Private Tales Under the Stars

[Harry]

"Doesn't matter, I guess. I don't have any coin," With her leaning forward, he found himself matching her. Gods, she was warm. His thumb brushed over her cheek and the hand placed on her back pulled that comforting warmth even closer until there was no water separating the two.

Those stormy eyes sent a rush through Hal's veins; something intoxicating that he had never felt before. All thoughts of their purpose, goals, and mission seemed to drift away as their noses gently brushed against each other.

"No coin," His voice was hushed, "Just..."

Voice trailed away as his lips clumsily met hers. Coupled with his voice was unnecessary thoughts. The Academy, Vel Anir, struggling to survive every day, the lives that they were snatched away from as children- none of it mattered. All that mattered was that moment, the shared warmth and affection between the two of them.

 

[Sierra]

Even his lips felt cooler. Not cold. More like the first day of fall. Crisp. She pressed against him, fingers wrapping around the back of his neck. The smile never fully left her lips as they both navigated each other.

She imagined they both didn't have much experience with...this.

Relationships among the students were forbidden. And they didn't get that much free time. Lungs burned and she finally broke the kiss, though she kept her nose brushing against his.

She thought about his hand against hers on that rainy day. His easy-going smile always tossed in her direction. His worried look when she'd told him about Igot. His tired form standing over her as she came-to on that ice-field when they'd battled those rogue elves. The look he'd given her when she'd walked into Leon's tent from her first mission to kill the students who'd escaped.

"I wish..," her chest shifted against his as she caught her breath. "we never had to go back."

 

[Harry]

Hal found himself panting as she pulled away. Not that he was necessarily winded from their brief embrace, but more so that the rush of excitement had left him short of breath. The firm athleticism of her body against his induced increasingly impure thoughts into the young man who had never before felt such a wanting for another person. The hand he placed on the small of her back rose up, trailing along her spine. Even there, he could feel how honed her body was.

The words she spoke stung, reminding him of that skirmish in the forest. That day, he had lost control. It put her life at risk. The slap Sierra gave him had hurt, but nowhere to the degree of the expression that she gave him.

The contours of her body seemed to perfectly fit against his. Their embrace was an odd, homely feeling. Hal felt as if it were natural. As if the only place he belonged was in her arms.

"They'll probably think that we died," He let out a contemplative sigh, the coldness of his breath gently blowing against her lips. The direction of the conversation ventured to a particularly dangerous territory, "We may not have to return."

 

[Sierra]

They had their trials in a year. In one year, they'd be facing off on top of that tower. They had no choice on who they were paired with. She'd been more worried about that prospect this past year as it drew closer. What if she had to kill one of her friends?

What if it was Hal?

Sierra leaned against him. Her lips pressed lightly against his jaw before her head rested against his shoulder, her face leaning against the side of his. Wet hair would tickle along his skin.

"What would you do if we were paired on top of the tower?"

 

[Harry]

Her question would be met with silence and the heavy rise and fall of his chest as he let out a deep sigh. The warmth of her lips lingered on his jaw.

The hand that held her face fell to his other hand. His fingers locked against her back, keeping her tightly in place. The ocean’s fragrance didn’t linger in her hair now.

“I...” His voice caught. What she asked wasn’t difficult for him to answer, but the mere thought of it made him sick. “I couldn’t harm a hair on your head.”

His fingers explored her back. He felt as his fingertips ran over small scars.

“Did you remember our first day? It was so long ago. You were crying, and I tried to comfort you. Then they whipped me in front of everyone. I still have the scars.” A quiet chuckle escaped from him, “I just saw those sad, stormy eyes, and it just didn’t sit right with me.”

His voice trailed off.

“Sorry, I’m rambling.”

 

[Sierra]

"I wanted it to be you," she said quietly. The one who'd held her hand. She'd never been quite sure if she was remembering it correctly because it had been long ago. Her own arms shifted to wrap around his torso instead, fingers lightly brushing his back.

