CHAPTER XV: MISTAKE
Zakia was unsurprised when getting into the prison turned out to be the easiest part of their mission.
As she was aware from years in the field, it was not difficult to get yourself unwillingly thrown in prison. One wrong word in a cantina, a little pick-pocketing gone bad, skipping bail, stealing Daddy's money and running… her list could drag on all the way to the extremes. Even so, Zakia had never considered the possibility she would go in on her own accord.
It would be a lie to say she had not considered closing the hatch behind Malk's crew and flying the Razor Crest away from the prison. Close the door, shoot the droid, leave. How hard could it be? Contradictorily, her mind continued to revolve around the Child. If they failed the job, they received no money. And no money generally meant no sustenance and no fuel.
In the end, desperation for money was the reason Zakia found herself facing off with four heavily armed droids in the prison vessel's hallway. The robots' appearance had the whole group scattering, while Din and Zakia took the opportunity to find a hallway that lead around so they could engage the droids from behind. Mayfield was shouting in the distance, no doubt claiming her and Mando weren't worth their time. It wasn't until his repetitive shout of "I knew it!" That the duo stepped out behind the droids.
"Left." Zakia claimed, sneaking a glance at Mando.
They both attacked at the same time, a silent ambush upon the mechanical enemies. Armed with vibroknives that were more than capable of severing the droid's joints, Zakia leapt up while Mando went for the ground. It was a tactical move they had almost perfected. She was short, and it made it easy for falling enemies to intercept her when he went for their legs. If Zakia instead leapt upwards to a second enemy's shoulders, the attack was easily evaded.
Zakia scaled the droid's back, swiping her knife downwards from above the elbow joint. The forearm clanked to the floor, but the other one wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her over its shoulders. It no longer had a weapon to brandish, and Zakia used the lack of defense to her advantage. Tipping her weight forward, she brought the machine to the ground and sliced the knife through the wires in its neck. The lights across its body flickered out, and she scrambled to her feet.
The remaining two droids were already on them, and the Mandalorian staggered back when one fired into his cuirass. Zakia pulled her blaster on the other, rolling out of the way of its shots and firing her own into its chest. She aimed, but a resounding 'PING' echoed through the hall and her target fell. A knife protruded from the seam of its chestplate, and Zakia pouted as she yanked the weapon free.
"That was mine, Man- ah!" Zakia leapt for cover as a blaster bolt zinged by her ear.
Another set of droids approached, marching forward in sync. She briefly wondered why Mayfield and the team hadn't stepped in to help, but only sent a sideways glance towards where they hid.
"If you want something done right, do it yourself." She muttered, pivoting out from her hiding spot and firing back on the droids. She aimed for their necks this time, the bolts landing true and causing both to fall to the ground in a heap of metal. The Mandalorian leapt over said pile as more droids marched in, using the flamethrowers in his gauntlets to melt them down. One managed to heave back up, only for Din to snatch its blaster away and fire the weapon back into the droid's head.
Zakia straightened and holstered her guns once the hallway quieted. Mando's helm was fixed on the team's hiding spot, and he threw the droid's blaster to the ground. It clattered against the smooth floor, the sound sending a clear message to the team who had ducked for cover at the first sign of trouble. Zakia ignored the trio as she skipped over piles of smoking metal, bringing herself to Mando's side so they stood as a unit.
"Make sure you clean up your mess." Mayfield's parting words as the group strode past like nothing happened were more disconcerting than usual.
Xi'an leered into Zakia's space with her strange giggle, and the blonde raised a single brow at the Twi'lek before she carried on. Burg jogged past, a purposeful shoulder ramming into Mando's pauldron.
"Great." Zakia shook her head, and Din set his hand back in its new favorite place on her back. He nudged her forward gently, following after the group. "I can't wait until this is over."
The Mandalorian's viewfinder pointed towards her. "You and I both."
"It seems your presence has been detected. Redirecting security alert away from your position."
