her hand over Psymon's. He moved his hand under hers, turning it so he could hold her hand, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand.
"To some people, a butterfly would mean freedom. You're a lot more free than I am, Zoe. You're not afraid to be who you are," he said softly, looking back out the window. "Oh, crap. Here comes Kaori."
"What?" Zoe asked looking out the window. "Damn, she must be looking for me. I told Kaori I'd help her with her 900 Crippled Squirrel."
Psymon let go of her hand and got up, picking the cup up, then went to the sink to wash them out. Zoe knew he was miffed about their quality time being interrupted. She hadn't quite yet told the others that she was seeing Psymon. She just didn't know how they'd take it. Getting up, she quickly kissed Psymon's cheek, smiling at his soft growl, and walked outside to catch Kaori.
Psymon sighed, watching Zoe and Kaori walk off. It hurt that she didn't want the others knowing that they were seeing each other, but he could understand it well enough. Most of them wouldn't take it very well, and that might effect how they competed with her. He shook his head and went to his bedroom to look for a shirt. He pet the crow as he walked by, then rummaged in the closet and pulled out his usual white wife-beater shirt. He put the shirt on and walked back through the winnebago to the closet where he kept his boards. He grabbed up his Dogs of War board and headed outside toward the Garibaldi course to get some practice runs in.
"Where are you going?" a voice said behind him. Psymon sighed and looked back to see Elise standing there with her hands on her hips.
"I'm going for a few free rides down the Garibaldi course. Got a problem with that?" Psymon snapped. Elise frowned.
"Yeah. You're on suspension for your little fire back at Mesablanca. You're not taking up practice time for other boarders," she said.
"The officials took me off suspension. I'm allowed in this event, and I'm going to go practice. You can come along if you'd like, but otherwise, piss off," Psymon replied, smirking. Elise's eyes narrowed.
"Fine, go practice. I'll just go talk to the officials about it," she answered.
"I'm in my hometown, Elise. They're not gonna keep me on suspension for it. Besides, I promise to be good," the crazy boarder said, then flicked his lighter close to her, making her jump back. Psymon couldn't help but laugh. "See? I'm not as stupid as you think I am."
"Oh, Psymon, you could never be as stupid as I think you are," Elise retorted, then stormed off to find the officials. Psymon just shook his head and continued on to the start of the Garibaldi run. At the top of the mountain, he looked out at the course. The land was as beautiful as he ever remembered it being. Coming home often made him wonder why he'd ever left. He sat down in the snow to strap his board on, his mind flooded with thoughts of the past. It never failed, whenever he was here, he couldn't hide from his past. He closed his eyes, pressing his hands to his ears, trying to close out the memories, but to no avail. In the back of his mind, he could hear the whispers.
"I don't want to remember," he said quietly to the voices.
I'm here, I always will be. You can't run from me, Psymon. I know you inside and out.
"No. Leave me alone," Psymon whimpered. He hadn't even realized he had curled into the fetal position. The laughter from the back of his mind haunted him the way it always had. Ever since...no, even before the accident, he'd heard it. His failure laughing at him. He flopped onto his back and sighed, looking up at the sky, ignoring the coldness of the snow on his back. He wiped away the tears he hadn't known he had shed and covered his eyes with his arm. "Why can't I just be normal?"
After awhile he got up and looked at the course, then pushed off and rode the slopes. The sound of his board going over the snow was calming. At the first few jumps, he pulled off a few simple tricks, working his way into the harder stuff. He wanted to relax more then practice anyway. Even the few tumbles he took didn't bother him. He thought back to the conversation he'd had with Zoe about her being free. Out here on the snow was one of the few places he felt free. He wished he could have this feeling while doing everyday stuff.
Psymon soon came to the end of the course and slid to a stop, then unfastened the board. He walked over and sat on the ramp and looked back up the mountain. Tomorrow they'd have it set up for the showoff rounds of the event, but for now it was all peaceful snow. He pulled out a crumpled pack of Pall Malls and lit one up, enjoying the serenity of the moment. He heard a noise behind him and looked back to see Brodi standing there.
"Hey, Psy," the surfer said. Psymon just nodded to him as he walked up. "Enjoying the snow?"
"Yeah, one of the things I love about this place. Peaceful," Psymon answered, blowing smoke away from Brodi.
"I am reminded of a Zen saying. 'Lovely snow flakes, they fall nowhere else.' It seems to fit," Brodi said, sitting down beside Psymon.
"That may be the first of that Zen crap you spout that has ever made sense," the Canadian replied.
"A lot of it makes sense if you listen," Brodi chuckled. "You really should be more open-minded."
"Why? It's a lot of crap," Psymon scoffed. Brodi just sighed and closed his eyes, as if listening.
"'There is no grasping the nature of true nature, and no casting it aside. Only so can the center of the unattainable be attained. It is silent when it speaks, and speaks when it is silent. Wide open stands the mighty door of the giver of Truth.' Words to live by, friend," Brodi said, then looked at Psymon.
"Yeah, but what's all that mean?" Psymon asked.
"Different things to different people. The path of Zen is different for everyone, but the all reach the same destination," Brodi answered. Psymon just nodded, shrugging.
