Ever since the week that Rebecca was around helping the male get better he couldn't get her out of his head. He was surprised when she had agreed to let him draw her. It had taken some time for her to agree and he couldn't blame her for not wanting to believe him right away. Ever since he had gotten sick he felt like he could think straight for a change. He couldn't get the woman out of his head and apart of him didn't even want too. Why would he? She was kind enough to take care of him after all.

Ever since that night though he had also promised himself that he wouldn't take her out when a huge storm is rolling in. He sighed lightly as he rolled onto his side and looked at the time on his phone. It was a little after eight in the morning and he was kind of nervous to go and see her. Why was he so nervous? Was it because he was getting feelings for the woman? Feelings he knew she didn't have for him? Or was he just reading too much into it? Was it too early to text the woman?

He didn't want to come off as clingy either. He sighed lightly as his fingers hovered over her name. He sighed lightly as he finally started typing a message out. Good morning beautiful. I hope you've slept alright, and I hope I'm not waking you up. I was thinking about picking you up around ten-thirty if that's alright with you. I was thinking about going to the lake and getting you by the water's edge for that painting. Unless you have any other ideas. If you have them, send them my way because I want you comfortable as well.

He paused in his typing as he read the message a couple of times before hitting send. He let out a small sigh as he pushed himself off the couch and made his way to the bathroom. He took a cold shower to help wake himself up. He thought he heard the door open and close, and knew that his roommate had left for the day. He hoped that was the case, because he didn't want to deal with a thousand questions right now. He took his time in the shower and then about ten minutes later he was done.

He climbed out and wrapped a towel around his waist, as he walked back into the living room. He reached for his phone to see if the woman's texted him back yet and there was nothing. His heart dropped a bit and told himself it was most likely too early and she was most likely still asleep. The male blew out a breath as he plopped down onto the couch and leaned his head back. He covered his eyes with his arm as he waited to hear what the woman thought of the plans he had suggested.

Rebecca was glad that Emilio had come back in time to relieve her of watching Apollo. She hadn't wanted to leave him alone like this. Especially not when she was to blame for his state. Either way, she had come back at every opportunity to help him get better. A part of her told her that it was simply because she felt responsible. Another part knew that there was something else. She enjoyed Apollo's company. He was kind to her, despite the many times she hadn't been to him. 
Apollo was finally better though, which made Rebecca happy. Though it also made her nervous. While she had agreed to be painted by him and was curious as to how he saw her through his eyes, it still left her feeling anxious. That feeling of likely exposing a part of her soul. 
Which in turn led to her sleeping even worse than normally. So despite having gotten to bed after midnight thanks to her job, she was awake by six. Rebecca had just finished some coffee when the text came. Her heart stopped. She didn't feel ready and yet she knew that she couldn't say no. After all, she had promised. 
Finally she replied. [i Good morning. I slept okay. Hope you did too. That sounds good. Maybe by the bench near the lake? See you soon.] Sending the text, Rebecca leaned back, suddenly all the more nervous. What was she supposed to wear? How was she supposed to look? She didn't dare ask Apollo and as she hadn't told Madison about agreeing to be painted by him, she couldn't do that either. Not that her roommate was home. She was already off to work. Well, she had two hours to figure it out. 
The next two hours Rebecca first spent in front of her closet. She didn't own a lot of clothes and very few of those weren't just every day clothes. Should she go for something nicer? After having gone through more or less her entire closet she lamely decided on some jeans and long-sleeved shirt with a nice lace trim at the collar. Certainly something she could have worn to work. With her makeup it went similarly, though partially because she had no skill whatsoever when it came to any advanced techniques. 
Rebecca was staring at herself in the mirror, wondering if Apollo would like it or if he would find it boring when she saw that it was nearly ten thirty. Quickly she grabbed her bag and made her way downstairs. Unsurprisingly, Apollo was already three and she slipped into the car. "Hey, I hope I didn't make you wait long," she said, hoping she hadn't, "You remember the way to the bench or do you have a different spot at the lake in mind?" God, she wondered if he could hear her heart with how loud it was beating. 

After the male got the message from Rebecca he went about making sure he had everything. All of his brushes, the colors he wanted. Would he do a full color painting? Or just black and white? That's something he would need to figure out and soon. He made his way to the car and slipped inside. He was nervous. He drummed his fingers against the wheel as he made his way towards the woman's home. When the house was in sight he realized he was right on time. Was he looking like a total idiot by being on time? He hoped not. He was about to climb out when the front door opened.

The female made her way out to the car and he didn't even have time to get out to open her door. He shook his head lightly as she spoke. “Nope I wasn't waiting long at all. You look amazing by the way” he said with a small smile. He meant it too. It was simple and it was her. He made sure she was buckled in before putting the car into drive. “Yes I do remember the way. I was also thinking of finding the waterfall and getting you there as well. That's if you're up for a small hike” he said lightly. He didn't know why, but he wanted to make her as comforatble as possible. He wasn't asking too much of her was he? There was so much running around in his head just then.

He let the silence wash over them as he made his way thorugh town. The day was perfect. The sun was shining, and he was going to be doing what he loved the most. That and he had a beautiful woman beside him as well. He was kind of glad she was willing to let him do this. Was she as nervous as he felt? He felt like a little boy all over again. The silence was getting to him a little bit, so he reached out and turned the volume of the radio up a little bit. It wasn't too loud, and it wasn't too silent either. He just didn't know what to say to the woman. He was nervous and hoped he wouldn't fuck anything up.

As he drove he was thinking of other palces to go. Would she always be willing to let him paint her? Or was this just a one time thing? He hoped it wasn't a one time thing, because she had such a beautiful face and body, he wanted to capture more of it. He then broke the silence once more. “So I was thinking, if you'll let me. I could take you on a road trip. Take you to one of my other favorite places in the world and hopefully capture your beauty there as well. It's a place that could be a little bit out of your comfort zone though..” he trailed off wondering if he should explain a bit more or not. He sighed as he spoke again.

“So the place I'm speaking of happens to be my parents land and there's horses, and cattle and other animals as well. When I say it's out of your comfort zone, my dad made a rule. That whomever goes to the cabin on the land, there's nothing but undergarments and nothing more. The cabin has satin bed sheets, and it's kind of like his temple in a way. You are more than welcome to tell me to fuck off if you don't want to do it” he stopped and let his words hang in the air. He wasn't going to force her to do it either.

