Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

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

"Well, I'll keep it in mind for next time." She chuckled at his pouting, dropping the subject. Though she was a little surprised he didn't ask anything more about her, she was glad that he was being so cooperative. "Alright, let's go, then." With that, the redhead slipped out of the car closing the door and locking it behind her. When Alex gave her her suitcase, she smiled and nodded. "Of course. In fact, I don't see a reason we couldn't just be friends anyway. Unless, you don't really want to be my friend?" she asked, shooting him another look. Mia was only teasing him, but it was fun to watch him react. He was so...unlike the other people she'd met in her time. It was just interesting to know what he'd do next.
 
Every time she shot him that look, he felt like he did something horrible. "Stop that. I'll be your friend, ok?" Alex's face was red again, embarrassed to know that she knew how to press his buttons. A woman as pretty as her, she could get guys to do anything if she gave them that puppy dog look.

Grabbing his bag, he walked with her into the rental place. They quickly paid for their car and took a van over to the airport, ready to take their flight to their first destination. Alex was still pretty nervous about what was going to happen? The fate of the world, that was a huge job, what if he couldn't handle it? Trying not to think about it, he pulled out his mp3 player and started listening to some music, trying to calm his nerves.
 
Mia smiled as he told her to stop it, barely keeping herself from chuckling. "Well, good. I always did like making new friends," she said, walking with him. The check in was uneventful, and their flight was relatively short. At least one of the shorter flights they'd be taking on this trip. Mia passed the time by doing another Tarot reading and watching Alex out of the corner of her eye. He seemed nervous, and she found herself wondering if it was because of his job or because he was simply a bad fliyer.

A good four hours later, they were exiting the airport terminal in the coastal city of Dinn. Mia was in good spirits, and no luggage had been lost--always nice. That didn't mean that danger wasn't near, but having Alex around helped ease those anxious feelings.

"Well, we're on the coast. Let's get a car and head to our first destination, shall we?" The redhead smiled and picked up her bag, heading to the rental lot. Not that she didn't like cabs--but she figured it would be a lot safer if they drove themselves around. Not to mention, if they ever needed to have a conversation in transit, this would be the safest way to do so. In the lot, she used her earring to divine a safe, reliable car that wasn't bugged or bombed.
 
Alex managed to relax during the flight, taking a little nap in the plane. When the plane landed, they got their bags and went to get a rental car, Alex was still a little sleepy. After letting out a big yawn, he looked at Mia. "Sure thing, lead the way. Let's get some lunch after we finish." He was still a little half asleep and needed a couple more minutes to realize that he was still on the job.

When they got into a car, he put their bags in the trunk and joined Mia in the front. "We're safe to talk in here, right? So when we get to the destination, will I be standing beside you while you study? Will I scout the area? How would you be wanting me to protect you when you're looking up how to stop these beasts?"
 
Mia led Alex along, being sure to stay close to him. He was still a bit drowsy, but he was still her protector. Besides, he was kind of cute when he was sleepy. "Sure thing." When they had a car, she let him put the bags in the trunk, slipping into the driver's seat. "Right, we can talk here." His question earned him a raised eyebrow.

"Hm? You want to know how to protect me? I don't really know. I figured you would know what to do. Honestly, your job is really to act as a body guard. If you'd like to be close, that's fine. If you prefer to be a bit further off in scholastic settings, that's alright too. Though, if you'd like to be a bit more covert, you could pose as a visiting scholar as well. In any case, I would really prefer that you be in the same room, or at least at the door."
 
"I guess I could go in as a student as well. I'll just conceal a gun in case someone approaches you and plans to harm you." Then, looking at himself, he frowned a bit. "Although, I don't think I would pass as a student, or a scholar. I look like I just came from the military, or the gym at least. Do you know a spell that's able to change my clothes?" She should know some sort of magic in case of a wardrobe malfunction, she is a girl too.

As they drove down the road, he looked outside at the shopping centers. "Or can we at least go buy me some more convincing clothes? I'm pretty sure these guys won't believe me if I told them I came here to study." Otherwise, these would be some stupid scholars.
 
