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

Mia smiled, glad to know more about him. "I'm sorry to hear that it was a little rough, but I'm glad you turned out the way you did." After all, if he hadn't, then he wouldn't be here right now, and she couldn't imagine having anyone else with her through it all. So duty and service ran in his blood. He was a protector, a warrior, and friendly. It was almost like they could have been in the dark ages--a knight and a sorceress. The thought made her smile.

"So, tell me about your service? What is it you do in the military?" She kept walking along with him, glad to have something to talk about. They were on their way to a little grocery store to get food, and then they could go to the library and she could study.
 
It wasn't something he was really comfortable talking about, but he could at least tell her what the job was. "Well, I first started out as a regular grunt soldier, serving in the line of duty. After a while though, my friends and I got selected to become a special forces unit, taking care of covert operations. Some protecting politicians, some assassinating terrorists, as well as retrieving valuable objects and information from other countries. We were a squad that depended on each other." Thinking about it reminded him of the good times they had, they treated each other like family at times.

Finally arriving at the grocery store, they grabbed a cart and began walking around the isles, gathering things they needed.
 
Though he seemed to have fond memories of his friends, Mia got the sense that he was uncomfortable talking about it much more. She dropped it, but she was duly impressed that he was a special forces man. She wasn't really surprised, however. That kind of responsibility seemed to suit him well. And if he was selected for this job, his skill level was a given, and it also seemed to suit him.

They arrived at the store, grabbed a basket and started to gather things. "Mmm, so what do you like for breakfast?" she asked. "I'm more of a muffin, toast, cornflake kind of girl myself. And you?" Beautiful segue into small-talk. But that was better than silence, right? Besides, she was genuinely curious.
 
Most of what Alex got were sodas and snacks. Thinking about breakfast, he normally didn't eat breakfast. At most, he'd make himself a cup of iced coffee and get ready for work. "Well, I don't know. I usually skip breakfast. I guess cereal would be fine with me." It was something small, and still something he enjoyed from time to time.

As they walked throughout the grocery store, he stayed close to Mia, making sure she was safe. "Should we get some things for sandwiches?" He asked, already reaching for the bread. Those were at least easy to make, and he could pile on the toppings depending on how hungry he was.
 
"Sure. Sandwiches are always practical. We should get some peanut butter--it lasts forever, travels well, and is cheap. Plus, it's tasty." She smiled and approved of his choice of bread, walking about an aisle over for the jar of peanutty goodness she'd been talking about. She placed that in the cart and walked along with Alex, grabbing her own snacks and preferred sodas. They had dishes in the condo, so they would be fine with that. She grabbed a few small packs of laundry detergent and some dryer sheets too before she assessed the need for anything else.

When they had everything they needed--breakfast foods, meat for supper, supplies for sandwiches, snacks, and various other nonperishable goods, Mia paid and carried about half of the bags--that way Alex could have at least one free hand. "Well, this is nice. Now we don't have to worry about doing this tomorrow. And we'll have something to help keep us awake tonight." She flashed him a smile and walked with him cautiously. When they were back at the condo, she started to put everything away.
 
Alex made sure to stay close to her as they made their way back to their room. As they began putting their things away, he didn't get the feeling that they were being watched, so at least they could relax for a bit. Once they were finished, they could go walking around campus, figure out where everything is.

After putting away everything, Alex grabbed an energy drink from the fridge and began drinking it. The extremely sweet drink tasted refreshing, giving him a surge of energy. "Want one?" He looked over at Mia, wondering if she needed it to help her get through the rest of the night.
 
When everything was pretty much in its place, he offered her an energy drink. She'd never really had one before. She considered the fact that the terror of her experience had worn off and figured she would need help staying up past dawn. "Sure. Thanks." She took the one he gave her and opened it, giving it a taste. It was much sweeter than she'd thought it would be. It wasn't bad at all, really.

"Mmm. Alright. So everything is where it won't be spoiled. Wanna go out again? Or would you rather wait?"
 
"Hmmmmm, not really sure." Alex said as he sat down on the couch, sipping some more of his energy drink. They had a couple more hours to go until anything would really open. "We could go back out and look around campus, or we could relax and watch tv or a movie." He wasn't really sure what they would watch though. It was just a suggestion in case she didn't really want to go back out.

While the energy drink did keep him awake, he was still tired. They'll need to figure out this spell today, or it'll be very hard to stay awake the next night. Honestly, as soon as they find out how to cast the charm, he's going to want to go to bed shortly after. Hopefully, she will as well. Once he thought about it, going on that walk might be the better idea, getting up and moving. Sitting down and relaxing, it'll be harder to stay awake, but it was all up to Mia and what she wanted to do.
 
