There was a tense silence, after which Anya snapped something out in their language and Rafe responded, his voice much calmer.

The child in my arms let out a whimper and I stepped away from them, not wanting her to hear any of what they were saying.

I rubbed my hand soothingly on her back, and softly cooed a melody my dad once said my mom used to sing to me.

I was humming the end of it when Rafe walked up to me from behind.

"She is asleep," he told me, coming to stand in front of me.

I didn't say anything. Unsure what I could say.

I cleared my throat then.

"Thank you," I said, tilting my head in the direction of where the whole incident had just happened.

Rafe looked over my head, "She had a bad day."

"Sure, sure." I murmured and Rafe looked back at me and raised an eyebrow.

I gave him an innocent look. "What?" I asked.

He shook his head and he continued to take me around the nursery, introducing me to the other children, while I carried the sleeping child in my arms the whole time.

When it was time to leave, I placed her back in her little cradle, being careful not to wake her.

I could feel the strain in my arms from having carried her for so long, the pain was sweet. It reminded me of the few hours of trust the child had bestowed on me.

As I walked out of the nursery, I was thinking about how I wouldn't ever give up the chance to come here again, even if I could.

"Hills."

I turned around and saw Rafe press a finger to his lips and beckon me to him with two fingers. I looked behind me at the others who were heading to the Hover.

Curious, I walked to Rafe and watched as he placed his bracelet against the Identity Screen and then after he removed his hand, gestured that I place mine.

My eyes widened, "Are you sure?" I asked.

Rafe nodded slowly, his eyes locked on mine.

I followed his instructions and placed my bracelet against the Identity Screen. The screen lit up and went off.

I was now allowed unrestricted access to the Infant Centre.

I looked up at him, "Thank you." I murmured.

He nodded his head at me and both of us silently followed the trail taken by others to the Hover. We were silent the whole time we sat next to each other on the Hover. I pulled out my communication device to check what work I was assigned to next.

Kitchen Duty.

"Are we going to the Kitchens?" I asked Rafe quietly, turning my head to the side to look at him while leaning back on the seat.

He mirrored my pose and nodded at me and our eyes met and both of us just looked at each other.

I traced the lines of his face with my eyes.

What are you thinking, I thought.

He eyes seemed to be asking questions of his own that I couldn't understand. His eyes moved between the both of mine. I was acutely aware of the pace of my speeding heart.

When he looked at me this way, with so much intensity, it always made me want to look away. Usually I don't listen to that feeling; today I did.

I pulled a soft breath in through my nose, trying to control my racing thoughts and heart.

__ __

I got off the Hover and stretched my legs a little and watched as other Hovers headed into the clearing from a direction different from where we'd come, to park near ours.

Everyone else had Kitchen Duty too. Thank God.

I needed some time away from...

I looked behind me as Rafe descended from the Hover, his eyes attached to mine. Anya got down right after him and I looked away and noticed the people getting down from the other Hovers.

"Red," a familiar voice said from behind me and I turned to see a very disgruntled looking Wolf walking to me.

He was pouting.

Awww. He was pouting. He looked like a child.

"Aw, what's wrong?" I asked when he came to stand near me, my hand reaching out to rub his arm.

"I'm hungry," he said grumpily, his lower lip sticking out, as he looked at the ground.

Oh, hell he was adorable.

I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back in understanding, my cheek pressed to his chest, while he rested his chin on my head. I watched Freesia walk up to us and make a sad face and put her hands out and engulf both of us in her hug. I pulled one of my hands out from between us to wrap around her back.

I heard a throat being cleared behind us and we all looked to see Anya raising her eyebrows, "You have work to do." She said, snottily.

We let go of each other with a shared look of what's-her-problem?

We started to head towards the large building with the same architectural design as every other building we'd seen, and Anya dodged us with an annoyed cluck of her tongue as if we were moving too slowly.

Wolf's eyes narrowed.

"What crawled up her butt and died?" He muttered to me.

"You should've seen her this morning," Freesia murmured.

"What happened this morning?" He asked looking between the both of us.

"She practically bit Amour's head off." Freesia said, pursing her lips.

"What? Why?" He asked, turning around to walk backwards so that he could look at us.

"Apparently she had a 'bad day'." I said, drawing quotes in the air and rolling my eyes.

"Well she doesn't get to spread her weeds all over my garden." Wolf grumbled, turning back to walk normally again.

I clapped a hand over my mouth to hold in my laugh at how inappropriate that sounded. Freesia didn't feel the same way, she burst out laughing and looking at her with tears streaming out her eyes, Wolf and I joined in.

Every time we would settle, we would crack up again, and in the end it turned worse when I accidentally let out a laugh-grunt and Wolf burst out laughing again with his head thrown back, pointing at me and holding his stomach.

I slapped him once and tried to cover his mouth, while Freesia snickered next to me.

"You grunted!" Wolf said between laughs.

"It was an accident!" I exclaimed, laughing too, even though I was trying to shut him up.

Wolf pried himself out of my grip and caught me square across the waist.

Oh shit.

