Bree's P.O.V.
"Gotta admit, you've got pretty mad survival skills," I smile at Chase. I am wrapped tight by his jacket, sitting beside the fire he made. He stabs the branch into the fish he has just caught, without using bionics might I just add.
Chase smiles and sits beside me, rubbing his hands near the fire. If it hasn't been Chase, I would be dead by now.
"Tonight we have to sleep by turns," he says. "We have to keep an eye on each other. We are out without our capsules and our bionics may glitch at any minute." "Awh won't you do me the favor?" I points at my wounded right hand and whine. He laughs and shakes his head. "No way! I have already been up for two nights for you."
Two nights?
"So it has been two days, since the incident?" I raise my eyebrows disbelievingly. I never thought I have fainted for that long. It feels like just yesterday, seeing Chase's hand released from mine and fell.
He stiffens and nods. I sigh and stare into the fire. He has stayed by my side all these days, never having a single thought of leaving on himself.
"Thank you," I begin. "I wouldn't have survived without you." "No problem," The corner of his mouth curves up. "I have your back."
"No. Really, I didn't deserve that much. You could have got out from this days ago. You would have caught your flight tomorrow morning. You would have so much more without me, this worthless deadweight-"
"But it was my choice to stay with you."
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Chase's P.O.V.
"It isn't any sort of sacrifice. I am only making up for my mistakes."
Bree shakes her head hard and reaffirms. "You didn't do anything wrong, it was just me-" "Remember how I told you to set our problem aside and we would deal with it when I return?"
She nods quietly, fixing her attention at the burning fire.
"I thought the plan was comprehensive. But deep down I know I have always been avoiding that one factor I should consider most." "Surprising to know, I am not on that list," she mocks. I sighed and nodded, once again disappointing by myself because I had let her down.
"I thought the offer was a good chance, or you could say, a good excuse to run away from it. I am just that kind of coward evader."
"No," she interrupts, turning back at me. "You are indeed worth the offer. You are never given enough recognition by us. To me, you are the most amazing person I've ever known. That means too much for you."
My heart misses a beat. I stares at her blankly. Amazing? She means it?
Her cheeks flushes red and quickly covers stammeringly. "I mean- you are doing really well and all of us- we all know-" she face-palms and sighs. "Well I thought it was, too," I giggled at her silly act, fixing my eyes on her again. "I never really tried to compare the cost and benefit of the NASA's offer, because what I knew was that I am worth the offer, not realizing that the offer might not really worth myself. Not until the days were finally drawing by closer, I discovered that I would never be able to bear the cost of losing you."
For a split second I see her eyes light up with joy and surprise. And then the next, she is back to normal and she frown. "But our promise-"
She does not even dare to try showing her real self in front of me. And that somehow makes a vague feeling of guilt arise in my stomach.
"-I meant it, but then I was wrong."
She purses up her lips as she breathes out. "That. You said three years. We would both have to cool down."
Rules, restrictions, limits, once again that stingy old Chase gave her.
"It isn't necessary to be that long."
"Then when exactly will that time come?"
"When you become mine."
Bree is stunned and her eyes widens. There they are again, the words escape from my mouth uncontrollably. I never like doing anything without detailed consideration to avoid mistake, yet this is so wrong at this precise moment. My body starts leaning over slowly.
"We are..." she begins. All these years being mocked of not able to get girls. Just for her, right here, right now. Let the instinct take over. It had been her, it had always been her.
I lean in even closer, pressing my nose next to hers. Her hazel eyes lock with mine through her half-closed eyelids. Being barely any inches away from her, I know she is breathless.
"...perfectly fine." I tilt my head and whisper against her lips. I see her eyes close as our lips graze together for a brief second. It is a light and soft touch. Without removing the touch of our nose bits, we slightly move apart to catch our breath. I wrap both my hands around her neck and she pulls in my collar as she leans in this time. Our lips touch again and we kiss more passionately. My forehead presses tightly against hers as we smile to each other under the soft moonlight.
The fire in front of us gradually dies down, but ours have just begun burning.
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Bree's P.O.V.
"Bree. Bree!" I am being shook hard. I struggle to turn around but my head hit somebody's stomach. I open my eyes abruptly and find Chase rubbing his stomach grudgingly.
"Honestly, is that really so hard to just open your eyes and exchange position with me?" he squints and pushes me up from his lap. "It's your turn. I have given you an extra half hour," Chase yawn before lying down on the grass I have sleeping on, soon fallen asleep.
I smile and sit up straight, crossing my legs. My legs have recovered well since this afternoon. I can almost stand up now, all thanks to Chase. The day has been quite unexpected. It is hard to believe that we survived, I got hurt and Chase confessed. And now, I am safe and sound, sitting beside him. It makes me guilty to see how much he has paid for me. It is never his fault, and I never blame him for it.
I always feel a sense of security near him, but I never discover that. I am so eager for more and I search such kind of security on all the boys I met, hoping they'd match my ideal version of Chase. None of them ended up to be the one of my fate, of course, Chase is the only one.
"Bree..." Chase whispers in sleep as he rolled over. I smile and take his hand in mine. I enjoy quietly spending this peaceful time with him, even so short.
I look up at the sky, expecting to see a wide view with countless stars to match the atmosphere. Instead there is a thick black cloud covering the sky and it somehow ruins my mood.
Wait a minute...
A loud thunder rumbles. A sharp bolt of lightning splits the sky. It starts raining. And a horrible shriek is heard.
"AHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHH" Chase rolls on the ground painfully as the sudden increase in the volume stimulates his super hearing to glitch. I pat on his back and help him up. "Well that's the first time you didn't mock at me with that," he rub his ears. "Another thunder with higher decibel my eardrum is gonna just break. Ugh I have only been in sleep for 12 minutes and 52 seconds."
I laugh and yawn a bit. The rain is becoming heavier. We have to find somewhere to hide from the rain. Chase stand up and pull out his hands in the air. He attempts a few times but nothing happened.
"Well and the force field would like to glitch at this particular moment!" "What do we do?!" The rain was so loud that I had to yell. Even our missions suits are waterproof, we will still be all wet in minutes if we cannot manage to find somewhere to hide. It is especially dangerous with my wounded right hand.
"Grab on," Chase holds out his hands from the back and motions me to climb on it.
"What? I-"
"You can't super speed now. C'mon, it's just the swap of position."
He lowers his back and I wrap my arms around his neck. I lean against his back as he pulls up my legs. I rest my head on his shoulder and he hands me his jacket. "Here, hold my jacket over our heads to block out the rain." I nod and take it. It is a weird kind of feeling, just him and I, under his jacket in the rain.
"Alright, hold on tight, I can't run as fast and steady as you," Chase states as he grabs a firmer hold of my legs. He starts galloping and searching for a shelter to hide from rain.
I close my eyes and feel for the breath of his. I wish I could've paused this moment. In his grip, I have never been safer. The rain is cold, but I am warm.
"Eh, Bree?" Chase stops abruptly and turns his head around. "What?" I am woken from my deep thought.
"You've turned invisible," Chase roll his eyes to search for my presence. 'It's probably the glitch. It feels so weird carry some weights without seeing them." I startle and check my hands. They did turn invisible.
"And just to confirm... which side is your head on?" he asks awkwardly. I smile silently and suddenly get an idea. I lower my head, press my lips on his left cheek and whisper softly.
"This side."
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Author's Note:
How did you guys like this chapter?
They kissed!
The next one is pretty tense... Bree and Chase have discovered a place.
I have now decided to try to update a new chapter every week:) I hope a fixed timetable will work out. School has been really stressful:(