(A/N): Welcome back to Summer Declassified! Yeah, I know, another update after two weeks? What are the odds of that? (Don't get used to it, I can't promise that I manage to keep this level of commitment.)
Reading some of the reviews that have been posted so far, I can tell that this chapter is going to make you either really happy or really upset, and it all depends how much you like Casablanca as a ship. (Casablanca is what my friends over on the REMCOM Discord server came up with as a RWBY-styled name for the Carter and Summer pairing. Here's looking at you, kid!)
Even if you're not a huge fan of the pairing, I hope you enjoy this chapter, which is significantly lower-stakes than the last few entries have been, not to mention significantly shorter. (Thank goodness). So enjoy!
"Well...that ended up being a lot messier than I would have liked," said Summer glumly.
Carter turned his attention from the road to the silver-eyed woman sitting in the passenger's seat, who was trying and failing to rub the red stains out of her jacket. The two of them were currently cruising down an empty freeway in a red Bel Air, feeling the wind blow past them and sweep through their hair. They were both dressed in well-tailored suits complete with all the requisite accessories - coat, vest, tie, and lots and lots of blood splatters and tattered threads. The good news was that most of the blood wasn't theirs. The bad news was that Summer hadn't stopped grousing about the stains since they finished their dispatch operation's main objective.
He found himself almost grateful that the Huntress had been forced to leave her usual mission clothes behind for a low-profile job. He did not want to get another earful from his ASL about how hard it was to bleach a cloak as big as hers again.
"Yeah, well," he answered, "that's what happens when Faulke sends you out to a cult that's worshipping the aliens like they're new gods, and tasks you with telling a bunch of brainwashed crazies that everything they believe is a lie. The folks at the bottom don't like being told the 'salvation' they gave up all their nice stuff for is worthless, and the guys at the top don't like you threatening to break up the flock they swindled. Er, excuse me, fostered."
Summer sighed as she gave up on the impossible task of trying to clean her clothes, settling instead for using the rear-view mirror of the "borrowed" convertible (which had been among the offerings to the now-dead cult leaders) to pick bits of shrapnel out of her hair. "I guess. Just wish we could have solved things diplomatically, is all."
"They were getting a ritual ready that involved deliberately drinking water tainted by the Sleepwalker virus," sighed Carter, looking back at the empty highway. "I don't think talking them down was ever gonna work."
"If you say so," relented Summer, making a face as she picked out a bloody chunk and flicking it into the rushing wind. Carter shrugged, then turned back to face the road as his partner peeled off her jacket and threw it into the backseat with the rest of their stowed gear and hidden power packs. While the briefing hadn't mentioned Outsider activity in the area, it never hurt to be prepared. If there was one constant thing in this war, it was that there were no constants, and to always expect the unexpected.
The alien Huntress fiddling with her tie was living proof of that fact.
"Gods, I could really use a bath right now," said Summer after a few more miles of silent travel. "And a massage. Actually, screw it, I could use a full-on spa day. And a soft bed. Oh, and a meal that doesn't come from a boiling pot…"
Carter didn't like the sound of his partner's proposition. "We have showers back at the base, you can clean up there."
"That's not what I mean, and you know it," whined the silver-eyed woman with a pout. "Doesn't your world have somewhere we can stop for a quick refresher? Like a tavern, or an inn?"
"Not since the 1800's, no," said Carter as he shook his head, refusing to look at his passenger. "We call 'em 'nightclubs' and 'hotels' now. Not that it matters, since we're supposed to head back to base as soon as that whole 'cult' thing is taken care of…"
"Aww, but it only took us one day to find and deal with them!" Summer was whining louder now, dragging out the sounds at the end of her sentences and magnifying her pout. "And Faulke gave us three days for this job! Can't we just stop somewhere for the night and have a little fun? I'm sure the Bureau doesn't need us back that urgently."
Carter furrowed his brow, shaking his head as he felt his resolve withering away. "It's too risky to play hooky this late in the war. We need to be on call in case there's a - "
"Will."
At the sound of his name, he committed his greatest sin - he looked over at Summer, who was gazing up at him with a stare that wouldn't be out of place on an especially sad puppy.
"Please?"
How the hell was he supposed to say "no" to a face like that?
He sighed and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "...fine. One night. One night in the first hotel we find. Then we're heading back to the Bureau first thing in the morning. Understood?"
Summer's pout vanished, replaced with a grin that spread from ear to ear. She nodded, then adjusted the seat until she lay almost flat, hoping the sun would at least dry out her shirt and vest. Carter took his eyes off her and focused back on the road, though he also scanned the signs along the highway's edge for exit markers that would lead to lodging.
Why do I keep letting this woman rope me into this kind of thing?
He kept wondering that all the way down the road.
As it turned out, Carter's promise about settling for the first hotel the pair came across didn't hold water for very long.
Mostly due to the fact that it was closed.
