Chapter 29: The Settling — Part 6

“Just wanted you to know I am capable of being totally silly. If our children can stand each other, I wouldn’t mind them sexing it up and making babies that mix a part of us together.”

Jynx feels blood rush to her cheeks, mostly because she had not considered the possibility that, through ChoCho and Kevin, Jynx and Daria might have some way of merging their own hereditary, and that such genetic interchange would be mutual for the men as well. It comes to her in a flash that this might be a part of love she hasn’t considered before. Her heart skips a beat, her mind, not wanting to, tries to ignore the potential, as there are at least seventeen to twenty five years of unknown between now and the time the potential will occur.

“Honey, I know you like to let your mind wander and ramble, but you’re starting to freak me out.” Jynx says finally.

“I’m freaking you out and you’re still thinking about our children making with the sex so we can share something even deeper than the love we have now.” Daria says.

“I am not thinking about our unborn children having sex.” Jynx snaps. “I highly doubt I will ever want to think of them doing that, especially with each other.”

“Bang bang goes the drum.” Daria giggles, flustering Jynx.

“Why do you always think about sex anyway?” Jynx asks suddenly, sounding frustrated.

“Because it keeps me from crying.” Daria says, sounding suddenly matter of fact.

She stops, putting the hand that had at one time been holding Jynx’s to her lips. She looks at Jynx, her eyes frozen in an expression of shock. Jynx looks back, thinking this must be another act, and realizes that Daria has said something both simultaneously profound and previously unconsidered. Jynx doesn’t know what to think. This kind of conversation is usually Daria’s idea of foreplay, and now, it seems, her foreplay may always have been a part of her strategy for beating back the depression that still lingers, even among the nine. Daria is pale white, her eyes wide with fear, not knowing what Jynx is about to do.

“Oh honey. Don’t tell me you haven’t cried once since the storm.” Jynx says suddenly.

Daria tilts her head, thinking. “No, I haven’t. Not really.”

“But your family is gone. You loved your family. They weren’t shit like ChoCho’s, or rotting in prison like mine. You lived with them, for goodness sake.”

“But so many people died, and I had to be strong.” Daria says. “Besides, it’s too late now, isn’t it? It’s been months and months and months.” She starts to stammer something and then stops. “I’m shit, aren’t I?”

Jynx smiles, puts an arm around Daria’s shoulders, and squeezes in a way that feels almost brotherly to Daria. Jynx isn’t one for words, so what she says next is a stretch. “There are a lot of things you do I don’t like.”

“Thanks.” Daria snaps.

Jynx talks over Daria’s coming slur of vulgar words. “But who and what you are, being shit isn’t one of them. You are a creepy little girl who wants to do perverse things in the sack. But you’re true and I love all of you, even the things I find disturbing. You’ll cry some time, maybe soon, about something trivial, and you’ll probably break down hard. When you do cry, it will be about everything.” Jynx waits, thinking Daria will say something snide about her previous comment. “But not now, huh?”

Daria puts her hand back to her lips as something creeps into her mind. “No, not now.” She says. “It still hurts though.”

“I can see that. You’ve got a hint of it in your eyes, starting to sting.” Jynx says. “You had a lot of people looking up to you. You stood strong. I’m proud of you for that.”

“You’re so sweet, but you know I was just winging it, and it all blew up in the end.”

“You saw the people who needed you through. You stood true.” Jynx says, and because of this Daria squeezes Jynx’s hand. “You want to make with the sex now, right?” Jynx adds, toying with Daria.

“Any chance we can just sit by the lake and cuddle?” Daria asks.

“I like to cuddle.” Jynx says, surprised.

The two are quiet. Small waves lap to shore gently. The chill air thickens. A flash gives to a rumble; the rain is a turgid force coming in from the sea. Jynx squeezes Daria’s hand in a steady rhythm as they walk back home, her touch a constant, quiet promise.

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