“It's just an idea, and I wouldn't mind taking you there. I haven't been there in years and I want to see how much has changed, and I would love it if you'd come with me” he said in a softer tone. He had a feeling he was pushing too much, so he kept his mouth shut. It took about ten more minutes until they were in the parking lot. He shut the car off and turned towards her, and he reached out and touched her cheek lightly. God she was beautiful. “Thank you for letting me do this” he breathed out. He meant it too. It meant the world to him.

He shut the car off and pocketed the keys. He then slipped out letting her think about what he had offered, as he went to the trunk and pulled the supplies out waiting for the woman to join him.

His compliment made her give a small smile. Apollo said it in a way that made her want to believe it. "Thank you," she replied. Hearing the suggestion of going back to the waterfall, Rebecca couldn't help arching a brow. "Let me guess, you checked the weather report to make sure that we won't get caught up in a storm?" she teased lightly, remembering how he had said that about their next hike, "I don't mind a hike. Not sure how lovely I look if I'm all sweaty, but you're the artist." Self-consciously, she ran a hand through her hair, pushing some strands out of her face. 

Not sure what to say she looked out the windows. The weather was truly perfect today, bathing the landscape outside in a warm glow. What was she supposed to say? Rebecca didn't know. She didn't really have any experience like this with guys and Apollo made her nervous. So in a way she was thankful for him turning up the volume so that she didn't feel pressured to find a topic of conversation. Not that she imagined she had anything really to share. 

Her gaze let the scenery outside the window roll past when Apollo spoke again, making her look to him. A brow arched in silent question. What could that place be? Was he talking about a club? Yes, that would certainly make her uncomfortable. Or what other place could it be? "Your parents' land?" Rebecca repeated, now confused for several reasons. It sounded like his parents had money and yet he was living with Emilio. Though even more so what this weird place was. 

When Apollo finally explained fully, Rebecca felt herself freeze. His dad's rule. It mixed two things that hit far too close to home for you. Every hair on her body felt on end and her muscles tensened. It took every ounce of her control to keep herself from shaking as bile rose in her throat. Her ears buzzed so loud that she almost didn't hear Apollo as he continued. He sounded sincere, but how could he possibly ask that of her? Rebecca didn't know what to say and so she said nothing. Suddenly she was second guessing even doing this. Was this smart? 

Rebecca hadn't even realized that he had stopped the car until she felt his hand on her cheek, making her turn to him. Just like that, with his touch, gaze and words she felt herself relax some. Her worries melting away. This was Apollo. He wouldn't hurt her. Slowly she nodded. "Let's see how this goes," she muttered as an ultimate reply to what he had said about his favorite place, though she wasn't sure if he understood that. 

While Apollo got out to get his things, Rebecca used the moment of peace to gather her wits, taking a few deep breaths to calm her pounding heart before getting out of the car. "So you have everything that you need?" she asked as she rounded the car to join him, "How are you going to draw me? With paints or black and white?" He didn't seem to have a set style, judging from the paintings she had seen. "Shall I carry something?" Once they had everything that they needed, they set off. 

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination, the waterfall as beautiful as she remembered. That didn't stop her from being nervous. What would this be like? Slowly Rebecca turned to Apollo unsure. She had no idea how this worked. Was she supposed to pose or would he instruct her. "So how does this work?" she inquired unsure, "How do you want me?" That likely sounded a lot worse than it should have, but she was far too nervous to care. Her gaze stayed on Apollo, curious how his process worked. "How do you do this?" Likely she was missing the artistic sense to see scenes or in general know what looked good, but she would watch him intrigued. 

Apollo knew he had over stepped. He shouldn't have asked that of her. Of course it was stupid, and his father had this odd rule that no clothing would be allowed in the cabin. He understood about the bedding, but the cabin itself? It was odd to say the least. He just hoped that he hadn't ruined anything else with the woman. He let her have the time she needed to gather her thoughts. When he heard the door open and then close a second later he looked towards her and nodded a bit. “I could use the help yes. There's a lot more here than I thought." he admitted.

He handed her a couple of bags that were pretty easy to carry, and he ended up carring the heavier items over his shoulder. He paused a moment to close the trunk, make sure he had his car keys in his pocket, and then locked the car up. He then remembered her comment about him checking the weather. He couldn't help but laugh a bit. “Yes I made sure there wasn't going to be a storm at all. I honestly don't want a repeat of last time” he said with a warm smile.

He didn't mind if they got stuck in another storm. If it meant he could protect her again, that's all that would matter to him. He wasn't going to push anything though. The silence between them as they walked was comfortable. He was debating on how to even paint her. Would it be easier just to sketch it out, and then go back with paints later? It could give him some time to really think about what he wanted to do. He didn't realize he had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, they were already at the waterfall. He shook his head lightly and looked towards her.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to get so wrapped up in my thoughts. Just walking with you, and not really talking is comforting. I know that might sound odd, but it is. Just something about it is really calming to me” he said in a soft voice. He slowly set his items down and took the bags from the woman's hands. His fingers brushed gently against hers. He sighed lightly as he looked around. What did he want her to do? There was so many places he could have her sit. He stood there looking around for a moment longer.

He then spotted a fallen tree and the log was in the perfect place. He nodded towards the log and slowly made his way towards it. “This will be the perfect spot honestly. It's facing the waterfall, and there's a nice grassy spot where I can sit down and just capture the beauty that is you” he said lightly. He was getting so many ideas just then. He hurried and went and gathered up everything and took it over to the log. He climbed over it and set everything back down. He went back towards the woman.

He locked his eyes with hers and smiled a bit. He was like a child all of a sudden. His heart was hammering inside of his chest. He helped her over the log and helped her sit down. “You see the longer part of the log like a back rest? I want you to lean against it and look towards the water. That'll be the perfect view right there” he said the excitement in his voice showing. He helped get her onto the log and comfortable as best he could. He then pulled his phone out and snapped a couple of photos to use for color just in case.