And so was the next one, and the next, and the one after that. While knowledge of the alien invasion was still under wraps, people's imaginations were good enough to draw their own conclusions when worldwide communications went down and soldiers started running "preparedness drills." As a result, pretty much all the staff in most of the establishments Carter and Summer found had come to the same conclusion: whatever they were being paid to haul luggage and write down names, it wasn't enough to justify being flat-footed in case the nukes started dropping. The lack of guests or travelers coming and going was another factor in why nine of the ten hotels the pair visited were "closed for the winter," with signs proudly and optimistically declaring that they'd reopen in spring when the weather got nicer.
The last hotel was the only one that welcomed them eagerly (read: desperately), and it was a complete shithole.
It was run by a shady-looking manager who generously insisted that "the first night was free," presumably in an attempt to convince them to stay for longer at an increased rate. Said manager also seemed to fill the roles of bellhop, concierge, and receptionist, as well as acting chef that served the pair a lunch that somehow tasted exactly like it sat in the back of a grocery store freezer for too long. The rest of the place didn't fare much better - the room was cramped and cluttered with only one bed, the stairs and wooden floorboards creaked with every step, and the indoor swimming pool looked and smelled like it hadn't been cleaned since the Great Depression.
Not that any of that seemed to faze Summer, who was practically reveling in each new sensation.
She devoured the reheated meal like it was manna from heaven, all while making noises too unfit to print. She flopped onto the bed without concern for how firm and lumpy it was, rolling around and wrapping herself in the blankets while giggling softly. And the filthiness of the pool did nothing to dissuade her from shedding all her clothes at the sight of it, plunging into the greenish-blue water and disturbing the decades-old surface with a single graceful dive.
Carter grumbled as he followed his partner, gathering up the discarded clothes and walking over to a chair on the pool deck. He set the bloodied garments on one of the seats and sat on the edge of the other, leaning forward as he waited for Summer to come up for air. Sure enough, a storm of bubbles broke the silt-encrusted surface just before she did, emerging in a splash and soft gasp before treading water, shaking her head and hair as she started paddling backwards.
"Ah…" she moaned softly, "Oh, that's so… refreshing." She looked over at Carter with a relaxed smile. "Care to join me?"
"I left my trunks at home," deadpanned Carter. "And I'm pretty sure skinny-dipping's against the pool rules."
"Oh, who's gonna tell management, the roaches?" Summer giggled at her own joke, her chin briefly dipping under the water. "Besides, what are you being all bashful and embarrassed over? You've already seen me in all my glory back at Groom Range, remember?"
Heat rose to Carter's cheeks, but he willed it away. "That was...different. I wasn't looking at you, I was just looking for weapons. I didn't know if you were a threat or not."
She raised an eyebrow. "And was I?"
Carter scowled. "Dunno. Jury's still out."
Summer laughed again. "Well, if you wanna check again for something else, I won't object too much. If you're not going to swim with me, why not use that battle focus of yours to join me down there? I'll hold my breath as long as I can, so you can get a nice long look…"
Before Carter could say anything, Summer had already taken a deep breath and disappeared below the surface. He just sat there with a frown on his face, watching the nude woman slowly exhale as she sank to the bottom. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and willed his mind to separate from his body, bracing himself for the sensation of projecting his consciousness into the center of the room. As time slowed down and his senses readjusted he caught a glimpse of his own form sitting in complete stillness, before looking around and spotting Summer through the murky water.
I sure as hell hope I don't end up drowning my mind if I go for a dip like this.
He imagined the source of his out-of-body sight and hearing plunging into the pool before he had a chance to talk himself out of this, and soon enough he saw the surface falling closer and closer before sinking underneath. If the water looked filthy from the top, then it was an absolute soup of grime and debris from the bottom, like someone had been using it as a dumping ground for industrial-grade sludge. Not that the murkiness affected Carter's extracorporeal senses - and not that Summer seemed to mind that much, grinning a bubbly grin as she slowly sank to the bottom, pockets of air forming in between her lips before breaking off into sealed bubbles.
Well, at least she's happy, he thought to himself. And...pretty...
Carter wasn't blind. He knew Summer was beautiful. Countless people in the Bureau had already observed that, to the point that her attractiveness was a fact as universal as gravity or the color of the sky. But here in the water, where she was nearly frozen in time with her full body on display, that beauty struck differently. He took it all in - the body of a warrior, with her long legs, strong arms, and curved, muscular figure, paired with the gentle face of a caring mother, with her striking eyes and delicate lips. She looked so at peace, so tranquil, so content to surrender her breath into soft, dark crimson hair that floated around her in slow motion. It was oddly entrancing, watching her like this...and though he knew it was impossible for her to see his projected form, her silver eyes seemed to stare hungrily through the water and directly into his soul. He wasn't sure how long he spent down there, gazing at her, basking in her radiance.