Mia was amused at the assumption that she would just know a spell to change someone's clothes. She did know one, but she would have to know a lot of information to perform it correctly. And it just seemed like a better idea to buy him some new clothes. Before she could mention it, however, her protector had the idea himself. "If you'd like to go in as a student, then I agree. You stand out a little bit too much in what you're wearing. I'm sort of an ambassador while I'm here as well. It adds to my cover story."

The redhead smiled at him and got into the turning lane. "Let's get you some new clothes at the mall, huh? It'll be a lot simpler to do it this way." When they were parked, she locked up the car and placed a little charm on it to keep it safe. "Off we go!"
 
Alex got out with her and they headed into the nearest clothes store. He headed towards the more refined clothing, but he just couldn't seem to find anything that suited him. The problem was, normally, he would dress like a dropout, t-shirts, jeans, sneakers. He needed to be wearing something that looked like he was there to study, not sleep using the books as a pillow.

"Hey Mia, could you help me with this? What should I wear?" He was a little uncomfortable asking her, but he figured she would have an idea of what would be convincing enough. He really needed her help with this, looking like a bookworm. If he had to, he'd even get fake glasses to add to the outfit.
 
Mia walked around with him, curious as to his particular taste. He seemed to gravitate toward the finer things, but none seemed to suit him. At least nothing he chose. "Mmm, well, I think the problem is that you're trying a little too hard. You should only need a few pieces--some jackets, sweaters, nicer pants. We're not made of money, and we're not all that different from other college students and professors."

She took a good look at him, her eyes traveling from his head to his toes, enjoying the little trip they took. "Hmmm, I think I have a few ideas. You should pick out your own sizes, but..." With that, she led him to several different cuts of sweaters with soft fabric that were easy to move in and quite affordable. She helped him find the right sizes and some nice colors for him and told him to go try those on. When that was finished, she got him to try on a few jackets and took three of those, some button up shirts, a few pairs of pants, and one pair of shoes that would go with everything.

"There. And the best part is, it's all on the university's dime. Business, you know." She smiled and charged the items, glad that it was all finished. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"
 
It wasn't what he expected, he was thinking something fancier, but this worked. At least he would be wearing something comfortable, and it looked nice. He did feel a little awkward when Mia gave him that slow scan over his body, it felt like she was trying to look through his clothes.

He got dressed in blue button up shirt, a black jacket, black dress pants, and his new pair of shoes. "Hope this works out. I feel kind of smarter just wearing this." He chuckled to himself a little. It wasn't like he was stupid or anything, it was just that he wasn't very 'book smart'. Using his gut feeling and instinct was what got him through most of his life, and it worked out for the majority of the time. He just had trouble sitting down and actually studying.

After they paid for his clothes, Alex nodded in agreement when she mentioned lunch. "Sure, can't work on an empty stomach." Plus, since this was all on the university, he would be able to get the bigger meals. "What do you feel like eating? I'm up for just about anything."
 
Mia smiled at his little comment about feeling smarter. Well, they said the clothes made the man. "Well, they definitely suit you. I think glasses would be a little overkill, but I won't stop you if you really want to wear some fake ones." The new suit was actually putting another phrased into her head--a decidedly less appropriate notion of every girl being crazy about a sharp-dressed man. "Looking sharp," she said feeling a tiny bit under dressed now. "Well, I'd normally suggest the food court, but we're both a little over-dressed. Hmmm, I don't know about you, but I could go for a steak." She looked up at him and smiled. "What would you like?"
 
She did have a point. They would draw too much attention if they ate at the food court, especially since they were both dressed for a little nicer occasion. When she mentioned steaks, the thought of one did make his mouth water. "Alright, steaks sounds great." He wanted food now. Grabbing Mia's hand, Alex lead her through the mall to a steakhouse just outside of the mall. It wasn't fancy, but it was a nice place to eat, considering that they were wearing nicer clothes.