He then put his phone back into his pocket and sat down. He grabbed his sketch pad, put it into his lap and grabbed his pencils and started sketching the woman. He looked up once in a while to make sure he had the right view and then looked back down. He was in his element once more. He kept up the pace of his drawing looking up once in a while. He stuck the tip of his tongue between his teeth and lips as he lowered his head once more, pencil to paper.

The silence of their hike gave Rebecca time to think about what he had said. From her own experience she could tell that Apollo hadn't been in the same situation as herself so why did his father have that rule in place? It made her shudder internally. She could never do that. Be undressed in front of a guy, be painted on less. Ever since she had gained control of her life again, she had only been with Emilio once and that was when she had been plastered. She could never do that sober. 

Then another thought came to her. Did that mean he would have to be undressed as well? The thought made her swallow. Somehow... That almost was enticing. Why was that? Apollo only wanted to paint her. She was a pretty model to him, nothing more. No man could be interested in a woman with as many troubles as she did. 

Having reached the waterfall, Rebecca looked to Apollo. "I'm glad it's comforting," she replied, glad that he didn't expect her to have carried a conversation, "I get it." Carefully she handed back the bags, acutely aware of when their hands touched. It made the skin tingle pleasantly. 

She waited for him to decide where she should sit. When Apollo did Rebecca followed him to the log, blushing slightly at his compliment. While Apollo hurried around, setting things here and there, she just stood there, watching him. It was almost cute. This was a completely different side to him. He suddenly had the energy of a child and it showed how passionate he was about painting. In a way it was intriguing. 

Finally he returned for her and she was so captivated by his expression that she let him touch her and guide her how he wanted her to sit. "Okay," Rebecca replied, doing as he said, "At least it's fairly comfortable." Brushing her hair out over her shoulders, she got settled just as he snapped the pictures. That caught her off guard, though didn't voice it, as Apollo seemed far too engrossed to discuss anything. 

Her gaze came to rest on the waterfall as Apollo began to sketch her. It was weird knowing she couldn't move and what he was doing. As she couldn't turn her head, Rebecca let her gaze shift over to him for the briefest of moments. Despite his tongue sticking out, he had such a focused expression. It was attractive. She had never seen someone so engrossed in what they were doing. Occasionally Apollo looked up, his gaze tracing a curve of her body or resting on another to find the best way to sketch it. It made her insides tingle. Being fixed with such an intense gaze that was entirely not sexual did something to her. Rebecca felt her face grow hot as she hoped that Apollo attributed to the sun. Her heart was hammering. Suddenly Rose's line from Titanic made sense. And she wasn't even undressed. What would that be like? It almost made her curious. 

Though eventually her joints becoming stiffer and her body demanding to move was chasing away those thoughts. Rebecca had always considered modeling to be easy, but just sitting in one position was hard, ignoring an itch or an arch in your muscles. "So how is it coming along?" she asked, not even sure how long she had been sitting like this. It certainly felt like hours, though it probably wasn't. "Or is all forms of talking forbidden?" Rebecca inquired, wondering if a talking model was a taboo. 

Apollo felt at ease while looking up here and there to make sure he had the right angle of the woman. The pencil tracing along the page made the male feel more like himself. It's been ages since he's let himself get so lost in something. It was kind of nice in a way. He hadn't realized that Rebecca had spoken until he looked up towards her and shook his head. Her words slowly sunk into his mind. “Everything's going just fine. As a matter of fact I'm about done” he said lightly. It was true too. He didn't realize that he had been so wrapped up into it until then.

He took one look at the sketch before him and realized he really was done. He touched up a couple of things and then set the pad aside. He stood and nearly fell back over. He hadn't moved at all and his legs were numb. It took him a moment to make sure the numbness had passed before he walked over to Rebecca. He took her hand and helped pull her to her feet. “I'm so sorry, I should have let you get up and streach. I could have helped get you back into the same position. Forgive me?” he asked her. He felt horrible for not letting her move and he wanted to kick himself upside the head for it.

That's something he liked about the woman, she didn't really complain. She just went along with it. He kept his hands on her shoulders and he looked down into her eyes. His heart was hammering inside of his chest. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then and there. He knew he couldn't though. She was still scared of him in a way. He just hoped that she wouldn't be mad at him for saying it. “I know this is going to sound super elementary school, but I want nothing more than to kiss you right now..” he breathed out. He meant it too. She looked stunning and he wanted to taste her lips.

He slowly moved his hands from her shoulders his fingers brushing against her skin. He finally took his eyes off of her and looked back towards where he had been sitting. He walked over and picked up the pad and carried it back over to her. He held it out towards her. “Be completely honest. How did I do? Do you think I should add color to it? Or leave it black and white?” he really wanted her input on it. He felt like he could keep it the way it was, but at the same time he felt like it needed a pop of color. He let the woman hold the pad in her hands as he shoved his own into his pockets.

The water running behind them was calming. The sight around him was beautiful, the woman before him was breathtaking and all he wanted too do right then was wrap her in his arms, hold her against him and just kiss her. He honestly didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep that feeling at bay. He looked down at the ground as he waited for Rebecca to speak about the drawing in her hands.

It almost felt like Apollo had completely forgotten that she was there. Well, no he obviously knew she was there because he was sketching her, but he was so caught up in what he was doing that nothing else existed. It was fascinating to watch honestly. Rebecca wasn't sure she had ever encountered anyone that had such a focus and passion for what they did. It gave him a completely different aura to the way he usually was and in a way it was attractive. 

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Rebecca replied as he watched Apollo do some final touch ups. That was until he toppled over backwards and she couldn't help chuckling softly. "Sorry, it's not polite to laugh," she said sheepishly, though also realized that she had laughed. It was a rare occurrence for her. Her life rarely presented such levity, but ever since Apollo had entered it there seemed to be a gradual shift. Like he was slowly chipping away at the walls she had built around herself to keep everyone out. 

Even while laughing she hadn't moved and only when Apollo helped her up did stand, grimacing slightly as blood rushed into the unmoving parts of her body. Carefully, she moved her arms and legs, glad to regain her mobility. "It's okay. I'll live, I promise," she assured him softly, though the words slowly died as his gaze fixed her. His words sank in and Rebecca blinked. Had he really just said that? So he felt like that about her? She wasn't just some model to him. Her mind swirled, unsure how to feel. On the one hand, she remembered how he had shielded her from the storm, how nice it had felt to have him close. And yet, something inside her still feared this. Feared what being close to any man could mean. 