And he started to tickle me.

I died.

My hair flew everywhere, as I tried to escape his grip, spinning this way and that, my laughter breathless and out of my control.

I was almost shrieking while Freesia, the traitor, was laughing her pretty little head off.

I tried to run, but Wolf had a good, strong grip on me.

Then I saw a gloved hand front of me.

I looked up and saw Rafe with his arm out for me to take. He hadn't taken his gloves off.

Ha. Loophole.

I reached out and caught his forearm (thank God for full sleeved suits) and the fingers of his gloved hand curled around my forearm.

One swift tug later, I swivelled out of Wolf's arms and Rafe twirled me in such a way that I ended up standing behind him.

His fingers were still wrapped around my wrist, his arm bent slightly behind him to facilitate the hold he had on me.

My body was pressed against every line of his back and my eyes were wide with shock.

He wasn't letting go of me.

I was pressed up against him and he wasn't letting for of me.

I tried to move back, but Rafe tightened his grip on my wrist and I stayed still. Every breath of mine caused me to press against him.

My heart that was already beating fast, thudded against my chest, and essentially against his back.

Taking a deep breath, trying to think through my dizzying thoughts, I peeked at Wolf by leaning my head past Rafe's right bicep, because he was too tall for me to peek over his shoulder.

Wolf, I realised, had stilled. His eyes were on Rafe.

Whoa, what was happening here?

Wolf straightened to his full height but he still wasn't as tall as Rafe.

Rafe stood still and calm, but I felt like he was a large dam withholding turbulent waters.

I swallowed and was about to open my mouth when Rafe spoke, and the tone of his voice sent a chill down my spine. I have never heard him sound so threatening before.

My eyes whipped to look up at him, but from my angle all I could see was the hard, stubborn line of his jaw.

"I thought I asked you to stay away from her," Rafe said, his voice skating below cold and creeping to frigid.

"I don't see her complaining," Wolf said, crossing his arms with a cocky grin on his face.

I threw Wolf a warning look, but he wasn't looking in my direction, his grey eyes were trained to his adversary.

I felt the muscles of Rafe's back flex and my eyes widened.

I opened my mouth again, but Rafe spoke, "I have warned you once before. Do not push me, Human."

He said Human, like I would say Asshole.

My jaw had dropped about five feet to the ground.

Wolf stepped forward, "You don't scare me, asshole."

"Rafe," I murmured, lifting my free arm and pressing two fingers to the suit covered forearm that was still holding my wrist.

He continued to glare at Wolf; so I sent a few prayers up hoping that he won't hate me as I wrapped my hand around his wrist. His completely cover wrist.

"Rafe," I murmured again, but it came out sounding intimate. I prayed again, hoping no one noticed that.

Rafe seemed to pull himself out of where ever his thoughts were, as he turned to tip his head down to look at me. The hard lines of his face softened as he perused me.

"Rafe, stop." I said, my eyes flicking to Wolf, who had his eyes narrowed at us.

Rafe looked back up again at Wolf and his stance slowly relaxing.

But Wolf had a different idea.

"What the hell is your problem with me, man?" He asked, his hands curled into fists into his side.

"My problem with you is that you touch her too much." Rafe responded and I gasped out a "Rafe!" in shock.

"Just because you're too much of a prude to do the same, doesn't mea-"

I felt Rafe's muscles coil as he got ready to surge forward, but I intercepted, raising my voice.

"Enough!" I said to the both of them, my voice slightly raised and cutting.

They blinked at each other, as if wondering who had spoken, before they tipped their heads down to look at me.

I slowly pried my hand free of Rafe's fingers and moved to stand in between them.

I faced Wolf, "Wolf, what are you trying to do? We just got punished. Do you want to make it worse?" I whispered to him urgently.

Wolf glared down at me, "Sure, take his side."

I placed a hand on his arm, "I'm not taking his side, he's going to get a verbal-lashing too. But the fights both of you have is ridiculous. Walk away, Wolf." I said.

Wolf shook my hand off, threw a last glare at Rafe and stalked away. Freesia looked from me to Wolf and back, before turning to practically sprint after him because he was walking too fast for her little legs to catch up by just walking.

I turned to look at Rafe. His hands were by his side, his eyes-that were now more coal than fire-were on me.

"Why do you keep getting into fights with him?" I asked him, my voice low.

Rafe narrowed his eyes, "Why do you keep associating yourself with him?"

I held up a finger, "I have never said anything to you about your choice in friends-"

"He is not a friend." Rafe told me, stepping closer to me, his eyes flashing.

But he hadn't crossed his arms. He hadn't pulled up his walls and turned defensive. Something about that thrilled me.

"Rafe, just because he doesn't conform to your perception of a friend, doesn't mean he isn't one." I explained to him.

"He is the reason you are not eating today, are being restricted to your room and will have filled schedules for the next three weeks." Rafe told me, lifting a hand to point it in the direction that Wolf had just walked off.

