Against All Odds, We Have To Save The World (Candira & HeartOfTheDarkness)

She let him go and sighed softly as he walked away. Mia was relieved that she could go to sleep now, and she was happy to do it, but...she wouldn't have an excuse to be with Alex anymore. And she'd have to sleep alone after having spent so much time with him. After having slept with him. It was a depressing thought. When he offered to let her sleep with him, she smiled a little brighter.

"Well, that's nice of you. I'd like that, if you don't mind me there. I think I'll feel safer." She smiled at him and then headed toward her room. "I'll just be a second." With that, she went to her room, changed into her pajamas from before and folded up the clothes she'd been wearing. Then she came to his room and knocked on the door jamb, her hair loose around her shoulders. "Still awake?" she asked with a little chuckle.

When Mia left to get changed, Alex did the same thing. He removed his pants and shirt, then slipped on his pajama pants and t-shirt. Afterwards, he hopped into bed, ready for Mia to come join him. Soon enough, she knock on the door and came in. "I'm glad you came." He smiled, lifting the covers for her to join him. Finally, they'll be able to sleep, and he'll have Mia safe in his arms.

The redhead smiled at his gesture, glad that he seemed happy about her coming to him after all. He seemed comfortable, and she couldn't wait to get that way herself. Without further ado, she closed the door behind her to help keep out the light and slipped into bed with him. Her soft body pressed against his for a few moments as she found a comfortable position and settled into the bed. Mia smiled up at him for a long moment with drowsy eyes and then closed them.

"Mmm, I'm glad I came, too. Sleep well, Alex. You've earned it." With that, she slowly began drifting off into a nice deep sleep. Her last coherent thoughts were that she'd never felt quite so safe or comfortable with another person.

Alex was glad that she joined him, he felt so comfortable with her. Once she was comfortable, Alex wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "Goodnight Mia, sweet dreams." He fell fast asleep shortly afterwards. His dreams were very pleasant, although he wouldn't be able to remember them.

Sleeping through the whole day, the next morning came up. Unknowing of Alex, his hands were a little grabby in his sleep, as they slid up under Mia's top, and held her breasts. And his 'morning wood' began to press against her thigh. As Alex began to slowly wake up, his mind hadn't quite process these facts just yet.

Mia slept like a rock. If she had dreams, she certainly didn't remember them. She hardly moved at all during her sleep. At some point, however, she managed to turn away from him and become the little spoon. This position made it so much easier for his hands to wander. When the next morning came, she was being groped under the loose over-sized t-shirt she wore for pajamas. Her shorts stopped too far up her thigh to really make her oblivious to Alex's other situation. When she woke up she became well aware of this, and she blushed furiously. He was sleeping, though. That was the only reason she wasn't completely freaking out.

Then again, after last night, she wasn't really offended. It was more that she was surprised and wasn't sure what to do about him. When she became more oriented with her surroundings, she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, finally beginning to stir, letting him keep his hands there. She'd let him figure out what to do first. "Mmm, morning," she said, a little morning rasp clinging to her. She was suddenly very thirsty.

Hearing Mia call out to him, Alex started to wake up more. "Morning." He said, starting to open his eyes. He was holding something soft, but familiar. Alex remained in the position he was in, trying to process what was going on. After squeezing what was in his hands, he finally realized that he was holding Mia's breasts. He quickly pulled his hands back, a little surprised about what he did. "S-Sorry. I guess I'm a little grabby in my sleep." He chuckled a bit, but soon realized that his morning wood was pressed against her. Surprised again, he jumped back, falling out of bed.

"Ow." He hit his head on the wall, but he was ok. Looking up at Mia, he smiled. "Sleep well?" Aside from the awkward wake-up, he slept pretty well. It felt great to finally get some sleep, and the fact that they had that little 'activity' together, it made his dreams all the more pleasing.

Mia smiled as she watched him realize that he was holding her breasts and pressed against her. His reactions were cute if unnecessary. Still, it was nice to know that he respected her enough to apologize. Before she could tell him it was alright, he was off the bed and hitting his head. She crawled to the edge of the bed, her hand over her mouth, covering a shocked smile. She chuckled a little as he smiled and asked if she slept well. "I slept better than I've ever slept. And you don't have to apologize. You can't control what you do in your sleep...and I kind of like it."