Only that it wasn't long enough.
What the hell am I doing?
The realization of his action finally sank in, and he abruptly snapped his focus back into reality. Carter quickly shook his head to clear it, then cursed himself. Using his power to ogle his ASL like some kind of peeping tom was already creepy enough, but he forced himself to remember that not only was Summer his subordinate, she was already married. Even if he wanted to be with her...even if he could be with her...it wouldn't be fair to her partner, no matter how far away he might be. This "Taiyang" fellow was already experiencing world-shattering grief at losing his wife - Carter wasn't about to make that worse by eyeing her up on another planet.
Besides, it doesn't matter how gorgeous she is. She's not…
Carter's thoughts were interrupted by another loud gasp and splash, as Summer surfaced with another shake of her head.
"Well? Didya look?"
He made a show of shaking his head slowly and regretfully. "I...couldn't focus properly," he lied. "Guess I'm just not in the right headspace for my powers to work."
Summer laughed softly, the water lapping at her chin as she stretched out her long arms. "Aww, performance anxiety? Don't feel bad, it happens to everyone. No need to feel embarrassed…"
Carter didn't dignify the flirty banter with a response, instead standing up and adjusting his hat.
"Where are you going?" Summer asked innocuously, with a tilt of her head.
"Out," he said briskly. "If I'm gonna be stuck here while you splash around, I might as well see what the situation's like out on the streets. Go ahead and have fun without me, I'll be back before tonight."
Summer waved goodbye, then her eyes perked up. "Oh! Can you see if that guy at the front desk has any more of those little bars of soap? I might as well take a bath while I'm in here."
"In that water?" Carter raised an eyebrow. "All the soap in the world won't help you clean up if you keep swimming in that soup."
"I'll take my chances," said Summer with a grin before she breathed deep and ducked back under the water. Carter just sighed, shook his head for the millionth time, and left the pool without waiting for her to surface.
Maybe he'd have a word with management on the way out about the soap she wanted, if it meant it'd be the last thing she talked him into that day.
Needless to say, fetching soap wasn't the last thing she'd talk him into that day.
Carter adjusted the collar of his shirt and the knot of his tie (which were cleaner than they'd ever been thanks to an abandoned dry-cleaning shop) as he stepped into the dimly-lit nightclub his partner had selected. As luck would have it, while he spent the afternoon on patrol to gather intel on civilian panic levels, Summer had been doing a little scouting of her own, and found this particular little venue a few blocks away from their hotel. Instead of being shuttered like most businesses he'd seen on his walk, this club still opened its doors to thirsty patrons who wanted to escape the anxiety of impending nuclear war, whether it was by drinking the stress away or getting one last hookup before the world ended. Carter didn't know anything about the club or what Summer was up to - all she'd said was to meet him at this address at 8:00 PM, and so here he was.
It was a nice little nightclub, all things considered. Dimly lit to induce a particular mood, but still illuminated enough to see what you were doing or who you were bumping shoulders with. A dance floor of softly-glowing squares took up one corner of the club, and while there wasn't a live band playing, there was a diligent little jukebox at the front playing smooth, soothing jazz numbers. About two dozen patrons danced and drank and mingled in groups across the club, and the place was large enough that it could easily host a crowd five times as big. It wasn't rundown, but it wasn't overly snobbish, either - it was just classy enough for his tastes.
And sitting at the corner of the bar, nursing a drink while wearing a snazzy little silver cocktail dress that matched her eyes, was the alien woman that Carter swore would be the death of him.
He almost wanted to turn around and find somewhere less stressful to spend the night. Like maybe traffic. Or a gang war. Anything that didn't involve him looking at Summer Rose in a dress.
But damn, she does look good in that dress...
Summer looked back at the entrance and smiled, oblivious to the conflicting thoughts of the gray-hatted man. Deciding that death by embarrassment wasn't the worst way to go, Carter mustered up his courage and stepped forward, weaving between the patrons who seemed to pretend he wasn't there. When he finally reached the bar, he deliberately sat down in such a way that there was one seat's worth of space between himself and his assistant squad leader. She immediately moved one seat closer and brought her drink with her, nodding to the bartender who slid a similar-looking glass down to the annoyed man.
"Glad you could make it," said Summer glibly as she stirred her drink. "And here I was afraid you'd decided to stand me up."
Entirely preoccupied with the dress's sleeveless design and dangerously short skirt that revealed nearly every inch of Summer's arms and legs, Carter managed to chuckle humorlessly.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said as he tore his gaze away from the thighs on full display, focusing on the drink instead. "I like my kneecaps inside my legs, thanks."
Summer smiled and raised her drink. "Smart man. Cheers."
Clinking his glass against hers, he tipped his drink back and prepared himself for whatever god-awful concoction his ASL was inflicting on his throat and liver. To his surprise, however, the blue-green liquid went down smooth and sweet, almost like drinking apple juice mixed with spiced wine. A hint of mint and a pinch of honey capped off an unusually sugary and pleasant drink, one where he had to squint just to glimpse the bitter alcohol underneath.
