Author's Note: Wow, I think it might just be a certain moment that you've all been waiting for... I would much appreciate all of your reviews especially upon this chapter, as I've never really been that confident in my romantic writing. I could use all the feedback possible, even criticism flinches if you must! Thank you very much for reading :)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The door behind Femi rotated in a full 180 degree turn and she and Alex fell away into the darkness, yelling in alarm.
"Alex!"
"Femi!"
"NO!"
Their cries and the heavy slam of the door echoed around them as though they were in a large hall. Where were they? Where did the slope lead to?
What was to become of them both?
----------------------------------------------------------
Femi's stomach was twirling uncomfortably from the sensation of speeding downwards at such a fast pace. She was so engrossed in her panic and surprise that she hadn't noticed the strain on her wrist fade away - where had Alex's grip gone?
All of a sudden, Femi felt a sharp, rough ledge skid underneath her and grind against her spine painfully. She screamed out as she felt herself flying in the open air. It lasted no more than just a few seconds, before she smashed into the steady and, thankfully, spikeless or stoneless ground upon her back. It still hurt like hell, but at least she had finally landed.
"Urgh..." Femi groaned breathlessly.
She felt rather paralysed as she lay there on the hard, sandy ground. A smell in between musky wood and the salty beach filled her nostrils, although Femi knew that neither materials could exist down there. Her head pounded. Her back stung. And heavens, she was finally granted with oxygen again, and her chest rose up desperately. Her loud gasp echoed all around her and caught her attention; it must have been a big room...
Rolling onto her side, a few dry coughs erupted from the back of her throat. She knelt up on her knees and, from there, cautiously wavered up onto her feet. It was absolutely pitch black and made Femi awfully nervous. She couldn't see a thing - not even her own hands right in front of her.
"Alex?" She weakly called out.
Her voice danced around her. They were obviously in a room of some kind. But no Alex could be heard or seen, to Femi's dismay. Her breathing quickened as she began to panic. Femi turned her head left and right and blinked rapidly in a hope that her eyes would adjust to the darkness, but she found no success. She shuffled - or more like stumbled - backwards nervously and moved her hands around to try and feel something. Anything.
The chains attached to her wrists stroked along the sandy floor in a deep humming - but suddenly, the sound changed. As she turned, she heard them suddenly tinkle, as if they had run over a bump or a thin separation in the ground. Femi turned back round again and began walking towards the bold area of ground. Perhaps there was something there? Another door maybe?
Femi placed her left, unsure foot down and it came to rest upon some sort of miniature, long level. Before Femi could lift her foot again, it pressed down into the ground and disappeared. Femi gasped and jumped away aimlessly - she had no idea where she was going, but she wanted to be away from whatever it was she had just activated. Grumbling occurred within the walls, wherever they were, and the floor vibrated softly.
Femi brought her hands up underneath her chin like a terrified child and staggered here and there in a panic. Where was the sound coming from? Why was it even happening? What was going to happen??
Femi was practically on the verge of terrified tears when, out of nowhere, a ravenous flame burst into existence on the other side of the room. And just like that, one after the other, placid figures of fire erupted along the walls. Femi had obviously stepped onto a lever of some kind and a small flow of preserved oil was released from a higher station, allowing it to flood down into the moat that travelled around the circular room. Shap, Fwoff, Krrrah - one by one, the flames flickered into life in a continuous line and created odd sounds for Femi to nervously flinch at.
Once the dozens of flames were lit around her, Femi was able to observe her surroundings properly, and with careful detail. The room was rather large, and now glowing with a warm, mysterious glow from the flickering golden flames. The walls were a dark, cobweb-covered beige, and the ceiling - well, it was so high up that Femi couldn't even see it. She turned around and found herself peering up at a very steep slope that travelled all the way from the dark, imperceptible surface. That must have been how she and Alex had--
Femi gasped and her wide eyes dropped to the ground. Alex!! Spinning round, Femi scouted all around her until finally, and fortunately, they found their desired target.
"Alex." Femi whispered aloud.
Femi rushed to the center of the dingy room and dropped down onto the ground beside Alex's still body. She rolled him onto his back with a soft grunt of difficulty and then leant back to observe him. Femi winced at the sight of so much blood staining the side of his head. He had obviously knocked it quite hard on the way down.