I shook my head, "I chose to take up the punishment. He is not to be blam-"

Rafe stepped up really close, "If I were in his place, I would not let you shoulder any part of the blame. I would ha-"

I shook my head, "Rafe we don't have the leverage you do in this society. And what were we supposed to do?"

Rafe looked away, seeming to trying to control his emotions. Then he looked back at me, his voice lower.

"Why will you not listen to me?" He asked me.

"Why must I listen to you?" I asked, genuinely flabbergasted.

Rafe stared at me.

"Amour," he said and I swallowed at how my name rolled out of his lips, "I will not allow you to speak to him."

"Rafe, you can't control who I'm friends with!" I said, trying to get him to see things my way.

"And why not?" He asked, leaning back, a smirk lifting his lips.

"Because it's wrong," I said, not knowing what else to say to him. How else to explain it to him.

"Just because the act conforms to your perception of wrong, doesn't mean it is." He said quoting me, his eyes glinting like he thought he'd won the fight.

I let out a breath, shutting my eyes and trying to tell myself that biting him in frustration would not help.

Fingers on my chin had my eyes snapping open, as he lifted my face up with a gentle but firm grip.

Shock at being touched by him, granted through gloves, had me silent as Rafe spoke.

"I am not going to let anything happen to you." He promised, his face really close to me, his warm breath brushing my lips.

Then he turned and walked away.

I gaped at him in shock for a few seconds before following him. Rather, I stomped after him.

I entered the room I saw him get into and was about to open my mouth to lay it on him, when I realised the place was milling with people doing some work or the other.

I was handed gloves by a prim looking short (comparatively), plump C'Riel as she directed me to the far end of the room.

I guess I now know why Rafe had retained the gloves. He would need it for Kitchen Duty.

I followed the C'Riel woman's directions in a daze. I saw a few humans, Wolf and Freesia amongst them, huddled around large dark pots and scrubbing them with fervour.

I was handed a pot, with a small sponge-like structure inside it, and was ushered to get to work. I crouched on the spot closest to me and blinked.

Was I just supposed to scrub?

Freesia looked up and grinned at me.

"Do I just...scrub?" I asked her.

Freesia nodded, "Apparently that spongy thing has some in-built cleansing fluid that has some sensor that will...do something, I don't know," she said rolling her eyes and waving her hand, foamy sponge and all.

I snickered and got down to scrubbing. It was a good thing I had firm gloves that didn't give and a thick suit that covered my elbows or I'd have raw skin from the friction the scrubbing caused.

But I kept having to blow my hair out of my eyes because it kept trying to get into the pot and my face. I tossed my head and some if it went off one shoulder and over the other.

Pointless.

"You have beautiful hair," a blonde bob-haired, brown-eyed girl near me murmured, a shy look on her face.

I grinned at her, "Thanks," I said, then frowned, "I'm tempted to cut it, though."

The girl gasped, "Why would you do that?"

"It keeps getting in the way whenever I work, and I have only ten minutes a day to shower, hardly enough for me to wash my hair." I explained.

She gave me a sympathetic look, "Demerits of long hair." She said.

I smiled at her and both of us got back to work in companionable silence.

When I was done with my pot, I leaned my head back and rolled my shoulders trying to release the kink that had developed in my neck from my uncomfortable position and the pressure I had been putting on my hands to scrub. My hair fell over my shoulder and down my back and I closed my eyes at the temporary relief my position offered my neck and the area between my shoulder blades.

When I opened my eyes, Rafe stood above me, looking down at me with his arms crossed.

I raised my eyebrows and he said, "Come with me."

"Um," I said, straightening my head and pointing around me, "I have work."

"No, you do not." He said and caught my arm with his gloved ones and lifted me up.

Whoa.

"Rafe!" I said, staring at him in shock. He took my hands into his and pried my gloves off them and tossed them in the large rectangular structure beside him.

He then caught my fingers with his and dragged me.

Wow. Okay.

"I can't just leave!" I protested, trying to ignore the fact that Rafe was holding my hand.

But how could I ignore that? Because he was holding my hand.

Granted, with gloves on. But still.

I could feel the heat from his gloved hands seep into mine, as his fingers locked themselves with mine, twining them together.

"Yes, you can." He said.

I tugged on his arm, trying to stop him. But he was too strong.

"Rafe! What are you doing?" I whisper-yelled as we headed out of the room and turned left away from the eyes of curious on-lookers in the room.

He turned around and I almost bumped into him at the sudden stop, "Do you trust me?" He asked.

I stared up at him and watched as he lifted his free hand to tuck a few strands of my hair behind my ear and continuing to trail his fingers down that strand.

"Why are we holding hands?" I asked him once I could breathe.

His eyes that had been in his hand in my hair shifted to my eyes.

"Because." He said.

I pursed my lips.

"Do you trust me, Hills?" He asked again, tipping his head closer to mine, his eyes that were so much fire, burning into mine.

I looked at him, shifting my eyes between the both of his. I looked for something in his eyes...anything.

All I saw there was softness... And sincerity. And...heat.

"Yes." I said.

______________________________________

3K words again! Yayayayayayaayayaya!

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