"Mmm. Interesting." Carter smacked his lips. "What is it?"
"A Mistrali Rainstorm," said Summer after she drained her glass. "Or at least, the closest I could get here. The bartender gave me a strange look when I asked her to mix these, but I think they turned out pretty well." She turned and smiled at the black-haired woman behind the counter. "Thanks again, Jill."
Jill, as Carter supposed the bartender's name was, simply bowed professionally and moved to the couple on the other end of the counter. He tipped his hat towards her as she left, then watched as Summer leaned against the bar and crossed her legs.
"Surprised you're not trying to get me blackout drunk," he mused. "Or yourself, for that matter."
Summer chuckled and shook her head. "Nah. I'm classier than that. Besides...if this is the only night I get to spend on an Earth club, I want to be able to remember it."
Carter frowned. "You really shouldn't talk about it so easily, you know."
"What, that I'm an alien Huntress who can zip around on a cloud of rose petals?" Summer laughed softly again. "No one's gonna listen here. And even if they do, they won't care. They'll just assume it's the drunken ramblings of a girl who's had a few too many shots. We're not in danger here, Will. It'll be fine."
The words made sense, but her flippant attitude made Carter want to argue anyways. Sensing it wasn't a fight he could win, though, he looked down at her dress once more.
"If you say so. Do I wanna know where you got that?"
Silver eyes lit up with the accompanying smile. "Found it in the trunk of that car, along with all the other 'offerings' that those cult leaders had collected."
Carter frowned. "So you're wearing stolen evidence."
Summer shrugged. "Not like anyone else is gonna wear it. Unless you think it'd look better on you?"
I think it'd look better on the floor, actually.
He blinked, swallowed hard, and thanked his lucky stars that the thought hadn't escaped the filter between his mind and his mouth. Carter was in the process of formulating a different thought when the song on the jukebox changed, filling the club with a soft, moody R&B piece. Summer suddenly stood up, bouncing on the balls of her sandal-clad feet and turning to Carter with a smile.
"Hey. You and me, let's dance."
Carter raised an eyebrow, then shook his head. "Appreciate the invitation, but I don't dance."
"That wasn't a suggestion, Will."
Before he could react she reached forward and grabbed both his hands, pulling him out of his seat with a tug. He could have easily broken out of her grip, but he allowed himself to be half-guided, half-dragged to the dance floor by the silver-eyed woman. She only let go when they were far enough within the small crowd of couples that he couldn't easily slip away, leaving him rooted in place as she twirled and stepped in tune with the music.
Earth angel
Earth angel
Will you be mine?
My darling dear
Love you all the time
I'm just a fool
A fool in love
With you
Rolling his eyes at how on-the-nose the lyrics seemed to be, Carter did his best to resist the urge to sway in time with the soulful vocals and simple drum and piano backing the chorus. Naturally he ended up failing at that particular task, as most of his mental fortitude crumbled in the face of the silver-eyed angel dancing and flowing around him. Her movements, her spins, and her arm motions were unfamiliar and didn't always match the pace set by the song - she didn't seem to care that much, her half-closed eyes and full smile expressing how joyful and happy her soul felt. She was just as graceful and fluid on the dance floor as she was on the battlefield...and without the flying blood and viscera of disemboweled alien partners, the full beauty of her dance took center stage.
I fell for you, and I knew
The vision of your love's loveliness
I hope and I pray, that someday
I'll be the vision of your hap, happiness
As the song continued, Carter found himself losing himself more and more in the music, his mind's control over his limbs waning and his half-hearted steps and sways became more genuine and meaningful. Summer must have noticed the change, because she closed the gap between them and looped one arm over his shoulder, using her other hand to clasp his as she looked up at him with half-moon eyes. His own body responded in kind, drawing her close with his free arm around her waist and pulling her into an improvised waltz, as if a spell was suddenly cast over the pair. Their forms glided and swayed together in time with the song, separating just long enough for Carter to guide Summer into twirls, lifts, and steps but always returning to a tight hold.
Earth angel
Earth angel
Please be mine
My darling dear
Love you for all time
I'm just a fool
A fool in love
With you...
The song drew to a close as the pair drew closer once more, breathing heavily as silver stared into steel-blue. Summer's eyes closed fully, and her face moved to close the distance between hers and Carter's when the spell finally broke.
"Summer…" he said, softly but harshly as he drew back. "...don't. We...shouldn't be doing this."
The silver eyes, once gleaming with soft moonlight, suddenly lost their luster as she opened them again in surprise.
"Huh? Why not?"
It was a good question. He didn't have a proper answer. So Carter settled for the (somewhat petulant, admittedly) option of pulling away from Summer and stepping off the dance floor completely. Predictably, she followed him, eyes burning with both annoyance and confusion.