The redhead leaned over the side of the bed, giving him a little more of a view than she realized, her hand reaching out for his to help him up.

Alex stopped to stare down her shirt as she reached down to help help him up. Quickly trying not to get caught looking, he took her hand and got up. At least she was ok with him touching her, even if it was on accident. "Well, in that case, how's about we continue sleeping together for the remainder of the mission? That way I can keep an eye on you at all times." He looked away, blushing. He wasn't really ready to admit that he liked her, but he had a feeling that he was making it too obvious.

"How's about we get something to eat, then start working?" He tried changing the subject, thinking about that he hasn't really eaten much recently. With the lack of sleep, food wasn't really on his mind.

Mia caught the little ogling, blushing at the last second. She hadn't really intended for him to see so much, but she didn't really mind. The redhead helped him to his feet and looked up at him from the bed. His proposal to have her stay in his bed for the rest of the mission made her blush, but she smiled the minute she saw him looking away with a little bit of extra color, too. "Sounds like a good idea to me. After last night, I know I'll feel much better with you." She smiled and then stood up and stretched, yawning a bit. "Let me just freshen up a little bit and we can dig right in to our cereal." She grinned and then ran her fingers through her hair, heading for the door.

In her bedroom everything was as she had left it the night before, so she made the bed, knowing that she wouldn't be sleeping in it again for a while, and grabbed some fresh clothes to wear. A good fifteen minutes in the bathroom netted her a quick shower and fast hair do--a damp braid trailing down her back, and a bluish purple dress beneath a white jacket. She slipped into a pair of heels for good measure. She smelled nice and felt refreshed when she came to the kitchen area for some cereal.

She smiled at him and poured herself a large bowl, adding milk before she dove into it.

While Mia left to go clean up, Alex went ahead and did the same. He didn't really feel like he needed to shower, since he felt like he took a bunch of showers yesterday just to stay awake. Instead, he just freshened up; washed his face, put on some deoderand, just made sure he didn't stink. Afterwards, he threw on a black t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and his special black jacket, able to hide a gun and small knife for protection.

After he finished, he went to join Mia in the kitchen. He filled a bowl full of cereal, poured in some milk, and dug in, drinking a soda while eating his cereal. "So, how's today going to play out? Are you going to research while I pretty much watch over you all day?" He figured that if he'll just be sitting around for a while, he might as well bring something along to keep him occupied.

"Well, I need to speak to some of the administrative staff and audit a few classes. Then I have some things to check out of the library." She looked up from her Golden Grahams and nodded. "But we don't have to stay in the library if you don't want," she said, thinking that it would be quite boring for him to just watch her while she research. At least if they came back to their rooms he could watch a movie or something.

"Would it be easier to protect me here or there?" she asked, wondering which he would prefer. It was best to let him take the lead in terms of actually protecting her, but she had to maintain appearances and get work done.

He didn't want to force her to change her methods of research just because he might get bored. If he had to, he'll just take his gameboy along and play that while he waited. Although, she did bring up a good point, researching in their room. "I think it'll be easier to protect you if we come back here to research. That way, if we do get attacked, we won't have to worry about random civilians getting hurt." He doubted that something like that would happen, but it would be a problem if they got attacked and that there were people in the area.

Finishing up his cereal, he rinsed the bowl out in the sink before letting it soak to wash later.

Mia nodded, glad to do whatever Alex thought was best. After her paranoid night terrors and the attack on her dreams, the woman was more than happy to let him tell her where to go. "Alright. We'll go check some things out of the library--what we can--and then we'll take them back here. If anyone asks we'll just say I'm not feeling well, or something." She finished up her cereal and rinsed her bowl and glass, leaving them in the sink. She smiled at him and tilted her head.

"Well, I guess I'll just grab my documents and we'll be on our way."

