Just as we grinned at each other, for the second time today, Ryx and Rafe both turned to look at the entrance again. I sighed.

"I don't think I can handle more drama," I confessed quietly.

He threw me an amused look before heading towards the entrance, Ryx at his heels.

"Is it Anya?" I asked, as I turned around, giving my back to the entrance, as I stretched my arms up and let out a yawn.

"No." a male and slightly familiar voice said.

I stilled and turned around and my eyes widened to see...

Rafe's father and Ace.

My eyebrows rose as Ace attempted to temp down his smirk, by covering it with a cough, his red eyes practically dancing with mirth. I cleared my throat as I met Rafe's father's amber and black eyes that were...not amused. Not amused at all.

"So, this is your friend." He said.

He said friend like I would say...whatever. As if I was something inconsequential.

I had to admit though, it was nice of him to speak in English. God knew no one could understand their language.

"Actually, his BFF." I corrected, as I walked up to stand beside Rafe, my arms crossed.

I immediately knew Ace understood what I meant, because he promptly broke into a fit of coughs trying desperately to hide his laughter. But Rafe and his father had matching expressions of confusion, as they tossed Ace a look of concern mixed with suspicion.

It was weird to watch father and son together. I grinned at Ace, once he got a control of himself.

"You okay there, buddy?" I asked him, smirking.

Ace snickered and Rafe looked from me to him, his brows furrowed.

"What is BFF?" Rafe's father asked, saying the three letters even slower.

"Best friend forever," I said, grinning.

Rafe's father's brows rose.

Rafe cleared his throat and his father looked to him.

"She is here for her own security purposes." He explained.

"The Health Centre is secure." He said in response.

Rafe tilted his head towards me, "Not enough for her. She escaped...again."

"Again? Meaning I happened more than once?" Rafe's father asked, his eyes, so similar to his son's, slipped to mine reflecting shock.

I just smiled weakly.

"Not my best moments." I admitted.

"On the contrary, I found it hilarious." Ace interrupted.

We exchanged smiles and suddenly all I could see was shoulder.

Specifically Rafe's. Wide. Silver suited. And magnificent.

I blinked.

How are shoulders magnificent, Amour!?

I don't know how, but Rafe's sure as hell were.

I leaned over his shoulder to look at him, but he moved further in front of me so he blocked me completely.

I raised my hands in exasperation, rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, but I was ignored effectively by all the three men in the room.

Shaking my head, I turned on my heel and headed to the CG Room, stomping away in indignation.

In the CG Room, I plopped down in the cushioned chair and the cushions molded to me like the suit had. I realised that this chair could spin, and so dropped my toes to the floor and spun myself around.

I looked up at the white ceiling, as I twirled the chair this way and that, my mind spinning away to rest on the scar that Rafe had told me about.

I swallowed, thinking again, about the child that had had to face-

A throat clearing had me looking up. Ace stood near the entrance of the CG Room, leaning his against shoulder against the threshold.

He really was attractive. His long blonde lashes, his intense stare and sardonic smirk.

"'Ssup?" I asked, tilting a chin up at him in greeting.

He tilted his own chin in response, before heading towards me and leaning lower with his hands resting on his knees.

"He broke the chip," Ace stated without any inflection.

I sighed, making a face.

"Yes. He did." I admitted.

Ace leaned in closer to whisper and I leaned forward, trying to listen.

"Do you know the secret of a magician?" He asked me and leaned back, straightening.

I stood up too, intrigued.

"What?" I whispered back, stepping closer.

He grinned and was about to say something when a sharp word startled the both of us.

Correction, I was startled. Ace just leaned back, tossing me a smirk, and turned around to face the entrance of the CG Room.

Rafe's eyes bore into Ace.

He said something to him and Ace just chuckled and held his arms up in the universal 'surrender' action and started to walk towards the entrance as if to leave.

Rafe stepped in his way and my eyes widened.

Oh shit.

That was his pissed off face. His arms were crossed, his feet braced apart.

He murmured something else and Ace became serious. Ace pressed a hand to Rafe's shoulder and said something back.

Rafe continued to glare into Ace's eyes. Ace, however, had a smile on his face. Not a sardonic one however, just a smile. Like he was genuinely happy about something.

Rafe's eyes narrowed and he shrugged out of Ace's hold. Ace just laughed as he walked away.

I watched Ace's receding back, wondering what he meant.

Do you know the secret of a magician?

When my eyes trailed back to Rafe, I realised his eyes were almost glowing darkly with anger.

"What?" I asked, taken aback at the accusal in his gaze.

He turned...and walked away.

Okaaaay.

I followed him, shaking my head.

"What did Ace say?" I asked his back.

"What do you care?" He asked me, turning around so fast, that I had to skid to a stop.

I crossed my arms, "Why do you care why I care?"

His jaw clenched.

"Must you always be so frustrating?" He asked.

I dropped my hands in shock.

"I'm frustrating? Your mood swings so fast I get kinks in my neck trying to keep up!" I said, pointing at him in annoyance.

His dark glare tapered away to a thoughtful expression.

"Mood swings," He mused, his eyes taking on a far away look, "It would seem that way to you." He murmured.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, exasperated.

His eyes refocused on me, beams of dark coal raising the hair on the back of my neck in awareness.

"What did he say to you?" Rafe asked.

