Location Unknown, 2022
Anna lay in the back seat of the SUV, watching the lights of the other drivers on the road blink by on the roof of the vehicle. They were yellow, she noted, grateful that the swirls of blue and red they feared were nowhere to be seen. She counted them out of habit, as well as the number of turns they had taken. Her WSB training would not allow her to do anything else. She guessed that they had driven at least 70 miles by now. Her feet were propped up on a black bundle. Everything was there in the backseat; guns swaddled in flannel, extra shoes, sundry medications for her PV, a stash of fake IDs, and new plates in a lock box. Anna closed her eyes, and her memory drifted back to the early days of her WSB career when extractions and currier work were her bread and butter. She thought of all the adventures smuggling in and out of East Berlin. She was often through Checkpoint Charlie in the trunk of a car or a cargo container but once in a limo and a borrowed mink coat. She had never felt frightened, only thrilled.
But that was then. Now she was on the run. She thought it was a dull statement at this point in time because nothing had happened to remind them of the danger they were in.
Yet. She reminds herself, Yet.
In an abstract way, she misses Robert and Felicia, Robin and Emma. But she had spent the last 72 hours worried sick about Valentin. Her training had taught her to focus on the present in situations like this. And he was her present. The reservoir filled slowly but surely, restoring that part of her to equilibrium.
The strange thing was that she didn't want to look at him. Simultaneously, she felt as though she couldn't stop looking at him. As if she turns away for one moment, he will be gone again. They've spent too long watching each other across some impossible distance; she needs this closeness now. They existed only within each other's space on this deserted road to nowhere.
After so much time apart, he wouldn't let her out of his touch, and he drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other arm draped behind his seat so her hand could clasp his forearm. They drive fast and talk slowly on this adventure, a word here and another there because there's too much to say and, at the same time, nothing at all. They mostly communicate through little touches and glances, a morse-like code of squeezes as they hold hands while driving. For more than a year, they'd been yanked forth from trial to tribulation, and it was good to decide their trajectory for once. They wore the tragedy of the year like a cloak, which kept them huddled together and warm and alive. They're just trying to get as far away as they can. Both are aware of the upending danger that will keep them tightly wound once they reach a city. But currently, on this unending road, their collective fear has dulled.
Hurry up and wait. It was a cliche, but it became one for a reason.
Anna felt herself falling into slumber and finally let herself succumb to it. In her sleep, she dreamt of normalcy. She dreamed of her house, holding hands, sipping wine, cuddling on her couch, then moving to the warmth of her bed. If she were alone and not with him, her dreams would be different, but dreams like these reassured her that he was in there and kept her grounded. Having him close by her side set her mind at ease after worrying herself sick about him in her cell.
Then she woke, and her eyes slowly opened. The darkness outside made it difficult to gauge how much time had passed. The SUV was still moving fast, bumping along a deserted highway, the moon hanging orange on the horizon.
Anna," he broke her fully out of her slumber with the sound of her name. She shifted to sit up, rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand as they adjusted to the soft glow of the radio.
"Valentin," she replied softly.
She stretched and then slipped languidly into the front seat next to him. She felt his fingers intertwine before seeing his hand reach for her. In a rare moment of selfishness and self-indulgence, she allowed herself to be happy to have him all to herself.
He reached a hand over the center console, pushing her tangled hair behind her ear. He held her chin in his hand. They gazed at each other for a moment. Anna told herself not to cry, and it almost worked. Valentin's compassionate eyes spoke to hers, and he pulled her against his chest. She was comforted by the warmth of his arm. And the scent of him. He smiled briefly down in her direction, his eyes trained carefully on the road ahead.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, running a hand through his hair.
"Guilty that I'm glad you're awake again," he said.
She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. He was tense, and his eyes were starting to droop with exhaustion, almost like he was forcing himself to stay awake.
"I'll drive for a bit. We've gone far enough now-."
"No need. We're here,"
He turned the SUV off the paved road onto an unmarked, unlit gravel one. After a mile or so more, they reached a remote and solitary house. She found herself thinking of all the times danger had chased her out of the city's limits and into the dark and wild places of the world. She didn't like it. She preferred to be the predator rather than the prey. Running toward danger felt natural; this…this did not. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked up into the tree-lined sky.
The skies opened. Valentin stopped struggling with the bags in the trunk to wipe the drops from his brow and tilt his face to the sky, humbly receiving the blessing of it. It meant their trail would be even harder to follow as the water washed away the traces of their tracks.
