I was totally sneaking out. With a boy.

Who is a friend, I reminded myself.

I turned around, holding my arms up at Rafe, "I promise I'm not ducking out of my punishment. Just five minutes okay?" I told him sternly.

Rafe's lips twitched as he looked down at me, "Okay." He said.

I nodded my head and walked to the elevator. Rafe keyed in the digit that would lead us to the Main Entrance. I practically sprinted out, much to Rafe's amusement.

"How much trouble am I going to get into?" I asked him, as I waited impatiently for him to open the main door that lead outside.

Rafe looked at me, "You will not get into trouble,"

"Um, one, I left my room. Two, I'm leaving the building. I'm just adding brownie points against myself here." I said, counting them off on my fingers.

He chucked me under my chin with two fingers that were gloved-when did he glove them?-with a smile on his face.

"You will not get in trouble," he assured me, again.

I shrugged, "Even if I did..." My voice trailed off as the door before me opened and I watched as lush rains poured from the heavens, "It would totally be worth it," I breathed out.

I stepped out into the rain, letting the large drops splatter over me, piercing my skin in the most wonderful way. I looked up, closing my eyes as the rain drenched me through. The water was cold, but I paid it no mind.

I looked at Rafe, who still stood in the shade of the the building, his arms crossed as he considered me seriously.

"Come on," I ushered him, "The rain feels so amazing."

Rafe didn't say anything, I don't even know if he heard me. He was watching me with so much intensity, it seemed like nothing would penetrate through.

I stalked to him, caught his gloved fingers in mine. He seemed shocked out of his reverie, as he looked down at my fingers on his.

If he didn't like it, I figured he'd tell me.

But he didn't say anything, he just looked back at me, his eyes almost glowing fire in the dark.

"Come on," I ushered him in a whisper and tugged.

His eyes went back to my fingers clutching his and he turned both his hands around, intertwining our fingers with one another, casting a glance at me through his lashes.

Heat spread through me despite the chill of the fat drops of rain that beat down on me.

A soft breath left my lips as our fingers were completely entwined. Ignoring any feelings developing within me at the act, I tugged at him, our arms stretching in front of us, because I wasn't strong enough to move him.

"Rafe," I said. I was leaning back, he was holding my whole weight by the clutch of ten fingers and I slanted my head back, letting the rain assault me again.

Rafe stepped forward and the action almost had me falling back, because I was still trying to pull him into the rain. He quickly caught me by tugging me forward with the hold he had on my fingers and I stumbled into him.

I snorted, "That was graceful," I said.

I untwined my fingers from his slowly, but Rafe still held on. I looked up at him and watched as the rain drenched him, making his hair damper and his dark lashes stick together.

"Rafe," I whispered, tugging at my fingers a little.

He looked at me and slowly unwrapped his fingers from mine. I stepped away, watching the water droplets slip down his forehead and over his nose to settle on his lips.

I jerked my eyes away, walking away from him with a slow smirk.

"Not fond of getting wet?" I asked him.

His gaze was narrowed in on me moving away and he started to stalk me, taking sure large strides towards me. My heart stuttered and then picked up pace at his dark, but soft-at-the-same-time expression.

Why didn't I feel threatened?

Why did this excite me?

He started walking faster and I let out a squeal, turning to run.

I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun him. But did I really want to outrun him?

Footsteps behind me had me running faster, but in eight seconds, arms around my waist caught me and pulled me back and off my feet.

I was laughing as he carried my straight off the ground, lifting me in such a way that my face was facing the skies without me leaning my head back.

"Told you never to turn your back on me," he murmured in my ear as he placed me back down.

I turned around to look at him, "I let you catch me, didn't I?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.

His eyebrows raised too.

"You let me catch you?" He asked me, amusement dancing in his glowing eyes, the rain only making him look even more...

Just more. More beautiful. More unreal. More untouchable. Just more.

I threw him a haughty look, "Of course," I said and started to turn on my heel and walk away.

He caught my arm at the elbow and I turned to look at him. He slowly stepped back, his hand sliding down to catch hold of my fingertips. My eyes traced the action before flitting back to his gaze, that hadn't wavered from my face.

He tugged me forward and I jerked into his arms, our chests pressed, my one hand caught in his, the other on his bicep, while his free hand went to my waist.

We were standing like a couple who were dancing. His hand that had been on my waist slipped to the small of my back, pressing me impossibly closer.

I couldn't breathe.

I stared up at him, my lips parted to drag in air as my chest raised and fell fast despite being restricted from moving because of the closeness of his chest.

"Rafe-" I started but he shook his head. Then...

He started to move.

He was...

I pulled a breath in.

He was dancing with me.

And so, we slow danced to the pitter patter of the rain, the strong, heavy beats of our hearts and the shortness of our breaths.

He would twirl me around once, his stance that if someone who knew how to dance, then pull me back close, as if he didn't like the distance.

"You know to dance," I said uselessly, as he twirled me again.

He pulled me back to him, his chest raising and falling.

He didn't say anything. Then again, I hadn't asked him anything. He continued to look at me, guiding me to dance with his body.