Mia tilted her head, wondering what it was that he wanted. She thought it would be better to get out and take in fresh air. She nodded. "I think we should go for that walk and explore a little bit. I need to move around, you know?" She took another sip of the energy drink and looked around. "Is there anything you need from here? Did you want to rest for a little while? We can stay here for a little while and catch a movie if you want. Better now than later, right?"

She shrugged and tossed some of her hair over her shoulder again, watching him. It was very kind of him to be so agreeable despite his lack of sleep. He was a dedicated protector, she'd give him that.
 
Alex got up and finished his drink. "A walk would be perfect. We'll figure out where everything is, and it's perfect for helping us stay awake." He smiled as he went over to put his shoes back on. Afterwards, he crushed his can and threw it away.

While he did want to relax, walking would keep him awake. It was something to do, to get his blood pumping. While it would be nice and romantic to relax and watch a movie with her, there would be a good chance of him falling asleep and being unable to protect her. And that would be unacceptable for a bodyguard.

Standing at the door, he waited for Mia to be ready to go on a nice pleasant walk. Although, a few dirty thoughts went through his mind, he tried his best to just think about this as a simple walk between acquaintances.
 
Mia was relieved that he seemed to be behind her idea for a walk. A movie had its appeal, but if she got too comfortable, Mia was certain she would fall asleep. And as much as she enjoyed remembering how good it felt to be in his arms and how nice he smelled, she doubted that her dreams would be...pure, to say the least. The idea of doing anything romantic with Alex was probably deeply inappropriate, but that didn't stop it from entering her mind. And she had to say...it wasn't unpleasant.

"Great." She finished off her energy drink and then tossed the can. She took a deep breath and then joined him at the door, slipping back into her shoes.
 
They left the room once more and returned to the outdoors to wonder the campus at night. While this would normally be rather unsafe due to the current situation they were in, this was probably the best option for them. They needed to stay awake, long enough for Mia to learn a charm that would protect them from being attacked in their sleep. That way they wouldn't have to repeat what they just went through tonight.

As they walked down the paths throughout the campus, Alex held her hand, holding her close to him. Mainly to make sure that she was in his sights, he also just wanted to be close to her, feeling comforted by her presence.
 
Once they were out in the night air, she felt a little bit better. Normally the night made her feel alone and very vulnerable, but it was different with Alex. He was a comforting presence--not just because his job was to protect her, but because she just liked being around him. Having spent most of the day together, she could honestly say, she was genuinely at ease around him and his company was welcome. It didn't seem like he minded walking around with her either. It was nice to know that he would come through for her.

She stayed as close to him as he wanted her, not at all embarrassed or resistant to the idea. As they walked, she pointed out what buildings would serve what purpose if she knew off hand, and tell him a little about them. Mia was happy to have a distraction from the earlier attack and her own fatigue. Before long, they came upon a very large building and on the front was a plaque that read, "library."

"Well, that's it. Somewhere in there lie the answers we seek." She squeezed his hand and sighed, standing still for a moment, wishing that she could just go in and search to her heart's content. "I'd call the librarian, but I'm pretty sure that would be too suspicious." She smiled at Alex and then looked up at the sky, the stars glowing above them. "It's a shame we sleep through some of the prettiest skies."
 
Well, at least they knew where the library was. They'll be able to head straight there once it finally opens. Of course she could call, but she was right. It sounded suspicious, and they didn't know if the librarian served the cult. It would be best not to take that risk.

As they walked around more, he looked up at the sky when she mentioned it. She was right, it was beautiful. All the stars shining in the sky, and just how quiet it was overall. It was such a wonderful night, it was a shame that they were always asleep when the sky was like this.

Aside from the sky, Mia was also beautiful. Aside from the signs of exhaustion that she was showing, she was a very pretty girl, and he was happy to be with her. She was fun to talk to, and she always seemed to care about what he had to say. In return, he felt concerned for her, seriously wanting to help her when she came to him, terrified. Alex leaned in closer to Mia as they looked up at the stars. Were they having a moment?
 
She found her favorite constellation, smiling and pointing it out. When the mage felt him move closer, her eyes were torn away from the beautiful stars. Her eyes settled on his face, taking in his handsome features. Mia was lucky that he was with her. She felt safe and comfortable in his company. It was a little odd to think of it, but she already really liked him. Even as she thought of this, she didn't realize she was leaning a little closer to him as well. And then there was a disturbance in the night. Someone was walking nearby, but where were they?

Immediately Mia began to search for the source of the sound, looking around her quickly. Where the hell? She was starting to panic again, and her nerves were really beginning to fray with the exhaustion and the idea that someone was actively out to get her. What should she do?
 