Zakia heard Zero's tinny voice through the speaker in her ear as they turned a corner to what looked to be the control room.
"Open the door, Z!" Mayfield called through the link, making Zakia wince at the voice in her ear.
"But I am detecting an organic signature."
"Yeah, alright, just open the door!"
Zakia tapped the controls on her wrist to switch to her and Mando's link. "Organic?"
She spoke softly enough to avoid the other's detection, and Mando's voice floated into her ear.
"There's a human on board."
The door slid open before any protest could be made, revealing a stout man in a New Republic uniform. He had been seated at the security desk, but shot to his feet at the sight of intruders. The soldier brandished a blaster.
"Stop!"
Mando drew his weapon as well, sidestepping so Zakia was behind him and unprovoked to draw on an innocent man.
"Just stop right there." The guard was shaking, and Zakia was fairly sure she was too, but didn't comment on it. "You put down your blasters right now."
His anxiety took an unfortunate precedence, and the soldier didn't fire when Mayfield let himself into the room.
"Nice shoes." He commented, walking the perimeter slowly and ignoring a second command to put their weapons down. "Matches his belt."
Zakia stayed in step with Mando, keeping her blaster holstered but her hand ready to pull.
"There were only supposed to be droids on this ship." Din said, head tipped in Mayfield's direction.
"Hang on, hang on. Let's see here…" The triggerman was surveying the controls, scrolling through a list of inmates. "Cell 2-2-1."
Zakia kept her eyes on the Republic shoulder, trying to convey sympathy through her gaze. There was no reason he should have been caught up in the outrageous plan.
"Alright, now for our well-dressed friend."
At Mayfield's ominous words, the man pulled a tracking beacon from his belt and held it like a second weapon. The frontman tensed, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. Zakia knew they wouldn't have a chance if he activated it.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, easy, Egghead. Put that down. Come on."
"Easy." Mando dropped his voice, speaking in a soothing tone to the man.
Going with the nature of the mission though, Mayfield ruined it. "Put it down, now!"
"Shut it, Mayfield!" Zakia snapped at the same time Mando spoke, "Easy. Nobody has to get hurt here. Just calm down."
"What is that thing?" Burg demanded, voice booming against the walls of the control room.
"It's a tracking beacon." Din said calmly.
"He presses that thing, we're all done. A New Republic attack team will hone in on that signal and blow us all to hell. Put it down!"
Xi'an took that moment to lean forward from the chair she had occupied. "Are you serious?"
Zakia's eyes snapped to her. "What did you think it was for, his remote control toy?"
The Twi'lek hissed. "Then why didn't you tell us that, blondie?"
"Stop! I didn't think we'd get to this point!" Mayfield's inability to operate under pressure was becoming incredibly apparent.
"And here we are." Zakia didn't understand how Xi'an was dumb enough to underestimate the gravity of their situation.
"Are you questioning my managerial style, Xi'an?" Mayfield demanded, striding towards her.
"What is even happening?" Zakia's eyes darted back and forth between the conflicting two thirds of Ran's team and Mando.
"Hey. Listen to me. Okay? Look." Din caught the guard's attention and holstered his blaster. "Hey put it down."
The second command was directed at Mayfield, who stared blankly. "Are you crazy?"
Zakia pointed at the 'manager'. "Put it down."
He seemed to see something in her eyes that made him listen, and all the blasters except the guards slowly lowered.
"Alright. What's your name?" Din asked, keeping one hand out in front of him.
The man swallowed, nervous eyes finding purchase on Zakia's partially-hidden face. "It's Davan."
Zakia gave the smallest of nods, encouraging him to relax without words.
"Davan. We're not here for you, we're here for a prisoner." Din reassured, "If you let us go about our job, you can walk away with your life."
"No he won't." Mayfield lifted his blaster, leveling it back at Davan's head.
It was that which made Zakia draw her blaster. She pointed it at Mayfield, and the room froze. "You're gonna bring hell raining down on here, moron."
