Chel leaned forward and Lexx immediately accepted the invitation to kiss her. He opened up his relay to Chel. Worry and anxiety rushed toward Chel as she joined him. Lexx fretted in front of her. She folded her arms and waited.
“I’m removing the Echo I left in our head. If anything happens to me, I don’t want it lingering.” Lexx bit his lower lip, glancing at Chel then away. “It was selfish of me to do it. I won’t do it again.”
Chel stared at Lexx angrily, letting the words sink in, then she panicked. “Lexx, you left something like Riane in me??”
“Not exactly,” sighed Lexx. “I didn’t want you to forget me.” His voice trailed off into a whisper.
“I wouldn’t forget about you.” Chel rolled her eyes, then fixed them on Lexx in an annoyed glare. “You’re not going anywhere.” Lexx turned away, not wanting to look into her eyes.
“I’m sorry I did it.” He apologized without turning around. The shame in what he had done without permission weighed heavily on him, stabbing deeply. He could feel Chel’s anger and annoyance. “It was wrong and at the time, I didn’t think it was.”
Lexx turned, his eyes wide and mournful. “If I mess up, please tell me. I’m completely lost and I know it.” It took a lot out of Lexx to admit his inexperience. He desperately wanted help, but asking for it was something he felt too awkward to do. He couldn’t help but believe this kind of thing came more naturally to others than himself.
Chel gave Lexx a blank look, then a smile spread across her face and she laughed. “I think this is supposed to be a mutual learning experience.”
“I want to do everything right.” Lexx couldn’t accept that as an answer. There had to be a book of rules somewhere.
“That’s sweet, Lexx, but you need to be you.” Chel’s words left Lexx stunned as he stared into her eyes and melted inside. “Just be honest with me.”
Lexx leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “I love you,” he stated, feeling a moment of freedom in those words.
“I won these dice.” Lexx broke the kiss in the real world and brought out the two dice he had won. “I’m giving them to you, Chel.” He thrust his hand awkwardly at Chel and she held her own out to catch the dice in reflex as they rolled out of Lexx’s open palm.
“What am I going to do with them?” Chel gripped the two dice to her chest. They were a gift fro Lexx, but were they a gift she wanted?
“Whatever you want to.” Lexx spoke to her over the relay, “The blue dice is Wavechaser. The black dice did not give me his name.”
“I don’t need pets, Lexx.” Chel protested back over the relay.
“They aren’t pets. They’re bodyguards,” insisted Lexx.
“Bodyguards?” Chel’s startled reaction flooded Lexx’s relay with a shade of worried green. The calm golden lights around them trembled and fled. This was not what Lexx hand intended.
“Just in case. Wavechaser is available now if you need her. The other may take some time.” Lexx attempted to soothe Chel.
“Ok,” Chel answered outside the relay, gripping the dice in her hand. Then she recalled that she still had to tell Lexx about the meeting and everyone else’s intentions.
“Lexx, I was just in a discussion with Zaile, Mauki, Damian, and another Rishan and they want to take you to a safe place when the gauntlet is over.” The words spilled out of Chel’s mouth over the relay and Lexx’s happy expression slipped into a startled grimace.