Harry
A few hours after I'd left Elena to take care of her new assignment, I was summoned to a meeting about Vortex. We have to carefully plan out our next move now that we've discovered their intentions. Our relations with Vortex have been rough, especially in the past few weeks, but we've never had to actually attack them, only make sure they never get far enough in our territory to actually cause damage to our base and the people living in the North under our protection.
My mind is analysing our possibilities as I sit in the conference room, on the right to David who is seated at the head of the table. All of my closest and most trustworthy friends are present, ready to help with planning and possibly participate in the attack as well. I never send them on missions all at once, not wanting to deal with the loss. I know very well how damn great I am with accepting it, hence the episodes where I'm reliving the events that ruined me, the nightmares that have luckily been almost non-existent lately, and my detachment from everyone. Yes, so damn great.
Pictures of Vortex base, all kinds of data and information are scattered over the table, the videos of their attacks being played on the monitors. Anything that could help us plan the attack has been brought in here, the massive amount of details we have to think about not making our job easier.
My head snaps up at the sound of faint knocks on the door, followed by David's short "come in." As the door opens, all of us look at the two familiar figures entering the room, my eyes glancing at David then back at them. My palms flat against the table as I push myself to my feet, looking at none other than Elena and Alex.
"What is this?" I ask, my gaze shifting at David.
"I thought they could help us."
"What? No. I don't trust them," I argue.
"H, they've been here for almost two weeks and they haven't done anything that would make them suspicious," Louis tries to reason.
My lips press in a tight line, my muscles tense. I absolutely hate when I find out something in the last minute, the situation not giving me enough time to think this through. "All of you do realise we're letting two Vortex soldiers on our private meeting about the attack on Vortex, right?"
"We're not Vortex soldiers," Elena remarks, her stern tone letting me know she's ready to fight if needed.
"Have a seat," David tells them, giving them a smile. "You too. Sit down." He looks at me.
I watch them intently as each of them takes a seat on the opposite side of the table all the while feeling the looks of my friends sent my way. When they settle, I reluctantly lower my body onto the chair, leaning back and crossing my arms. Involuntarily, my eyes drift to Elena only to notice her cold gaze is already set on me, her light pink lips pressed in a hard line.
David opens his mouth to speak, but I'm quick to cut him off, "alright, you're here to help. Tell us how would you attack the base you're so familiar with."
"Easy," Elena says. "We'd focus on their weaknesses and turn them into our strength."
"And how do you propose we do that?" I challenge, raising my eyebrow.
"Vortex has only two shifts, the night and the daily one. Soldiers during the night shift are more cautious, there's a larger number of them, and they're always ready for an attack, but no one would expect an attack during the broad daylight," she says. "And right now, your biggest advantage is that Vortex isn't expecting your attack at all."
"That's smart thinking, but we're still at much bigger risk during the daylight," Liam says.
"That's why we'll go prepared."
"We? Who said anything about you two going on that mission?" I say sternly, a frown taking over my features. Being on this meeting is one thing, but letting them participate in such an important mission is something I won't allow. There's only so much risk I'm willing to take.
"I did," David deadpans.
"You do realise you're giving them a chance to lead us right into a trap? Who says they knew nothing of that attack on Rogue?" I reason.
"Mate, you're giving us way too much credit," Alex says. "I'm certain when you guys met me you weren't like 'ooh, better fear him, he's a ruthless traitor sent here to kill us all!' I legit can't walk a straight line without tripping, let alone do such thing."
"I firmly believe they can help us," Jess says. "They have knowledge we could use to our advantage and that's a chance we can't miss."
I wish it was simple for me as it is for them. I'm aware Elena and Alex haven't done anything, and they most likely won't, but I would be more at ease if I knew the reason behind their stay here. My reaction, it appears to me, is only logical to me since most of the soldiers have accepted them as our own, but I still can't shake the feeling something's not right.
