Apologies and Weak Defenses

"You're losing me." The young man looked up over to the girl only to find his glare locked with hers. He dropped his eyes.1

"I've been lost." She said with a sigh.2

"I'm not to sure if you want me." His insecurity had been holding him down for some time. Why now, why now?3

"Talan, why are you assuming things?!" Her voice came out in a rushed exasperation. "How can you say such things to me?"4

"What, Am I assuming wrong?" He allowed his glare to lock with her's once more.5

"More wrong than right." 6

"This is not fair, I've had enough of this, Brenna. I'm thinking about," He paused. "leaving."7

"Do what you want to do, I'm not going to fight you." Tears were already starting to well up in Brenna's eyes. The problem was too big to understand. She never thought there was a problem. This situation was no longer within her reach. All of this was further confusing her and her head began to ache.8

"I guess that's part of the problem then."9

"That I won't fight you?"10

"Sometimes the fight is good, understand that."11

"Understand what!? That it just ends up causing me pain, hurt, stress and anger that I neither want nor do I need." Brenna ran her slender fingers through her silky black hair. 12

"Isn't it worth the good that comes after?" Talan was trying to convince her now. A bad habit of his. Pushing away who he loves and then trying to get them back. It was an endless vicious cycle.13

Brenna brushed the hair from her eyes and took a deep breah. "And what if the good never comes out of it?" 14

This time Talan took the risk of touching her. Slowly he reached for her hand, she allowed it. He enclosed it in his own. She was soaked up in the tender contrast of skin. "Understand with you, I'd make the good guaranteed." She tried to smile, but it was a useless cause. The effort was too great for her ache. Instead she let out a slight nod. The tears had penetrated her eyes and a few were trickling down her soft cheeks. Talan took the oppurtunity to whisk them away as an extra apology.15

"Talan, I'm your lover not a fighter. Why are you doing this to me!?" The tone in her voice revealed more than her expression. Clearly, she was not letting this go just yet. 16

Talan took his hand away. The sudden loss of warmth startled Brenna. "I-I-I'm scared of you." Brenna took a step back as if she had been hit with something--very hard. More pain filled her delicate features.17

"But ... why?" 18

"I feel like I have no control of what goes on with you." He said admitting his ... fears.19

"Because you don't! You're not suppose to have control over me, Talan. Nor am I suppose to have control over you! That's not the way love works." She was exasperated in trying to prove her point. He had already worn down her defenses and she was beginning to feel weak.20

There was a long akward pause of silence. The two just sort of stood there, contemplating if they should comfort the other one. Talan took a long sigh. "It doesn't mean that it shouldn't scare me though."21

She though this over for a moment, "I know." 22

His face took on a completely apologetic look. "I'm sorry." His tone was also completely genuine. Brenna took Talan's face in her hands. His face was rough from not shaving in the past 2 days. She took a long, deep look into his dark brown eyes. There were endless. Then, she put a soft regretful kiss upon his lips.23

"But, you don't have to be sorry." Brenna smiled.24