Ice in the Desert Chunk 4.5

Meeting up with Coulgant proves to be a happy reunion.

 I whip around and grab Coulgant in a tight embrace, tears streaming freely now, face buried in his chest. He pushes me off, and instead of looking glad to see me, he looks rather displeased. “Viney? What the hell is wrong with you?” he demands. “What happened last night? Why are you stealing our stuff? Who are they?” he fires question after question angrily, and I struggle to answer. The twins tense up, looking uncertain of what to make about the situation.

“I, um, you aren't going to believe this, but I, I...” my voice trails of nervously. Coulgant crosses his arms over his chest and raises one eyebrow.

“Take your time, we're in no rush.” he says calmly, looking me dead in the eyes. I'm not sure how he can maintain eye contact like that; most people get nervous and intimidated. The twins take this moment to intervene.

“Actually, her name is Black Ice and we have to go--” theu try to say, but Coulgant fixes them in his signature stare, the one that can freeze someone up mid-sentence.

“We have plenty of time, trust me.” he says, implying that we might not be heading back to the bunker when we thought we would. He turns back to me. “Go on.”

I start to explain my story, his eyes widening with disbelief at the part where I talk about Poison and the Killjoys, but he doesn't say anything and I keep talking. I finish off with exploring the house with the twins, and thinking he was dead. The twins just stand there awkwardly throughout the whole time, and it might have been amusing if it weren't for these certain circumstances. I finish my story and wait for his response. It takes him a few minutes before he can say anything, but he sounds utterly bewildered and filled with disbelief when he finds his voice.

“You want me to believe that you shot at a group of kids because you stayed out too late and thought they were Vampires, then they captured you because you were being a lousy shot in the dark, then they turned out to be Killjoys, you get forced into them by Jet-Star's replacement, he gives you some ridiculous name, now you're on a patrol that you lead to the Dust Bunny here to find me, and since you didn't you're stealing our stuff for them? And you expect me to believe this instead of 'I ran off with a bunch of other kids, and we're robbing you'?” he says, shocked. I nod, knowing suddenly how unbelievable the truth actually sounded, and my face heats up in embarrassment. He shakes his head and does something unexpected: laughing. He just cracks up right them, and I laugh along a little awkwardly.

 Once he can get out a few words, he says, “Y'know what? If it wasn't you saying this, I'd think you're lying!” and he goes back into his fit again. The twins look at me, as if to say, What's going on here? I stare back: Don't ask me.

He finishes his laughing, and he grins. “Well, Black Ice,” he says with a slight emphasis on my nickname, “That sounds like more fun than I've had in years!” I adopt the same happy grin he has, and for a brief moment, it's just Coulgant and I again, and then I remember the rest of the world. My smile drops a little bit.

“What're we gonna do now? I gotta go back with the twins. Do you... do you wanna come?” I offer uncertainly, hoping for the best. I prepare for his answer, knowing how antisocial Coulgant normally is in large groups, knowing that I'm one of the only people that he's this open with. I've seen him, cold, serious, and silent with most others. I know he'll probably say no, so I brace myself.

“Are you kiddin' me?” he says to my surprise, “It's the Killjoys. I'd have to be stupid not to take up on that offer! I'd have taken you to try and find them sooner if I wasn't worried about whether or not they'd take us. But it seems that you made it in just by shootin' someone!” he finishes. I'm rather taken aback by his answer, he had led me to believe that he disapproved of the Killjoys and their somewhat reckless behavior. Scorch tries to get a word in.

“Well, um, it's been nice findin' each other and all this happy stuff, but we really gotta go. You comin', blonde kid?” she asks, and Coulgant nods.

“Let's not forget the stuff.” he says, nodding at the blanket bag that I was gripping and at the kitchen supplies that the twins were holding. We pick up all the items, and before we leave Crimson's voice pipes up.

“Wait, where were you while we were searching the house?” he says, and while I know and open my mouth to answer, Coulgant is way ahead of me.

“Ceiling beams. Real exposed in old house, easy to grab onto. 'Member when I showed you that one time?” he says, and I nod. “Hid up there to see who you all were, and then to see what you were doin'.” everything he says makes sense, and I remind myself that it was him, and it all makes sense when he's talking. With everyone satisfied with the explanation and no further questions arising, we leave the Dust Bunny, setting off across the desert, albeit just a little warily, towards the bunker of the Killjoys.

Author's Note

I forgot to upload this part! Sorry!