15.2 Dane

"Shit." You hear an unfamiliar voice speak, unable to see which man is talking.

Leaning over, you catch a slight scowl forming over Dane's face after Sam takes a step back. Sam offers him a shrug before turning to face the younger man. You hear him instruct him to begin packing. It's your turn to frown as you hadn't expected them to leave this soon. Biting your lip, you glance over at the clearly unhappy man. His thick curls hang over his sharp eyes that shoot you a displeased look. It's hardly reassuring knowing the person meant to watch over you seems to hold you in such disdain. If your leg wasn't currently throbbing you would consider insisting on leaving with the men.

Unfortunately, after shifting it around gingerly you know you'd be unable to make it far. Sighing softly, you remain silent as they continue packing their sparse belongings. Sam instructs Dane to change your bandages the following day and to leave as soon as you're able to walk. He nods absentmindedly, obviously only half listening to his companion. Before you know it, you find yourself completely alone with the strange man. You watch out of the corner of your eye as he runs a hand through his thick locks. He lets out an audibly frustrated sigh before moving to busy himself with the long dead fire.

"If it's so much trouble," You speak tentatively while fidgeting with the bandage on your leg. "You can leave, I'll be fine."

"That's not my decision to make." The man replies vaguely, keeping his gaze focused on his task.

"What do you mean?" You inquire curiously, unable to make out the group's dynamic.

"Forget it." He quickly retorts while setting up a makeshift fire plow.

You're surprised when a blush covers your cheeks after he rolls his sleeves up. His large forearms flex as he begins trying to get a flame started. After a few minutes of work, a small column of smoke begins rising from the apparatus. He continues working only for the smoke to dissipate moments later. The man lets out a frustrated string of curses before running his hand through his hair again. Despite your apprehension, you can't help taking some pity on him. Reaching into your bag, you pull out a nearly empty book of matches.

"Here." You say, tossing the weathered item to him.

He catches it with ease before throwing you a somewhat inquisitive look.

"I'm surprised you've been able to hold on to these." He remarks before tentatively pulling one of the flimsy sticks out.

You watch him carefully as he quickly strikes the match. You wince, hoping he doesn't end up wasting one of the precious items. Thankfully, he moves quickly and after a moment a small fire begins growing.

"Thanks." He replies, walking over to hand the book back to you.

You remain silent but give him a small nod of appreciation. You're quite eager to learn more about the person you'll be spending the next few days with. Unfortunately, you can tell he'll be unlikely to open up to a stranger.

"I suppose you're hungry." He comments in a slightly annoyed tone.

Your frown returns as you had hoped your offering would have eased some of the tension. Unfortunately, Dane's surly attitude has quickly returned.

"Don't worry about it." You mumble back, the added heat from the fire causing you to also grow irritated.

Instead of replying, the man walks over to his backpack and pulls some items out. He unceremoniously tosses one of them into your lap before moving over to sit on a fallen tree. Your curiosity only grows when you see what food he's provided you.

"Army rations?" You ask in surprise while holding it up to inspect it closer. "Is there a base nearby?"

"Just eat your food." He snaps brusquely and tears open one of the packs.

Hot anger flashes across you at his continued combative behavior. Swiftly setting the ration down, you struggle to rise to your feet.

"What is your problem?" You demand, trying your best to remain steady.

The man lets out an exasperated sigh before getting up and moving to stand before you. Your nerves falter slightly as you realize just how tall the man is. His cold eyes regard you questioningly, as if daring you to challenge him.

"You are." He replies curtly while crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Me?" You almost laugh in disbelief, ignoring the pain standing has brought. "You don't even know me."

"You're a liability." He scoffs leaning down towards your face.

You recoil slightly but **** yourself not to step back. The aching in your leg is becoming harder to disregard. Nevertheless, you're determined to squash whatever issue his man has.

"Because I'm a woman?" You question while trying to get a better read on his face.

"Because you're weak." He retorts haughtily, unable to mask his judgmental tone. "You couldn't even walk down a road without getting hurt."

As if to emphasize his point, he unfolds his arms and not so gently nudges your shoulder. You gasp in surprise as you're knocked off balance. More pain shoots through your leg as you stumble back before steadying yourself. You glare at the man darkly, aware there's little you can do to retaliate.

"If I'm so weak," You state, pushing past your pain to step forward. "How did I get this far on my own?"

Dane pauses for a moment before his eyes glance over your disheveled shirt. He lets out a small laugh before grabbing on to the collar of your shirt. You tense as he slowly runs his fingers down along its lapel. His rough fingers brush against your skin before he pulls them away.

"These aren't your clothes." He states matter-of-factly before turning back around. "I'd be willing to wager you've had your fair share of help."

Biting your tongue, you remain silent. You can hardly admit otherwise, certain the man will see through any lies. Sighing, you slowly sit back down and hesitantly stretch your legs out. While Dane is far from an ideal companion, you're at least confident he doesn't mean to hurt you. Still, you can only imagine how the next few days will go if his annoyance continues.