She could feel those whipping scars.

"Oh Hal," the girl murmured against him.

"This is why I don't want to go back." She couldn't stand the idea of him getting hurt on her behalf. It was a lose-lose situation because if they were chosen, one of them would still be killed for not fighting the other. It would be far worse.

"Are we just what the Academy made us? Machines for war and killing?"

 

[Harry]

Hal pulled away to just see her- to look into her eyes. Hands came up to hold her face. Her gentle face. There was determination deep in those frigid blues of his.

Her fingers tracing over the healed scars was electrifying.

“We don’t have the strength to be anything but what they say,” He kept the distance from her, eyeing her pleasant features. He felt foolish that it had taken him this long to see her as a woman.

“Maybe one day that’ll change,” A small, sad smile played about his lips, “But right now, we can be whatever we desire.”

 

[Sierra]

"Maybe," she echoed his thoughts about changing in a hushed whisper as his hand entrapped her gaze to look into his. Her fingers didn't move away from his back. They had no idea of what tomorrow would bring. But they had today. This moment on the island. So far from everything they'd been taught. The dangers they knew.

And she wasn't alone.

"Then let's take advantage of this." Fingers pulled him closer. Her lips went in to get a sampling of his cold ones again. If an arrow hit her from behind right now, then she'd at least be able to say that she'd died in the person's arms she never wanted to leave.

 

[Harry]

There it was.

That intoxicating sensation again. Her. When those lips of hers found his, he melted away. With every passing moment of their embrace, his clumsiness began to disappear. Replacing his inexperience was uncharacteristic grace, and a insatiable curiosity for the woman in his arms.

He explored her lithe frame, his fingers traveling over both the soft and firm contours of her body until they came across that long scar that had split her from hip to shoulder. Tips of his fingers raced up the scar.

He never even knew she had a scar like it until he had seen it before.

He wanted to know more- to know everything. In that moment, he was no longer confused of his feelings. Hal didn’t know if he could call it love simply because he had not known love for most of his life. And the only time he had known love was so far behind him, it was like a memory that didn’t even belong to him.

What he was certain of was his desire to accept everything that Sierra had to offer him as their moment of shared bliss thawed a cold heart.

 

[Sierra]

She lost track of time because time didn't seem to matter anymore. Or perhaps because time mattered all the more. Hal's touch sent goosebumps rising along skin wherever his fingers trailed. She hadn't realized she'd been starved from touch until now. A touch that only Hal could give her.

Her own fingers traveled along his skin, determined to learn every scar he had. Over the contours of his muscles and bones. They drew closer until there was no space left between them. Pleasure and pain caused the girl to gasp into his neck. And in those moments, she knew Hal would be the end of her.

And she didn't care.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hours later, she found herself back at their campsite. There were several fish roasting on sticks over a fire. She still felt the heat flushing on her face. She wasn't sure if it was from the river or from the fire. For once, she left her hair down, leaving damp marks over her tunic.

"Fish is almost done," she couldn't stop that small smile from leaving her face as she looked at Hal. "How's your leg?"

 

[Harry]

Hal leaned back, his palms flat on the ground to support his weight. His tunic was hung on a nearby branch to dry. A silence hung between them, only broken by the crackling of wood as the fire heated their meal. He stared into the blaze, consumed in his own thoughts. At times, he replayed what had happened in the river.

When she spoke, he flashed a pleasant smile at her.

“Good, I was getting so hungry, I thought of taking a bite or two from you.” After a brief pause, he placed a hand above the wound on his thigh, “I’ll live, at least. Just the walk from here to the river makes it ache.”

 

[Sierra]

Stormy eyes flashed back in his direction.

"Oh you did, huh? What do you think I would taste like?" Taking one of the sticks, she handed it to him. Fish was nice and roasted. He'd just have to cut off the scales. Reaching in her belt, she took out one of her throwing knives and offered it to him.