He cast his gaze around, anxious to anchor himself to the sight of her, and discovered her barefoot in the middle of the driveway. The running lights of the car lighted her. Her face was lifted, eyes closed in quiet joy. She has rid herself of her blue prison shirt. The rain bled through her white tank, clinging to the dip of her shoulders, and the skin of her back was faintly visible through the wet cotton.
She took a deep breath of mountain air, rain and frost, mud and pine. She filled her lungs with it until her ribs ached and held her breath for as long as possible. Exhaling wasn't quite enough relief. She breathed deeply until she started to feel the mild dizziness that indicated hyperventilation. Her sternum stretched; she pressed both fists to her chest. She remembers the smell of the forest. She remembered putting hammer to nail as she and Bart shingled the roof of their hidden house after had found her and nursed her back to health. That place that was her refuge during the years when she wasn't herself. And yet, she was the most herself she probably had ever been. With no one around to expect her to be anything other than what she decided to be.
She knows the way the forest feels. Air and earth, flora and fauna: all things in their season. All seasons end. One day she would be dust, and the mountain would be dust, and the water would wash them away, mingled with every particle of ash and smoke from the land and atmosphere. In a macabre way, that's comforting. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.
Like the rain, guilt, regret, and grief had worn hollows into her soul. Now it pooled in familiar places and eroded the soft spots inside her away, so the thrills rushed faster, deeper, wider. She wondered if Valentin felt the same way. She pressed her fists tighter to herself. She pondered when the pain started making her feel more alive. She should probably talk to Kevin about that when, or if, she ever gets back to civilization.
Valentin unfolded from his crouch and went to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind, soaking the front of his shirt as he held her close. She didn't startle, but rested her forearms on his, leaned back, and rolled her head along his collarbone. Her face was serene and thoughtful, flushed from the cold and rain. She turned into him, and he cradled her head with his arm as his eyes closed, and his chin rested on the top of her head. The pines were black, the bare birches sodden amongst them. She closed her eyes. An icy tendril of cold breeze caressed the thin skin of her eyelids. This time when she breathed, the dirt and pine scent was perfume, and her chest didn't ache.
She pulled back and looked up. Everything about Valentin looked good in the glow of the headlights and the rain. She traced her fingers across his forehead, nose, and mouth before gently running her nails along his scalp. He smiled, feeling her delicate fingers memorizing his face.
"Hey," she said quietly as he leaned further into her touch, and his eyes looked at her dreamily. She rested her hand on his shoulder, letting him know she was there, and then grazed her fingers through his hair.
"Hi," he breathed in response. Under the dome of the heavens, they stood and looked at each other, a little bit wild, a little bit free. Lingering touches. Moments of significant silence. Tension, tight and tangible between them. His hand was on the small of her back.
God, he would die for her; he would kill for her. He would do it all again.
"You're beautiful," he said. "You look, as they say in Latin, non compos mentis," he added with a chuckle before kissing a favorite spot behind her ear, "but damn it, you are so beautiful." He ran the pad of his thumb across the bruise on her cheek.
"Life certainly has left its mark," she said wryly.
"That's what makes you a masterpiece," he said, kissing her neck.
"I'm glad you think so," she smiled, "the feeling is mutual."
She slid her arms up to his neck and pressed her body closer to his. They were both soaking wet. A shudder ran through her as his hands wrapped around her waist. She felt herself melt into him as she eagerly went in to taste him and was greeted by equally hungry lips. Her fingers slid up the nape of his neck and into his hair. All of her senses were on fire as his tongue collided with hers. But he pulled back too soon for her liking. His hands gripped her shoulders tightly, then ran up and down her arms to warm her when his kiss was the warmth she wanted.
"Let's get inside; Felicia would kill me if you catch cold," he said quickly, looking around them with wariness, scanning the treeline.
He wanted to go. She could feel his restlessness. The need to get her safely behind walls. She understood, but she needed one more moment in the open air after being held in a literal cage. She pulled him to her by his lapels and kissed him soundly one more time. Then she nodded and allowed herself to be led inside.
"It's not luxury by any means, but it will do. The timetable we were working with meant I had to take convenience over comfort. You head upstairs and change. I'm going to hide the car. Let's keep lights to a minimum. I don't want to draw any more attention than we need to."
"This isn't my first getaway Valentin; it's not even my tenth," she said dryly.
He handed her a bag. "There are clean clothes in there and some first aid supplies. I'll check your wounds as soon as I'm back."
And with that, he turned and was out the door. Past the eaves of the porch, the rain sheets straight down, sounding as if it has aspirations of sleet. She could hear the water pounding on the roof and tree bows swaying, whispering as the storm grew.