Once they went in, they were seated and looking through the menus. "I'm starving, I could eat a whole cow." He honestly didn't think he was too far off, it's been a long time since he's had a nice meal like this. Most of the time, it's pizza, chinese takeout, or fast food when he goes out to eat. A steak is a nice change of pace.
 
Mia was a little surprised that Alex took charge. She smiled and chuckled a little as he held onto her hand, practically dragging her behind him on the way to the steakhouse. It was a nice little place--obviously more geared toward families, but that was fine with her. That just meant the food would probably be a little cheaper. She sat across from him in a booth and watched him pour over the menu.

"I don't know if I'm quite that hungry, but I'm up there." She glanced down at her menu, found the cut and size she wanted and her sides, pleased with it. "So, what do you normally have?"
 
Alex looked to see the biggest steak he could find. When the waiter came by to take their order, he got their biggest steak, rare. When he was hungry, he was almost like a wild beast. He probably looked silly to Mia. "Well, normally I'd eat the cheap stuff. Fast food, chinese takeout, pizza. It's rare that I get to go out to a place like this." Either that or he'd make himself something small like a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. Other than that, he would work or just relax. There wasn't much going out in his personal time.
 
"Busy? Or do you not get paid a lot?" she asked, curious. Normally, Mia wouldn't ask such a forward question, but it seemed like the sort of thing that he would appreciate--the direct approach. "I don't mean to sound rude," she added, for the sake of covering her tracks. And manners. "It's just that you seem like the kind of person who would like to go out once in awhile." She smiled and ordered a significantly smaller sirloin--medium rare, the loaded potato for a side, and a water. "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought," she said with a chuckle. Sitting down like this was nice. Getting to know Alex was fun, and she hoped that he didn't mind her asking him questions. They would fit in pretty well in their roles as ambassador and scholar.

In a setting like this one, it was easy to forget her mission and the danger surrounding it. Since nothing had happened to her yet, she assumed she hadn't been found out. She wasn't foolish enough to think it would last, though. Alex would probably have a hard time ahead of him soon enough. Best to reward him now and get to know him during their times of peace than worry later down the road.
 
"It's not really either of them. I just don't like to sit down alone. I feel kind of awkward when I'm at a restaurant and I'm sitting by myself." He wasn't sure if it was a weird way to think, but it didn't feel right do be alone in a place where people eat and socialize. It kind of made him feel lonely as well. "I do like to go, but the friends I do have either have families already, or they are in the military with me, stationed somewhere else. It's hard to set up a day where I can meet up with them." He didn't really mind the personal question, if she needed to trust him, he would have to answer truthfully.

He started eating some of the dinner roles that were brought to them, enjoying the pleasant company. She wasn't bad, for a mage at least. He could really get use to being around her for a while. And with this mission, they might be together for a while. And this might be one of the last peaceful meals he'll have for a while. If they are on the run, they won't really get the leisure of sitting down and enjoying a meal.
 
"Ah, I see. I don't like to go by myself either. It's funny though. You strike me as the kind of guy who wouldn't have much trouble getting a date. But that is really none of my business," she said with a little smile. With that, she took a roll herself to stop from asking so many personal things. She wanted to be his friend, but she really shouldn't push her luck. "Anyway, I'm glad we get to do this. We should have at least one really good meal before we really get started. I hope you like it all," she said. Really, she hoped the night would go well for them. They had lodging at the academy, rather than a hotel. It would lessen the number of people who'd have access to them that might be in the cult. Still, they couldn't let their guards down too much.

When the meal finally came, everything was cooked to perfection and delicious. For some reason, underneath the pleasure of the experience, the quality of the food struck her as a bad omen. It was as though someone were telling her it would be her last meal. But maybe the anxiety of the mission was getting to her. After all, she was tired from all the traveling. Maybe with sleep things would get better. So she tried to shake it off the best she could. "Listen, would you mind driving us? I'm a little tired after the trip. I can tell you where to turn," she said with a little yawn.
 