"Alex..." Femi whispered nervously, and jogged his chest sensitively.
He didn't stir. Femi moved up onto her knees and leant over Alex to peer down at his hopefully sleeping face. She placed her trembling hand on the side of his bloody cheek and stroked it with her thumb.
"Alex, wake up. Wake up..." She gravely sighed to him.
She bit on her bottom lip worriedly and pressed the tips of her fingers to the side of his neck. Yes, there was a clear, throbbing pulse still pumping. Femi sighed in deep relief and lowered her head for a moment. But then she reminded herself that just because he had a pulse, it didn't mean that he was still unharmed. Brain damage. Coma...
Femi placed her hand on Alex's shoulder and shook it again, "Alex O'Connell, wake up this minute!"
His eyelids weren't jogging. They were stiff, suggesting that he was in a deep, distant sleep. Or worse... Femi felt hot tears stinging behind her eyes, and the chunks rising in her dry throat. Why wouldn't he wake up??
"Alex!" She gasped, "Alex, wake up! Wake up!!"
Her voice darted around the room in a lively manner and came straight back to where she and Alex were settled. Still, no response from Alex. Femi didn't know what to do. She was... struck.
Tears of guilt and sorrow rushed to Femi's weary eyes and blurred her vision. She shook her clouded head and placed her longing hand upon Alex's chest, and she lowered down from her knees to sit herself on the ground.
"Please, wake up..." She sniffed, "I'm sorry... it's all my fault... I shouldn't have snuck over to the door... I should have just... waited... All I ever do is drag you into trouble... Please, wake up... I'm so sorry..."
Several tears dripped from her jaw line and fell into the sandy ground beneath her, or upon Alex's shirt. She gazed deeply at Alex's sleeping, handsome face and felt her heart begin to sink.
"Please don't leave me..." Femi began to weep quietly, "I know we argue... I know we do... but... you have to wake up, because... because I need you... I need..."-
Femi broke out into breathless sobs and buried her head into Alex's chest, with her arms around her head. For the first time, ever, Femi thought she had felt something as strong as what a heart break could have been. Alex had grown on her so much... so much...
The room echoed with her whimpering and snivelling. Femi refused to lift her head from Alex for what seemed days. She cried until it felt as though there were no more tears left to spill, and resorted to simply lying there with her head on Alex. She turned her head and listened to his breathing.
"You can't leave, Alex... you can't give up so soon," Femi whispered, sniffing gently, "Life is... is all about defeating the obstacles in our paths... and although, sometimes, it may seem impossible, it never is... Alex, please, if you can hear me... come back... come back... If you don't... if you don't wake up... it... I... things will just..."-
"Just, what?" Alex's crispy, handsome voice suddenly whispered.
Femi's puffy eyes widened at the thin air, and her heart leapt with joy. She shot up from his chest and looked down upon his face; his eyes were open, and he was smiling expectantly at her.
"Alex!" She gasped.
Femi threw herself down to Alex and slipped her arms under his neck to hug him. Alex smiled lightly and wrapped his own arms around her back, holding her to him. Femi rested her forehead upon his shoulder, and Alex silently appreciated the warmth from her cheek upon his. Femi felt Alex's warm breath tingle against her ear and neck, and a strong warmth slithered down her body.
"You wouldn't wake up..." Femi whispered, "I was worried that you were-... I was frightened."
"Hey, I'm here now," Alex reassured her, "N' I feel as good as always."
Femi leant back and carefully helped Alex to sit upright. He brought his hand to the side of his throbbing head and grimaced tenderly at the sharp stinging that shivered in result. He glanced at his bloody finger tips, and smirked.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Femi uttered, "You seem to have hit your head rather hard."
"Accordin' to my eyes right now, there's only one of you," Alex tiredly announced, "And that's gotta' be a good sign, right?"
Femi smiled weakly and nodded to him. Alex began looking around the glowing, stone chamber very curiously, after he had acknowledged Femi's subtle relief.
"Where the hell are we?" He sighed.
Femi held her hands together guiltily, "I'm not sure... We fell from a high level, though, I know that. And -- I trod on some sort of pedal, or slab, and these flames suddenly burst up around the room... This place... it has been prepared."