"You think I care about that?" Mayfield returned.
Zakia gaped at him. "Well, it means you're gonna be dead, so I sure as shit hope so!"
Mando held up a hand. "We're not killing anybody. Understand?"
"Get that blaster out of my face, lady." Mayfield looked to the Mandalorian. "Get a leash on her."
"I can't do that."
Zakia wasn't sure whether he was referring to the leash or her dropping the weapon, but she was unmoved on both subjects.
"Get the blaster outta my face!"
At Mayfield's strangled yelling, Burg lifted his own blaster and pressed the muzzle to Zakia's head. Mando moved at light speed, pushing her back to level his blaster at Mayfield and flamethrower at Burg.
"Don't." He warned, helmet on a swivel between the two. Zakia was halfway behind him, out of Burg's firing line but still able to keep Mayfield locked in her sights.
"You need-"
A flash of blue energy crackled across the room, and Zakia jumped into Mando's back when Davan collapsed at her feet. Xi'an stood from her chair, eyes rolling.
"Would the three of you just shut up?" She sauntered across the room, pushing by Zakia and Mando to kneel by Davan's corpse. She drew one tiny dagger from his heart, twirling it between her purple fingers.
"Crazy Twi." Mayfield commented. He readjusted his shoulder straps, watching Xi'an bend down. "I had it under control."
"Yeah. Looked like it."
Zakia wasn't paying attention to Xi'an though. It was the tiny plastic square on the ground which caught her attention It flashed with three red lights, and beeped at an increasing speed. Her eyes darted to Mando, who was looking in the same place.
"Was that thing blinking before?" Mayfield asked, "Was it?"
She only shook her head, taking a small step back. The com in Zakia's ear crackled, though Din remained perfectly still.
"You're ready if this goes bad?" He rasped, voice a whisper beneath his helmet.
Zakia bit her lip, turning back toward the hallway as if she were thinking. "It already has." She breathed.
Mando must have spliced their coms back into the groups when Zero's voice cut sharply into her ear. "I've detected a New Republic distress signal honing in on your location. You have approximately twenty minutes."
Much to Zakia's annoyance, Xi'an spoke again. "We only need five."
"Let's go, let's go, let's go! Move!" Mayfield urged them all out of the room.
Din grabbed Zakia's arm. "Something's up."
"Kriff, Din, you don't say? Something's been up this whole time!" Zakia argued, shoving her blaster back into its holster when she noticed it still dangling between her fingers.
A sigh slipped out from under his helmet, crackling through the modulator. "Watch your back."
They followed after the group, boots whispering against the floor. Din and Zakia caught up after a few corners, but jerked to a sudden stop when a cylindrical droid hovered through a cross section of hallways. Much to the hunters' surprise, Burg tackled the droid right out of the air. The massive Davaronian smashed it into the floor, roaring angrily and using it as a weapon when a similar droid floated around the next corner.
Continuing on, Mando kept an eye on the back of the group. Zakia ran with her blaster in hand, pointed down but ready for any incoming threats. It seemed like an eternity, but the rag-tag bunch eventually came upon cell number two-two-one. Mayfield withdrew a key- he must have snatched it from Davan's body- and inserted it into the lock. Zakia watched the mechanism spin and click into place.
"Z, open it up."
"You have fifteen minutes remaining." Another entirely unhelpful response from the droid.
"Z, open it up!"
At the second command, the lock spun once more and all of the door lights flashed green. It lifted at once, and Zakia stared. She didn't recognize the Twi'lek sitting on the bench, but his presence seemed to bother Din.
"Qin." The Mandalorian said, taking a step towards the cell. Zakia watched curiously, hands still wrapped around her blaster. She assumed Qin was a part of Ran's crew that Mando had worked with before Zakia came along.
Qin stood, jarring gait bringing him further into the light. His lekku were short but wide, as was his frame. He had deep scar-like lesions running down either side of his face, and Zakia was not at all fond of the look on his face. "Funny. The man who left me behind is now my savior."