As Mia got up to put her bowl in the sink, Alex began putting his shoes on, ready to leave out the door. It was great to know that she agreed with him on a lot of things. She wasn't the type of person to ignore his plans and do her own thing. It'll just be easier to watch her in the apartment, without the worry of civilians around if they get attacked. Plus, he'll probably get really bored at the library.

Alex sat by the door, waiting for Mia to get her things, then they'll be on their way to get their jobs done.

When Mia had her things together, she came to Alex and walked outside with him. Once the door was locked, they were on their way to the administration office. There were a few things to take care of before she could really dig into her research. She had to keep up appearances, and she was fairly certain that her body guard wouldn't mind being close to her throughout the day. He seemed to like her well enough, after all.

She smiled at him and guided him to the building as she looked for the office number on a nearby name placard.

Alex did his best to stay close to Mia, remaining aware of their surroundings. He also had to make sure that they wouldn't draw attention to themselves. The last thing he wanted was the enemy to be all over them. He reached down and held her hand. Then he walked right next to her, trying to make it look as if they were a couple. It was better than looking like the obvious bodyguard. Plus, holding her hand made him feel happy.

As they walked through the building, something felt a little off. He couldn't quite place it, but something wasn't right.

Mia was blissfully unaware of whatever it was Alex sensed. She was already as on-edge as she could handle at this point in time. She could mask her anxiety quite well, especially since Alex's presence calmed her quite a bit. They held hands as she found the right office number and then guided them toward the stairs. After a short visit and a check in with a few of the professors, they could go to the library. She would need to remember to introduce Alex as her boyfriend, too.

It didn't look like Mia noticed whatever was off. Alex still couldn't really figure out what it was himself. At the moment, the best idea would probably be to not tell her about it. It might effect her focus while studying. Plus, it didn't seem like an actual threat for the moment. As soon as he finds out that they are in danger, he'll be sure to let Mia know. So for the time being, he'll just have to remain on his toes.

Looking over at Mia, he smiled softly. "I'll help you however I can, 'sweetheart'." He said, trying to make it look like that they were a couple.

She held his hand as they moved up the stairs, smiling at him as he called her "Sweetheart." It was interesting to know that they didn't really have that deeper connection, but he didn't seem to mind pretending at all. In a way, they were much closer than they could have been otherwise because of their roles, but they were still very much strangers to each other. "Mmm, thank you, dear," Mia said, squeezing his hand.

Before long, they were in the office of the headmaster, a quiet, isolated room. The room was painted a light, calming blue and the bookshelves that lined the room were meticulously cleaned and painted white. The dark wood floors were covered with area rugs beneath a small sitting area for visitors and the large desk area. The walls behind the desk held degrees, pictures of family, and a star-scape painting. The painting certainly drew the eye, but the woman behind the desk was no slouch either. She stood upon Mia's entrance and smiled, greeting the two of them as they ventured into the room.

"Welcome! I see you found your way to my office after all. You two must have been exhausted from your travels. I was expecting you yesterday." She smiled and shook Mia's hand, then Alex's. "Victor tells me you're visiting to learn more about dream magic. I'm pleased to point you toward the classes and references that will do you the most good." With that, she strode back to her desk to pick up a packet of paper. "I'm pleased that you'll be staying with us for awhile as an ambassador. I'll be sending other students your way to learn more about fortune telling--your forte. Dream analysis is something you've worked into your methods, so I'll leave it up to you whether or not you sit in on those courses, but I think you'll find all of that very helpful. So tell me, have you been many places around campus yet?"

Upon entering the headmaster's office, Alex was quite surprised as to what they saw. First off, it was a very nice office. Very colorful, and very well decorated. What caught his attention the most though, was the headmaster herself. Upon seeing her, Alex started to wonder if students would often come see her in attempts to get a little 'one-on-one tutoring'. If he was to think of the typical sexy headmaster, she was exactly what he would've thought of.

As she greeted them, he tried his best not to stare at her. Mainly because he was sort of in a relationship with Mia. Technically they weren't dating, and it was all suppose to be an act, but they did have sex yesterday. And he did really like her, the last thing he wanted was to get himself in trouble and threaten a relationship that hasn't even started yet.

