A/N: For Warning and Disclaimer, refer back to the PROLOGUE

Chapter 6: Afterglow and Aftershock

Cielo snapped his eyes open as he heard a scream. A woman's scream! A muffled woman's scream but a scream nonetheless. 'Argilla!' his mind panicked at the thought of her being attacked in her sleep. He quickly grabbed the blanket off his body and dashed for the door only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Gale! Wat are you doin brudda? Argilla's being attacked!" Cielo yelled. Gale shook his head knowingly, "No. She's alright. Get back to sleep. We need our rest for tomorrow's mission."

Cielo raised his eyebrows, "How do you know dat? Ey! I thought you were at de hospital? How come you're here?"

Gale crossed his arms, "Give me a chance to answer Cielo. I'm here because I got discharged early. I have good healing properties you know. As for Argilla, it's really none of our business but I know she's fine."

"And you know dis…how?" Cielo asked, unconvinced.

Gale scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Let's just say that I passed by her door when I first heard her…I pressed my ear against the door but found no malevolent presence in her room. Thus, I concluded that she's alright." Cielo may have been silly and naïve at times, but he sure didn't miss the slight blush that Gale had on his face, 'Wat the-? Wat did Gale hear; or did he see something?' he thought with burning curiosity.

Gale snapped back in attention and patted Cielo's back, "Anyway, let's all get some shut-eye and be ready right? Sera needs us." As Gale hoped, the mention of Sera's name caused Cielo's attention to be diverted. "You're right man…well, I trust you ja? So Argilla better be alive tomorrow ja?"

'She'll be better than alive Cielo…if you only knew.' Gale grinned to himself. "Ey! Wat you smiling about huh?"

"Nothing. Get some sleep."

xxxxx

Serph opened his eyes. He quickly sat up and discovered that he wasn't in his room. He looked around; this was Argilla's room. He felt movement on the bed and saw that he wasn't alone. Argilla lay sleeping comfortably on the bed; naked. Serph blushed, it was real after all. He remembered as he opened his eyes, he thought that he had just woken up from a dream. His lips curved up to a smile as he recalled the previous night's events. As Serph remembered vividly how she looked underneath him, moaning and screaming his name; writhing in pain and pleasure beneath him, blood began to pump faster in his system once again and his member throbbed. He held his breath and forced himself to focus on today's event instead. He turned to her again and carefully nudged her awake.

"Hn…" she moaned, "Serph…?"

Serph stroked her hair and she looked up at him. She smiled and he smiled back.

She yawned and stretched her arms, "I'm sorry I overslept. Come on. Let's get ready." Serph nodded. She hopped out of the bed, wrapping the sheets around her body and proceeded to the bathroom. Serph hopped out of the bed and discovered that he was nude. He blushed a little and followed Argilla into the bathroom.

xxxxx

As Argilla sat on her bed and dressed herself, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She turned her head and saw Serph calmly taking in the view of her body. Argilla blushed, "You want something?" she teased. Serph, now fully dressed walked over to her with a mischievous grin on his face. She bit her lip in annoyance as he called her bluff. She quickly did the buttons and fastens on her suit while her lover slowly advanced towards her. When he was in front of her, he paused and knelt in front of her, holding her hand. He flashed her his smile and squeezed her hand.

"Serph…"

His eyes twinkled with curiosity and she continued, "About last night…I really don't know what happened…I'm sorry…"

Sorry? What was she being sorry for? Serph was confused. Did she mean to tell him that whatever had transpired between them the night before was nothing more than a flight of fancy to her? Anger began to surge through his veins and he grasped her arms tightly. His eyes became menacing as they glared right through Argilla and into her very soul.

"Why?" he asked, with firm control. Although Serph had overwhelming control in himself, Argilla had not missed the look of bloody murder that seemed to scream from his eyes.

"Serph…I'm not the issue here…You are."

Serph blinked in confusion and tightened his grip on her. Argilla attempted to pull away but he held her still.

"Why?" he asked again, this time through gritted teeth.

"Are you telling me that what happened between us was what you wanted?" she asked, baffled.

Serph felt relieved for a moment. So she wasn't regretting last night. She was just having delusions on how he would act. Silly him.

Serph nodded his head and the murderous glare that he had only moments before, vanished. What replaced them was a look of apology and love. Argilla smiled again, "I'm not regretting it Serph. In fact, I think it would suffice to say that, last night was one of, if not, the happiest day of my life."

