DEVORA WAS A face full of smiles when she pushed open the doors of their new shared apartment home. It was a decent size, not too big, not too small. Located in the heart of New York City, this apartment was to be their new home for a few years before they start moving across the states in search of a new location to explore in the future.
"Isn't this place just beautiful?" Devora laughed, jumping into the household instantly, leaving her bags by the door as the man accompanying her smiled.
"I'm just glad that you like it, Dora. We looked through so many different apartments before agreeing on this one and frankly, I'm just relieved that the hunt is over."
"Nathan, don't be such a sourpuss. This place is beautiful. Besides, you were the one that had been picky about the apartments. I never did comment more than a sentence about them."
Nathan grinned, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. His large brown eyes scanned their new home up and down, a fond smile curving his lips when his pupils landed on Devora's beaming smile from the center of the room. She shone radiantly, simply like a sparkling firework in the middle of the dark night sky.
"I didn't have to comment much, Devora. Anywhere is home with you in it."
After recovering from the bullet wound that could have ended his life, Nathan was sure to treasure each and every second of his life to the maximum potential. He and his friends all healed up nicely, being able to leave the hospital grounds with just a few weeks' stay.
At first, Dallas had been complaining on and on about how bland the food was in the hospital. Tired of hearing his complaints, Travis took it upon himself to cook him every meal of the day, bringing in healthy but fairly delicious dishes whenever it was time to eat. Ever since then, Dallas had insisted on bunking in with Leah and Travis after he was released from the hospital, much to Leah's dismay and Travis's delight.
Unfortunately, the group of friends, with the exception of Nathan, could never quite contact their families.
Devora learned not long after that her family had moved to Asia, somewhere in the rural parts of China and were to never be heard from again. Of course, she missed her family dearly but had decided that it was best to keep her distance. After all, in their eyes, she was supposed to be long dead.
Travis and Leah, on the other hand, didn't dare to go search for their family. After the death of their little sister Tammy, they decided that it was perhaps for the best to never reunite with their families. They were scared of their family's reaction if they were to learn that only two out of the three kidnapped children had survived, and on top of that, those two moved on to be assassins that took lives for a living.
"I don't want them to think of me any differently," Leah had said when Devora asked why. "I just know that they are going to regard Travis and I like some murderers. They shouldn't know we're still alive. That way, our images in their memory wouldn't be tainted."
It was a painful decision, but it was one that the brother and sister duo had agreed on without any qualms.
Lastly, Nathan had been on a hunt for his own family members ever since he was released from his stay at the hospital. It hadn't been an easy search, but Nathan eventually received news that they had been on a constant move for quite a few years already, constantly searching for him. Although their decision touched Nathan greatly, it still annoyed him that they hadn't taken his advice and stayed put. Being constantly on the move made it much more difficult for Nathan to locate them.
That was why Nathan and Devora had started with New York City as their first home, seeing that it was a city filled with vibrant people from all walks of life. The chances of finding them were much higher.
Devora blushed at Nathan's words, walking towards his open arms as they embraced. She placed a quick kiss on his lips, lingering for just a few seconds before pulling back.
"Likewise, Jerald. Home is where the heart is and my heart belongs to you."
There was something similar to a flutter against Nathan's ribcage, making him break out into an enormous grin. When they finally, and rather reluctantly, tore away from each other's arms, Nathan reached for their bags before pulling them in. He locked the door from behind them, just examining the furniture.
It was a rather small apartment, just enough for the two of them to stay. There was a guest room to accommodate either of their friends should they decide to visit, two different washrooms, and a master bedroom. The living room was spacious enough, connected to the kitchen with a dining table as a divider between the two. In other words, the apartment was cozy, just the way they both liked it to be.
Furthermore, the view from the apartment was breathtaking. It overlooked the New York City skyline, owning the perfect spot to watch the sunset every evening. The balcony was their mini 'patio', owning two small deckchairs and a table in between, the optimal location for a session of champagne and stargazing.
There was a knock on the door, garnering Nathan's attention. Devora had long escaped towards the bathroom in the master bedroom, deciding on a nice long bath to soothe her nerves. This left Nathan alone in the living room, and by default, the only one to answer the door.