Alex blushed a little when she mentioned his ability with girls. Was she hitting on him? "Well, I guess that would be the case, but I don't know too many girls. Not too many girls where I'm stationed, most are married, and those that aren't tend to swing for the other team, if you know what I mean." And he was embarrassed to say it, but he was a little shy around girls. Normally, he wouldn't simply go up and approach a girl in a bar. If she approached him, that would be fine, but that didn't happen too often.

When the food came, he was practically drooling at his big steak and baked potato. Digging into his food, he wondered what their adventure will be like. Most likely dangerous, but will they be able to really sit down and eat like this again? Probably not. And there was no guarantee that either of them would survive the mission. This might be the last nice meal they could have. It worried him a bit, to think about it. In fact, this whole mission was a downer when he thought about it. A religion disguised as a cult. Evil beasts possibly returning to this world. The fate of the world resting on their shoulders. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if they failed.

Hearing Mia talk again, he snapped back into reality. "Oh, yea. Did you want us to rent a room for the night, and just start tomorrow?" He didn't even think about sleeping arrangements. Since he was guarding her, he'll most likely have to stay in the same room as her.
 
Mia caught the blush but said nothing of it. No point in embarrassing him. It was, however, unexpected and somewhat endearing. His explanation was a little more predictable. "I see. I wouldn't worry, though. I get the feeling you'll meet someone soon." When the steak came, she grinned and dug in, enjoying the delicious food. They ate in silence for a few moments before he got around to answering her about driving.

"Actually, we have lodging at the academy. They were nice enough to provide us with accommodations. They were quite eager to network with another prestigious academy, and happy to host us." That didn't mean it was safe, but it was better than having to worry about every person in a hotel. Besides, it was good to know that if worst came to worst, there would be ways in which she could protect herself there.

"How's your food?" she asked.
 
Alex wasn't sure how to feel about staying at the academy. At least in a hotel or something, he could have a better watch on her, even if the workers would be cult members. It would seem a little harder for him to watch her, mainly because they would probably end up having separate rooms. It was his job to guard her, and he just kept having the feeling like someone was trying to keep him separated from her.

"It's great." He slowed down on eating though, thinking about what to do now about their living accommodations. "Um, would it be alright if we stayed in the same room? I mean, to guard you, to do my job that is." Sure, sleeping in the same room as a beautiful girl would bring a lot of impure thoughts to mind, but he wanted to assure her he was just doing his job, not thinking about being a pervert. "Would that be ok with the academy?"
 
She smiled and tilted her head. "Thank you for taking my feelings into consideration, but I'm fine with it. Safety is the most important thing," she said with a smile. "The academy doesn't really care about things like that. Discipline is important for students, but since we're visiting guests, we'll be staying in faculty quarters, so it shouldn't be a problem. If it is, we'll be heading to a hotel." Mia finished up her potato and steak, enjoying it.
 
"Good, then we could stay in the same room. I'll make sure that nobody comes near you while you sleep." He didn't need much sleep to function properly, and he was a light sleeper. Being in the military, he had to be able to wake up to the sound of a pin dropping, in case someone tried to kill him in his sleep.

After finishing up their meal, they paid and left. "That really hit the spot. Now time to head to the academy." They got into the car, and Alex drove, like she asked him to. Following her directions, they made their way towards the academy. "It's getting a bit late, do you want to get some studying done, or should we head to our room and start in the morning?" He asked, noticing the sun starting to set.
 
"I figured you would want that sort of arrangement," she said with a nod. It seemed tactically sound, after all. She had no doubt that he was good at what he did, and that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her. The thing that distressed her, however, was that nobody would come near her. Not even him. Not that she wanted him to. Alex was handsome enough, but he'd just met her. Besides, he wasn't exactly the talkative type. Mia thrived on affection and good conversation. She enjoyed being close to people. This was one mission, however, where she could not indulge those urges. She was disappointed that the only person she'd be alone with was Alex. It meant she'd be safe, but it also likely meant that she would be lonely.

