The first kiss was soft, slow and careful. He drew away briefly, watching me with smiling green eyes, his shaky breath against my skin.

In a daze, I reached and grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him back, kissing him again. He was startled, a small chuckle escaping in-between. This one was bolder. Both of us already got over some of our nerves from the first kiss. We felt brave. Our movements grew smoother, like partners getting familiar with a dance. Our mouths were moving against each other, and our hands... my hands began to explore parts of his body.

His chest, his arm, his neck, and my fingers found themselves entwined in his hair. His hand ventured from my waist, moved along my spine and ended at the nape of my neck, a cold touch that sent me shivering.

We stumbled backwards, mainly I was pushing him back into my dorm, forcing his hip to crash into a table. But we didn't separate from each other. Not yet.

I tipped his balance and Jaxton had to shoot out a hand to hold us both upright before we ended up on the tabletop. I pulled away slowly, eyes fluttering open, feeling breathless.

I watched him, letting his hand caress my cheek, pushing pieces of loose hair behind my ears. "I've wanted to do this for a long time..."

When he said this, his blush grew scarlet and I chuckled. He did the same and seemed to realise what was happening, he leaned down and silenced me with another kiss. This one more passionate than the previous, a small moan every so often slipping from his lips.

"Jaxton," I said when we pulled away but I still had my arm around his waist, my fist closing around the edge of his top, "will you tell me everything?"

He wasn't surprised. He knew that question was going to come eventually.

"I will."

I buried my face into his chest and he held me tightly, as though he never wants to let me go.





***



"No one else is looking for Robin, I'm sure of it."

Jaxton and I sat cuddled on the couch. From the way we sagged into the seat, it was clear we were both exhausted of the day's events. I leaned my head on the back cushions, my fingers laced between his, watching him speak.

"You mean the school?

"The school's definitely not searching. As for the authorities, the missing report was filed and I check with them every month, but there's no progress."

"Tell me from the start."

"The start..." He let out a breath. "That was a while ago but... I think things began to change at Christmas. Vel got her admissions notice from one of the top Arts Academies and we were all ecstatic — now you probably know why I was so shocked to see Vel here. We all planned to visit our orphan home too. We planned to buy gifts, give them to the children there as well as the staff close to us: Mr and Mrs Coleman and Ms Seam. There were others but those three were the memorable ones.

"The Coleman couple were the one's who own the orphanage — it's called SeaShells because it's near the beach — and they did it after they lost their twins."

"My God..."

"I know. But from what I know about them, they weren't bitter people. Of course, they would be sad about the deaths of their children but I'm amazed at the strength and optimism they have. They had so much hope in me."

I smiled.

"I used to be a bitter kid. Hardly spoke. Saw everyone as enemies," He pursed his lips, wincing at his childhood memory. "Yeah, that was not my best moments in life."

"Do you remember your parents?"

"I..." He thought for a bit, his brows slanting with a hint of sadness. "I have a photo of them. From when they were young. Vel has the other two. They help me remember."

"Do you know..." I asked the next question carefully. "Do you know what happened? How you ended up there?"

"I can't remember the details but... they left me and Vel with my grandpa and said they'll be away for three days. The next thing I knew they were... gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Disappeared into thin air. They never came back even though they said they would." He paused, brows knitted. "For some reason, five-year-old me believed for certain that they had drowned."

I found it hard to swallow. "How come?"

"I remember my dad said that they were going to go out to sea. Said he was going to bring me some shells," he gave a short laugh, "I was very obsessed with seashells at that point of my life."

I offered a faint smile.

"They never found their bodies or where they went so... I had hoped they would come back. Then, grandpa died two years later. Vel and I were both sent to the orphanage because there was no one else, which — by the way — I hated because it was named SeaShells and it was by the beach."

I winced but I was glad Jaxton didn't see.

"I disliked the water for a long time and refused to learn how to swim but Ms Seam taught me how to by pouring a bucket of water on my head."

"Wow!"

Jaxton laughed at my expression. "Yeah, I remember I was stunned but didn't think much of it. Ms Seam taught me loads of things. One thing for certain was making me fall in love with science." He cleared his throat, eyeing me. "Sorry, let's not get carried away with my science obsession."

