18 Words of Balex: True Love in the Midst of Forbidden Territory
Termination: The thing that terrified everyone in Division alike was the thought of being terminated. There was no worse fate to be thrown. But for Alex, the only thing more terrifying in the world than being terminated herself, was Birkhoff being terminated instead.
Droplet: It had taken forever for Birkhoff to grow on her. It was like she had been holding a glass, and every time she found out something new about him a drop of water would fall into her glass. It didn't take long for her glass to be completely full, and that right there was a sign of her ever deepening love.
Sectionalism: Alex was supposed to care about Division, her whole existence was based on serving the corrupt operation she worked for unwillingly. So yeah, she was supposed to have an obsession for Division, but her days were already far too occupied with her obsession for Seymour Birkhoff.
Difference: There couldn't be more of a difference between the two. Other recruits and staff would someday look at the both of them in awe and shock, if they could ever make their love known. They would wonder how the two of them could ever be happy together. But Alex knew, their differences pulled them closer together. And she needed him so much closer at this point in her life.
Angel: He called her beautiful, pointing out every single little thing about her that was perfect, which took a while. He made her smile and think of nothing else but him, and that was a problem when she was trying to concentrate on working. He called her his angel, and all Alex could think about was that she had fallen for him. Fallen hard to earth for him. And she would do it again in a mere heartbeat.
Pedestrian: They were all mere pedestrians for Division. Percy could run them all over anytime he liked. They all spent their days working and forgetting about love and friendship and what made people human. But Alex wouldn't forget love. Percy could push her around but she would never give up her one true love.
Heap: He looked like a heap of broken bones and blood when they had found him, when she was finally able to see him after days of no word. Division had saved his physical body miraculously, but they couldn't repair him emotionally from the torture he had experienced. That was Alex's job. And right now she would bring him back to life.
Telling: It had taken a while to get up the guts to tell him. She had snuck into his room and confronted him, breaking down completely in the process of telling him that she loved him and that she needed him. And the next minute his soft lips had been on hers, his gentle hands brushing through her hair. Birkhoff had told her that very night all that she needed to hear. She loved and she was loved in return.
Harlequin: Her first reaction to Birkhoff? What a buffoon, what a loser, what a nerd. But what he became to her was and still is overwhelming.
Hot
Amazing
Radiant
Luscious
Ecstasy
Quintessential
Ubiquitous
Intelligent
Natural
And there were a million more words Alex could use to describe Seymour Birkhoff.
Interfering: Alex didn't want to hurt Birkhoff, and that was why she never interfered in Birkhoff's past life. She knew a lot of it had been bad, she saw that in the nightmares he had every once in a while. So she didn't get involved, cause he didn't get involved in her past life either. But someday she would help him even if it killed her.
Sterilization: On one particular nasty mission they had been exposed to a virus, having to be sterilized. And they had been ripped out of each others hands, thrown into separate rooms, and worrying for the next few days whether the other was even alive. When the two were finally reunited, Alex could care less who saw their affection and love, cause all she could do was run into his arms and never let go again.
Spotlight: He told her the first time he saw her it was as if a spotlight was on her. She was glowing and he could care less about the other recruits. Even if he had had a gun pointed in his face, he couldn't have looked away from her eyes, from her body, from her stunning beauty. Alex was more than happy that no gun had been pointed in her lover's face.
Forger: They thought a lot about their future together, and Birkhoff talked a lot about forging Division passports. Which would mean finally getting out, finally being able to live a normal life together, no longer having to force their love to be so secret. To be in the deepest and darkest shadows like it always was. Alex encouraged this with everything she was. She couldn't wait to elope with her forger.
Sipping: At least he was drinking, she couldn't ask for much more at this point. He had been hurt again, and now he was lying in her arms, her hands running through his thick and unwashed hair, begging him to sip the water slowly. He hadn't drank anything or eaten for days. And now that she had him back she had to take care of him. And the first step to healing was drinking. So she tipped the glass into his thirsty mouth continuously.
Storage: His and her entire lives were stored on top secret Division flash drives. If only she could break into Percy's office to read what was on Birkhoff's, to get some insight into who he is and who he once was. Maybe she could blackmail Michael in some way. It was definitely worth a shot. Anything for Birkhoff.
Mugging: She knew his obsession with comic books was going to nearly get him killed one day, and the fact that he enjoyed going into the little shops where they were sold at night. He had been walking down an alley when he was beaten up and mugged. Luckily Michael had been with him in the car, why he had been she had no idea. Michael had saved him and Alex owed him both their lives for that. So he had been awarded with the biggest hug she had ever given. And at least the muggers had been kind enough to leave his comics behind.
Mallet: She swung the mallet in her hands into the guy's face. Why? Because he had pointed a gun at Birkhoff. And no one, she repeated no one, would ever threaten his life and live to tell the tale. It simply didn't happen in her world. Even when the enemy's blood flew onto her face she smiled, cause Birkhoff was standing not three feet away from her smiling as well, perfectly fine and unharmed.
Resumption: She had given up on love a long time ago. Who in their right mind would ever love her? She was a curse, brought death to anyone around her. And people were better off not even knowing her. She would hide in Division and forget about the fact that love really existed. But when she admitted her deepening feelings for Birkhoff, it had been like a bullet piercing through her ribcage and into her heart. Her hope had been resurrected. Love was not just a possibility now. It was reality.
FIN