October 2019- Seven Years after the Blackout
There were fireworks going off outside. Fireworks for Founder's Day. It was a week-long celebration Bass basked in and Miles sulked and hid from. Dinners, balls, parades, fireworks. Though the Militia had been in production for some time, the day marked the official anniversary of uniting the Republic territories and the induction of Philadelphia as the capital, as well as Bass as president.
At the moment, Nora was busy in the kitchen, eying dishes over the shoulders of chefs and sneaking samples every so often. Light reflected off the window as another firework erupted. She continued to glance at the door, waiting for Miles's appearance. The ball was supposed to start in half an hour and he had been locked up in his office, apparently in a meeting. She had grown tired of waiting for him and came to see how the preparations were going. The hall looked gorgeous as always, decorated and ready for a night of celebration and dancing.
"You can start taking these trays out. People will be arriving shortly." she told the kitchen staff. They obeyed without a word- something that still unnerved her. She had a staff. People did things for her. She was considered important all because she happened to get lucky that a guy saved her life and decided to save others. A guy she just so happened to fall in love with. A guy that was going to be in trouble if he didn't get his ass down to her soon. She was beginning to doubt there ever was a meeting.
She turned, ready to go fetch him herself, and jumped when she found Bass only inches from her. He flashed her a wide smile and she let out a breathless laugh, heart pounding.
"Jesus, Bass, warn a girl next time, okay?"
"I didn't mean to scare you." he eyed the tray of cheese behind her and reached an arm around her to grab a piece. He leaned in too close, nearly brushing against her chest, and she sidled off to the side to avoid him. "That dress looks great on you."
"Thanks."
"I mean it."
"I know." she moved further away as he eyed her, much like he had just eyed the food. "Have you seen Miles?"
"Still in his meeting with Cook and Ashton." he popped another square into his mouth, unable to keep from staring at how the dark blue material clung to her skin. It was an evening gown with cap sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a skirt that fitted at her hips, then flared out to the floor. "Is it new?"
"Yeah."
"Thought so. It looks like your wedding dress, just not white or as decorated, or whatever. Custom made, I'm assuming, to mimic the look."
The comment made her frown. Their wedding, or the second one at least, had taken place on their three year anniversary, that April after Trenton. They had kept it quiet and low key but she had been able to find a dress by chance that she fell in love with. Miles had apparently fallen in love with it as well by the way he had gazed at her the entire night, like he couldn't get enough of her and couldn't believe she was his. It had made her feel loved, beautiful, idolized. The fact that Bass had remembered, despite only being the best man and not her husband, and was practically salivating made her feel like a piece of meat.
"Going into fashion?" she teased, trying to break the tension that surrounded them.
"No, just remember what you look like in a good dress." he flashed a smile and took a couple steps towards her. She smiled as well and took a couple steps back, causing her to bump into the counter. "Careful."
"Yeah, I'm going to go wait for Miles," she started to sidestep him but he caught her arm gently in his hand.
"Hang on a minute."
"Bass,"
"I said hang on." he was still smiling but his fingers had tightened around her wrist. "We used to spend time together Nora. Haven't seen much of you lately. I miss your company."
"Things have been busy."
"I wanted to apologize for how I treated you back when you went to find Ben with Miles."
"That was months ago. I think you lost that opportunity."
"Well, you only got back a month ago."
"We were back the beginning of August."
"And I'm just realizing how upset I made you. I'm a guy. Not very intuitive. Sue me. I've noticed things have been... how should I put this- strained between us for a while. I wanted to make sure we were good. I value your friendship."
"Things are fine. Please let go of my wrist. I need to go find Miles."
"He's still busy and I guarantee he's in no rush to find you." instead of letting her go, he stepped closer. His free hand came up to her cheek, brushing at the stray curl she had left hanging from the french twist.