"We've wasted too much time already," he growled as he checked his watch. "Hell, we were supposed to be back at the Bureau by now, and who knows if there even is one still. The war's not over yet, and we can't afford any distra - "
"Don't give me that," hissed Summer. "Come on, you can't just dangle a new world begging to be explored in front of me and then ask me to stay in a hole in the ground for the first six months! I get that this fight's important, but it's just not fair!"
"You'll have plenty of time to see the world after we win," he said brusquely. "Assuming we even do, and those bastards don't decide to just glass the planet instead."
"Which is why we should be doing this!" Summer protested, putting herself between Carter and the exit. "If we don't do it now, we might never get a chance! I'm in love with you, you idiot. Do you get that? I am in love with you. And I want to spend however much time I have left here with you, as more than just a friend. Why won't you let me?"
Carter felt a flash of anger burn up inside, and he pushed past Summer and walked for the door. She grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard, prompting him to turn and face her and her blazing silver eyes.
"Dammit, Will! At least give me a reason why you're giving me the cold shoulder! And don't give me that whole 'we're in the middle of a war' crap! Give me a real reason!"
The gray-hatted man furrowed his brow as his rage reached a fever pitch.
"You want a real reason? Fine, how's this for a reason?! I'm not your Taiyang, and you sure as hell aren't Julia!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately felt like he'd just kicked a puppy.
Every trace of anger and annoyance faded from Summer's eyes as they widened, as she frowned in concern.
"Who's...Julia?"
Carter felt his own frustration leave him in one fell swoop as his steel-blue eyes softened.
She doesn't know.
Summer released his wrist from her grip, wringing her hands together. "Carter? Who's Julia?"
Where mere seconds ago he felt anger and rage, now he felt only exhaustion. He sighed and shook his head, adjusting his hat and pressing his fist against a palm out of habit.
"Look just…" he said finally, "...just...don't worry about me, alright? Go. Just...go. Go and have your night out on an exciting new planet. But make sure you're back before I leave, so we can get back to saving it."
And with that, despite Summer's cries, Carter left without another word.
The hours following his sudden and abrupt departure found Carter back in the shoddy little hotel room, sitting on a lumpy bed with exposed springs and leaning back against a headboard hollowed out by generations of termites. A single flickering lamp provided him enough light for him to work his way through the faded Gideon's Bible someone had thoughtfully left behind. He'd stopped being religious long ago, so the words didn't interest him much; the task of reading mostly existed just to give his hands something to do while his mind grappled with the difficult questions, two halves of his psyche warring with each other in a philosophical debate for the ages.
What was Summer's problem, anyways? Why was she acting like this?
You know why. She's in love with you, dumbass. She said so herself.
But why? There were hundreds of guys in XCOM itching for any kind of action, and probably more than just a few girls falling for the silver-eyed warrior. Why not settle for any one of them? Why was she after him, specifically?
Why does anyone fall in love? The heart wants what it wants. And her heart wants you.
And what about his heart? Didn't anyone care about what he wanted?
She would. If you'd actually tell her instead of just stonewalling her.
Truly, the discourse within Carter's mind was nuanced and brilliant, the likes of which rivaled the works of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle combined.
A series of knocks at the door pulled him out of his thoughts, making him reach for the gun he'd tucked between the wall and the mattress. His grip relaxed when the initial knock was followed by a well-rehearsed series of taps, verifying who was on the other side.
"It's unlocked," he called, not moving from the bed. Not that it matters - the damn bolt's been sheared off.
After a moment of struggling with the loose handle, Summer Rose finally pushed her way through the door and stepped inside. Her dark crimson hair was mussed up from heavy activity, smudged black numbers lined her bare shoulder and arm, and there was even a very distinctive red lipstick stain right on her cheek. A smile stretched across her face, but her eyes still looked at him in regret and concern.
"Fun night?" Carter asked, barely looking up from his book.
Summer nodded breathlessly as she stepped over to the cracked vanity in the corner, picking up a damp rag and shaking off the dust. "Yeah, you could say that. Pretty sure I got the number of every single guy in that club...and one of the girls." She pointed to the lipstick smudge with one hand, using the other to scrub the ink off her skin. "She stuck this on me when she thought her date wasn't looking. Oh, if you could've seen the look in his eye...I thought for sure that a vein was gonna pop."
"Wouldn't surprise me," said Carter as he nodded tightly. "Most folks don't like it when their girls show attraction to another man...and they like it even less when it's towards a woman."
"Yeah…" Summer frowned. "You guys, as a society, really need to work on how you treat same-sex relationships."
Carter shrugged. "No argument there. Any trouble with him?"
"No, he stopped shouting at me after I threatened to sprinkle his teeth on my breakfast cereal," said Summer with a laugh, reluctantly removing the incriminating lipstick stain. "That shut him up pretty quick, especially after I followed it up with a promise to shove an entire barstool where the sun didn't shine."