Bold, for God knows what reason-maybe it was the rain, or the dark or the look in his eyes that made me feel I could do no wrong-I pulled my hand out of his grasp and took the other off his shoulder and leaned up a little to wrap them around his neck.

I was closer to him now. Our eyes locked in a heated stare. His arms locked around my waist as his forehead came really close to mine. Almost. Almost touching.

This time I moved, guiding him to dance my way.

This was how you slow danced, I told him with my eyes.

Our breaths were causing white puffs of air in front of us from all the heat we were creating.

I could feel every defined, muscled line of Rafe. I watched, as a drop of moisture rolled off Rafe's nose and dropped down onto my lips. I caught it with a flick of my tongue and Rafe tracked the movement, his eyes like blades, cutting through me to see all of me. Even my fears and secrets.

"Tell me something," I breathed.

"What?" He asked me, his voice low, skating intimate, his eyes flicking over my face, like he was trying to remember everything about how I looked-taking it all in at once.

"Something nobody knows." I told him.

He seemed to think about it very seriously, his head dipping to the side, his eyes thoughtful.

"When I was seven years old, Miesha worked for us as a cook. She was much younger then, more reckless," he said and I watched his face with rapt attention, "She stole my mother's Identity bracelet so that she could enter my father's room to gain some information about someone she knew who had been...arrested. When my father later accused her of the act, I took the blame."

My eyes widened, "No one else knows this?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Only Miesha and me," he said.

"Your father punished you, didn't he?" I whispered, swallowing.

Rafe nodded, his gaze faraway, "Yes, he did." He said.

"What did he do?" I whispered.

Rafe gave a sardonic smile and pulled on one of my arms that were locked around his neck. I let him guide my hand down, over is chest, just above his waist, a few centimetres right to where his belly button would be. Rafe folded all my fingers but my index, pressing it along his stomach, through the suit.

My eyes widened as I felt raised skin where he'd pressed my finger.

My head whipped up to look at him.

"What is that?" I asked.

"He electrocuted me." Rafe said.

I gasped, my eyes widening, filling with tears for the seven year old who had been punished for an act he hadn't committed.

Rafe looked at me and his brows furrowed.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft, his hand lifting to cup my face.

He wiped away the tears that had spilled through as I cupped my mouth in horror.

"Amour.." He said, his frown deepening, "Stop crying."

I squeezed my eyes shut, a sniffle escaping.

"Stop, Amour. Look at me." He said as I sniffled again.

I opened my eyes slowly, and he wiped my cheeks again with his gloved fingers, "It was a long time ago." He said.

"I know," I said, my voice sounding clogged with emotion as I stepped away from his hold on me, "I'm sorry."

His hands dropped to his sides, his head tilting to the side.

I hugged myself, looking away, my thoughts sad, picturing a dark and light eyed little boy taking the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Tell me something about you." He said and I looked at him, blinking out of my thoughts.

I smiled softly.

"The most precious thing in the world to me is the necklace my mother left for me." I told him.

He stepped closer, erasing the distance I had created and said, "Show me."

I smiled a little more at the command in his voice, giving no room to ask me if he could see it.

There was no asking with Rafe.

I tugged on the edge of the chain around my neck and my suit immediately loosened around the neck, shaping itself to form a small boat neck of sorts instead of covering my throat.

Oh shit, that was cool.

I pulled out my chain and showed it to him. He stepped impossibly closer and took the snowflake pendant in his hands, looking down at it. I looked up at him as a furrow developed between his eyebrows in concentration.

A small smile lit my face at his childish curiosity.

I decided to let him have his fill of observing the necklace.

Then I sneezed.

Rafe's eyes snapped up to look at me and his hands left my pendant.

"My room, now." He said.

"Say please." I said, crossing my hand.

"You are going to catch a cold. I will not stand here and fight with you on this." Rafe said, sounding slightly exasperated.

I tilted my chin up stubbornly.

He let out a breath, "Please?" He said.

Tossing him a triumphant smile I turned on my heel and stalked back to the building. We rushed to the elevator, dripping water everywhere.

"What will I do at your room? I don't have clothes." I said.

"You can wear my night suit." He said, pressing the digit leading to his room, "Besides I need to open your door without the data base registering that you've opened your door. I can only do that from my room."

I nodded. What else could I do?

"How is it I can wear your suit but not touch your hand?" I grumbled out.

Rafe smirked, but didn't say anything, stepping out and walking. Expecting me to follow.

Muttering some colourful words, I followed him. Arrogant man.

Before entering, Rafe turned to me, "I should warn you, Ryx is a big dog."

"So?" I said, my teeth starting to chatter both with cold and little excitement over seeing a dog, "Let me in, I'm freezing."

"But he is well trained and will not come near you unless-"

"Rafe!" I exclaimed and he nodded and turned to let us in.

I went in after Rafe and heard him say something in his language in a stern tone.

I peeked over him and my eyes widened. Right in the middle of the pathway that lead into his room, stood the most beautiful dog I had ever seen.

He sat down, I'm guessing upon command from his master, but his tail still wagged a little. He looked a lot like dogs, except he was a little bigger, his muscles more sleek and his snout a little more pronounced. He head came just above my waist even while sitting!

