"Nova?"
The pain in Adrian's voice cut through the buzzing in Nova's ears. She felt the pain in her heart, as if Adrian had just thrust a knife into her chest. Tears filled her eyes as she saw her own pained expression reflected back at her in Adrian's chocolate brown eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. They were the only ones left on the battlefield, for an explosion had just ripped through the air, leveling the buildings and leaving most trapped beneath the rubble. "I'm so, so sorry."
All Adrian did was raise the knife he had drawn to fight with, and placed it under her chin, drawing her eyes up to meet his. The dagger pressed into her throat as Adrian searched her face, and Nova closed her eyes in preparation for what she knew was coming.
But the pain didn't come. The knife didn't slit her throat.
There was no blood. No cry of pain. No Adrian staring down at her in disdain, only the rough press of Adrian's lips against hers and a quiet clatter of metal hitting stone. She gasped in surprise, and unlike the kiss in his room, Adrian didn't pull away, he only kissed her harder. That kiss had started out sweet and innocent, and this one was the complete opposite. Adrian pressed Nova against one of the few walls left standing and moved one his hands from her waist to her hair. Nova grasped at his uniform, pulling him as close as she possibly could.
Tears flowed freely down Nova's face,
Adrian pulled away to look Nova over. Her hair was a mess from his fingers running through it, her face streaked with tears, her clothing torn and burnt away in places. He couldn't believe Nova was Nightmare. He had really liked her. Really, really liked, maybe even loved her. All this time, she had lied to him.
But it couldn't have all been a lie. The blushes, the brushes of fingertips, the kisses.
It couldn't have all been a lie.
"Adrian?" Nova whispered, her voice full of pain and longing. As he looked into her eyes, he saw the pain laced into the deep blue and specks of grey. She reached for his hand, untangling it from her hair and lacing their fingers together. "I've wanted to tell you this every time I see you. I. . . it was killing me to keep lying to you."
Adrian pulled his hand out of Nova's grasp, watching as her face fell. They were still so close, their toes touching, breaths fanning the other's face. Nova stepped to the side, putting some distance between the two of them.
"Wait. That's. . . that's not what I meant." Adrian grabbed her hand, and although he knew it was a terrible idea, he pulled her mouth back to his. Nova kissed him roughly, her breath hot against his mouth, her hands grabbing at his uniform again, pulling him closer. Adrian's hands grasped her waist as her arms slung around his neck.
"Nova," Adrian murmured against her mouth. "I don't blame you, You're not the only one keeping secrets. I—"
"You're the Sentinel. Yeah, I know. Don't care." Nova kissed him again, but Adrian's mind was elsewhere.
"Wait—you knew?"
"You weren't exactly subtle. The Sentinel shows up whenever you're around, you're one of the only people to defend him, and that helmet doesn't distort your voice as much as you might think." She stepped away from him, hands on her hips, eyes laughing at his obvious discomfort.
"Okay, whatever. The truth is out—for both of us. I guess we were doomed from the beginning, huh?" Adrian's eyes hardened as he took in her Anarchist uniform all over again and faltered. "From the beginning. . ."
"Adrian, I—" All light from her eyes disappeared, her expression turning serious.
"You lied to all of us, for all this time?"
"I—" Nova was interrupted once again by an explosion that rocked the ground beneath them. She stumbled away from Adrian, pulling Nightmare's mask back over her face and turned back to the rekindled fight.
"Nova, wait!" He grabbed at her wrist, but Nova tore her arm from his grasp and turned back to the battle.
"We can't, Adrian. It's not fair. For either of us." With that, she ran back to the battle, a gun in one hand, and her other clenched in a fist around her glowing bracelet.