"What the hell are you doing?" she jerked away from him, eyes wide in disbelief. "You know, I've noticed you- God, I didn't think you'd actually be stupid enough to act on- on whatever the hell this is."
"I figured there's no point in biting my tongue any longer. I care about you. I have for a long time. You being away just reiterated that."
"Bass,"
"Just hear me out. How much shit has he given you over the years? Hmm?" he tipped his head down, peering intently at her. "I've known the guy close to forty years. I love him, I do, but sometimes he doesn't take care of what's his. You could do a lot better and you deserve it to."
"I can't believe you're saying this right now."
"Why? Why, you don't think it's true?"
"I think you're being ridiculous and you need to let go of my wrist." she tried tugging out of his grasp but he just held tighter and yanked her closer to him. She winced in pain, swore she could almost feel the bone dislocate. "Bass, stop! You're hurting me!"
"Be quiet. Someone's going to hear you. Nora, stop fighting me." his eyes darkened with anger and he grabbed her other wrist violently, locking her into place in front of him. "It wouldn't be a problem. Trust me, he gets plenty on the side."
"He does not. You're not going to turn me against him."
"I don't want to turn you against him. Just... expand your horizons a bit. Miles and I- we've shared a lot of things. You wouldn't be any different. Hell, he might even like it. His two favorite people together."
"You're disgusting. You know that? One, I'm not a thing. Two, I know Miles just as well as you do. He doesn't like to share."
"Is that so?" he smirked down at her and they faced off for a moment, waiting for the other to call their bluff.
"We could go ask him right now. And I wonder what Rachel would think."
"Why would Rachel care?"
"Please. I'm not stupid. You better let go of me or I swear, I'll have ever soldier in this city in here before you can blink. I wonder what Miles would think when he found you manhandling his wife." she stared him down coldly, refusing to be intimidated by him.
"You're making a mistake."
"I don't see how that's possible." she rubbed at her wrist once he released her and took a step back. "I'm going to forget about this, okay? I'm not going to embarrass you but don't bring it up again. If you're stupid enough to make a next time, Miles is going to hear about it."
"We'll see who he believes."
"Yeah, we will, won't we?"
"You know, I always get what I want. You're always telling me to find a nice girl. I could just have you."
"Bass, maybe you wouldn't have a problem keeping a significant other if you didn't act like they were possessions. If you're lonely, go find your new toy. She's more your type anyway."
"How dare you talk to me like that."
"How dare I talk like that? Seriously? Have you heard yourself these past few minutes? I don't know even how to react. I care about you Bass, I do, but you're like my brother and if, if for some odd reason, I thought I felt like betraying my husband, I wouldn't do it with his best friend. I'm not that callous. I can't believe you'd be so low as to do that to him either. Have I ever given you any indication that I felt anything more than friendship towards you?"
Faint footsteps started down the hallway and they knew this was the end of the conversation if they didn't want to get caught. She turned away, more than ready to leave the room, and bumped into Jeremy.
"Hey. Nice dress."
"Is that all you assholes think about?"
"I'm sorry, I take it back?" he asked slowly, raising his eyebrows at Bass, who shrugged as if he didn't know what was going on. "Next time I'll tell you you look awful. I'm sure that'll earn me another black eye."
She merely scowled at him and happened to catch Bass's eye from the door. The dark glare she aimed at him was clear. Don't follow me and definitely don't try to associate with me at all tonight.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're so tense. Relax."
Nora had finally managed to get Miles onto the dance floor and they were currently swaying slowly to the band playing. She had been in a mood since leaving the kitchen and as much as she tried to forget what Bass had done, it continued to play over in her head.
"Nothing, I'm fine." she mumbled, pressing her forehead against the side of his neck.
"You sure?" his hand skimmed up from her waist along her back and rubbed gently. She sighed quietly, tightened her arm around his shoulder, and slipped her fingers into the short hair at the back of his neck. Part of her wanted to say what had happened but she knew it would cause a problem. She refused to believe he would take Bass's side instead of hers and she definitely did not believe he would enjoy it if they began an affair.