"Get to the ship."
Zakia tensed at Din's voice, and everything around her dropped into slow motioned.
Burg launched a fist that landed on Mando's chestplate, thrusting him into the cell. It burned Zakia, but she took off as fast as she could back towards the Razor Crest. She could hear the group yelling to pursue her, but pushed hard. Her short legs had a natural disadvantage, but she kept moving until the sounds of the group faded.
"Damn it!" She was lost.
"Zak? Zak, are you okay?"
Zakia huffed as she kept moving, looking for any sign of their carnage or a clue as to the direction they'd come from. "I'm fine, but I think I'm lost."
"Keep trying to find the ship. I'm- hold on."
She moved at a jog, her thoughts nagging her. Zero could track her bio-signature, and give her location to the group. She had to find a way to conceal herself.
"Zakia, where are you?" Din's voice was strained, and it sounded like he was breathing heavy.
"I don't know, I can't tell. I made a right and then three lefts. And another right. I was running." Zakia replied. "Are you okay?"
"I caught one of the guard droids- they have keys. I'm trying to find you."
A breath of relief left her heaving chest, but the feeling was quickly squashed by footsteps. She flattened herself into the wall, hiding behind the support rings that built the foundation. She heard the group pass by in the crossing hallway, and prayed they hadn't noticed.
"Which way did she go?"
"How am I supposed to know? This whole place looks the same."
Zakia closed her eyes as their voices passed, and her heart thudded into her ribcage. She stepped out, only to run smack into a figure rounding the corner. The collision knocked her off her feet, and Zakia pulled the vibroknife from her boot. She pointed it up, expecting to cut through the joints of another droid. Instead, the blade came into contact with an unbreakable metal, sending tiny pinpricks down her wrist and finger bones.
"Zakia?"
The strangled sound that escaped her was not at all in character, and she allowed the Mandalorian to haul her back onto her feet. She would have loved a moment to breathe, despite the fact is was not remotely close to being considered an option.
"How'd you find me?" Zakia could barely hear herself over the blood roaring in her ears, and she followed as Mando continued to make his way down the hall.
"Followed your directions. You made one wrong turn. Now-" He motioned for her to follow as he turned left. "-we're back to the control room."
Zakia was grateful Mando had a sense of the prison. Some of it could undoubtedly be contributed to the tech within his helmet, but they were practically one and the same at that point. He herded her into the room, surveying the monitors.
Zakia trailed her fingers over the keys, stepping over the body on the floor as if it wasn't there. There was a set of buttons labeled 'Lockdown' which immediately appealed to her.
"Where are they?"
Mando took a gander at the monitor they were on. "Section K3-4."
Zakia typed in the section, and pressed the 'engage' button on the console. The entire ship was plunged into a temporary darkness, and Zakia's hand shot out to grip Din's bicep. "Did I mess it up?"
Her answer came in the form of the emergency lights, illuminating the halls in an ominous, sickly red tone. They watched the group move on the screens, and Mando hovered a hand over the controls, occasionally closing a firewall to drive the group as he wished. Zakia took note of his actions, smile tugging at her lips. "I see."
With a very specific jab, he managed to slide a door shut in the middle of the team. Mayfield and Qin were on one side, while Xi'an and Burg were stuck on the other. Zakia tapped her nails against the counter, keeping the doorway in her peripheral
"Where is it?" Mando hummed, walking across the room. Zakia furrowed her brow.
"What?'
"The jammer."
Zakia traced a finger over the console, pausing at a switch with a static symbol above it. She flipped it up, and tapped at the com unit in her ear. "Hear that?"
Mando shook his head.
"Then we're set."
Din watched the screens for another second, trying to make a decision on who would find the controls first. Once he saw the Devaronian coming in their direction, he kicked into gear. "We need to hide."
Zakia's eyes darted around the room, but eventually settled on the ceiling. "Din. Look."
She pointed up, and he noticed a sideways grate in the metal ceiling. "Let's go."
