Emily

Once we're on the other side, my hands can't stop shaking, and my legs are threatening to turn jelly on me. Sucking in deep breaths, the narrow brick way stretches far ahead, the cobles are stained and mangled with green, the sides are bordered by the same material with extra vines winding up and snaking through the overhanging branches.

I'm not going to make it—

". . .Blondie, hey, are you with me?"

Snapping my gaze onto Pixel, his brows are pinched in the centre as he rakes his eyes over me. Mine drop down to see his hands are cupping mine, his thumb tracing the curve of mine. His eyes don't lift from me, even when I shy away and retreat into myself.

"What's the matter? You can talk to me," he coos.

I shake my head, the unshed tears pricking the corner of my eyes. "Pixel, I-I've never been good at this game. I'm not going to make it."

I'm jerked forward, and my breath lodges in my throat. His body is warm and firm against mine, and it feels weird to be this close to another man. The hardness against my front is man made, and when my hand brushes it, my touch labels it as some sort of protective vest, and it makes me curious to what's hiding behind it or why he needs it.

Embarrassed by my own mind, I lean away but he doesn't let me go. He's holding on too tightly for a comforting hug, and it has my emotions on a flip as I try to imagine what's running around in his thoughts right now.

"Blondie, listen to me," he starts, voice sterner. "I'm not going to leave you trapped down here, especially on this level. If you lose a life, I'll keep coming back and I will make sure you get out of here."

Even though his voice is strong and convincing, I'm not sure if he's trying to convince just me.

"Hold my hand."

My eyes widen at his outright request, and he easily catches the glow on my cheeks when his lip curves up.

"Don't worry, I won't bite. . ." Pixel's sight drops lower for a moment until his lip is trapped between his teeth, and it has my stomach twisting in a way I've never felt before, but we both snap out of the weird mood as we slowly turn to face the length of brick we've got to race down.

"Promise me you won't leave me if I fall?" I whisper.

His hand squeezes mine, and he answers in the same tone, "Never."

A fresh breath of air works its way past my lips, and I set my mind on the task at hand and not the strange man beside me. Strange, but welcomed. Giving him the countdown, we both kick off on one, and we're sprinting for our actual lives as a loud roar echoes behind us, now drowned out by the temple music.

Risking a look over my shoulder, there's a lanky grey creature with a slender snout full of razor teeth, and a hand containing equally nasty talons. I can imagine its foul breath, the heat of it and the agonising feel of its claws digging into flesh. Tears blur my vision as Pixel yells for me to not look back, but little does he know I've seen the animal that's going to deliver the end.

"Duck!"

We both roll under an uprooted tree, the trunk winding over the pathway, itching to catch us. Vines threaten to wrap around my ankles, slick moss eager to slip me up, and branches asking for the changes to poke at us if we don't make a fast turning. With each corner we round, confidence seeps in, and there's no sign of the creature on our tails. Pushing forward, I dare a look in Pixel's direction, and he's striding along without breaking a sweat.

His eyes widen, and I focus on the path ahead, a cry coming from me at the sight of the gaping hole in our route.

I knew we should have gone left!

"We can do this, jump!"

Pixel hurdles over first, clearing it with a rough scrape before I launch myself into the space. Another scream comes from me as I begin to plumet, and the strain in my fingers from barely holding onto the crumbling ledge is excrutiating. Panicked gasps come from me as my nails dig into the brick and dirt, and hope surges through me when Pixel scrambles for me, his hands locking around my wrists. There's panic in his eyes before they scrunch up with his features as he starts heaving me upward. His feet slip on the wet cobbles, and my hands are slick from holding his and grabbing the damp bricks. The roar comes closer with heavy footfalls in the near distance.

Terrified, my sight flies over my shoulder where the distinct shape of the massive creature can be seen. Snapping my view onto an unknowing Pixel, I call his name, but he doesn't hear me. He continues to lift me up, but the footfalls are closing in. If it weren't damp, I know he would have me up in an instant, but with those conditions and the beast, he's on a time limit and I can't risk us both dying.

"P-Pixel!" I exclaim, and his eyes find me, the green dark with panic. "You have to let me go."

Panic turns to frustration. "No, I can save you! I'm not letting you go; this isn't happening!"

Offering the best smile I can without the tears springing free, I yell in desperation, "Please, Pixel. This would be you saving me, I will come back and be ready. . . just don't let that thing get me, please!"

His eyes are full of sorrow, and I doubt I see it at first, but it's when he struggles to cover it up with everything else that I know it was there. He looks pained, and it surprisingly hurts to see him like that. Staring behind me and back again, his eyes turn hard, and his mouth parts and slams shut again.