"...you've been hanging out with Weaver again, huh?"
"She's not that bad, once you get to know her," she said with a soft chuckle. She looked down at the bed with a frown. "...I guess I have the floor? I assume you're still mad at me."
With a sigh, Carter pulled his legs up so that his knees were sticking straight into the air, giving Summer enough space to sit down with a tired, but happy sigh. She leaned back against the wall, took in a deep breath with closed eyes, then breathed out through the nose.
"I wasn't mad at you specifically," he said as he turned his full focus back to Gideon's Bible with limited success. "I was just...frustrated, angry, confused, and tired. I was out of line when I said what I said...I shouldn't have lashed out like that."
Despite not looking, he could feel Summer regarding him with tired silver eyes for a moment before she sighed and started pulling off her sandals.
"No, you were well within your right to do that," she said quietly, "and you had every reason to be mad at me. Will, I...I'm sorry that I made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry that I put you on the spot, that I kept flirting with you when you clearly didn't appreciate it. I...I should have realized sooner that you didn't feel the same way. It wasn't fair of me to keep pushing, when you obviously didn't…you know. Love me back."
Carter blinked. Was that the impression she was getting from him? Had he really bungled expressing his emotions so badly that she thought he felt nothing towards her? The pounding in his chest as he caught a glimpse of her long, bare legs that were flexing inches away from his own told a very different story, one Summer thought wasn't being written at all.
One he'd also been pretending wasn't there.
With a heavy sigh he tossed the little book back into its drawer and looked at her past his propped-up legs. "Look, that's...that's not the issue here, Summer. You aren't the issue here. You made it clear today how you feel about me, and...well...it's not one-sided."
Silver eyes seemed to shimmer in the low light with renewed hope. "So...you do loveme?"
Finally faced with the question, it seemed almost impossible to answer, and yet it was even harder to ignore.
"Well...yeah." He sighed again, this time in relief. "I mean...have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? Heard yourself speak? Watched yourself cleave through an Outsider firing squad or stare down a Muton? How could I not be in love with someone like that? Half the damn base is falling head over heels for you, in some way or another. I tried not to be one of them, but...I couldn't fight my own feelings forever. And I'm sorry it took this long to figure them out. You deserve better than that...and frankly, I don't deserve an angel like you at all."
Summer smiled and blushed, then leaned against Carter's raised legs, hugging his shins and resting her cheek against his knees. His aversion to being touched flared up for a hot second, before he realized he didn't actually want her to stop. So instead he reached forward and cupped her face with one hand, eliciting a small moan from the woman as she nuzzled into his palm.
He chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement as she just about swooned at his mere touch. "...you know, I think you enjoy your snuggles a little too much."
Summer laughed quietly, her blush deepening. "Mmm. Comes with the territory of a big family. You don't grow up with three older sisters and not turn out to be at least a little bit of a cuddlebug."
"Is that so?" Carter asked with a raised eyebrow. "I wouldn't know; I'm an only child."
"...you know, that explains so much about you it's not even funny."
Steel-blue eyes just about rolled out of their sockets at Summer's glib comment. "Yeah, yeah. Keep talking. Just a fair warning, though - I'm a restless sleeper, so don't be too shocked if I try to kick you out of bed if you snuggle up in the middle of the night."
Another soft laugh that made his heart flutter escaped her lips. "Hah. You don't have to worry about that with me. Surprisingly enough, I'm probably the tamest cuddler to come out of the Rose family farm. You should've been there when Vernal got married - she was practically glued to her wife the whole evening, to the point where I thought Autumn's husband would have to get a crowbar to separate them, if you can believe that."
"I'd believe it," said Carter with a nod. Then he frowned. "Speaking of your family, though, what about your other one? Taiyang and your kids? I always thought you'd try to hold out for a chance to see them again, instead of falling for some guy here."
The smile faded, and he almost regretted asking when he saw the mirth dim in those silver orbs. Summer looked away sadly, letting out another sigh of her own.
"...I did, at first," she said somberly. "I held onto any shred of hope that I could go back to Remnant, rejoin my family, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I've been here for about six months now, which means that Taiyang and Qrow and Yang and Ruby have spent half a year without me at the very least - and depending on how far away they are, it might be even longer for them. So even if I could go home...even if I could just reappear and make everything whole again...it wouldn't be the same. For either of us. And it wouldn't be fair to put them through that kind of pain again, if they've already started the process of moving on after mourning my death."
She pursed her lips as she squeezed Carter's legs just a little more tightly, tears welling up.
"Remnant hasn't stopped spinning just because I'm not there. The world has moved on. Maybe...maybe I should finally stop holding onto such a childish dream, and start thinking about doing the same. It's what they'd want for me...I think."