"... Someone was expectin' company." Alex nodded meditatively.
Femi nodded nervously, "Which means that there must be a connection to this room - another chamber of some type. Why would there be a secret entranceway leading to the bottom of nowhere? It doesn't make sense..."
At that moment, Alex tore his eyes away from the scenery around him and looked back at Femi. They narrowed, thoughtfully, and he looked her up and down as thought she were a puzzle that he was solving. Femi glanced around uncomfortably and crossed her arms over her chest insecurely.
"What?" She snapped.
"How'd you know?" Alex quietly inquired.
Femi shook her head innocently, "Know what?"
"It's a secret entranceway," Alex repeated, "But you seemed to know exactly where and what it was..."
Invisible clouds of pressure weighed down upon the atmosphere. Femi avoided Alex's' scrutinising stare for as long as she could, until she realised that there was no escaping. Slowly, and hesitantly, she looked up at his patient face and held his gaze for a moment.
"Do you really need to ask that?" She whispered, "Isn't it obvious?"
"Your visions...?" Alex suggested.
Femi rolled her eyes and looked away, "Yes, you clearly know, so why make me admit to it?"
Alex blinked somewhat, perhaps guiltily, "Femi, I didn't"-
"Let's just try and focus on getting out of here, shall we? The conversation at hand is rather irrelevant." Femi snipped before he could finish.
Alex shifted up into a better sitting position with his hands, "Why d'you dismiss it like that? Like you're ashamed of it, or somethin'?"
Femi sighed and brushed her hands together, "I don't know what you're talking about - I just want to get back up there and make sure that everyone else is safe."
"Like that," Alex snickered, "I dunno' why you act as though what you've got's a bad thing."
"What do you know?" Femi suddenly snapped, eyes sharp, and hands against the ground.
Woah. Femi's defensive side was quick to reveal itself today, huh? But Alex accepted the challenge in her voice and expression, and leant towards her, extending a pointing finger at her.
"I know that, sometimes... sometimes... I... I don't think you deserve what you've got." Alex finally and, harshly, told her.
Femi was caught off guard by his bold reply. It embarrassed her, saddened her, but more than anything, angered her. Her nostrils flared and her alert eyes flickered all over Alex in offence.
"Well... that evidently justifies the fact that what you think and what you know are two completely different things, Mr. O'Connell," She snipped breathlessly, "The day that you have walked a mile in my shoes, is the day that you will ever have the right to claim such things at that."
"Ah, don't gimme' that," Alex waved his hand tiresomely, "You're doin' it again! Turnin' it around onto the other person because you don't wanna' confront it. This ain't about me, lady, this is aaalll about you. You're payin' me to guide you, remember?"
The bitterness in Femi's eyes softened. Alex watched, confused, and strangely regretfully, as she looked over his body and gradually composed herself. What was wrong, now?
"Yes. That's right. You're here because I pay you." Femi repeated; her voice was breaking at the back of her tight throat.
Alex closed his eyes to himself and lolled his head back guiltily as Femi gathered up the dark, loose fabric of her shall and scrambled angrily to her feet. Alex wished he hadn't said that.
"Oh, come on, you know I didn't mean it like that..." Alex sighed.
"Mr. O'Connell, you need not condone yourself to me. We are but in a situation of business - I hardly think that requires personal opinions and sentimentality." Femi coolly argued.
Alex rolled his eyes again and carefully stood up to his full height. Femi stood, still and silent, with a distant expression across her face. Alex stared intensely at her.
"Is that right." He rhetorically asked.
Femi nodded, clearly uncomfortable, "You said it yourself."
The two of them felt their pride and egos swelling nervously. They were just protecting each other's dignity; in a way, they were so much alike in the sense that they both hated losing, that the argument could possible have lasted forever!
"Yeah, I did," Alex stubbornly agreed, and clicked his tongue impatiently, "But seein' as all the cash got ruined in the ocean because you couldn't keep it safe, you're gonna' have to find another way of payin' me for my duties."
Femi gasped, "Well, excuse me, Mr. O'Connell, for not focussing all of my attention and energy upon money whilst trying to defend my own life!"