"Yeah, it's nothing."
"It is nothing which means it was something."
"I took care of it. Don't worry about it."
"You know when you say that, I'm going to, right?"
"I promise it wasn't that big of a deal. I'm more irritated than anything else." she lifted her head enough to kiss his cheek gently. "Don't go gearing yourself up for a fight just yet. I can defend my honor."
"Your honor needed defending. Who was this dick?"
"Stop. I took care of it. It's finished. Don't worry about it."
"You're going to tell me who he is."
"No, I'm not."
"I'll find out."
"What, are you going to put your entire Militia under a firing squad?"
"I would." he sounded so serious that she looked up at him. There was a nasty blaze brewing in his eye- a mix of anger, jealousy, and possessiveness. "I swear to God Nora, any of them, any, did something to you, I'd rip them to pieces. I don't care if it was a grunt or Bass, they'd be finished."
"No you wouldn't."
"Yes I would."
"Not to Bass."
"If he deserved it, I would. I'd kick his ass. He knows it too." suspicion joined the other emotions. "What did he do?"
"It wasn't Bass, so don't worry about it." she lied. He stared at her and he knew. Somehow, he knew and she felt him tense against her, ready to confront. "Babe, stop. Honestly, it wasn't a big deal. He was being stupid, probably a little drunk too. It was harmless."
"Anything else happens-"
"I will come get you. Just let it go." she rubbed his shoulder gently, trying to get him to relax. "Seriously. I want to enjoy tonight."
"You're awful at keeping secrets."
"Only when they don't matter."
"This doesn't matter?"
"No. He was being stupid."
"Not the point."
"Jeremy has been stupid in the past too."
"I'll kick his ass too."
"Heel, boy." she laughed quietly, placing her head back down on his shoulder. "I love when you try to act like a macho man."
"Who says I'm trying?"
"Miles,"
"You don't sound convinced."
"I'm not. You're getting your feathers ruffled because someone tried to step in on your woman. Typical male response. I'm done listening to this. We're changing the subject. It's off limits."
"Okay." he'd let it go for now but he'd definitely bring it back up later. They danced quietly for a few minutes and she sighed quietly, pressing closer against him as he ran his fingers along her back. He was never big on PDA but he always touched her subtly, always somewhere it would garner a reaction, and enjoyed teasing her when he knew she wouldn't be able to do a thing.
"Have you talked to Rachel?" she asked quietly, eying the blonde over his shoulder. Her captivity had lasted shorter than she had expected, her relationship with Bass surprised her, and the overall aura she threw off didn't appeal to her. She thought if their roles would have been reversed, she wouldn't be dancing, laughing, and drinking in a pretty dress, clinging to one of the men who were responsible for prompting her to leave her family. She would have been plotting her retaliation and worrying over her children. Rachel seemed like she had no care in the world. The question clearly did not sit well with Miles as she felt his shoulders square and tense.
"That's off limits too." he muttered. He had no desire to talk about his sister-in-law. He was disgusted with himself, knew Ben was disgusted with him, and could only imagine what the kids were thinking and going through. She pissed him off. She played him and she was in the midst of playing Bass, who probably was playing her right back.
"A lot off limits tonight." she commented, while he murmured his agreement. Her eyes landed on Bass, who immediately locked on to her. He stood off to the side, watching them intently, but his mouth curled into a smile that upset her. There was a cold gleam in his eye and she didn't like how he seemed to be devouring her in one gaze. As soon as Rachel returned to his side with a new drink in hand, he turned his attention to her. Still, he looked once more at Nora over Rachel's shoulder, making her tighten her grasp on Miles, who in turn held her closer. He now smirked at her and she finally turned her face into the crook of Miles's neck, unable to stand Bass any longer.
Everything was quite apparent. He believed he would get what he wanted and he was not going to back down until that happened. How far would he go and by what means would he attempt to get what he wanted? She had seen him obsess over things, giving them the same look he gave her, and his hunt was usually terrifying.
"I think I'm ready to leave." she said quietly. Miles let out a relieved sigh and squeezed her arm gently.
"I was wondering how long you were going to keep torturing me."
"I'm ready to leave. You have to stay."
"Oh no."
"Oh yes. You're the General."
"And as such, I can leave a party whenever I damn well please. Besides," he ducked his head so his mouth was against her ear, "I have plans for when we get home."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. See, you can't wear something like that and expect it to have no effect on me. I've been tempted to grab this zipper," his fingers skimmed her back, tugging the zipper barely an inch down, then back into place, "because as beautiful as you look in it, I know you look a thousand times better out of it."
She pulled her head away slightly to meet his eye and his gaze warmed her, fighting off the chill Bass had set over her. How could it be two men can look at her similarly and have such a different effect on her? She corrected herself. They weren't similar. Miles looked loving and adoring, as well as excited as he knew what to anticipate. Bass looked like she was something to take and dispose of once he had gotten his fill.
"But that wouldn't be appropriate so I've been struggling to restrain myself. So I say we get the hell out of here before I make a scene."
"Only if you're sure."
"I'm always sure about this."
"Alright, let's go."
They quickly made the rounds, saying good bye to those who needed it, and finally stopped at Bass and Rachel.
"We're heading out." Miles announced, making sure he did not make eye contact with Rachel.
"Already? I think it'll look bad if our commanding general left not even halfway through the party." Bass chastised lightly, smirking around the glass at his lips.
"I've got a migraine coming on. I'll see you tomorrow. Probably some time in the afternoon."
"I guess if you really want to be a party pooper." he sighed dramatically but clapped Miles on the shoulder. "You could leave Nora with us. No point in her missing out on the fun."
"Tempting but I'll pass." she said softly. "I'm not feeling too good either."
"Both of you are terrible liars." he smirked and leaned in, kissing her cheek. If she hadn't had their encounter earlier, she wouldn't have thought anything of it. He had kissed her plenty of times and they each meant nothing. They were simply a sign of friendliness. Now, she knew he was doing it on purpose and was taking advantage of the situation because he knew she would do nothing with Miles standing there. He kept his gaze open and friendly as he pulled away, making sure to pay more attention to Miles. Miles had watched the exchange, looking for anything out of the ordinary. The only thing he could notice was although she didn't recoil, she had grown slightly uncomfortable and tried to brush it off by remaining relatively relaxed. "Alright, guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, he definitely had a few too many." Miles commented as they left Independence Hall. A cool autumn breeze was in the air, causing him to strip himself of his jacket and slip it over her shoulders, then weave his arm around her waist, as they waited on the sidewalk for a carriage. On important nights like these, they employed the transportation service to shuttle everyone to and fro. Because there were still a couple hours left in the party, the sidewalk was relatively clear, though the carriages were gone, implying they weren't the first to leave.
"Good evening General. It won't be much longer. I hear one coming in." the young teen acting as valet stated. He tipped his head in Nora's direction and added, "Good evening Mrs. Matheson."
They were polite but didn't waste time making small talk. She had the unnerving sense she was being watched and when she turned, Bass stood in a second floor window with a drink in hand, eyes on the street, on them, on her.
"Nora," Miles's voice caught her attention and she looked back to see him standing at the entrance for a carriage, hand out to help her in. His eyes flicked up to the window and she glanced back but Bass was gone. As they began to ride away, Miles's hand was under her chin and he tipped her head up to catch her mouth in a gentle, comforting kiss. His intent was clear. I'm here.
She believed that one hundred percent. She believed he would do whatever it took to keep her out of harm's way or defend her honor or anything else that could happen. The thing that caused her worry was Bass was now unpredictable and she was beginning to feel trapped in her own life.