Apollo seemed to take her silence as an answer as his hands moved from her shoulders, briefly touching her skin so that it sent sparks down her back. Should she have said something? Though being presented the sketch pad, Rebecca turned her attention to it, carefully taking it from him. She couldn't help sucking in her breath as she looked down at it. It was... somehow she couldn't believe it was her. Sure, the woman in the sketch looked like her, but in a way vastly more beautiful than she ever considered herself. While the waterfall and the tree were present, it was so skillfully drawn that your attention always came back to her. Her pose had something so natural and yet compelling about her. This was how Apollo saw her. 

"It's... I don't know what to say...," Rebecca finally said, "I don't think I've ever looked more beautiful. It's amazing. You're really talented." Though he should know that. "I think you should keep it black and white. You should use colors when there is more of a contrast. Like with red satin bedsheets..." 

That last part had slipped from her lips before she had even considered what she was implying. Her gaze shifted up towards Apollo's. Rebecca would be lying if she said she wasn't curious. She wanted to know what it would look like, if he drew her like that. Could he go beyond this drawing? Apollo would try and make her comfortable and surely, she could use the sheet to cover herself. 

Not taking her gaze from his, Rebecca stepped closer, feeling in a way entranced at this moment. Carefully, she handed the pad back to Apollo, their fingers brushing and making her inhale slightly. They were close. As close as when they had looked for shelter from that storm. Their lips so close that it wouldn't take much for them to touch. Something that she wanted, she realized. "If that offer still stands..., we could go. To that place...," Rebecca breathed out, not moving. All of this, the prospect of such a drawing, how close he was and the possibility of them kissing, scared her, and yet somehow it being Apollo also made her want it at the same time. 

Watching as the woman looked at the drawing, waiting for her to speak was unnerving. He wanted the silence to be gone. When she finally spoke he nodded lightly. “Well you are beautiful. You are the main focus of this drawing after all. And I agree about the black and white. Just something about it makes it much more breathtaking” he said lightly. He was kind of surprised to hear the words spilling from her lips about the red satin bedsheets. Had those words really left her mouth? He wanted nothing more than to scream out yes. He watched as she stepped closer to him.

He wasn't going to make her do something she didn't want to do. He wanted her to trust him, he wanted her to realize that he wasn't like everyone else. He wanted nothing but the best from her. Feeling how close she was made his heart skip a beat. Their lips inches apart. That's when her other question came. “Of course the offer still stands. I just want you to know that it's going to be going more out of your comfort zone.. Something I'm worried will push you away from me… I don't want that Rebecca.. I don't want to push you away” he breathed out. He took the pad from her fingers and held it lightly.

He then reached up with his free hand and ran a finger along her jaw. God she was so beautiful. This woman was breathtaking and making him feel things he hadn't felt in years. “Forgive me, but I can't…" he breathed out. He kept his fingers lightly under her chin as he leaned down and closed the few inches between them. His lips brushing against hers for a small second. He then felt the pad slip out of his fingers and fall to the grass, as he reached up and cupped her face with both of his hands. He added a little bit more pressure to the kiss a second time. His heart hammering inside of his chest. He finally tasted her and he couldn't get enough.

A second later he pulled back, his hands still cupping her face. He searched her eyes with his own. “Was that too much?” he asked her. He was waiting for her to scream, cuss, yell, something. He didn't like how silent she was and he was silently hating himself. Had he over stepped too much? He couldn't tell if she was ready to bolt or not. “If you are serious about going to my parents cabin tell me. We can leave right now go and get your stuff packed up, get my stuff packed up, and just leave for a couple days to a week.” being alone with her at the cabin would be everything to him. Getting to draw her in close to nothing would be everything to him as well. He realized he was still cupping her face gently and let go.

His hands dropped to his side as he stayed where he was. He had finally gotten to feel the woman's lips against his own and they felt amazing. He felt like he had stepped into a dream and yet he was awake. He watched her with silent eyes as he fell silent, letting his words hang in the air between them.

"I never feel beautiful," Rebecca found herself admitting. In a way she knew she should consider it silly, but with everything that had happened to her she always felt dirty and used. That people should be able to read the things that had happened to her on her forehead and be disgusted. "Then it stays as is," she agreed with a nod, glad they agreed. In a way she wanted to keep it, but that also seemed incredibly narcesstic to keep a drawing of yourself. 
Rebecca wasn't sure what kind of reaction she had expected after her admission about the cabin, but in a way she was glad about how measured it was. How Apollo assured her that he would make her comfortable. That it didn't come off as an excuse to simply get her naked and draw lewid pictures of her. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she could hardly hear him. 
His finger touching her jaw made it tingle, a small fire igniting with ever touch. She had barely registered his words when Rebecca felt Apollo's lips on hers. The warmth in her stomach turned into an inferno and spread through her body like a wildfire. The touch of a man's lips to hers. As terrifying as it was, it was just as if not more enticing as she felt her eyes close. Her heart was hammering, the kiss consuming her completely. Shaking, a hand reached out to touch Apollo's side ever so slightly. 
Her eyes snapped open when he pulled back, meeting his gaze. What had that been? Rebecca felt almost confused at her thoughts, how her feelings couldn't seem to decide what they wanted.  It had been years since she had last been kissed and back then it had been easy because she had been drunk beyond belief. Emilio... No, she couldn't think about that right now. 
Still unsure what to reply Apollo continued on. They could go right now. Was that smart? Though, in all honesty, Rebecca was scared she might talk herself out of it, if she had time to think about what was happening. "I can... call in sick to work," she found herself saying. As she had never been sick before, she was sure her work would think she was close to death's door and would leave her be for a few days. "So we can go," Rebecca reiterated softly. 
Now that he had stepped back she had the space to gather her bag as well as the things she had carried up here before they started to make their descent. As they walked more thoughts crowded her mind. She didn't exactly own any enticing articles of clothing. Would he expected that? Though considering the rule that might be less of a problem. What would his parents think of her? And would he want to know about her parents as well? 
Would Apollo expect more kissing? Her stomach flipped flopped at the memory. Rebecca still felt hot and just the memory made her tingly all over again. His lips had been... soft, yet in a way demanding and sweet. Her gaze shifted to his lips, still feeling the pressure they had exerted. "It wasn't too much," Rebecca whispered softly as they kept walking side by side. 
It didn't take too long for them to reach the car again. Were they really going to do this? What's your parent's place like?" she asked curiously, wondering were they would sleep when they weren't drawing. Surely not in that cabin. Would they run into them? Apollo had only mentioned horses, cattle and other livestock before. 