I rolled my eyes and waved my hand in the air, "Something about magicians."

He leaned closer, "What about them?" He asked.

Before I could answer, he continued, "The exact words."

My brows furrowed.

Should I not tell him?

I cleared my throat and met his gaze.

"Why are you so interested?" I asked, throwing me a suspiciously.

"Anything about you interests me." He said simply.

I blinked, stumped.

"Tell me." He coaxed, further, stepping closer, his gaze flickering over my features.

I swallowed, my breath hitching.

"He said, 'Do you know the secret of a magician?'" I told him.

Rafe leaned back, his gaze seeming to sharpen as he took in what I said. His arms raised to cross across his chest and he lifted his left hand to rub his thumb against his lower lip as he thought.

The action caused heat to spread to the tips of my fingers, my toes and the top of my head.

His gaze had somehow softened, as if the mystery brightened his mood. His gaze cleared, more amber spilling in.

Such beautiful eyes.

Those eyes lifted to meet mine, clearing further until amber engulfed most of the black.

I pressed my teeth to my lower lip as I realised I'd said it out loud.

"You think so?" He asked, his gaze heating, the amber almost glowing as he stepped closer. The softness in his gaze threatened to overload my senses.

I sucked in a breath, and realised I shouldn't have because the scent chocolate and almonds flooded my system and I stopped breathing.

He was close. So close.

His warm breath brushed my lips, his head tilted forward, his lashes swept low to look at me. His brows raised and I realised he'd asked me a question.

I nodded in response.

Breath rushed out of me when his hand caught my arm. I could feel the heat of his palm and fingers through my shirt.

I couldn't look away from his eyes. He was looking at me like...

Like I meant more. More than-

"What else do you think?" He asked.

A small breath left my lips as I closed my eyes when his arm travelled to the small of my back to press me to him.

"What else?" He whispered.

My eyes snapped open. He was so close. Our noses almost touched. My head was tilted back to meet his gaze and his was tilted forward.

"I said one, your turn." I said.

He smiled, as if he expected it.

"Your kindness." He said.

"What about it?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"I like it," he said, a flash of a smile that threatened to send my heart running.

"Your intensity." I said.

"What about it?" He asked, am eyebrow raised as his other hand went to my back as well, locking his fingers around the wrist of his other hand so that I was basically meshed up against him.

"I like it," I told him, imitating him. I could feel the steady but slightly elevated beat of his heart and I was sure he could feel the highly elevated staccato of my heart.

"Your hair." He said.

I freed my arms from between us and lifted them to wrap around his neck, going onto my toes a little to be able to do, thus heaving my whole weight onto him-though he didn't seem to have any trouble holding up. He just spread his legs wider to accommodate me better. His smile spread wider too, his dark lashes lowering further. I rolled my eyes at his compliment.

"You and half your people," I muttered.

He grinned, jerking his chin to me, indicating it was my turn.

I thought about it, tilting my head to the side.

"You're compassionate." I said.

"Am I?" He asked, imitating me by tilting his own head.

"Yes, you are." I asserted and he shook his head, still smiling.

"Your eye-rolls." He told me.

I laughed.

"Your laugh." He continued.

I looked at him.

"Your snowflake necklace." He said, his smile now gone, an intense expression on his face, his arms holding me tighter to him. Not a breath of air between us. Not a breath of air in me.

"Your tears when you cry for me." He continued.

I swallowed.

"Your anger. Your courage. Your spirit. Your fire. Y-"

"Your sacrifices. Your shoulders. Your smile. Your-"

"My shoulders?" He asked, bemused.

I snickered. "They're magnificent."

He let out a laugh, shocked. Then looked down at me, almost fondly.

"I like looking at me through your eyes." He said.

I smiled, thinking about how he'd manoeuvred this whole thing without a single inch of our skins touching.

Smart guy.

"What else?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Who said there was something more?" I asked coyly.

He smiled at me like thought I was being ludicrous.

"What else?" He asked.

Something nudged its way between us, separating us insistently.

We stepped apart as Ryx whined and looked at us, sounding disgruntled at having been left out of the...

Of whatever it was that he'd been left out of.

I cleared my throat as the endorphins in my head cleared out and I wondered what Rafe and I were playing at.

What are you doing?

What was I doing?

Letting out a breath, I wrapped my arms around myself and looked away. A twinge of pain that shot down my arm had me wincing.

My bandages needed to be changed. Sleeping here tonight...

I looked up at Rafe, who's eyes were on me, intense. I could almost feel myself sway towards him.

I looked away again.

Not a good idea. It wasn't a good idea.

I cleared my throat.

"I need to get my bandages changed," I told him, my voice sounding huskier than usual and I tried to clear it discreetly.

He was just looking at me, waiting for me to continue.

"I should probably head to the-"

"Sit." He said and I looked up at him in confusion, "I'll do it."

"I'd rather-"

"Amour." He said and my eyes narrowed.

"Don't use that tone with me." I said.

He smiled then, heading past me to the CG Room. As he passed me, he said, "That is like my girl."

"I'm not your girl." I muttered at him, but smiled softly knowing he couldn't see me.

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I know it's shorter than usual. But something's better than nothing. Tee Hee.

Vote and comment yo! Ignore 'em typos if any. Too tired to edit.

Until next time!

*tips hat*