Atlas (A Selection/Hat Films Fanfiction)

~ Forty ~

I was just about to fall asleep after a long day when I heard a frantic knock on my door. I jumped up, grabbing a robe and going to see who was outside my room before I could even finish putting it on. I tugged on the door handle as I shoved my hand through the other sleeve.

Alex had a wild look in his eyes, and I was surprised to see there were no guards posted outside my room. "Where are the. . ." I started, before the prince dove for my wrist and yanked me out the door.

"We don't have much time," he whispered, and I realized he had a medium sized white cardboard box in his other arm, holding it delicately, "Will you come with me?"

"Where?" I hissed, slipping my wrist out to clasp our hands together.

He looked down at them and then broke out into a smile. "Great!" he exclaimed and started pulling me through the hallways.

I recognized the route we were taking to the roof, and as we rounded a corner, we both slid to a halt when we noticed the guards at the other end of the corridor. I pulled Alexandre back, my reflexes faster than his as the two men turned their heads towards us. I looked around the hall, but then the prince whispered my name from behind a long drapery. I quietly padded over in my slippers to join him.

We heard the soldiers walking towards us. "We're going to cause them to sound some kind of alarm," I whispered harshly at him, pressing our bodies together in hopes they didn't see our shapes behind the curtain.

Alex had to drop his chin to his chest to look down at me. "I wouldn't mind another night with you in a bunker," he joked, giving me a foxy grin.

I snorted and then slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. I could see a blush creeping up his neck, and I put my other hand over his mouth to keep him from giving another snarky comment as the heavy armored boots passed right behind me.

"Was it one of the Elites?" one asked the other. Alex wrapped his arm around my waist, pressing himself closer to the wall, trying to take up as little space as possible.

"I believe it was. We'll do a sweep of the area, just in case," the other replied, disappearing down the hallway.

The prince and I stayed frozen, making sure they wouldn't see us before slinking out from behind the curtain. Alex grinned at me as he checked down the hallway before we continued our stealth mission to the service door.

"This is probably a security issue," I commented when I noticed that it wasn't guarded.

"Shh, don't give our spot away," he hushed me, opening the door slowly so it wouldn't make a lot of noise before motioning me in. Something in his statement caught my attention as I climbed the stairs.

Our spot.

I was so distracted by his comment that I was genuinely startled at the hulking mass waiting outside on the roof.

"Where did you get a tent?!" I hissed, turning to look at him incredulously.

He gently closed the door behind us. "The barracks have a surprising amount of cool stuff in them," he shrugged, placing a hand on the small of my back to push me forward.

"Imagine the scandal," I chastised, not moving, "Crown Prince and Elite die in a tent after being blown off a four-story building."

"It's tied down," he muttered, rolling his eyes and shooing me towards the tent entrance, "Come on, it's cold out here." It barely fit on the platform, but I couldn't do anything beside unzip it and crawl in on my knees. I only realized what a compromising position that was when I saw Alex completely red when he ducked down to join me.