"Still sounds like your talking out of your ass. I do like that snowflake thing, though. It's sort of how I feel about Canada," he said, looking back up the mountain.
"We all have a destiny in life, Psymon. You may yet find yours. 'Catch the vigorous horse of your mind.' Think about it and you'll find your answer," Brodi said quietly, then got up and walked off. Psymon just watched him walk away.
"I'm not sure that's a horse I want to deal with,"he said quietly. He got up, picked up his board and headed back to his winnebago. Zoe was sitting on its steps waiting for him. "Hey, Zoe. What's up?"
"The winnebago was locked, so I waited for you here," Zoe answered, getting up so he could unlock the door, then followed him in. Psymon put his board in the closet as Zoe brushed past him to his kitchen area. She looked back at him. "Have you eaten?'
"No, not yet. You want to go out and get something?" Psymon asked. Zoe shook her head.
"I thought maybe we could have dinner here. Just us," she answered, resting her hip against his counter. "I'll cook something. Maybe after dinner we can watch a movie or something."
"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna go feed Sparky, okay?" Psymon replied moving past her. Zoe put her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss. Psymon just smiled. "Or we could skip dinner and just find something more interesting to do."
"No way. I'm starving," Zoe laughed, slapping Psymon on his butt. "I'll have dinner ready soon."
"Alright," Psymon answered and walked into his bed room. He filled the little cup of food for Sparky and walked back to the doorway, stopping to watch Zoe bustle about the kitchen. Was this what married life would be like? Psymon shook his head. What was he thinking? He walked over and put his arms around Zoe, wanting very much to be close to her right now. "Dinner smells great."
"Thanks. I hope you like spagetti," Zoe said, tilting her head back to kiss him. Psymon gave her a quick peck then got out of her way. He plunked down in a chair and watched her.
"Zoe, you ever think we'll have more than this?" he asked. Zoe looked at him.
"What's wrong with what we got? We've got the snow, our boards, each other...what more do you want?" she asked back. Psymon shrugged and shook his head.
"Nevermind. I was just thinking about something Brodi said earlier," he answered.
"Listening to Brodi will warp your mind even more than it already is," Zoe laughed, setting the plate of spagetti in front of him. "Now eat before it gets cold."
Psymon was happy to oblige, not often getting a home-cooked meal. He and Zoe talked about the competition tomorrow and the usual gossip that floated around. Looking at her made him realize he was lucky and his only regret was not saying something sooner. After dinner, he cleaned up and then curled up with her on his bed and watched some old B-movie he had. He stroked her hair, feeling comfortable with her. He was glad that she had started riding with him when they moved around from location to location. The trips had been lonely before, but now he looked forward to the time they spent together. He sighed softly, shifting his weight. Zoe wriggled around and looked up at him.
"You're thinking again," she said quietly.
"Bad habit, I know," Psymon answered. "You've got something better to keep me occupied."
"Sure," Zoe said, leaning up and kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her on top of him, kissing her back. Zoe pulled back and looked down at him, her flaming red hair framing her face. Psymon had never seen her look better. He reached up to pull her down into a kiss, but she caught his hand. "I want to run the show this time."
"Whatever you want," Psymon answered, relaxing back against his pillows. Zoe pulled his shirt up, and he helped her get it off of him, then laid back again. He sighed softly as her hands trailed over his chest and stomach. Totally relaxed he closed his eyes, feeling her lips brush against his skin here and there. Zoe leaned down and kissed him. Psymon just wrapped his arms around her again and kissed back, pushing his tongue gently into her mouth. He moaned softly as she sucked on it, massaging it with her own tongue. Zoe sat up abruptly at the sound of someone knocking on the winnebago's door. Psymon just groaned and looked up at her as she got off him. "I guess someone up there doesn't want us having any fun, eh?"
"Maybe," Zoe laughed. "Just go answer the door."
Psymon nodded and scooted off the bed, then walked through the kitchen area to the door. He opened the door and frowned at Marisol standing there. "What do you want, Marisol?"
"I thought you might want to come dancing with me and Seeiah. You seemed like you had such a wonderful time at Joe's Gone Wild," the latin woman said, smiling.
"I'm busy," Psymon answered flatly. He started to shut the door, but Marisol hopped up the steps and grabbed him around the waist.
"Oh, come on. You can't always stay cooped up in here. Let's have some fun," she giggled.
"He's already having fun," Zoe called from the bedroom door. "Leave him alone, Marisol."
"Oh, I see. You two are such a cute couple," Marisol said, looking from one to the other and back. She quickly darted off, laughing. "Oh, I have got to tell everyone about this."
"I guess the cat's out of the bag, eh?" Psymon said, closing the door. He turned and looked at Zoe, leaning against his door. Zoe looked a little put off. The Canadian frowned. "What's wrong?"
"I wanted to be able to tell them all on my own terms," Zoe answered. Psymon walked over to her and hugged her.
"Zoe, are you ashamed of me?" he asked softly. Zoe shook her head.
"No, it's just that, well, I know everyone's going to come down on me and I just wanted a little more time to prepare for it," she answered, leaning against his chest. Psymon hugged her tight.
"Can we go for a walk? I want to show you something," the crazy boarder asked. Zoe nodded silently. Psymon just stroked her hair. "Let me get my shirt on. We'll have to take my bike."