The pain in her words, the sorrow in her eyes...while this was the first time he'd heard her talk about this subject, Carter could tell it wasn't the first time she'd given it serious consideration. The silver-eyed woman had likely spent every day here on Earth caught in a tug-of-war between finding a way back to her old life and starting a new one here, between hoping for a miracle and giving up entirely. It was a struggle just as real and tangible as fighting Outsiders on an unfamiliar world - and unlike the war for Earth, she couldn't just slash at her emotions with a glowing sword. This was something she'd obviously poured a lot of thought into, and just hearing the joy leave her voice at the prospect of letting go of her old life...it was gut-wrenching, to say the least.
A life shattered to the core by a random twist of fate.
Carter understood that pain a little too well.
He let his hand drop back down to his side as he looked away.
"I guess I can respect that," he said finally. "I just wish...I just wish I was able to move on as fast as you. Me, I'm...well, I still don't know if I'm over my pain just yet...or if I ever will be."
Despite not looking at her, he could feel her gaze on him. "Are you talking about Julia?"
He nodded tightly. "Yeah. My wife...or at least, she was. Might still be...if that whole 'till death do us part' line from our vows still means anything."
A soft, warm hand wormed its way into his palm, squeezing tightly. "Wanna talk about her?"
Carter sighed. "Not particularly...it's never easy to talk about her. But you deserve to know, after everything that's happened."
He took a deep breath to compose himself, built up the courage to look Summer in the eye, and started speaking.
"...You read about World War II, right? How it happened twenty years after a global war that gave everyone involved a nasty black eye, only to follow up with a second punch that hit twice as hard and killed five times as many people? How the US tried to stay out of it until the Japanese decided to fly halfway across the world and attack Pearl Harbor? Well, I was in college when the bombs dropped. I was doing homework when the President came on the radio and announced that America was going to war again. I enlisted a few days after the call to arms went out, fought a bunch of battles in the Pacific theater, and rose through the ranks like a true American hero. I fought hard, kicked ass, and came home with so many medals I could've melted them all down to make a life-sized statue of myself. But when I tried to finish up my degree on a GI Bill once the war was over...I choked. Hard."
Carter shook his head and laughed mirthlessly. "It was embarrassing, to say the least - there I was, a Master Sergeant and a decorated war vet, struggling to figure out how to balance out the forces on a static engineering problem. At least, I was struggling...until I got some one-on-one tutoring from a cute little TA named Julia Crenshaw. She took time out of her busy schedule to help my dumb ass figure out the lessons, to double-check the work I did and make sure all the moments and vectors canceled each other out. I wouldn't have survived that semester if it wasn't for her, so I figured the most gentlemanly thing to do would be to treat her to dinner, as my way of saying thanks. One thing led to another, and by the time I graduated in '47, we were newlyweds ready to take on the world."
Summer smiled. "That's adorable. What was she like?"
"Not too different from you, actually," admitted Carter. "You would have loved her. Hopeful, optimistic, endearing...always laughed at my attempts at jokes, even if no one else did. She saw the good in everyone and everything - the world could shit in her cornflakes, and the most she'd ever do was cover it up with some sugar and pretend it was ambrosia. Even with me getting recruited to the CIA and being sent on months-long covert assignments deep in foreign countries with no way to contact her, she'd take it all with a smile and greet me with love whenever I came back. The strain from my job and the long periods where I'd go dark made the relationship a little rocky at times, but we made it work with what little time we did have. Even had a couple kids, for the hell of it."
An eyebrow perked up in fascination. "You had kids?"
"Don't act so surprised," said Carter with a frown. "Yeah, I had kids. Well, one, technically. A bright little boy named Richard Carter, who made my old man cry for the first time in his life when he made eye contact with his namesake while sitting in that little hospital bassinet. A curious, well-meaning little guy, who ended up being smarter than me and Julia put together and kept us both on our toes. We loved him, of course, but Julia had always wanted a daughter. Someone she could have a bond with, like I did with Richie. So we kept trying. And trying. And despite all the complications you could think of, we kept trying still. Then, after years of fighting with doctors and hoping despite all odds, she got pregnant again. Oh, the smile on her face when she gave me the news...she was so sure that she finally had a little girl on the way. Of course, that was just days before I had to head out again for a new assignment; a deep-cover op down in Laos that would keep me away for two years."
The familiar pain weighed on him like a stone around his neck, and Summer seemed to sense that as her smile faded. Carter chose his words carefully, took another breath, and tried to force them through a tightened throat.
"...it was February of 1959, according to the death certificates. Julia and Richard were staying with my dad in his winter home when a kerosene lamp spilled too close to an open flame. A fire broke out in the middle of the night, while everyone was sound asleep. No neighbors to bear witness, no miraculous rescue, no call to 911. No survivors."
Summer's eyes widened as tears began to form anew.