"I'd love to hear it sometime?" I tried. "Maybe then I can tell you about my obsession with cakes and books."

He chuckled. "I know you're a bookworm from all the books you have all over your room. I even stubbed my toe on one."

"When was that?"

"When you were sick and asleep," he said, "I had to suffer in silence. Which book was that? Ah... The Count of Monte Cristo."

I giggled and shuffled closer to him, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and rubbed my arm with his thumb. "After the visit to SeaShells, Robin just seemed... I don't know. Off. I thought it was because he felt nostalgic and sad. I felt a bit sad too. I remembered all those times I felt angry at the world and angry at my parents even, for leaving us behind."

I felt an unpleasant tightness in my chest.

"I didn't think much of it, then, you know, Robin disappeared. Can't find him at his dorm or anywhere around campus or class. I got access to Robin's dorm and found a letter he left just for me. He told me not to look for him."

I tilted my head, gasping, "What?"

"I know. I thought it strange too and spent the next few days spamming him with calls and texts but he probably changed his number or something," he sighed. "From those 'expeditions' I have a suspicion that Robin was forced to work with them. As for 'them', I don't know who they are but... they don't look like they have anything to do with Iridescent. Just a hunch, though."

I noticed his gaze on me because we mentioned the 'word', but I didn't comment on it. The truth is important, even if it stung. I simply replied, "the waters are murkier than we thought."

"Definitely. And they drag in Iridescent to make the waters murkier," he shook his head. I had a slight suspicion that he was trying to make me feel better or make the people holding Weapons of Iridescent sound better, but the rest of the conversation made me realise he was telling me his true thoughts. "It's either they spread the word on purpose or they're using Iridescent as a cover for what they're doing.

"And for Robin, as you already know, they're using Velvet and me to threaten Robin to keep him working for them but what do they want him for?"

"What's Robin's power?"

"He's a Gravity Shifter. He can change the magnetic field of things, and his powers feel literally like a magnet. That's what puzzles me."

"Have you talked with anyone in SeaShells?" I suggested, realising I had no other ideas to offer. "You said Robin was strange after he left."

"I've thought of that and I went to talk to Ms Seam. The Coleman's had passed away, then. Mr Coleman had a heart attack and Mrs Coleman didn't last long without him. I remember attending the funeral." He cleared his throat. "Ms Seam thought nothing was out of the ordinary. She did say that Robin came to talk to her about the past. About his life at the orphan home and his parents but-"

"Do you know what happened to his parents?"

"Car accident. I heard."

"Did Robin write anything else in his letter?"

He shook his head, "he just told me not to worry about him." Then, he rolled his eyes, "As if."

"Well, do you know what I suspect?"

"What?"

"What is Robin normally like? You know, as a person?"

"To me, he's a friend, a brother and... he cares deeply about the things he loves, including us. He's determined and... he fights for what he believes in."

"So, am I right to suggest that Robin won't easily be convinced by some mysterious group to work for them?"

"Unless it was about... us and our life and death, you know?"

"True."

"What were you going to say?"

"I was going to say that maybe it had something to do with his parents. His family."

Jaxton thought about this. "That could be."

"Ever since-" I quietened my voice and leaned closer to his ear, "-ever since we killed those three people that were threatening Vel, we didn't get into any trouble. Like, they didn't retaliate? Isn't that weird? It makes me feel as though you and Vel being leverage isn't a big thing for them."

"So you're saying they have other leverage like... his parents?"

"Maybe but... that would mean they would be alive."

"Or that they died suspiciously."

Jaxton's words made me straighten up from my seat and stare straight at him. "You mean... they didn't die from the car accident and Robin's trying to find out more and in exchange for that information... it's his service to that group."

"Exactly."

I let out a big breath. "That's a lot of assumptions and we have nothing to prove it."

"Hm..." Jaxton nodded. "If we're right then, that 'group' must've already known something and offered Robin a hook. And it has to be a tempting hook."

"You're right."