"And don't think this coddling will last. It's only until your leg gets a bit better." Tone was light with a smirk lingering on her lips even as she made the thread.

 

[Harry]

"I wonder," He murmured, face slightly flushed. He took the knife and began to scale the fish, excited to dig his teeth into their meal.

"Hm," He pouted slightly, "You know how reckless I am, though. I get hurt a lot- need a lot of coddling."

He had scaled the fish with the finesse of a toddler, but it would be good enough to eat. He picked the fish apart with his fingers in an attempt to avoid the small bones.

He rarely ate fish, only ever getting the opportunity when sent out on long missions. He quite liked the taste. It was light and full of flavor.

He ate in silence; the two of them quickly went through all of the caught fish. Hal made sure that they split it fairly evenly between the two.

He looked in the fire, his good leg curled up to his chest, his bad one laying flat on the dirt. His chin rested on his knee.

"Do you think I'm strong?" He asked, his voice lacking confidence.

 

[Sierra]

The empath and archer scooched closer to him. Shoulder nudged lightly against his own. Where was this side of Hal coming from? He always seemed so confident when on missions.

“I never thought you were weak,” she answered quietly. “Where is this coming from?”

Eyes flickered between his face and the cracking fire.

She wondered if the barbs Luther cast were finally catching.

 

[Harry]

His body instinctively leaned into hers when he felt the slight contact between them as if he needed her to stay upright. It was partly true. His lips pressed into a thin line and he stared hard into the fire.

"I had four siblings," His voice was a whisper, "They were everything to me. I was the second oldest. My only sister, she was older. Like how Talus is to us. She always had an answer for things, you know? Always seemed to lead us in the right way. Had a nasty temper, too."

He lightly laughed, recalling when he would get smacked on the head for pulling a harmless prank. The smiling and laughter left like a breeze. All that remained was cold stoicism.

"I killed her," It was dry. Punctual. Each word hit his heart same as how the cracks of a whip left permanent welts on his back. "An argument taken too far."

He raised a hand and snapped his fingers, "Just like that, she was frozen solid. It was like winter had come several months early. Everything was white."

Perhaps he was searching for validation by exposing long-held fear and insecurity. He wondered what she would think of it.

"I've always wanted to protect you," He admitted and his raised hand balled into a tight fist, "Now, more than ever."

 

[Sierra]

Sierra listened quietly. She wondered if they all had grim starts. Would things have been different if they'd grown up in a place like Elbion? There, children seemed to be screened regularly for the colleges. Encouraged to be checked for magic early on. Perhaps as a precaution for things like Hal was describing. It could've easily happened to Sierra. To Talus. If they'd had Hal's power.

It hadn't been his fault.

Her tragedy was that her father was probably rotting in an Anirian prison somewhere for not wanting to give his daughter up to the Proctors.

"Hal, I'm sorry." Hand came up to rest on his raised knee. She hoped the words meant something to him and weren't just empty. She had mixed feelings about his declaration. Did he think her weak? Or because he cared for her?

She imagined it was the latter. He must know he wouldn't be able to protect her all the time. She chose not to speak on that, not wanting to lose the sentiment behind his declaration. Instead, she asked, still leaning against him.

"Tell me about your name. Why do you go by Hal instead of Henry?"

 

[Harry]

The hand that rested on his knee.

The words of comfort.

His fist relaxed, and he placed his hand over hers.

“It’s just something my siblings called me,” It was almost embarrassing to admit, “Proof that even though they might shape me into a killer, they can’t get rid of my identity.”

He shrugged, “Maybe it’s a childish notion. It just stuck, so I never thought about it much more than that.”

He rested his head against hers. It was nice, her presence. It made him forget of things outside of themselves.

 

[Sierra]

"I like it," she said quietly, thumb drawing circles along his knee.

"I think I had an older brother," she began, brow scrunching up at trying to remember a past that was ripped away from her. "I think I can remember him some days. I was so young and I can't remember what happened to him. I'm not sure if he was taken, like me. He was at least a few years older."