He had dark black shiny fur and deep brown eyes.

"OhmyGosh!" I said, clapping my hands over my mouth, "He's so beautiful!"

I walked to him slowly and his soulful eyes looked at me, his tongue out as he painted slightly.

"Ryx, right?" I asked, looking at Rafe in confirmation.

Rafe nodded, coming to stand beside me, his eyes trained on the both of us, being cautious.

I held a hand out to Ryx to let him smell me. Ryx leaned forward, his snout almost touching my hand, while he sniffed at me. He then slowly pushed his snout against my hand and I rubbed the back of his ears.

"You're so beautiful, aren't you?" I cooed and knelt down beside him, scratching him below his neck. He allowed me to do so, lifting his neck a little.

A low noise from Rafe had me looking at him in confusion, but he just cleared his throat and looked away.

I realised that Ryx kept looking at Rafe. I frowned.

"Rafe, go away," I said shooing him.

Rafe's eyes narrowed, "What?" He said.

"You're making him feel all restricted. He's being a good boy because you're here. Now go away, let me pet him."

Rafe shook his head, "He is a big dog, he could-"

"Rafe," I said sternly.

"Hills." He said back.

I glared at him and he glared back.

Then I looked beyond him and my jaw dropped.

Holy hell, his room.

I looked to my left and saw a large white cushioned couch. A couch that faced a large black structure with a marble-like sheen.

Was that...could that be... a TV?!

To my right, opposite the couch was a large ass tear shaped bed, much much bigger than mine, with a bathroom to its right (I'm assuming it's a bathroom given that there was an Identity Screen there), and to the left of the room was an opening to another room.

My jaw dropped.

"Why is your room so big?" I asked, annoyed.

He just smirked, crossing his large arms.

"Go hide in that room," I said jerking my chin to the connecting room, "Peek if you want to, but don't let Ryx see that you're watching."

Rafe narrowed his eyes at me and I said, "Amuse me,"

He followed my instructions and Ryx followed his master's movement and waited till he couldn't see him anymore. Then he waited for a few more seconds before looking at me.

"He's gone. The mean master is gone," I said, rubbing my hands through Ryx's soft thick fur.

Ryx looked one more time at the entrance of the connecting room, before looking back at me. Then he let out a small yip and licked my face.

I laughed as he got up and wagged his tail so hard, his whole butt moved left and right. He dropped both his paws on my thighs from where I was kneeling before him and smothered my face with his saliva.

I laughed, letting him.

"Who's my good boy?" I asked him, my eyes slipping to look at Rafe, over Ryx's head, who was peeking at all this with a narrow-eyed expression.

I grinned at him before wrapping both my arms around Ryx and pressing the side of my head against his neck while Ryx placed his head over my shoulder, setting his butt down, wagging tail and all.

Rafe headed back towards us and Ryx looked up and back at him, his tail wagging increasing.

I leaned back and got up again as Ryx turned into a good boy and watched us with happy excited eyes.

"He has never done that before." Rafe said, considering Ryx seriously.

"What? Misbehaved?" I asked.

Rafe shook his head, dismissing what I said, "Anybody can misbehave around you, that is not what surprised me."

Ouch. Okay.

"What surprised you, then?" I asked as Ryx got up to head to his master, nudging his snout against Rafe's thigh. Rafe absentmindedly scratched his dog behind the ears as he looked at Ryx thoughtfully.

"He has never let anyone pet him." Rafe said.

I let out a laugh, "What?"

Rafe looked at me seriously.

"Other than my mother and sister, he has never let anyone pet him before," Rafe said.

My jaw dropped.

"You have a sister?" I asked.

How did I not know this?

Rafe made a sound of affirmation at the back of his throat that I took as his yes.

"What is your theory?" He asked.

I blinked.

"About you having a sister?" I asked, confused.

Rafe didn't even bat an eye, guess he was getting used to me by now, "No. About Ryx letting you touch him."

Oh.

My brow furrowed, "I probably smell like you," I said, shrugging. "Pets are usually comfortable with people who smell like their master."

"Hmm." Rafe said, looking down at his pet, who had sat back down and was looking up at Rafe with intelligent eyes.

Then he looked back up at me.

"Have a bath. And change." He told me, straightening.

"Are you saying I smell bad?" I asked, crossing my hands.

The last time I had asked a guy this, he had frozen, having a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face.

Except Rafe wasn't any guy.

"Yes. You reek. Now go bathe, I'll give you a suit." He said and turned away to retrieve a suit for me from wherever it was.

"You're lucky I think you're hot!" I shouted after him.

"Or else what?" He asked me from inside the connecting room.

"Or I'd have dropped your ass five Day Eights ago for having said that." I told him.

He walked back to me with a blue night suit in his hand.

I took the suit from his hand and stuck a tongue out at him. He caught my chin, lifting my face up to look at me.

He murmured something to me in his language and I stared I him.

"Um. Yeah, me too." I said.

A small smirk lifted his lips before he dropped my chin and walked away with Ryx at his heels into the connecting room.

Aliens. Pshaw!

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