"I'll be back, I promise!"

"I won't let you fall again," he grits.

This time, my smile is real as I gaze up at him. "You didn't this time."

With that, I tug my wrists from him and let myself fall. His expression is twisted with shock, frustration, and everything that I don't want to see. I'm being pulled apart with the fear and sadness circling within at what just happened, and what's about to occur. I feel weightless, and my eyes close, trying to find some comfort in the freefall instead of the anxious wait for a deadly end with my body being pummelled into the ground lurking below.

A gasp comes from me, my eyes swinging around in every direction as my hands fly out, only to be caught by strong arms, and a familiar scent of something sweet and herbily. Breathing it in, my arms wrap around him as my face buries itself into his neck. Relief washes over me that I'm back, and there's an overwhelming amount of joy to know that Pixel came back for me.

"You came back for me," I breathe.

"I said I would."

Pulling away, I hope he can see the gratitude on my face because there are no words to express how grateful I am. The smile slips when I notice the change in his features, but when he catches me staring, he's quick to mask it with a relieved smile.

"I'm happy you're back, I was getting lonely without my partner in crime."

Letting myself laugh at his attempt at lightening the mood, sensing he could do with a change of topic, I pat his arm like he does for me when I need it.

"Of course," I begin. "I can't leave you alone to cause mischief now, can I?"

He grins, and it's so bright that I'm proud to be the one who made him do that, and shy that I want to retreat into myself again. Folding my arms around myself, I glare at the path ahead, knowing what's to come now. I want to just run for it, break free and show it who's boss, but being like that has never worked out for me, and I don't want to fail, not when Pixel can move on and do something. . . more.

Hesitating for the slightest amount of time, I suck in another deep breath and link our fingers together before tugging him after me. I'm not going to mess up this time, I will beat it, and I'm going to make sure I get home to my parents.

We slide under the trunk again, and the grooves in the cobbles knock my knees. We avoid the vines and moss patches, then we come to the jump after another handful of veering and jerking around corners. With a determined stare, I push faster than Pixel and throw myself over the edge at the last second, and it feels as if I'm flying through the air forever before I'm landing on the other side with a short stumble. Pixel lands shortly after me and doesn't waste any time in collecting my hand again before we dash down the path, leaping over debris, side stepping rocks, and booby traps.

Rough pants fall from my mouth, but my limbs push further along with Pixel, making sure neither of us are left behind or caught. His breaths are starting to become harsh, and my lungs want to give out, but we don't stop. Neither of us dare to say anything, only fixating our sight on the trail ahead, and the devious hurdles that's been laid out for us.

Rounding the corner, there's a mass of fog. It's thick and impenetrable. Doubt sinks deep into my stomach and it has me slowing down until Pixel tugs me after him, offering me that bright smile that says, 'follow me, I can take us there.'

Firmly nodding to give myself the push as well, we barrel into the mist and leap.

Our hands never break unity, and the sinking feeling grows unbearable as I scream, feeling my body being dragged down by an invisible mass until I'm jolted backward, a whoosh washes over my ears, and then the falling ceases and turns into a swaying motion. Peeking my eyes open, the fog is ebbing away, and a shriek comes from me as Pixel narrowly angles us away from a cliff face.

Peering up, there's a cloud of fabric and it remains in its fixated shape as it holds me in the air. Cuffs circle my wrists, and there's a matching pair around Pixel's as well.

"I'm going to have to let go to navigate, try and keep close!" he shouts over the wind, and I'm left to shout out an agreement as he taps his Reader.

Pixel swerves around a jagged mountain, making sure to follow it round until he begins to curve around the one on the left. Mimicking his actions, I'm roughly jerked around and there are a few close calls where I come close to body slamming the rocks, but I narrowly evade it and remain hot on his tail.

The air is muggy and full of damp foliage and earth, it takes me a minute not to gag on the clumpy sensation it gives, and I manage to rip a small section on the lower leg of my bottoms instead of my leg bashing against the ridge.

At first, I lose sight of Pixel, but his voice is the only guide I need. Rounding the next cliff, the glider begins to lower me. It starts off slow, and then it turns into a hectic decline, and before I know it, I've got him in my sights again.

He touches down first, and it's shockingly graceful. His glider dissolves and it's like it was never there. Caught up in my fascination, my eyes widen as I scream, "In coming!"

Spinning on his heels, his gaze widens as much as mine do; however, unable to move, he swings his arms out to catch me and boy does he catch me. My body slams into his, sending us over and into the floor. Our bodies roll, and it eventually winds up with us skidding to a stop. Huffing out a breath, I run a hand through my hair to clear my view and lean up, only to stare at Pixel beneath me.

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