Task completed. He found her in the bathroom, still clad in wet clothes, hands braced against the tiled countertop, appraising herself in the mirror. The sound of falling water was coming from the faucet of a clawfoot tub. Under the glow of the overhead fluorescent lights, the hunted look staining her face was all too evident. She tipped her head back, then to the side, then forward again as if trying to find herself in her reflection. Then she gingerly touched the scrape near her hairline.
"Here. Let me," he said gently. In his hands were gauze and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "It will sting." She hissed sharply as he laid the soaked cotton against her temple.
"Ouch," she winced.
"I'm sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you," His eyes were concerned as he pressed the band-aid against the cut. She suddenly realized that she wanted to see him smile. She needed it.
"Perhaps you could kiss it and make it better?" she said archly. Her voice was low and flowed over Valentin like warm honey. Her heart was full as a smile bloomed on his face.
It was an invitation. A dare. A plea. And he couldn't resist. Without hesitation, Valentin pulled her into his arms. He began to place feather-soft kisses on her temple, forehead, and cheeks, stopping only to nuzzle against the hollow of her neck.
"Valentin. This definitely makes me feel better," Anna sighed as he kissed the curve of her shoulder.
"I think we both need to wash off the day," he whispered in her ear. His lips turned into a half-smile as he carefully tugged her shirt free from her waistband.
She smiled slyly and nodded her assent. Anna stepped closer and took over the task of undressing him. When he was completely bare, she stepped back and undressed for him, watching him as he watched her. His eyes roamed her body, not seeming to know where he wanted to look most. In his moment of hesitation, she tugged him into the bath with her, and they rediscovered each other, one caress at a time.
The water in the tub was on the edge of too hot and pinked their skin. Valentin placed his hands on Anna's shoulders and turned her away from him. She felt steaming water cascade down her chest and stomach, and she let the soap run down her body as Valentin drew a soapy cloth across her shoulders and down the center of her back. She leaned back against him and exhaled deeply. He continued to run the washcloth up and over her skin; her stomach and shoulders were all attended to. She extended her leg out of the water, her toes gracefully pointed so he could rub his terrycloth-covered hands up and down them to his heart's content. Knowing now what she knows, she can trace the origins of his obsession with her legs back to their first meeting- when she first hooked her bare leg on the windowsill of his dorm room, and both their lives changed.
Then his hands were in her hair, and she leaned back into his hands and sighed with contentment as he massaged citrus-scented soap into her scalp. It was when he pulled her head back to rinse her hair that she first made eye contact with him, dark eyes peering up out of a frame of soapsuds. He stared right back, unblinking. He looked weary and loving and sympathetic, but there was no mistaking the restrained longing that she also saw there. Something stirred faintly in the pit of her stomach. She turned in his arms, took the cloth from his hands, and began reciprocating his ministrations. Once finished, she lathered his hair and worked her fingers against his scalp until he was shivering from it. She leaned forward to reach the crown of his head, and in doing so, Anna was close enough that her breasts brushed against Valentin's chest. In his state of arousal, he couldn't resist, and pulled her to him. He wedged his thigh between hers, pressing upward, letting her grind against him.
"Valentin!" Anna cried out, eyes closing as she rocked against the wonderful pressure. "Don't stop." He kissed her again, assured and passionate. She returned the kiss, feeling the desire building for them both. She wanted him hard and fast; she wanted him slow and gentle. She just wanted him so badly. His ragged breath puffed warm and soft against her cheek, his fingers clenched against the swell of her hip. With this as encouragement Anna kissed him. This wasn't enough. She needed all of him.
"Let's go to bed," Anna said huskily and moved away. She noted his body was practically shaking with need. The corner of her mouth quirked up as she stood and stepped out of the water and onto the bathroom floor, water pooling around her feet. He took a towel up and unfolded it, rubbing it briskly against her skin. Together, they dried off and walked naked, hand in hand, to the bed. The sheets were crisp and cool against their bodies when they slid between them, and Valentin's body was warm and solid when he pulled Anna to him. He reached to turn off the light next to the bed, snuffing out the last light in the room. It was comforting to feel him steady and solid against her. She was gratified to be reminded that she wasn't alone in bed or in the world. The line of Valentin's body curved against her back, his flesh bare and warm against her everywhere they touched; his arm was angled across her hip. Anna gave a gentle tug against his wrist, drawing his arm up until it curved against her ribs, his hand just beneath her breast. She pressed back into him. She held her breath when she felt the hot press of an open kiss against the join of her shoulder and neck.
Only one person could understand her inner turmoil, and he had brought her here, not realizing that he was the one she needed at this moment.