It saddened him when he heard her say she wasn't beautiful. She was. That's all he saw. He didn't want her thinking that he was like everyone else, because he wasn't. He did care about her. If he didn't he wouldn't have tried so hard to get her comfortable with him. He had finally kissed her and it felt like pure bliss. He wanted to kiss her again and in a way he wanted to see how far she would let him go. He would make sure she was comfortable with it first. He made sure they had everything gathered before making their way back to the car.

When at the car he unlocked it and popped the trunk putting everything inside. He reached out and touched her arm lightly. “Rebecca, I want you to be honest with me. If you aren't comfortable with what's going on tell me. I'll bring you right home. Also I just want you to know, you are beautiful. Even if you don't think you are, to me you are. I can't keep my eyes off of you. I honestly want to show you how beautiful you are. That's one of the reasons why I'm glad you let me draw you”

“I want you to see yourself the way the world sees you. You are such a gentle soul that I want to be near you all of the time. I want you to be comfortable with me. I want you to trust me. That's another reason why I'm glad you said yes to coming to my parents cabin with me. I know my dad has the oddest rules, but that's just my dad. Thank you for letting me in today” he breathed out. Every single word that left his mouth he meant. He really was lucky enough to break down her walls slowly.

He reached out and gently touched her hips, pulling her towards him slowly. He looked down into her eyes searching them for any sign of fear. His heart was racing as he slowly pulled her body against his. There wasn't much space between them and that's all he cared about. With his other hand he gently took her chin in his fingers, lowered his head and kissed her again. This time it was a bit more rough. Not rough enough to push her away, but enough to show her how much he liked kissing her. Her lips felt amazing against his.

He pulled back and smiled lightly. “To be honest, I could kiss you all day. Your lips taste amazing. Let's go” he said as he opened her door and helped her inside. He then walked around to the drivers side and slid behind the wheel. He started up the car and headed towards her place first. He didn't want her changing her mind on him. “I'll explain everything on the way to the cabin. We have quite the drive ahead of us, and I Honestly don't want to ruin the surprise either. I want your real impression about it” he admitted.

He couldn't wait to get to the cabin and to see the look on her face. He would have a lot to explain to her about the cabin, but he didn't mind it. He was just glad that she was agreeing to go with him. Progress was made and he felt like he was walking on cloud nine right then.

Rebecca was sure that she probably should have been in therapy with everything that had happened. Back when she had first been taken into the system, she had even had a few sessions, but after things took a turn for the worse with her starting on drugs and everything, she had likely been deemed a lost cause and given up on. She didn't blame them. Considering that she had nearly killed herself with an overdose, whether intentional or not, she clearly showed that she didn't think she needed to be saved either. When your own mother leaves and your father does those things, it wasn't a surprise. 

Though Apollo seemed to think differently. That seemed to make her pause for the first time in ever that perhaps she was worth saving. Rebecca had just put away his things in the trunk of the car when he touched her arm. Her gaze shifted to meet his. She gave the tiniest of nods, believing he meant what he said, which was rare for her. The second part made her pause though. If it wasn't such a complex topic perhaps it would be amusing that they were both just doing this to help the other person. "If it gets you drawing, then I'm glad," she replied, truthfully before pausing, mulling the words over in her mind. 

Before she could decide on whether or not to speak them, her attention was caught by his hand on her hip. Rebecca allowed Apollo to draw her in, feeling how their bodies pressed against one another. It made her heart beat nervously, both good and bad. This time she was prepared for the kiss, though perhaps not how more demanding it was. If the action hadn't brought color to her cheeks, his words certainly did. As she got into the car, Rebecca turned to look at Apollo. "You're probably one of the people that I trust most," she admitted before sliding into the car. To be fair that list was short, just Emilio and Madison aside from Apollo, and it didn't mean the trust was deep, but he was on the list, which was something. 

Soon they were on the road again. Her brow arched at his words. "Impression?" she repeated, unsure of what to make of that word or even what that meant for the cabin, "Though since your parents own land, does that mean you know how to ride a horse?" She had always wanted to ride one, if she was honest. "I guess you can just drop me off and come back in half an hour or so," she suggested, since she wouldn't need long to gather the few things she would need. 

Once they arrived at her apartment, Rebecca looked to Apollo. "I'll see you in a bit," she said as she got out of the car and made her was inside. Madison was still at work it seemed, which Rebecca was honestly glad about as she didn't want to explain to her why she was packing clothes and even more where she was going with Apollo. So instead she found a piece of paper and penned a note to her roommate, saying that she had gone on a hike for a few days, but that she could reach her over her phone. Though honestly, even that would probably seem suspicious to her roommate considering Rebecca rarely skipped work or took a day off. 

Sighing, she left the note on the counter before heading into her room. It wasn't too hard to gather her clothes together and toss them into a backpack. Since she didn't own any truly fancy underwear, or clothes in general, she just took the things she had. Would it be a problem? At least considering the rules of the cabin, she wondered if Apollo would want a drawing like that. 

With everything packed Rebecca shouldered her backpack and made her way outside again, texting her sick notice to her boss on the way. It didn't seem to take Apollo long to return and she slid back into the car, her heart racing at the thought of what they were intending on doing. "So, I guess you can start explaining. Since we have a long drive ahead of us," she said softly, wondering if she could handle the truth about the cabin. How was she supposed to bring up the question about clothes? Perhaps it would be easier to listen first. 

Part of Apollo was scared that the woman would end up backing out. He didn't want to think that way and he sure as hell wouldn't blame her for doing so either. He was helping push her out of her comfort zone. As the male drove back towards her place he couldn't help but wonder what the next couple of days would bring. He shook his head lightly as she asked about horses and a small laugh escaped him. “Just because my parents own land doesn't mean they own any sort of cattle, let alone horses. I mean it would have been nice” he admitted. He did wonder why they never owned any sort of live stock.