"You'll help us plan this," I say sternly after moments of silence, my eyes flicking between the two of them. "But that's where your involvement in this issue ends." I lift my hand when I notice David opening his mouth, ready to protest. "We'll discuss it later."
. . . .
Hours later, our meeting finally comes to an end. The attack still hasn't been planned to detail, but we have a rough draft, so to speak. We'll spend a few days going through every single thing, every single assignment each group will have to deal with when they go to confront with Vortex. My main goal is to decrease the losses of our soldiers, so I'll have to make sure each soldier has enough weapons with them and work through a strategy for them to avoid getting killed.
It's a shit ton of work basically, which means less sleeping hours. The horror.
As soon as David officially proclaims the meeting is over, I hastily leave the room. Despite the fact Elena and Alex have been helpful, I'm pissed David would just let them go to the mission, exposing everyone to danger. Maybe they don't plan to betray us now, but you never know what might happen on the field. People are unpredictable, they could easily change their minds in the last second.
"Sir!" Elena calls me, but I decide to ignore her, continuing to walk toward the lift. "H!" She tries again, but I won't budge. I know what she'll ask and I'm in no mood to fight.
My finger presses the call button next to the lift, my whole body tense. I'm tired from all the brainstorming I've been doing for the past few hours and the only thing I want is to take a short rest to regain my energy. However, when I feel Elena's light touch on my shoulder, I figure that won't be easy. I feel a pleasant sensation where her hand has touched me, but when she retracts it, I almost protest out loud.
Wait, what?
"You really can't take a hint, can you?" I snap, my fingers curling around the bandana holding my hair back and pulling it off. My other hand runs through the tousled curls, shaking them and pushing them back again.
"David has allowed us to go and everyone else agrees, why are you so against it? What do we have to do to prove ourselves?" Elena demands, her hazel eyes searching mine.
I throw a glance over my shoulder, realising we have a small audience consisting of the people who were at the meeting. Louis and Liam's smug grins make me roll my eyes, my mouth expelling a sigh. Luckily, the lift arrives and the doors slide open, my hand grabbing Elena's instinctively, pulling her inside the lift with me, ignoring the same sensation I felt moments ago. I immediately punch a random button, waiting for the doors to close, my hand still enveloped around hers. My friend's amused faces are the last thing I see before the doors close.
"Okay, what the fuck?" I ask, my hand releasing hers, my body turning so I can face her properly. "First of all, you're in no position to demand anything here, second of all, I don't have to explain myself to you. I don't trust you and that's it."
"I get the trust part, but your reaction is not logical," she argues. "Why would I expose myself to danger and go through the trouble of speaking with Ace to prevent the war if I'm a traitor? I'm not that stupid to work against the base which is currently my safe haven."
My eyebrows pull in a frown as my gaze locks with her fierce one, one part of me refusing to agree with her while the other is telling me to listen to her. "What if when you're out there, forced to fight the people you most probably know, you decide you want to side with them?"
"That won't happen, and you know why? My brother and I need you, but you also need us," Elena says. "I won't ask you to trust me because I'd be asking a lot, but I'm asking you to put your faith in your leader and friends since they have decided to trust us."
The lift reaches its destination in that moment, but before anyone can walk in or out, I glare at the people in front, making all of them take a step back in the same time. That's right, back off. I push a button, glaring at them until the doors close.
I approach Elena, the familiar thick tension somehow appearing between us as my eyes stare into hers. "And what guarantee do I have?"
"I don't know how much that means to you, but you have my word," she replies, her tongue poking out to wet her lips, leaving a glistening trail behind.
"Is that so?" I mumble, my eyes dropping to her lips. I don't exactly know what happened, but my anger has diminished, her words having a calming effect on me. Her proximity, however, has an entirely different effect, causing my heart to speed its pace and my lungs to search for more air.