"God, I missed you," he choked, wiping her tears, ignoring his own. "I missed holding you," he said. His arms squeezed tighter. Kissing and tasting, lips carelessly joined, his arms scooped around her. He took his time, wanting to escape into this cacoon of pleasure they created between their bodies.
"I was so scared when I didn't know where your transport was," he said.
"I know," she replied, her voice barely hovering above a whisper, fighting the urge to unravel. It would be so easy to turn to him, bury her face in his chest, and unleash all of the worries welling up inside. But if she did, he would never leave her. And she knew that he must. But that was a thought for a later time.
His lips followed the line of her clavicle. He could hardly resist a moment longer, but he didn't have to because she was grasping him. Needy and desperate. Forehead to forehead, moving together. Her teeth pulled at his lower lip. His skin was so smooth when she touched him. He smelled faintly of soap as she kissed her way down his sternum, through the sparse covering of chest hair, along the muscles of his stomach. He kneaded his fingers down her back, and she arched into his touch as she straddled him.
Anna smiled, and she placed a steadying hand on his stomach. Valentin raised himself on his forearms, hand reaching out, yearning to embrace her, but she halted his eagerness with her fingers pressing him back down. He heeded her instantly, laying back, hands resting on her thighs, submitting to her. She lowered herself onto him like she wanted, a long moan parting her lips. Her hips gave a slow nudge forward as she savored being joined again.
But she did not let leave them wanting in as her unfulfilled need urged her on. She pushed her hips down harder this time, and Valentin groaned, his eyes closing. She moved up and down, again and again, each motion more vigorous than the previous one, her hair falling over her shoulder, moving with the rhythm of her momentum. Valentin's hands reached out, and she didn't stop him. He gripped her hips firmly, supporting her in her relentless pace. His gaze was piercing as he watched her body move over him.
It did not take her long. She was pursuing release and knew precisely how to claim it from him. Soon Anna's eyes closed as her body quivered from exertion. Her back arched, and her legs pressed tightly around him as she strove to keep her balance while ripples of bliss continued to course through her body.
Valentin lifted himself once again, and this time, she allowed his arms to enfold her, holding her close as the tremble of her body slowly abated. The haze cleared from her eyes, and he began to move again, hips once again rocking against her. She loved the friction of her skin against his, how he fills her, the melding of minds, the way they push into and against each other. She has feared this kind of intimacy between them because it never ends well. But she craved it.
Their bodies' continued friction brought new sparks as Valentin reverently repeated her name over and over. Anna leaned forward to rest her forehead on his as their bodies continued to move together. He came and gasped out her name. They were tangled inextricably together, mind and body, inseparable despite their fraught past. His chin tilted up, and his lips pressed against hers gently once he was spent. The ardor between their bodies burned still, but their gaze was serene. The world around them vanished as they looked at each other.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she laughed as he rolled them over, laying his head on her chest. He could hear her heart as it beat softly against her breast, and he was amazed to think that he knew her now by the thrum of her heart. Something about being together under these circumstances made every touch seem even more intimate.
"You all right?" Valentin asked his lips against her hair.
"Never better, even though I am a wanted woman," she breathed. Overheated, she threw off the blankets, and she lay against the length of him, the two of them radiant, exhausted, and refreshed.
"You are wanted," he murmured.
Her hands found their way to his hair again while his fingers traced lazy circles along her stomach. He turned his head to kiss her, then pulled away and got out of bed.
"Where are you going?" She questioned.
He dressed quickly, then picked up her hand and kissed it gallantly. "Don't worry. I'll be right back, darling,"
When he returned, he carried a plate with a beautiful lemon bar. She smiled broadly, and his heart melted.
"Valentin?" she exclaimed incredulously.
"We missed your birthday," he says. "I'm not going to miss the chance to make that up to you." He placed a tiny candle and struck a match. The flame caught, the cheap wax already melting down the spiraling stripes. He held out the candle to her between two fingers.
"I had something better than this planned for you, but hopefully, it will do. Make a wish Anna," Valentin says softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The amount of love shining through his eyes was almost blinding.
This, she thought as her eyes fell closed and his lips brushed against hers. This.
"That everyone we care about stay's safe," is the answer she gave instead. They took turns feeding each while Valentin explained how her escape was engineered and the pieces put into place until she stifled a yawn.
"Now we should go to sleep; the sun will be up before we know it. You stay here. I'll keep watch downstairs."
So she would sleep and dream while he watched over her. Again she dreamed of normalcy, kissing him at Rice Plaza, holding hands as they walked into the Metro Court, and making love to him in her bed.
Even if it wasn't happily ever after, it was, at least, happily for a moment. And right now, that was enough.