Soon enough they were parked outside of her place. He watched as she climbed out and headed inside. He then pulled away from the curb and headed back to Emilo's apartment. He knew that Emilo would have a lot of questions and he did have a lot of explaining to do anyway. When he pulled into the driveway and shut the car off, he was glad to see that Emilio wasn't home at all. Maybe just maybe he'd get out of explaining everything for the time being. He kept the car going as he climbed out and ran inside.

It didn't take him long to pack up a bag along with getting an ice chest of drinks for the drive as well. They would need to stop and get some food along the way. Which he didn't mind doing at all. At least for now there was water in the ice chest. He grabbed his bag and went back to the car. He slid the ice chest behind the drivers seat, so that way Rebecca could reach behind if she needed too. He then threw his bag into the back seat as well and shut the door. Soon he was back behind the steering wheel.

The longer he was away from her the more he got worried about getting a text message from her, explaining why she was backing out. He checked his phone one last time before backing out onto the road and headed back to her place. He pulled up in front of the house once more and watched her come back out. She looked amazing in the sunlight and he made a mental note to get her in the woods around the cabin. Soon she was tucked back into the passenger seat.

He nodded towards the back “We are going to make a pitstop and get some food along the way. Right now all I have is water, so when we stop you can get what you like to drink as well” he said. He was getting more and more nervous about explaining everything to her. He understood why she had asked about the live stock, but he was worried about what she would think when the real story came out. He had a rush of butterflies in his stomach just then and he wanted to back out himself. He wasn't going too though, this was his idea after all.

He sighed lightly as he looked towards her a small apologetic look on his face. “Just a warning, this is going ot be a lot to take in. If you decided to leave while we are shopping for food, I won't stop you. I won't think any less of you, I just hope you don't think any less of me” he said in a small voice. Why the hell was he so nervous to tell her all of this? Was it because he had real feelings for this woman? Whatever the reason, he wasn't about to hide anything from her.

He took a breath and started talking. “So the reason why there's no horses or cattle at my parents cabin is because it's just trees around. The odd rules my dad set was because when him and my mom first got together, they had been making adult movies and they rented out the cabin for those sorts of things. I don't want you thinking I'm like my parents because I'm not. I don't want you thinking that's why I'm taking you there. That's not the case as at all. I can promise you that”

“I know it's a strange thing to know and I know it's a lot to take in. When mom finally told me about what the cabin was really used too, I was eighteen years old. I will admit I did want to partake in something like that at one point in my life. I was a stupid teenager back then with only one thing on my mind at the time. When I got older I started to hate what my parents did to make money. Yes I was a fucked up child and I was a fucked up teenager, doing things I shouldn't have.”

“I did turn to doing drugs at one point, and I really did think about taking one of my flings to the cabin and just partaking in what my parents rented the cabin out for. I'm really glad I didn't though.” he stopped and let his words sink in. He knew that Rebecca was in a weird state of mind right now and he just hoped with everything that knowing what the cabin had been used for in the past wouldn't make her change her mind about him. He came to a stop at a light and turned to face her. He was scared to speak.

He sat there watching her silently before he finally broke the silence. “Please say something… The silence is really scaring me… Do you want me to take you home?” he asked, his voice trailing off as he waited for the woman to say something to break the silence between them.

Rebecca nodded at Apollo telling her about the food and drink situation. "Water is fine. And I don't eat much as it is so I should be fine for a bit," she replied. She had never really had thing for fizzy drinks or sodas. Though that could also be because it was one of the many ways her father had tried to 'reward' her. 

She was still waiting for Apollo to explain about the cabin and her brow arched slightly as he didn't seem to know how to explain about it. "It can't be that bad," she assured him, feeling like he was exaggerating. What could be so terrible about a cabin? It was just a cabin after all. 

Though she definitely wasn't prepared for what Apollo actually told her. Her brow arched confused when he explained that there were trees everywhere. Then they widened as he finally spilled the beans. Adult movies... It made sense. No sane person had red satin sheets. Those belonged... well in those types of movies. Rebecca hoped it wasn't obvious that she was fitting down the urge to just fling open the door and jump out of the car. It hit too close to home. She didn't really remember if her father had ever made any movies, but she wouldn't be surprised. Remembering those encounters was not something she did. It was very well possible that you could find herself on some dodgy part of the internet, if she tried. 

She was trying to keep her breath normal, but even that seemed hard. Rebecca felt like she might be sick. Instead she clenched her hand so tightly that her nails dug into her hand. It was almost hard to hear Apollo as he continued explaining as the blood rushed in her ears. It was so much to take in. What could she possibly say? More so, should she still go with him? The thought of that cabin now scared her even more. 

It wasn't until she noticed Apollo turning to her, looking at her intently that her hearing came back for her to hear him ask if he should take her home. If she was honest, this was the most tempted she ever felt to leave. He was waiting for her to say something, anything, but she didn't know what to say. What could you say to that? Once more she wasn't sure if this was such a good idea. 

Though there was also something about Apollo's gaze that made her pause. To this point he had never given her a reason to doubt him. Always stuck to his word and protected her when he could.  He wasn't his dad, just like she wasn't. It wouldn't be fair for her to judge him based on his parents. After all, her mother had walked out on her and her father had abused her. It messed her up, but didn't make her anything like them. 

"I mean... I don't have any clothes like that anyway, so I wouldn't be a very good choice for something like that," Rebecca finally replied, breaking the silence. It was trying to reassure him, but also admit that she had absolutely no clothes for such an occasion. "You don't have to take me home," she assured him softly, "I mean, you aren't your parents and everything was... consensual, right..." For the briefest of moments she considered telling Apollo what had happened to her, but she couldn't. She was scared that then he would look at her differently. Though she wondered if he could tell that something had happened to her? "What did you think when you found out? Did you look at your parents differently ?" Rebecca couldn't help asking, wondering if you could just differentiate the act from feelings. Did it change her view on Apollo? He was still him, as strange as these news were. 