After debating about who should climb up first, they decided it would be Din. Wearing armor usually brought about that situation, and Zakia wasn't keen on going up first anyway. He used the tip of his knife to maneuver the grate enough to where he could fit. After it was moved, Din crouched down and launched his body upwards. His hands latched onto the edge, and he scrambled to get his elbows on. Once that was done, it was simple to haul the rest of his body up. He reached his arms down to Zakia, and she grasped onto him with all her strength. It didn't take much to pull her slight frame into the ceiling, and he replaced the grate when she was on stable metal.
The habitable part of the attic-area more than large enough for both of them, but Zakia's back stayed firmly against Din's body. Despite their predicament, the sexual tension plaguing their relationship was painfully clear. Being on the run was hard enough, and having a toddler on board even moreso. Zakia didn't argue when his arm wrapped around her middle, keeping her tight against his body. She tilted her head towards him, cheek brushing his helmet.
"Is it bad that you have been turning me on all day?" She said.
"Funny." Mando husked in her ear, "I'd been thinking the same about you."
Zakia's fingers dug into his wrists as he spoke, chewing on her lip.
"It's a shame we're locked in a prison and not alone."
The way he said 'alone' sent shivers running down her spine, even though Zakia was drenched in sweat. Din's warm body pressed against her own wasn't helping, and the words he spoke made her blood run hot. His fingers drummed against her side, sneaking beneath the hem of her shirt. Footsteps pounded towards them below, and Zakia batted his hand away.
"Stop trying to get in my pants when there's a Devaronian coming to kill us." She murmured.
"We've done worse."
Zakia didn't have the opportunity to respond, as a dreadfully familiar red form appeared through the grates below them. She felt the need to hold her breath for silence, watching the beast search for them.
"Where are you, little mouse?"
Din pulled his arm from around Zakia, pressing his closed fist into the floor and aiming carefully. Zakia pushed away as he fired his grappling hook down and tightened it around the Devaronian's neck. Din staggered back to his feet, struggling against Burg's incredible strength. Much to Zakia's chagrin, the grate gave in.
With a mighty heave, the horned man had them both falling to the floor. Zakia gasped as pain shot through her leg where Mando fell on it. They were a tangle of limbs, struggling to their feet as Burg attacked. Din grabbed the Devarorian's wrist, and a series of tiny rockets jetted from his vambrace. Zakia yelped, ducking down and rolling away when one came too close. Burg focused on Din, tossing the Mandalorian into the console and dragging his helmet across the controls. Zakia skittered backwards, drawing her blaster and firing off two failed shots as both men tussled with each other. Burg ended up in the sliding doorway, and Mando shot the control panel. The door dropped, and Zakia sighed in relief.
Though, it seemed she was not allowed to have any sort of happiness that day. Burg was still moving, pushing the door upwards. She grit her teeth and raised her blaster, firing before Din or Burg could react. The Devaronian fell, and the door chased him down. A sick squelching noise followed, and Zakia wrinkled her nose.
"Here I thought he was gross when he was alive."
They departed from the control center, next target being Xi'an. Din synced the whole floor plan to his helmet, and led them to her last position while the blonde limped along beside him. Her leg was throbbing from their fall, the only thing aiding her being the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Zakia clenched and unclenched her fists when they stepped into the hall behind their Twi target. She didn't doubt that Xi'an sensed their presence, and the Twi spun around with knives in hand.
Zakia waved sweetly, answered by Xi'an's snarl. Daggers were thrown in their direction, and Mando took the brunt of it with his armor. Zakia hid between the wall supports again, blaster in front of her and primed to fire. She heard Mando grunt in pain, and stepped out with both blasters pointed at Xi'an. She had managed to spear him with one of the stilettos, its glowing blue tip sticking out from just under his pauldron. It was barely a flesh wound considers how small the knives were, and Mando had managed to wrangle the Twi'lek into a headlock as a testament to his strength. His vibroknife was at Xi'an's throat, and Zakia smirked.