Alex also heard something move, but he didn't get the feeling that it was anything hostile. It could've been an animal, or just someone out for their morning jog, it was starting to get to be that time where people begin to wake up. "Mia." He called out to her, a little worried about her. She seemed to be getting paranoid, but who could blame her. She was attacked a few hours ago, and now she was going off of almost no sleep at all.

Grabbing her hand, he started to quickly lead her back to their room, his free hand ready to draw his gun in case anything did plan on attacking them. "Let's just relax for a bit. We shouldn't have to wait much longer for the library to open." He said, noticing the sun beginning to rise in the distance. Being up this early kind of reminded him of boot camp, being woken up in the early hours and forced to run drills all day.

Finally getting to their room, he locked the door behind him and sat with Mia on the couch, holding her close to him. Right now, all he needed to do was to get her to calm down.
 
Mia's eyes found his again as soon as he called her name, but the panic didn't ebb away at all. She could tell she was overreacting from the look in his eyes--the concerned one that made her feel like she should probably be worried too. The lack of sleep wasn't helping her at all, and now the adrenaline was making her a little too loopy. She was immensely relieved when he took her hand and speed-walked her back to their room.

He knew how to handle this particular brand of crazy, and she was reminded again that she was lucky to have him with her. When they were finally back in the room, she started to feel a little silly for overreacting before. She was still a little keyed up, however. Still a little afraid of her shadow. But then they were on the couch and she felt much safer in his arms. He held her close, and her heart slowly started to return to normal. She took a few deep breaths, enjoying his scent.

After a few long minutes, she looked up at him, mostly to keep herself awake, rather than to do anything else. But she was captivated by his eyes, and she forgot everything around her. She held his gaze and stayed very close, watching him.
 
As he held Mia close to him, Alex couldn't look away from Mia's gaze. She just seemed so innocent at this moment, and he wanted to make sure she was safe. And holding her close like this, he wanted to take this a little further. Oh, how he wanted her badly, but he wasn't sure if it would be right. He was hired to protect her, sure it would be nice to be friendly with her, but having a romance just might get in the way.

That being said, it pretty much took all of his willpower to refrain from kissing her. He simply looked away, his face red. "I-Is there something you'd like to do? There's still some time before the library opens." Maybe watch a movie, but like before, it might make them tired again. And sitting like this so comfortably, again, he might feel like drifting of to sleep. He felt like he was stuck in a real jam this time.
 
The overwhelming urge to be closer to him was just barely held in check. It wasn't wise to become involved with someone with whom you needed to have a professional relationship. She knew it and she heard a little voice in the back of her head reminding her of that, but it was difficult to break away from his gaze or think of anything but how it would feel for him to hold her and touch her, or what it might feel like to kiss him.

Luckily, Alex came to his senses first and Mia chalked up this inappropriate behavior to sleep deprivation. Maybe when she'd had some rest, she'd be more sensible. When he looked away, she did the same, pulling back just a little. Was there anything she wanted to do? Not particularly. Going outside would just put her on edge and staying where she was now would make her sleepy, and she couldn't risk that again. Frustration was beginning to bubble within her and it wasn't a good feeling.

She sighed and scrubbed her face with her hands. "Well...I suppose a cold shower might help me out. They're supposed to be invigorating, right?" The damp towels were a problem she could fix with some magic. It was pretty simple stuff, too, so it shouldn't be a difficult task.
 
That's it. A cold shower would be perfect. The cold water could probably help clear his mind, maybe get some of these dirty thoughts out of there. Although, the thought of Mia in the shower did cross his mind, the water running down her gorgeous body.

Alex quickly got up, trying to think of something other than Mia at the moment. Going to the fridge, he grabbed a soda and started drinking it. "Go ahead and take your shower, I'll wait outside the door in case someone tries to attack you while you're washing up." Although it would be most effective to watch over her in the bathroom, but that would be insane. Not only would it be uncomfortable for both of them, he might have a much harder time holding back his urges if he saw her naked body.

Going to his room, he grabbed his gameboy to play while she cleaned up. Something, anything that could take his mind off of anything naughty would do. Good thing he had games that had almost nothing to do with the subject. Kirby, Donkey Kong, Mario, all games that were fun even at his age, all innocent fun.
 
Mia was glad that he was going with the idea of a cold shower. It was just as freeing for her as it was for him. Maybe a cold shower would kill her sex drive--or at least temper it for awhile. Alex seemed eager to get on with it. She watched him going for a soda and decided that once she got out that would be a good idea. Then he could take a shower...and images rushed to her head unbidden. She knew he would be even more appealing after a shower. But the best thing to do, she decided, was to just take hers and try to ignore him fresh from the shower.