She held his gaze with an intense look of her own and stroked his cheek, "I love you…you know that right?"

Serph nodded and kissed her forehead. He stood up and held out his hand to her. She happily accepted it and the two head for downstairs.

xxxxx

"Yo brudda, wat's taking dem so long ja? I've been waiting forever ja?" Cielo moped.

Roland and Gale said nothing and continued to drink their cups of coffee and drift in their own thoughts. Cielo looked at his two companions and noticed that they weren't being responsive at all. No, responsive wasn't the word for it, he decided. They were just plain ignoring him!

"Ey! Don't ignore me!" Cielo stomped his hand on the table which earned a reaction from Gale. "Cielo, would you stop that? I'm trying to read."

Roland looked up at Cielo as well, "Come on, be quiet. I'm having a good drink here!"

The three had begun to shuffle around when Serph and Argilla had shown up. "And to think that you all are grown men!" Argilla glared; her hands on her hips. Serph said nothing and gave the three a sheepish smile as they looked up at their visitors.

Gale quickly composed himself, "It's about time you guys got here. What took you both so long anyway?" Gale knew he was playing with fire, but he also figured that riling up his comrades and seeing their embarrassed reactions would be an amusing break, considering the dangerous and potentially fatal mission they had that day.

Argilla blushed crimson at the weight Gale's question had dropped on her shoulders, "Well…I was bathing and getting dressed."

Cielo and Roland raised an eyebrow. Cielo took a step forward, "Since wen did you become conscious of how you look like Argilla?"

At his comment, Argilla gritted her teeth, "And what is that supposed to mean?" Cielo frantically waved his hands in a hurried attempt at surrender, "Ey, ey! Nothing! I didn't mean anything!"

Gale grinned, 'Smooth Argilla. Your attempt at changing the subject is seamless, yet imperfect for a person like me."

Serph watched the playfulness that was being displayed by his two comrades. Serph turned his attention to Gale as he stepped forward, "So, Argilla, why exactly were you taking so long to dress up? You usually just take around half an hour to prep. Is there something amiss?"

At Gales question, Roland's eyes perked up, 'This I gotta see!' Argilla composed herself, "I didn't take long." she snapped, "I just overslept!"

Gale's grin widened. Serph instinctively flushed. Too bad that none of the Embryon members were to see it. They were too focused on Argilla.

"Overslept? Why? Is there something wrong Argilla? You must have been pretty exhausted and physically drained to oversleep the way you did."

Roland didn't miss the look that Serph had given Argilla. He didn't miss the hints that Gale was giving everyone either. Roland may be an annoying jerk, but he was not stupid. 'Serph kept Argilla up last night.' he silently concluded. 'She made her choice then. And to think she is cute too…' he sighed in regret knowing that Argilla would never come to be his.

"Ey! Wat's happenin Argilla? Are you sick or something?" Cielo quickly jumped in between Argilla and Gale and put his palm on her forehead, "Hm…you don't have a fever. Maybe it's the flu? You know, back during the early 21st century, dey had dis sickness called de bird flu; maybe it's dat ja?"

"Aargh! I can't take this anymore!" Argilla yelled as she swatted Cielo's pesky palm from her forehead, "Let's just go already! Come on Serph! Everybody's here! Let's go!" Argilla took Serph by the hand and began to lead him out of the HQ when Cielo spoke again, "Ey brudda! I forgot to ask, where were you? I went to your room earlier and you weren't dere." Serph turned around to face him and said nothing.

Argilla felt cornered. Gale obviously knew what they had been doing, Roland too, 'But at least, Roland hasn't said anything.' she thought. Cielo was close to figuring it out too. She was just on the verge of confessing when Roland spoke up, "Serph was probably doing the rounds; right leader?"

Roland got up and proceeded towards the door and waved to them, "Come on Cielo! Stop harassing the lady and let's get a move on!" He was already out the door when Gale spoke, "He's right. Come on, let's hurry."

"Ey! How come I'm the only one who never gets to know anything around here!" yelled Cielo as he followed Roland and Gale out the door.

Argilla and Serph stood silent by the doorway. Argilla was stuck in her own world when she felt a tug on her wrist.

"Let's go…" Serph muttered. Argilla nodded.