"Damn right," Alex scoffed, and strolled past her, "I agreed to bring you here, not constantly have to save you. It seems that everywhere we go, you just dig up more trouble - and wait a go Femi, here we are, yet again, stuck in another one of your problems."
With each word that came out of Alex's mouth, Femi's jaw dropped lower and lower, and her cheeks burned brighter and brighter. The cheek! This man had the audacity to turn around and complain?!
"I'll have you know," Femi heaved furiously, and stepped towards him, "When you agreed to guide us here, you knew exa"-
"Please, lady," Alex snickered and shook his head arrogantly, "I'm actually tryin' uh' find a way to save us both - as usual. So, would you mind zippin' it, just for a few minutes? It's hard to concentrate with all that childish yappin'. Maybe you could go envision somethin' for us, huh? At least then you'd be useful for somethin' other than screamin' n' whinin'."
Slap
Femi had done it before she even realised. But afterwards, as Alex's cheek became red, and sore, and Femi's heart contracted furiously in her chest, she regretted it immediately. Although what he had said was awfully hurtful, Femi was never the type to actually hit someone. It was an utterly irrational, belittling method of solving an argument; Femi was shocked at herself. She gasped and brought her finger tips to her lips.
"I... you... th-..."- She uttered.
Alex just stared at her, nonchalantly, indifferently, stiffly.
"I'm sorry," Femi whispered, horrified at herself, "I didn't know what else to do..."
Alex merely released a small sigh before turning away, and easing his way across the room to continue searching. Femi gulped back her nerves and rushed along behind him.
"Alex?" She called him.
He didn't reply. Femi stopped walking and stared at him from behind in hopelessness... and hurt.
"Why do you do that??" She gasped emotionally, "You wind me up to the point that I can't control myself, and then you make me feel so awful for simply reacting!"
Alex turned around and shook his head at her, "What, am I supposed to just stand there and put up with your crap? I'm human, too, ya' know."
"Crap?" Femi quivered, "And what 'crap' would that be, Mr. O'Connell?" She growled sadly.
Alex used his hands to help him explain, and he paced towards her, his face scrunched, "Just... you never think, lady. This world ain't all flowers and smiley faces. You can't keep tryin' uh' see the best in everyone. Lhukman could've got you killed - n' there you were, flirtin' n' dancin' with him as though he was your best friend. You're so damn naive."
Femi laughed mockingly and wandered to the left, "What on earth does that have to do with anything?! Lhukman lived in that village! He was only protecting his friends and family! What would you have done?!"
Alex held his hand out angrily and pointed at her, "Don't turn it round on me again. This is all about you, 'member? You're the Guardian. You're the one they're after along with the diamond heart. You're what this is all about"-
Femi suddenly burst into tears and her voice exploded in a passionate cry, "Do you think I don't know that?!?!"
Her voice echoed around the room and came to an end by slamming against Alex's chest. She inhaled a deep, wheezy breath and brought her trembling hands to her weeping lips. Alex just watched her, speechless. Had he really crossed the line this time?
Femi waved her hands out furiously, "Do you really think that I'm unaware of all that?! Well I'm not! I was holding up my responsibility to you all! What kind of a strong, determined person fighting for the good of the world constantly moans and complains about their position??"
Alex still didn't say anything. He just watched her, breathing silently, and gazing at her in deep, adoring, guilt. Femi pressed her hand to her heart and glanced away, as though ashamed.
"I never said a thing. I never once revealed how much I hated this... how nervous I am... and how amazing it all is... how magical... how terrifying..." Her descriptions evidently contrasted, but Alex understood them completely, "You tell me that I'm naive, Alex... and yet, you're the one standing there, assuming things, and judging things about me. You don't know how I feel at all."
Femi tried to hold a stern, angry expression, as she pointed at herself, but her tears kept pushing their way through. Her lips began to tremble and she was force to close her eyes, and bring her hand to her face, for comfort. Alex recognised the feeling inside of him. Every time Femi was sad. Every time she appeared so helpless and alone. He hated seeing her like this.
He went to step towards her, "Femi"-
"No!" Femi gasped, and held her hand out, "Don't say it to me, Alex. Don't try and justify anything that you just said... I couldn't care less about the petty insults and embarrassments - you just do what you do best, Alex; being unconditionally apathetic," Femi clenched her hands by her sides, "I'm not putting up with it anymore! We were brought together to save the world, not fight! You need to grow up!"