But he wasn't a bad guy. He was probably just still shy. He didn't know her all that well or how she reacted to things. He'd only just been given his real mission and come to terms with what that meant for himself and humanity. Maybe Alex would be a wonderful friend to her. Maybe he would be a fascinating man who would share his past with her and allow her to share hers. Maybe he would show her affection in a friendly way now and again--a hug here, a kiss to her head there. That wouldn't be so bad, right?

When they finished supper, she paid and left a nice tip for their attentive server, and left with him to get to the Academy. Relieved that Alex was driving, the mage sat back in the passenger's seat and relaxed a bit. She hadn't realized how tense she'd been until now, when all the tension was leaving her body, along with a good deal of her energy. "Mmm, I think sleep is the best thing right now. Ordinarily I wouldn't waste any time, but rushing into things won't help us any."

When she was tired, Mia often let her mind wander a bit. She wasn't using it much, after all. At least not at the moment. The redhead programmed the Academy into the car's gps and decided that Alex could take it from there. With that, she leaned back and closed her eyes, unleashing her mind for a bit. It wandered over to what their room at the academy would be like. She wondered whether or not they would have two beds. If they only had one, would he like to sleep with her or on the floor? Would he want to do more than just sleep? Would she? No...not just yet. Not before she knew him better. Not until she had a good night's rest.

Before she knew it, she was thinking of what he would be like in bed and was startled when they arrived on campus. She opened her eyes and sat up straight, telling him where to go to park.
 
While a few naughty thoughts did enter his head when he thought of staying in the same room as Mia, he tried his best to think about the job ahead of him. It wasn't that he didn't want to do anything naughty with her, it was just that they were suppose to work together. In all honesty, he thought she was very attractive, and she was fun to talk to. He could definitely see himself wanting to go out with a girl like her. It was mainly because they worked together, and he wasn't sure whether he should be going to bed with the person he was suppose to work with, things could get awkward. And he didn't care too much about the fact that she was a mage anymore. While thinking about it did make him feel a little uncomfortable, he thought there was a little more to her and just a mage.

Pulling up to the campus, he followed her instructions on where to park. After parking, they got out and he got their luggage. "Let's get settled in our room, shall we?" Alex waited for her to lead the way, occasionally catching himself looking at her rear.

For sleeping arrangements, he'll be fine with sleeping on the floor if he had to. Or in a chair, he's done it before, although it's not very comfortable. Sleeping in a bed with her might make it difficult to hold back, and he knew that he rolled in his sleep. It would be hard to explain himself if they wake up and he's in an odd position with her because he tosses and turns in his sleep.
 
Mia got her focus back, unaware of any naughty thoughts on Alex's part. As far as she knew, she was the only one with unprofessional and very lusty thoughts. Too bad, though. She was almost certain he would be terrific in bed. Oh well, she thought with a sigh. She would just have to go without for awhile. That was why the romance novel existed. When they were parked the redhead slid out of the car and followed Alex to the trunk. Surprisingly, however, he took her bag for her. It was nice to not have to worry about that, so she smiled. "Thank you. Yes, let's go." With that, she guided him to the faculty housing office where she signed in on a guest log and took the keys to their place. "Thank you for your hospitality," she added on their way out. They came to a rather large building that turned out to be a series of faculty condos. An elevator ride later, they were on the second floor in a place with a balcony, a kitchen, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. The livingroom was spacious enough and there was a built-in desk in the corner with a phone and an internet router. It was very clean and there were some staples in the fridge--milk, orange juice, eggs, a few apples, and condiments.

"Well that was nice of them. I think there are other groceries too," she said, opening the cupboards just to know what they did and didn't have. From the looks of things, they had enough food for at least breakfast and lunch tomorrow. They'd have to go out for more later. "Hmm, well, welcome home," she said with a little smile.

Mia took her bag from him and strolled down to the bedrooms, choosing the one with the bigger closet. "Ooh, queen sized. And so comfy," she said, sitting down. She set her bag on the bed and then came out to find Alex again, wondering how he wanted to take care of things here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom