NOTE: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter is short, and quite to the
point. Please review, and come back for chapter six!
Chapter Five
Sydney stirred in her sleep, her eyes opening slightly. The curtains had been pulled shut, and only one single shaft of light escaped from the centre of the two. Sydney blinked, waking herself up. She could hear the light sound of breathing behind her, and turned round in the bed. Vaughn was sitting on a chair pulled to her bedside, a blanket wrapped around him. His mouth was open slightly, and she could hear the faint gurgle of a snore. She noticed his usually perfect hair had been ruffled in his sleep. Vaughn shifted slightly in the chair, opening his eyes for a second, before shutting them again. He muttered something unintelligible, before pulling the covers up to his ears.
"Good morning." Sydney smiled, pulling down the covers. He opened his eyes again for a second.
"Morning." His voice was thick with sleep. He had stayed awake most of the night, as she slept. Now, he was shattered. He hadn't slept for at least 72 hours, and was both mentally and physically exhausted. Sydney knew he was tired, so she tried not to make any sound as she gathered fresh clothes from the wardrobe. Within seconds, she heard the steady breathing of Vaughn, fast asleep. Tiptoeing past him, she went into the bathroom to get changed.
*****
Sydney was watching a black and white film on the television in the living room. She had just checked on Vaughn, still finding him fast asleep. It was almost four o'clock in the evening. She turned down the television, and reached for a book sitting on the table. It was a book unknown to her, so she read the back cover aloud.
"a tale of forbidden love..."
She threw the book down as if it had burned her. That was something she just didn't want to think about. Not right now, not here with Vaughn. It was just something they couldn't talk about. It had taken her all her self- control not to go to him right then. It wasn't as if he would want her, anyway. He was just doing his job. She knew it was safer to assume he didn't view her as anything more than an assignment. It was safer for them both if it wasn't discussed at all.
But here she was, in a cabin alone with Vaughn, and he was asleep in her bed. She grimaced at the thoughts that followed. She couldn't allow herself to think that way. They both might do something they regret later. But would she? Would she regret falling deep into those luminous green eyes? Melting into his strong arms? Letting her hair down for once? She knew at once, the only regret that kept the barrier between them was that she would hurt him in the end. She knew she would hurt him, and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it. With Danny, Noah… Everything she cared for. Vaughn was special. She couldn't carry the burden of ruining him. He was her handler. It was a professional relationship. In her profession, she couldn't let anyone in. Every time she did, they would get burnt. They would die, no matter how strong they were.
Water rushed to her eyes. She bit her bottom lip. She was destined to be alone. Not even her father was close to her anymore. Her best friends didn't know her at all. Any man she ever loved died. She was by herself, and was destined to be. Even if SD-6 was finally defeated, it wouldn't stop. She just wasn't selfish enough to make Vaughn suffer. It would hurt her too much.
She flicked the channel to a film she knew, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She just had to deal. How hard could that be?
*****
Vaughn stirred from his sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he stretched and walked out of Sydney's room. She was in the living room, watching a film he recognized. Clark Gable was towering over a scared looking Vivien Leigh. Vaughn liked this film, although he would never admit it to his fellow males. Sydney was so engrossed in the film, she didn't notice him stand at the kitchen counter. He had an apple in his hand. Taking a bite out of it, he watched the film. He could hear the faint sound of sobbing, and looked across to see Sydney holding her hand up to her eyes. The shake of her shoulders gave him a chill. She was crying because of something other than the film.
"Syd?"
He put the apple down, and walked over to the sofa. She was still trying to cover her face with her hand, but he could see tears dropping from her cheek.
"Syd, what's wrong?"
He crouched in front of her, and she tried to look away, covering her face. He took her arm gently, and pulled it down.
"Why are you crying?"
She looked down at him, as he searched her face earnestly. It made her ache. She was too weak to let him go. His touch sent burning sensations straight to her brain. A few hours ago, he was sleeping in her bed. He was so close to her. He was close to her now. She could see all the different colors of green in his eyes.
She wanted to lose herself in those piercing green eyes. She wanted so badly to kiss him, make him take away the selfish pain she held inside. She wanted to touch him, anywhere, everywhere. She wanted him.
Sydney looked away. She hurt everyone. She couldn't hurt him. She had to put up barriers. Vaughn stroked her arm softly, still waiting for her to answer him. When she didn't, he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. He wanted so badly to help her. He tried to meet her eyes, but she averted his gaze. He began to slowly stroke her cheek with his hand. He knew he shouldn't be there, doing those things. His heartbeat quickened, as she finally met his eyes. They were full of pain, matching his. He leaned forward slowly, whispering barely above a breath.
"Sydney…"
She had to put them up now. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the television.
"It's just… this film." Taking another deep breath to calm the sobs aching to flow, she looked back down. "It gets me every time."
Vaughn slowly backed away, his hand dropping regretfully from her cheek. Standing sorrowfully, he walked to the kitchen counter, his back to her. Picking up the apple, he sighed. "I know what you mean."
And so it began. The change in their relationship. They would no longer share meaningful glances, or embarrassing slips of the tongue that they wished true. They were on an assignment. They were professionals. He was her handler, she his best agent. Nothing more. Or so they would believe, if it were not for the fire still burning inside, covered only by polite conversations, and false smiles.
*****
Please review. I apologise for this being shorter than the rest, but I work all weekend, so any time I have is limited. This is not the end, only the beginning. Please let me know what you think so far, and come back for Chapter 6. It promises to be quite good, if I can write what I'm planning to ;) Thankyou.
Chapter Five
Sydney stirred in her sleep, her eyes opening slightly. The curtains had been pulled shut, and only one single shaft of light escaped from the centre of the two. Sydney blinked, waking herself up. She could hear the light sound of breathing behind her, and turned round in the bed. Vaughn was sitting on a chair pulled to her bedside, a blanket wrapped around him. His mouth was open slightly, and she could hear the faint gurgle of a snore. She noticed his usually perfect hair had been ruffled in his sleep. Vaughn shifted slightly in the chair, opening his eyes for a second, before shutting them again. He muttered something unintelligible, before pulling the covers up to his ears.
"Good morning." Sydney smiled, pulling down the covers. He opened his eyes again for a second.
"Morning." His voice was thick with sleep. He had stayed awake most of the night, as she slept. Now, he was shattered. He hadn't slept for at least 72 hours, and was both mentally and physically exhausted. Sydney knew he was tired, so she tried not to make any sound as she gathered fresh clothes from the wardrobe. Within seconds, she heard the steady breathing of Vaughn, fast asleep. Tiptoeing past him, she went into the bathroom to get changed.
*****
Sydney was watching a black and white film on the television in the living room. She had just checked on Vaughn, still finding him fast asleep. It was almost four o'clock in the evening. She turned down the television, and reached for a book sitting on the table. It was a book unknown to her, so she read the back cover aloud.
"a tale of forbidden love..."
She threw the book down as if it had burned her. That was something she just didn't want to think about. Not right now, not here with Vaughn. It was just something they couldn't talk about. It had taken her all her self- control not to go to him right then. It wasn't as if he would want her, anyway. He was just doing his job. She knew it was safer to assume he didn't view her as anything more than an assignment. It was safer for them both if it wasn't discussed at all.
But here she was, in a cabin alone with Vaughn, and he was asleep in her bed. She grimaced at the thoughts that followed. She couldn't allow herself to think that way. They both might do something they regret later. But would she? Would she regret falling deep into those luminous green eyes? Melting into his strong arms? Letting her hair down for once? She knew at once, the only regret that kept the barrier between them was that she would hurt him in the end. She knew she would hurt him, and she wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it. With Danny, Noah… Everything she cared for. Vaughn was special. She couldn't carry the burden of ruining him. He was her handler. It was a professional relationship. In her profession, she couldn't let anyone in. Every time she did, they would get burnt. They would die, no matter how strong they were.
Water rushed to her eyes. She bit her bottom lip. She was destined to be alone. Not even her father was close to her anymore. Her best friends didn't know her at all. Any man she ever loved died. She was by herself, and was destined to be. Even if SD-6 was finally defeated, it wouldn't stop. She just wasn't selfish enough to make Vaughn suffer. It would hurt her too much.
She flicked the channel to a film she knew, and wiped the tears from her eyes. She just had to deal. How hard could that be?
*****
Vaughn stirred from his sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he stretched and walked out of Sydney's room. She was in the living room, watching a film he recognized. Clark Gable was towering over a scared looking Vivien Leigh. Vaughn liked this film, although he would never admit it to his fellow males. Sydney was so engrossed in the film, she didn't notice him stand at the kitchen counter. He had an apple in his hand. Taking a bite out of it, he watched the film. He could hear the faint sound of sobbing, and looked across to see Sydney holding her hand up to her eyes. The shake of her shoulders gave him a chill. She was crying because of something other than the film.
"Syd?"
He put the apple down, and walked over to the sofa. She was still trying to cover her face with her hand, but he could see tears dropping from her cheek.
"Syd, what's wrong?"
He crouched in front of her, and she tried to look away, covering her face. He took her arm gently, and pulled it down.
"Why are you crying?"
She looked down at him, as he searched her face earnestly. It made her ache. She was too weak to let him go. His touch sent burning sensations straight to her brain. A few hours ago, he was sleeping in her bed. He was so close to her. He was close to her now. She could see all the different colors of green in his eyes.
She wanted to lose herself in those piercing green eyes. She wanted so badly to kiss him, make him take away the selfish pain she held inside. She wanted to touch him, anywhere, everywhere. She wanted him.
Sydney looked away. She hurt everyone. She couldn't hurt him. She had to put up barriers. Vaughn stroked her arm softly, still waiting for her to answer him. When she didn't, he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. He wanted so badly to help her. He tried to meet her eyes, but she averted his gaze. He began to slowly stroke her cheek with his hand. He knew he shouldn't be there, doing those things. His heartbeat quickened, as she finally met his eyes. They were full of pain, matching his. He leaned forward slowly, whispering barely above a breath.
"Sydney…"
She had to put them up now. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the television.
"It's just… this film." Taking another deep breath to calm the sobs aching to flow, she looked back down. "It gets me every time."
Vaughn slowly backed away, his hand dropping regretfully from her cheek. Standing sorrowfully, he walked to the kitchen counter, his back to her. Picking up the apple, he sighed. "I know what you mean."
And so it began. The change in their relationship. They would no longer share meaningful glances, or embarrassing slips of the tongue that they wished true. They were on an assignment. They were professionals. He was her handler, she his best agent. Nothing more. Or so they would believe, if it were not for the fire still burning inside, covered only by polite conversations, and false smiles.
*****
Please review. I apologise for this being shorter than the rest, but I work all weekend, so any time I have is limited. This is not the end, only the beginning. Please let me know what you think so far, and come back for Chapter 6. It promises to be quite good, if I can write what I'm planning to ;) Thankyou.