We sat in silence, thinking over our theories. Then, I shot up again. "Why were you at camp? You never told me."

"My question first."

"Yeah?"

"Professor May seems to be overly against you, don't you think?"

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know? Besides that one time at the auditorium."

"Now, is the right time to talk about why I was at camp," he held me by the waist and pulled me back down to him. "After I was publically seen with you at your troop, on the night you were sick and I carried you to the sickbay... Professor May came to speak to me a few days later."

I was about to shoot out from my seat but Jaxton gave me a gentle squeeze. "Calm down, I'm still intact and alive."

"You never told me about this."

"I am now," he chuckled. "She asked me a lot of questions about how much I knew about you. Obviously, someone as clever as me would answer properly."

I rolled my eyes, slipping one a smirk. "So, what did you answer?"

"That we're not close," he said with smiling eyes. "She let me go after I proved to be unhelpful. She looked so determined to get some evidence against you."

"She must hate Iridescent a lot."

But why? Was it really just the general societal hate toward Iridescent?

"Some people think she's reached her sensitive stage of womanhood. She's usually stricter than other Professors on many frivolous things."

"You mean menopause? Even though I don't like her, but that's not a nice thing to say about womanhood."

"It's not," Jaxton agreed. "But the more convincing one, I think, is that she lost a family member in the 'Dark Ages'."

I stiffened and Jaxton hugged me tighter.

"Is it true?"

"I don't know. They're not widespread rumours. I heard from Yoan."

"Yoan? I don't think he's the type of people to spread rumours."

"He's not. Trust me," Jaxton quickly defended. "Don't tell anyone but Yoan told me secretly about this."

"Where did he get that from?"

"From Professor Allistar," in which he added upon seeing my face, "his dad."

My jaw went slack. "What!"

"You know Professor Allistar?"

"Yes!" I blurted. "He was the only Professor who knew about my powers."

Jaxton's brows shot sky-high. "He does?"

"Does Yoan know about my powers?"

"No..." Jaxton's gaze began to grow distanced. He was thinking about something, his emerald eyes occasionally shifting, but my focus wasn't on that.

"How does this all have to do with your appearance at camp?"

Jaxton's focus was back on me. He gave me a look. "You and me. Romantic trip to sickbay. Boom! Professor May immediately knows."

I gawked again. "Someone in the troop is a snitch and that snitch is Ted!"

He high-fived me. "Detective level up!"

I laughed. "Alright, but did you figure that all out?"

"I've always had a suspicion with Ted."

"No, it was Will you suspected."

"Fine, Willie. Fun fact, I learnt his full name is Wilfred."

I slapped him on the arm. "Focus!"

"Okay! Well, when I carried you out of the troop, Ted was looking at me weird."

"That's it?"

"Kinda," he smiled sheepishly. "Remember how I told you about Will being in your room? I suspected Will, yes, but the way he looked in your room wasn't that suspicious. I saw him — under your bed, yes — and he walked in, called your name. He stood in front that fallen chair and contemplated on straightening it but gave up and walked out."

"Right."

"Ever since Professor May spoke to me, I became really aware of people in your troop. That's why I never visited you by the door. Always by the balcony just in case." Jaxton grew serious. "Did you ever find that people always knew where you were, sometimes?"

"I'm not sure-" Then I stopped. "They knew Vel and I were going to the ball. They knew exactly when we returned."

Things were muddy but some of them were growing clearer.

"I'm a bit scared," I admitted. Knowing that someone was watching. Knowing that we were in the dark and the enemies knew our every move. Jaxton woke me from my thoughts with a comforting touch, a reassuring smile.

"Me too," he said and I found it surprising that he admitted it so honestly. "I don't know how deep the water is. I want to go there but I don't."

The words he said never felt so real.

"You know, on those 'expeditions'? Especially that time when I was bleeding in your bathroom. I thought I was really going to die."

"Until you saw me?"

"Until I saw you."

"Guess... being scared together is better than being scared alone."

He cupped my cheeks. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I held his hand, softly saying, "Same."





***

A/N

*author just finishes writing an emotional scene*

Imma just... lie down here.

*sobs*

L