Authoresses Note: Remember on the way to save Cline, Jude and company get shot at by arrows? Well, my mind ran through endless possibilities before this one stuck. It's pre-slashy for my current OTP. I just love these two, heh.

Anyway, constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged. Please don't hesitate to point out any flaws, whether it be grammar, spelling, or characterization.

With that said, enjoy this little number.

Bait

When Jude said he'd offer himself as bait, there were a couple of things he didn't consider before blurting it out.

The first was the archer's capabilities. Yes, they managed to dodge her attacks, but only because adrenaline -in his case- made them move quick enough to avoid the onslaught.

The second was his own self. He fought as well as he did because fear pushed him to pound his fist in a monster's skull, but there were times when he would freeze and Alvin had to save him before something took his head off. Milla saved him too, sometimes, but it was often the mercenary due to their being Linked together. It was those times when the older male would toss his arm around the boy's shoulder and say what a good team they were.

Jude would always say an awkward "yeah" because he has no idea what else to say. The mercenary saves his life and all he can offer as a thank you is the cold shoulder. It makes him feel a bit lousy when he dwells on it, but then, he doesn't much because of the situation they were in.

The archer positions her bow and the boy looks at her. He sees her body move in what he assumes is laughter before she fires off her arrow.

His body doesn't move when he commands it to. Instead, he stands frozen, eyes wide as the arrow approaches ever faster. He whispers to himself -This is the end- before a loud voice breaks his thoughts.

"Jude! GET DOWN!"

A body suddenly shoves into his own and the wind is knocked out of Jude. He coughs, shaking his head, but a familiar scent envelops his nose. Cologne. Wood. Steel. "Alvin?"

"Are you all right, kid?" the mercenary asks, hovering over the medical student in what should have been an awkward position but wasn't. "Why the hell did you not move?" Alvin looks concerned, eyes wide, his breath coming out in light pants. Amber eyes look wild, as if a nightmare was relieved in front of his eyes. Jude doesn't know what to say to that.

"I... I don't know," he offers, lamely, hands clutching on the mercenary's brown coat as if it was a lifeline and he was about to fall off a cliff. "I'm sorry."

Alvin sighs and sits up, taking the medical student with him. "If you do something like that to me again-" He pauses and runs a hand through his hair. "Just don't do that ever again, you hear?"

Jude nods. Milla jumps down from the cliff, a worried expression on her face. Elize and Rowen go over to the pair sitting on the ground, asking if they're all right. The boy lets Alvin do all the talking and helps himself to stand up. His vision swims and he's about to fall over when the mercenary's steady arm makes sure he stays in place.

"That was a foolish mistake. Why would you offer to do such a dangerous task when the possibility your body would fail you was a danger?" Milla asks, her tone chiding, but still managing to sound detached as she always did.

"I don't think he would have offered if he knew that would happen," Alvin defends, raising his hands. "Let's have bygones be bygones, huh? We have to save that Cline kid before Nactigual does something to him."

They make their way in the building, leaving the mercenary and medical student standing outside. Alvin turns his head, an expression in his eyes that Jude can't quite read, and he goes over to the boy, throwing his arm around his shoulders. It's a comforting gesture that Jude doesn't know where he'd be without sometimes. "If you do that to me again," the mercenary begins, squeezing Jude's shoulders. "well, I don't want to imagine my little honors student with an arrow through his head."

With that, Alvin flicks a hand and heads in the cave where everyone was. Blinking, Jude follows, trying to take in what just happened.

Did he just call me "his" honors student?

Fin.