He pulled the wooden door open, surprised to see two familiar figures standing in front of him. Of course, he greeted them with a smile, opening the door just a little wider for them to come in.
Julius Cain looked to be in better shape than when Nathan had last seen him in the hospital. Although he didn't suffer from serious injuries during the last mission, Cain's body grew weak with his time in the hospital. Ever since then, he had a few health scares, known to have multiple diseases that further weakened his immune system.
But right now, Nathan's ex-boss was glowing pink with health, a hand placed on his young son's back.
"Nathaniel, it is good to see you again." Cain greeted with a dashing, and rather sincere, smile.
"Likewise." Nathan nodded. "To what may I owe this visit?"
"No need to be so formal, Nathaniel. You know that you can just call me by my first name. After that last ordeal, I think I owe that and a lot more to you and your friends." Cain smiled sheepishly. "I was hoping that you could take care of Markus for me for a little while. It is just for a few days, I promise. I have a doctor's appointment in another state. They wanted me to come in and test on some components of my blood in hopes of finding me a suitable supplement. Markus is still young and I don't want him to be exposed to too many contagious diseases, being constantly in the hospital and all. It might take a toll on his health when he grows older."
"Of course, Julius. We'll watch over him," Nathan agreed. "When do you leave?"
"Right now, actually. I have a plane to catch in about an hour. Just had to make sure that Markus made it here safe." Cain looked to be in pain when he looked at his son.
He bent down, digging through his pockets before withdrawing a single golden key. It looked to be any ordinary key but it had a chain attached to it, making it seem like a necklace.
"Keep this safe for me, won't you, son?" He asked, passing the key to Markus who took it without hesitation. Cain then stood up, nodding one last time at Nathan before smiling weakly. "I hope that you don't mind. Thank you for doing this."
"Anytime."
"Julius!"
Nathan whipped his head back just in time to see Devora emerge from their bedroom, hair tossed up in a bun and adorning one of his giant shirts. The rims of the shirt were messily tucked into the band of a pair of shorts. She shuffled into the living room quickly, hugging Cain affectionately while kissing both his cheeks in greeting.
She then turned towards Markus, doing the same.
"I didn't know that you were coming."
"I am going away for a while and I am afraid I would have to trouble both of you to take care of Markus for me." Cain paused, straightening his jacket. "I hope it's okay."
"Of course it is. Both you and Markus are welcome here anytime." Devora grinned in reply.
"That is wonderful news. I best be off, though. Thank you again." Cain took one last look at his son before he trudged out of the house, never looking back another time.
It was unknown to both Devora and Nathan at the time but Julius Cain was on a plane that would be doomed to crash. His private jet had been hijacked by a few survivors that were still on a hunt for him, taking him down on a suicide mission. Cain had left everything he owned to his son, passing down both properties and great amounts of monetary value, all to be kept in both Nathan and Devora's possession until the day Markus turned eighteen.
He hadn't known that his fate would end that day, but call it a hunch. Cain knew that his past would one day catch up to him and that it was the best for Markus to never follow wherever danger lurked.
Julius Cain's funeral was a small gathering that only included Devora's group of friends and Markus. They had never found the body from the crash site, leaving the casket very much empty with the exception of some of their fondest memories of him.
Granted, they had not adored Cain for the most part when he was alive, but Devora had regarded him as a good friend the more time she spent with Markus. She found out that Julius Cain was ultimately still a man filled with love for his son and his deceased wife. Now, she prayed that they would be reunited in the afterlife.
Years would soon pass, only ever to strengthen Devora and Nathan's love and friendship. Though they had their fights and spats, it would always be resolved because they knew that it was only with understanding and trust would a relationship blossom. They would soon be wed, having the most fun-filled night time wedding ceremony under the blanket of stars as they kissed amongst the starlight.
It was because of a chain of events that fate had set out for them since the very beginning that drove them to be together until the very end. Everyone who knew the couple always said the same thing.
Devora and Nathan were linked so very close together that they were impossible to separate.
And they couldn't be more right.
THE END
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