"Thank you. I'm sorry we weren't able to meet yesterday, I wasn't feeling well and Mia was pretty much taking care of me the whole day. I tend to get a little nauseous after flights." He shrugged, a little embarrassed. That would hopefully make for a good cover story as to why they were busy yesterday, instead of saying that they were trying to find a way to sleep without the threat of being murdered.

As she talked about the different lessons and classes they could go see, Alex started to get the feeling that this was going to be a long mission. He never expected that he would be sitting in a classroom again after finishing high school.

"Ah, so that's what it was. I'm sorry to hear that you were feeling under the weather, sir. We're glad to have you visit as well. Though I'm not quite sure who you are in relation to Mia..."

"I'm terribly sorry, I keep forgetting that people were expecting me to bring along someone, but Victor never explained who in his correspondence. This is Alex. He's my boyfriend, and he works for the newspaper at the academy. He's going to help me record the journey," she said with a coy little smile. The headmistress seemed to appreciate this and clasped her hands together.

"How wonderful! Then I must insist that you take a tour of all of our facilities. I'd take you myself, but I have a meeting to attend in a few minutes with the registrar's office. Please take your time here and enjoy. Be sure to stop by the student center as well. Many students are interested in talking to you."

Mia nodded, pleased to have garnered some interest on campus for her particular talents. She was one of the best there was. "Very well. I'll be sure to set up a time to be at someone's booth later today. Have a wonderful day, Loren."

Loren grinned and bowed her head. "Yes, you as well. Take care of each other!" She walked them to the door and then watched them as they made their way back downstairs, curious to know what had really happened.

Loren seemed like a nice enough woman, welcoming them both with open arms. And Mia looked like she was enjoying herself. Her cover story for them seemed convincing enough. They were a couple, and he worked for the newspaper. He didn't really have anything to take notes on, his phone did have a recorder on it, he can just record interviews.

"Thank you for meeting with us, I'm certain we'll enjoy our stay at your school." Alex gave a polite bow to Loren before they walked out of the office.

Holding her hand again, Alex walked close to Mia. "Nice little cover story, sweetie." He gently kissed her hand as he smiled at her. This might actually work out, and hopefully this'll go very smoothly. "So, where should we go first? It looks like we'll be wandering around the whole school today."

Mia blushed a little as he kissed her hand, pleased that he still seemed interested in her after having Loren's attention. Even if it was only an act, she got a kick out of his more romantically inclined actions. "Thanks. I figured it made sense." She smiled and held his hand as they walked. She took a look at the schedule the headmaster had printed and saw that a class was going to begin soon enough.

"Hmm, looks like this one's starting up. I hope it's not too boring for you today. Why don't we try to do something a little more fun this evening?" It just didn't seem fair to her that he would be tagging around, bored out of his skull, while she went about her mission. But did she feel this way because he meant something more to her than just a body-guard? Or would she feel this way about anyone? It was a little too early to know, so she decided to just let it go. No point in dwelling on something like that when there was so much work to do.

"I'll be fine. We've got to make sure that you're ready to take on this cult." Sure, he might get bored from sitting in a classroom and listen to a lecture that he'd never imagine that he'd attend, but was all part of his job. The fate of the world might depend on him attending this class with Mia. Plus, seeing her enjoy herself did make him feel better as well.

Alex also began to wonder what she was meaning when she offered something fun this evening. Did she mean that they'd spend the night together in bed again? Would they just enjoy themselves for a night on the town? "Sure, I'd like that." He smiled as he opened the door for Mia, entering the classroom to attend the lesson.

Well, at least he was taking it in stride. She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Good. I'll let you pick what we do." With that, their day of classes and research began.

The first class was interesting and Mia learned quite a bit. The second course was more of what she already knew, but she was happy to stay behind and ask the professor a few questions while she was there. The third class was mostly just practicing charms, so Mia just watched, but her observations were very helpful. When all the classes were finished, it was time for a late lunch and then a trip to the library for research materials.

"Whew...what a day. What should we get for lunch? There's a student grill around here somewhere!"