"I was serious though. I don't have anything that might be deemed 'right' for a place like that," she admitted softly, hoping that he would consider her words a way to break the ice a bit, "So how long do we have to drive?" With them already having spent a good portion of the day with the painting, Rebecca imagined they would be driving a part of the night. Would they have to stop to take a rest somewhere? Rebecca couldn't help thinking about how she woke up from nightmares every day and hoped they weren't stopping, but Apollo made their journey sound long. 

The longer Rebecca stayed silent, the more worried the male became. He knew it was a huge bomb to drop on someone and he sure as hell wasn't meaning to scare her away. When she seemed to come back to herself and spoke he shook his head lightly. She was worried about her clothes? After everything he had told her, she was worried about not having the right type of clothing. He couldn't help but smile at that as a small laugh escaped between his lips. “Rebecca, I don't care about the type of clothes you have. If you don't have anything like that, it's fine”

“I'm not going to judge you for not having any sort of thing like that. Most women don't have it anyway unless they want them. I'm pretty sure a lot of them are insecure about themselves so they have to make themselves look sexy for their men. Me personally, I would love it if you just wore sweats and one of my t-shirts honestly. You'd look amazing in about anything and everything. Hell I'm pretty sure you'd look amazing in just a pair of boxers and a sports bra” he admitted. He meant it too. She did look amazing in everything already.

He wasn't one to really care about what women wore. Whatever made them feel comfortable, and whatever they wanted was all he cared about. He turned his attention back to the road and was glad she hadn't asked him to turn around. “We have about another two in a half to three hours until we are there. I would like it if when we stopped for gas you'd get something to eat. I don't care if it's junk food or not. I just want you to take care of yourself, and not starve” he said softly.

He didn't fully understand this woman beside him, but he was slowly understanding that something horrible happened to her when she was younger. The way she had been silent. The way she always shied away from his touch, the way she looked at him in the beginning. The way she looked so scared, and the way she would look at him like he was going to hurt her. He wasn't that type of person. He wanted to make the person he was with comfortable, and he hoped he was doing that for her. When her question about his parents came up he paused a moment.

He didn't know how to reply to that. Did he look at them differently? “Yes it was all consensual. Nothing bad happened. If someone wasn't comfortable, my dad made sure to stop. Did I look at them differently? No I didn't. It was a huge shock when they told me. They were still my parents though. I know it's a lot to handle at once, and I do apologize for dropping it on you. But you had a right to know what the cabin holds. I don't expect you to do anything you aren't comfortable with.”

“I mean I would love to get you in just your undergarments and draw you that way. You can have the sheets covering you, whatever you want. I just want to explore everything with you. I want you to trust me enough to tell me you don't want to do this. If you want me too I'll turn around right now. I mean it. I don't want you hating me Rebecca.. If you hated me I don't know what I would do with myself” he admitted. He was scared of losing her. She was someone special to him.

He fell silent and let her mull his words over. Yes it was a lot to handle, and yes he was worried about losing her. But if she wanted to leave and never look back, he wouldn't blame her. He wouldn't hold it against her either. He looked back towards the road as the sun started to set behind them.

Rebecca knew she probably should have answered differently. It was clear from how Apollo looked at her that he was expecting, well anything probably. However, instead she went to her go to behavior, the very same behavior that made people believe she was an ice queen. She stayed silent, not moving. Years of abuse had taught her that if she blended into the background, didn't make a sound, then sometimes her father would grow enraged for not finding her, but just as quickly gave up. To this day, she went to this when it came to difficult situations. 

Still, it gave her some time to think about what Apollo had said. His parents made adult movies... It was weird, but the way he spoke about it, it seemed like at least they were still the normal parents you would expect. They just had a not so normal way of earning money. But they did and they stayed together. Gave Apollo a loving family and home. Maybe that was why she couldn't really find fault with this. As whacked as it was, they were still a family. Apollo hadn't reacted the best to finding out about it, but could she blame him? It was certainly hard to hear. 

Apollo's laugh pulled her from her thoughts, looking to him. It always amazed her in a way that he had such a way of easing her worries. In a way that made her believe he actually meant it. Rebecca felt the slightest hints of a blush creep into her cheeks. "Thank you...," she replied and wanted to add something, but knew that he would not agree if she said that only he thought of her as beautiful. So instead she swallowed the words and in a way it felt good to bask in just his for the moment. "I mean, wearing your shirt is something I can easily do," she pointed out. That felt comfortable and would cover anything. Would it smell like him? Probably. The idea of his scent wrapping around her seemed kind of nice. 

Once more her gaze shifted to Apollo when he spoke about stopping. It struck her how he was able to make a simple stop for gas sound important. "I don't starve that easily," Rebecca assured him, knowing that all too well before nodding, "Is there anything I can get you that you like?" She knew that she didn't eat all too much and he probably had noticed that at the diner. It struck her that even then he seemed to be paying so much attention to her. 

What he said about his parents and everything made her nod. "Then... that speaks volumes about them... I mean,.. it was their way of providing for you. Granted, it's not the normal way, but they cared and you turned into a great person...," Rebecca told him softly, keeping her gaze on him as difficult as that was, "And if your opinion didn't change of them that means they did something right." The cabin was still a lot to take in and she nodded at the next part. "And that shows that you are a what you say you are. You didn't have to tell me... Could have taken a girlfriend or two to that place... but you didn't," she pointed out, wondering if she was partially recapping this for herself as well, as if speaking it would make it more real, "Yes, you turned to drugs, but that's not something I can fault you for." She had already told him that she had been an addict so she could understand him there. Using drugs to cope with a situation you didn't feel prepared for. In some ways they were not that different. 

Though then he said words like that and Rebecca felt herself flush fully as her gaze shied away from him. Still, Apollo's last words made her look to him. I don't know what I would do with myself. He said them in such a way that she could only believe him. "I already told you that you don't need to turn the car around," Rebecca pointed out, "As for how you're going to draw me, we'll see..." Right now, she still couldn't quite imagine it. Her sprawled on a satin red bed, in a likely provocative pose, as his gaze flitted over her body taking in every contour of it as he sketched her. It made her stomach flutter with nerves. 