"It was an accident," continued Carter bleakly, "a one-in-a-million stroke of bad luck and bad circumstance. No grand conspiracy or deeper meaning, just a random log cabin burning down in the middle of nowhere. And of course, because of that damn 'comms blackout' order in the assignment, I didn't find out about it until after I came back to the states...a year after it had already happened."
Carter squeezed his eyes shut as his other hand clutched the bedsheets. "I spent two years down in Laos, counting down the days I'd get to come back and see my wife, my son, and a beautiful baby girl...and when that day finally happened, all I found was ashes."
The hand squeezing his own tightened. "Oh, Will…" Summer whispered.
"I spiraled hard after that," he finished with another shake of his head. "I went from being a goddamn national hero to a self-destructive alcoholic. From the best agent in the CIA to a broken shell of a man barely holding together on a good day. I got in so much trouble and pissed off so many people, the brass had to step in and stick me behind a desk just to salvage my career. I did everything I could to move on, talked to so many shrinks...but nothing helped. Nothing worked. I couldn't let go of that pain...couldn't stop myself from thinking I could have saved them...couldn't help but blame myself for their deaths."
He let out one long, heavy, final sigh. "Even now...as much as I want to be able to move on, to put it behind me so I can give you what you're looking for...I'm not strong enough to actually do it. Not like you are. So...you're better off falling in love with someone else. Someone who doesn't have all this baggage. You...deserve to be happy. And you probably won't find that with me. I...hope you understand."
The silver-eyed Huntress was quiet for a long moment, likely grappling with her own reaction to his tragic tale. He expected her to be angry at him for keeping this from her for so long. Expected her to chew him out for letting the guilt cripple him and ruin his life. Expected her to glare daggers at him, curl up in the corner of their tiny little room, and ignore him for the rest of the night. That was usually his experience when it came to recounting his painful past to women interested in romance.
But Summer Rose did none of those things.
What she did instead was pull herself up and crawl across his chest until she was on top of him, her legs straddling his own and her knees hugging him around the waist. She put one hand on his shoulder as she looked down at him, fingertips on her other hand trailing down his cheek and sending an electrifying sensation down his spine.
He stared blankly at her. "...Summer?"
"I understand completely," she said, her words soft and her gaze softer. "You're still hurting, still healing from a pain most people can't even begin to imagine. It's molded you, changed you, and it's come so close to destroying you. And you've spent so long trying to close yourself off, to refuse to let anyone else in so you can't be hurt by fate again, that you've convinced yourself you're not worthy of love. Believe me. I know. I still miss my family, and you're still mourning yours. It hurts."
Despite the tears pooling in her eyes, despite the pain she herself was feeling, all her focus was on comforting him, on being there to help with his loss and guilt and suffering. Carter felt his heart skip a beat as her fingertips trailed down his neck to his chest, before slipping out of sight to find his hand and lace their fingers together.
"But that kind of tragedy only heals by letting people in," she whispered gently, "By allowing yourself to care about people, and finding people who care about you. And no matter what you say with your words, I know you're a caring person. I see it in your eyes every time I look at you. Every time you look at me. So please...let me in. Let me love you. Let me help you move on."
Summer pulled Carter's hand up and pressed it against her cheek once more, squeezing tightly. "I know I could never truly take the place of Julia, and I'd never want that. But I do want to be there for you, when she can't. You've been there for me ever since I came to this world - you're the first friend I made here, the first man on Earth I trusted, and the brave soldier who's saved my life more times than I can count. Now I want to do the same for you. I want to love you, William Carter. You know this. So what do you want?"
Carter was silent, and he wanted to brush off Summer's words as just more psych talk, just words that were supposed to make him feel better, not get better. But where her silver eyes stared hungrily at him before, now they only held compassion and empathy, a desire to be with him not out of pity, but out of warmth. And he could feel that warmth and affection through her touch alone, through hands that had somehow stayed so smooth despite months of hard combat while his own were marred by calluses and cracked skin.
"I...don't know what I want…" he eventually said, with less confidence than he would have liked. "But I do know that I don't...I don't...I don't wantto be alone anymore…"
Summer nodded slowly, leaning down to further close the gap and gently press their foreheads together. Her lips were once again inches away from his, her breath smelled like roses in the spring bloom, and her eyelids slowly closed until a pair of half-moon eyes stared deep into his soul. Instinct kicked in as he trailed his own fingers along her arched back, slipping one thumb under the strap of the dress and pulling it down to reveal more of the goddess from another world on top of him. She let out a shuddering breath at his touch, a sound that made butterflies take flight in his stomach, and she moved to return the favor. One of her hands slid over his shirt and began undoing the buttons and belt buckles with practiced ease; the other one reached for the nearby switch and killed the lights, filling the room with darkness and shadows until she was the only thing Carter could see.
Until she was the only thing Carter wanted to see.
"As long as I'm right here...you won't be."
And then she kissed him.