"Alright then. I won't be long." With that, she disappeared into their shared bathroom and started to take off her clothes, rushing the process a bit. Her body felt hot and suddenly quite uncomfortable. She tried to focus, but she was having a difficult time keeping herself together. The shower would help, she thought. So she hurried into it and turned the water to practically arctic temperatures and stood under the spray, slowly focusing and clearing her mind--like a priestess in training. She took carefully measured breaths, focusing on the rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest. Before long, she was calm, collected, and freezing her ass off. She turned the water off and used some magic to dry her hair by pulling the excess water out and letting it splash into the tub.

She redressed and combed out her hair, sighing softly. She was starting to get circles under her eyes, and she wasn't down with the little bit of redness she saw sneaking its way into her eyes. So she squirted on some perfume and walked into the kitchen for a soda to help keep her energy up. Maybe she'd grab a little snack, too. Surely that would help her to stay awake. "It's all yours," she said, smiling. "Do me a favor and hurry back, though. I want to rest my eyes a little, but I'm afraid I'll fall asleep."
 
When Mia got out of the bathroom, Alex hopped back on his feet. While the innocent fun of his games did help a bit, it still couldn't clear his mind of the thought of how sexy Mia would've looked in the shower. He paused his game and handed the gameboy to Mia. "Here, feel free to play around a little, it should keep you occupied for a little while." And with that, he headed into the bathroom.

After quickly undressing, he started the water and stepped into the shower. He was greeted with a chilling sensation of the cold water touching his warm skin. At first, he shivered, but with a moment of breathing carefully, he was able to relax and clear his mind. Normally, this was something he'd do to cool off after a hot summer day or just a day full of working, but now he just needed to clear his mind and stay awake. Surely the staying awake part was working, he was wide awake after that freezing feeling of stepping into the cascade of cold water. It was the clearing his mind portion that was hard. Surely it had to be because of the lack of sleep, messing with his head. Once this whole ordeal will be over, they could relax for a bit and things could go back to normal.

After feeling like he was under the water for long enough, he stepped out of the shower. Quickly drying off, he redressed himself and stepped out to see Mia again. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
 
Mia gratefully took the game from him and smiled. "Thanks." With that, she sat down on the sofa, setting her pop on the coffee table and started in on Mario. By the time he was out of the shower, she was pretty far into the game. She lost her concentration, however, the minute he spoke. She died in the game, losing her last life and sighed. Oh well. No reason to see that as a metaphor at all. Nope. Not at all.

When she turned to look at him, his damp hair and freshness just about swept her away. And he didn't need to try hard at all. Damn it, why was he so attractive? Sighing inwardly she shook her head. "No, not really. It was nice to play the game for awhile. Will you sit and talk to me while I close my eyes? Make sure I don't fall asleep again." She scooted over for him and took a sip of her soda, waiting for him to join her.

Though she was wide awake, she didn't want to take a chance on falling asleep. The library would open in an hour or so. She just needed to last that much longer before she could look up the information she needed. And then she would go to sleep, and she would make sure Alex was safe, too. If they turned on him, she would be without a protector and even easier to pick off. They might have been hoping to keep the man out of it--keep it clean--but after their failure, the only option left might be taking care of him, and she didn't want anything to happen to him. Not just for practical reasons, but because she liked him. He was a good friend and a decent person. And there was something else she couldn't quite explain that tugged at her chest as well. Whatever the reason, she wanted them both to be safe.

"So, ask me anything you want. It can be stupid or it can be serious. It's up to you." She smiled and then sat back, letting her eyes close for just a little while.
 
It didn't seem like a bad idea. She needed a little time to rest, and he'll be there to make sure she remains awake. Gently stroking her hair, he allowed her to rest. Although, he didn't know what to ask her. She did say it could be anything, but he didn't want to go too far with personal questions. It probably would be best to at least start out with a simple question and work from there, working little by little. "Alright, let's see." He needed a moment to think of such a question, but most of what he wanted to ask her were kind of personal. "I got it. You seem to like games too, what's your favorite game?" It would be nice to know, maybe they liked the same things.
 
The stroking of her hair was a sweet gesture. It was soothing and a little distracting, but she answered as soon as he asked her a question. "Hmm...I don't know if I have a favorite game, per se. I do like rpg's, especially older ones like Threads of Fate or Guardian's Crusade. I love Mario and Zelda, and I like a few fighting games, though I'm not terribly good at any of them. And friendly racing games are fun, too." She smiled and stretched a little, keeping her eyes closed for the moment. She just needed a little time to ease the strain, that was all.

"That was fun. Remind me to ask you about yours later. Keep me talking, kay?"
 
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