Sierra shifted slightly against Hal.

"Sometimes I wonder if he's still out there. If he remembers me. Or if my parents remember me."

Who were they but distant, shadowy figures of her past.

 

[Harry]

He listened on in silence. He didn't even remember his own siblings' names, save his sister's. Hal figured many were like him. Some were forced to forget.

"I'm sure that they would," He said with a faint smile. His cheeks warmed for a moment, "you're quite unforgettable."

An arm wrapped around her, bringing her even tighter against his body.

"All we have is each other," And Talus, too, but Hal didn't seek to ruin the moment with intricacies.

 

[Sierra]

She was content to sit there, let her head lean against his shoulder. His cooler body felt good in the heat of day on this island. Sierra had always run hot, hot beneath all that armor they made them wear. That jungle mission against the elves.

Her heart had leaned toward Hal for a long time but she hadn't realized how much they clicked until this mission gone bad. He was the cold to her hot.

"I hope we'll still have each other, if they find us." Her free arm wrapped around his waist. The left was left unsaid. They both knew they had to enjoy the time they had together if this was all they had.

"Okay," she breathed, a smile cracked on slightly chapped lips. "What's your favorite food? Greatest fear? And do you know which house you want to pledge yourself to when we graduate?"

It was a question she'd asked Talus too. She was curious. She wondered if there was a chance they'd be able to stay together if they were found from the island. If they survived graduation. And if they chose their own paths as dreadlords.

There were a lot of ifs.

 

[Harry]

His head turned to her to respond. He wanted to assure her that he would always be hers. Though, he didn’t get much of a chance as she quickly shifted topics with her questions.

What she inquired about were all things he’d never had the luxury to ponder on. Though, answers quickly came to him after some thought.

“Fish,” he said with a smile, “I always like trying new fish when we go out on missions.”

He feared a lot of things. He feared losing her the most, but he thought she might enjoy an answer that wouldn’t drag the mood down.

Hal whispered, as if what he feared might be listening in, “Spiders. I hate them.”

A smile played about his lips.

“As for a house, I haven’t decided. I haven’t been scouted, either.”

 

[Sierra]

"Oh, spiders," the arm around his waist lifted, her fingers splaying out along his back as she traced invisible patterns in jest, as if he had spiders crawling over his back now.

"Don't worry though, your secrets are safe with me."

And they really were. Even with the lingering smile on her face.

"I haven't been scouted either. And I'm kind of glad." She didn't want to make a choice yet. "I've thought about putting in a position to stay with the Academy. Become an instructor there." She had to be careful about what she shared. Even with Hal.

 

[Harry]

His body shivered under her light touch. The boy let out a nervous chuckle from the feeling.

"You're a real comedian," He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, then a second on her cheek.

"A proctor, eh?" He raised a brow at the thought. Thinking of what they did- he found it surprising that Sierra would want to be in that position. "Really?"

 

[Sierra]

She shrugged against him. Stormy-eyes lifted to meet his, head pulling slightly back so she could get a better look on the expression of his face.

"Maybe I can be better than the proctors we had. I like the idea of teaching. Maybe teaching better lessons than we were taught." Her voice was quiet. Contemplative. It was the most she'd shared with anyone.

"Then again...not sure who they'll pair me up with after the tower. Or if a house will try to recruit me."

Their future held a lot of unknowns. Less unknowns if they successfully ran away now and were never found by the proctors and anirians again.

 

[Harry]

He still didn't see it. Questions formed in his head pertaining to an ulterior motive, though none were asked.

"I'm quite certain Proctors don't necessarily get to choose the curriculum, aside from whatever will make us kill better," He dismissively waved his hand, then wryly smiled, "You should have been born far from Vel Anir."

He didn't want to comment on the Tower. Thoughts of facing down his friends tormented Hal on a near-daily basis, an unpleasantry he did not wish to explore at that moment.

He idly held a strand of auburn hair in his hand, avoiding her gaze.