She feels the tension too, I can tell by the quick rise and fall of her chest and her sudden stiff posture as she waits for my next move, or stopping herself from making any, I'm not sure. I tentatively step closer to her, limiting her space and letting her know what my intentions are. I'm acting solely on instinct, if I were to let my brain take over, the situation would take a different turn.
Before the lift could interrupt us again, I quickly flick the small lever, causing the lift to come to a sudden halt. My attention is quickly brought back to Elena, her lips appearing even more desirable than moments ago, my attraction towards her growing by the minute. She's not indifferent to me either, especially since she's not speaking anything with that smart mouth of hers, not to mention the hazel colour of her eyes is barely visible due to her dilated pupils. As I approach her again, her back meets the wall, one of my palms pressing against the roundness of her soft cheek, feeling the smooth skin.
I said I don't trust her moments ago and now I'm about to kiss her. What's wrong with me?
My head dips lower, my lips hovering centimetres over hers as I await for her to possibly push me away, but she never does. Instead, her lips meet mine halfway, their soft surface moving against mine slowly. I soon feel her hands on my waist, her fingers fisting the material of my shirt, pulling my body closer to hers.
I move my lips a bit more roughly, intensifying the already sensual kiss. My nose brushes against hers, my other hand settling on her bum, gripping the flesh, her mouth eliciting a soft moan as a response to my action. When her teeth suddenly pull at my lip ring, my hips press into hers, a throaty groan emitting from me.
One more time and I'll be forced to abort mission again.
The hand that was previously cupping her cheek slides into her hair, my fingers wrapping the strands of her ponytail around them, gently tugging at it. Her head tips back slightly, her fingertips skimming over my waist, ribs, and eventually chest, leaving a tingling trail wherever she touched me. My mouth is still restlessly working with hers, my mind blocking any coherent thoughts.
I don't know how long it's been when I feel her palms lightly push at my chest, our actions immediately coming to an end, leaving us breathless, with lips swollen and parted. A realisation we've been too long in this lift dawns upon me, my hand quickly flicking the lever again, the lift starting to move again.
"Always so distracting, tiger," I comment while turning towards the doors, my hands fixing my shirt before I quickly bend to pick up the bandana I've somehow dropped without noticing. My fingers push my curls back before I wrap the bandana around my head, tying them back.
The doors open, confused expressions of soldiers waiting for the lift greeting us before we quickly leave the lift, awkwardly speed-walking toward the exit. My eyes take a quick glance at Elena, noticing her flushed cheeks and a smile gracing her lips, causing one to appear on my own.
"Troublemaker," I mumble as we leave the main building, my smile faltering now that everyone can see me, but my amusement still present.
"Oh, I'm a troublemaker? I believe we've both broken a few rules not only today but a few days ago as well," she replies and I know very well she's talking about our other kiss, the memory still fresh in my mind.
"No rules, remember?" I ask, my hands clasped behind my back.
"No rules." Her smile grows.
"Act natural," I say. "I don't want anyone to get suspicious."
Her expression quickly becomes serious and she even waits for me to be two steps ahead of her. I take a sudden turn toward the gym, hoping she'll take a hint and follow me, considering we can't be seen talking anywhere else. I throw a quick glance over my shoulder, seeing her trailing behind me. My feet are quick to carry me into my training room, my hand grabbing Elena's for the second time today, pulling her inside with me after I make sure no one can see us.
Once I close the door, I spin around to face her. "You can go." When I take in her confused expression, I add, "on that mission. You and Alex have my permission."
Her eyebrows furrow in surprise, lips parting. "Really? Why the sudden change?"
"You can be persuasive," I say. "You were right, my reaction wasn't logical."
"Thank you," Elena replies, her body moving towards the door. "Don't worry, I won't mention what happened between us to anyone. . . sir."
I nod, but before she can turn and leave, my hand slips under her jaw, my lips leaving a quick kiss on hers. "Don't make me regret my decision."
"I won't."