Paying Debts
Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Gate
"You're here early." Piper walked through the door, turned around to activate Stork's security lock on the wall, and stopped at the bars. Shrugging nonchalantly, she answered that the six-hour shifts were killing everyone's circadian rhythms so the schedule was amended to shorter hours. Piper blinked and her words stopped awkwardly, wondering if he would pursue the subject and ask her if the new plan was her idea, which it was.
"How long do you have?" The Talon scratched his eyebrow and opened his mouth to sigh. He looked bored and completely at home here on the Condor. He didn't act much like a prisoner anymore, more of a disgruntled child sentenced to their room for bad behaviour. And somehow, that unnerved the navigator more than it should.
"Did you want anything else?" Her body, her arms still tingled with the memory of Aerrow's touch, and she didn't want that feeling replaced so soon. She hadn't meant to take a nap in his bed, but she did, and when she woke up with his arms still draped around her, Piper had an epiphany. Aerrow would never attempt to take advantage of her, and she felt completely safe in his presence then.
"No." The Dark Ace chuckled lightly to himself. "But I'm bored." Tilting his head to the side, a few of his black bangs fell across his face. Piper opened her eyes; he wasn't wearing the metal headpiece anymore. A knowing smile started to grow on his lips, and the Storm Hawk felt the familiar pull of desire pulse through the room. She wondered if she could handle his next move.
"Why don't you come over here?" he suggested lightly, motioning to his side of the bars. She expected him to say something more, something corny such as, "Don't worry, I won't bite" immediately followed by a wolfish grin. But there was nothing – maybe a twinkle of excitement in his red eyes.
She had to say it; she wouldn't have peace of mind if she didn't ask. "How do I know you're not going to try to break free?" And if not this time, what about the next?
"You don't," he admitted. "You just have to trust me."
Minutes passed, it could have been half an hour until Piper decided her next course of action. Swallowing her pride and her reason, she took out the keys to the bars and the passcard for the security lock from her pockets and placed them on the floor – as close to the door as possible. Her orange eyes darted side to side, hoping for some crazy internal alarm that would give her enough reason not to pass through to the other side.
The gate creaked gently when she pushed it outwards, and she kept her front facing the Talon as she closed it again, unlocked. With her hands behind her back, she waited. Piper didn't wait long; as soon as the cage was complete the Dark Ace swooped upon her for another kiss.