Alex went against her demand and started walking towards her. Femi shuffled backwards, but he caught up to her effortlessly. Femi started thudding her tender fists against his solid chest, crying and growling angrily.
"Stop, Alex! Get away from me!" She yelled, but Alex ignored her false words and commenced onwards, "I won't put up with your childish behaviour any longer! I try - I try so hard, and all you do is disrespect everything I do! Who on earth do you think you are?! I won't tolera"--
Alex's persistent, warm hands reached up to Femi's wet cheeks and held her in place. Femi felt Alex's body press against hers, and before she knew it, he leant down, and pressed his lips firmly to hers. All of the stubborn, dangerous grudges inside her chest faded away. The knot of rage disappeared, and she felt herself melting into... paradise. Alex smelt beautiful. He tasted divine...
Femi felt Alex's lips peel away, and her heart sank in disappointment. Alex stepped away from her and left her pouting, eyes closed, in a dreamy daze. He panted quietly to himself and watched her in the hush of his doubtful thoughts. And just when she slowly began opening her eyes, he turned away, rubbing the back of his neck, and cursed sharply under his breath.
"I'm sorry," He grunted, "I shouldn't've..."-
Alex cut himself off. But Femi was bewitched. From the second that his lips had met hers, there was no turning back. No, in fact, from the second that their eyes had ever met, in that car, outside The King of Spades, something new had started that couldn't have been stopped. Femi knew what she wanted.
"Yes you should." Femi exhaled passionately, opening her puffy eyes.
Alex blinked and turned around halfway to look at her, and found her rushing thirstily towards him. He turned fully around in time to meet her and welcomed her straight into his arms; her own eager ones wrapped around the back of his neck desirously, and she pressed herself to him. Alex hardly hesitated or held back in the slightest. One arm locked around her waist, and the other on her shoulder, and his hand pressed upon the back of her silky head. They were crushing into each other, madly. Femi leant up onto her tip toes and restarted the amazing kiss that she never wanted to end.
Alex was incredibly surprised by her actions - he was now just as enthralled as she was. The smell of her skin, the feel of her body against his. Everything about this girl just drove him wild. He couldn't contain his true feelings any longer, and quite obviously, neither could Femi. They expressed each other's affections for each other through their longing hands and their heated lips, and all the while, the flames along the ancient walls burnt strong and the sand coating the ground wasn't going anywhere. Here the two of them were, trapped in the middle of Hamunaptra, and the only thing that mattered to either of them was each other, and the moment they were sharing.
But, after what seemed forever, Femi and Alex finally brought their lustful kiss to a gentle end, and rested their forehead against each other's, as to hold the moment in time. Femi's eyes were still closed, and she was smiling magically, breathing softly. Alex watched her silently and brought a hand round to stroke her cheek.
"I would never judge you, lady," Alex whispered huskily, and Femi felt a warm tingle spread through her body as she felt his hot breath against her lips, "You ain't naive... You're gonna' be a hero..."
Femi's watery eyes fluttered open and a crystal tear rolled over her lashes, and began gliding down her cheek. Alex slid his forehead across hers so that his nose rested against her closed eye, and he caught the tear with his precious lips. Femi tightened her hands around the material of his shirt on his shoulders.
"You're my hero, Alex O'Connell..."
Alex leant his head back to look at her unsurely. Femi tilted her head up and gazed up at him with such adoration and pride that Alex felt as brilliant and worthy as the wealthiest of Kings. Just her smile... her voice... Alex smiled appreciatively at the beautiful creation in his arms and brushed her dark hair from her cheek. Their lips were just about to connect once more, when-
BOOOOOM.
The walls began to rumble violently, and sand and small crumbs of rock started falling from above them. The entire room was trembling. Alex wrapped his arm protectively around Femi's side and they both clung together apprehensively...
"Alex... what's happening...?!" Femi gasped nervously.
Alex tightened his arms around her protectively, "Stay close to me."
Alex eased her back against the wall and placed her behind him. She gripped the sides of his shirt and peered up over his shoulder worriedly. Alex looked around attentively and made sure to observe every detail... What was happening?