"Am I going to be meeting your parents?" she inquired, unsure if she was prepared for that. She had never met parents before and with her history of parents she couldn't imagine that going well. In a way she wanted to know more about how he grew up, but that meant it would likely prompt similar questions about herself that she wasn't prepared to answer. "How did you get into drawing?" Rebecca ultimately asked, not wanting them to just awkwardly sit in the car next to one another. It was interesting to hear him talk about it so she was curious how he got into it. 

The silence between them talking was comfortable. It didn't feel forced. As she spoke about not starving easily, made him nod lightly. “You might not think of it as much, but to me it's a lot. I'd rather you eat something small instead of nothing at all” he admitted. He had dealt with women starving themselves to lose weight. He knew that Rebecca wasn't that way but it still worried him a little bit. He wanted to make sure she was fed and taken care of. As he drove she spoke. Talking about his parents made him wish they were still around.

When she finally did ask about meeting them he shook his head lightly. “Sadly you won't be able to meet them. I know my dad has a strange rule for the cabin, and I know where everything is. But I haven't heard from them in the last fifteen years. I don't know if they are still alive or not. I'm hoping they are and that they are living their best lives, but some shit went down between the three of us that made them pretty much disown me and walked out of my life for good. That's another reason why I'm with Emilio”

“Yes I never saw eye to eye with my parents, but I still wish I could take that fight back. It was something stupid and pointless, I can't even remember what it was really about. But I guess that'll just stay in the past” he said lightly. Speaking of his parents made his heart hurt. He missed hearing his mother's voice on the other end of the phone telling him she loved him or telling him to be careful. He shook those thoughts aside when he realized he needed to stop for gas and food for the two of them.

He pulled off the freeway and pulled into the parking lot of the gas station. “I'll answer your other question when we are back on the road. Go and get some food please” he said as he shut the car off and climbed out. He streached his arms over his head and then leaned back popping his back slightly. It felt good to streach for a little while. He went to the back of the car and opened the gas tank and pulled the hose out of the holder and placed the nozzle inside the hole and pressed a button to start the gas flowing.

He watched as the price went up for the gas and his mind wandered to what they would do at the cabin when they got there. He was just glad she hadn't turned back. When the tank was full, he pulled the nozzle out and put it back in the holder. He then closed off the cap and headed inside. He spotted Rebecca right away and walked up to her. “Find anything you'd eat?” he asked. He grabbed some bread and other little fixings for sandwiches along with some snack foods and took them to the counter.

He told the attendant how much was on the gas pump and paid for their little food haul when Rebecca joined him. He carried the bags out to the car and grabbed a bag of ice as well. He then put all of the cold drinks and food into the ice chest and filled it up with ice. He then climbed back into the car and started it up. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed back towards the freeway. He then remembered her other question. He didn't know how to answer it honestly.

“I guess it started when I was little. I always had some paper and crayons on hand and I got really serious about it in High School. At one point I thought about going to college for it, but that's when everything changed. You know pretty much know the rest of the story from there” he said softly. He turned his eyes to the road and let his words sink in. They had a little bit over an hour left of the drive and then they would be at the cabin. He was kind of worried about what was going to happen and what her reaction would be, but he kept a poistive attitude about the whole thing.

Rebecca wasn't sure what to make of Apollo's admission that he worried about her not eating. Sure, she was skinny and not the best of eaters, but she had never starved herself. Somehow it seemed to hand together with something he had experience, from what she could tell. "Okay," she agreed with a nod. She didn't want to make him worry and it was just eating. 

She hadn't been sure what to expected when she asked about his parents, but she felt incredibly sorry that she had. What could they possibly have argued about that was that bad? Though it didn't feel like her place to ask so she didn't. It did make her ever so slightly glad that she wasn't meeting them. "I'm sorry," she replied, unsure of what else you could say to that. It wasn't like it would miraculously get better or something like that. Not after 15 years. Still, it felt like hollow words and for the briefest of moments she reached over to touch his hand gently. 

Just turn, they stopped for gas and food and Rebecca got out of the car, stretching some to get the blood flowing properly again. "Okay," she replied and headed into the small gas station shop. Picking up a basket, she figured she would get some things for when they were at the cabin. As she gathered some fruit and cereal bars, she couldn't help thinking of her own family, more so her mother. How she had left them from one day to the next and what it had led to. She was pulled from those thoughts by Apollo appearing beside her. Nodding, she held up her basket that now also held some chips and some things to drink, as she hadn't been sure what he would like. "I don't know how close the cabin is to any place to shop so I thought we should stock up a bit," she explained before following Apollo to the register. 

After they had paid, they got everything into the car before they were off once more. Rebecca had honestly almost forgotten that she had asked about how he got into drawing. "Well, I'm sure your crayon drawings were also already very impressive," she said, as she was aware of everything that had happened. The fallout with his parents, his wife, the drugs and whatnot. 

Still, her head revolved around parents and Rebecca knew that Apollo had shared so much about his past while she had shared not much of her. In a way it felt only right, even if just the thought of it made her feel sick to her stomach. "I get it... The wondering about parents...," she finally interrupted their silence, "My mom left me and my dad when I was ten..." 

Her gaze stayed on the road in front, not wanting to look at Apollo. Before her eyes, she could recall still so much. "Before then, everything seemed normal. A happy family of three," Rebecca recalled, it feeling so strangely distant, as though it was happening in a movie, “Then from one day to the next, she was gone. I came home from school one day to find a letter on the kitchen counter. It didn't say much. Just that she couldn't take this life anymore and maybe some other things. No real explanation. I ran into my parents bedroom, but aside from a few items being gone and a suitcase, everything seemed the same... ”

Rebecca didn't feel like her father had been abusive towards her mother. At least, she hoped not. For that would mean her mother had willingly left her with someone she considered dangerous. "For the first few weeks I hoped... That she would suddenly walk through the door or just be home when I came back from school... At some point, that just stops," she told him softly and her voice died down, "My father handled it as best as he could." Which was not at all. He turned to drinking and before long it turned into things that haunted her to this day. She had never talked to anyone about her mother leaving. This alone was huge, but she couldn't go that step yet. Which was why it seemed easiest to just say that her father handled it, even if that sentence alone was a lie and Rebecca had to swallow in hopes of keeping the bile from rising up.