"Drop the knives or I'll drop you."
It was simple work, rounding up the rest of the crew.
Zakia took pleasure in locking up Mayfield and Xi'an; furthermore when Mando forced Qin up the ladder and into the Crest. They had found Zero peering into the baby's bunk with a blaster drawn, and Zakia made quick work out of destroying and disposing of the droid. Qin watched everything with interest from the beginning to the end of their journey, up to the point where Ran paid them due to the 'no questions' policy.
After they'd left Ran's station, Zakia held the Child against her chest, nose brushing his fuzzy head. "I missed you."
The Child giggled, swatting playfully at her hair and tugging on the strangs. Zakia stood to move into the kitchen, stumbling to the side when the ship lurched. It was a hyperspace jump, and she furrowed her brows. Zakia shuffled over to the ladder, favoring her aching leg and looking up.
"Why so soon with the hyperspace?"
Din's head appeared in her sightline, and it soon turned into his whole body as he shimmied down the ladder. He held his right arm tenderly after Xi'an's blade had pierced it, but it was nothing more than sore.
"Ran was sending a fighter after us. But they have their own surprise coming."
Zakia patted the Child's back as he voiced his protest about leaving the kitchen. "What's that?"
"They might be getting an early inspection from the Republic."
Her jaw dropped. "You took the beacon."
Mando nodded. "Yes."
Laughter filled the cabin after a stunned silence, the sound echoing from both the Mandalorian and Zakia. The baby laughed at their sudden outburst, big eyes bouncing back and forth between the pair. It was a rare event to hear Din truly laugh, and Zakia reveled in the sound.
"That job was terrible."
"I'd have to agree." Din took the Child from her, bouncing him gently against his pauldron.
"Well, I don't know about you, but it's about bedtime for everyone aboard. So he's getting a snack and then going down." Zakia opened and closed cupboards, searching for a special treat for the Child. She eventually came across a ration bar with an absurd amount of sweetener in it, and broke the dessert into pieces.
"Here you go, buddy." Zakia held up a fragment, and the kid snatched it straight from her fingers with his teeth. "Hey! Easy, you piranha."
Din nodded towards the cockpit. "I'm gonna clean up."
Zakia understood the silent request, standing up shakily and heading for the ladder. She scaled it with relative ease, and ducked back down to take the kid from Mando.
"Put bacta on your shoulder." Zakia ordered, lifting the Child onto the cockpit floor.
"Yes, mother. Thank you."
The doors slid shut, and Zakia sighed. She sat cross-legged with the kid, setting the snack out on the floor and allowing him to choose which piece he wanted first. It took a few minutes for her body to relax from the day and realize it was safe. The Child was babbling happily, and returned to his normal routine of tossing the acceleration lever's topper across the room. Zakia dozed off at the familiar cacophony, eyes fluttering shut as she rested against the wall.
Almost a full hour passed before Din climbed up into the cockpit. After bandaging his shoulder and rinsing the blood from his body, he took the time to shave and breather without a helmet covering his face. He emerged in a soft black and gray tunic, with black pants and his helmet fixed into place. His beskar had been cleaned and set out, littering the cabin floor.
There was a soft scraping noise coming from above, indicative of the Child's playing, but no voices. He hauled himself up the ladder, opening the cockpit door and letting himself in. The kid yelped excitedly at his presence, and Din smirked beneath the helm.
Zakia's legs were outstretched in front of him, and his eyes followed the limbs up to her body. She had leaned back into the wall, eyes closed. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and Din smiled. He scooped up the kid and stepped back down the ladder. The Child fussed about being deposited in his bunk, only relaxing when Din left the door open to avoid closing him off.
Returning to the cockpit, he set out to double check their course and set the autopilot to his desired setting. Din cracked his neck, watching hyperspace swirl by for a moment before turning back to his partner. She was still fast asleep, mouth slightly agape and eyelashes tickling her cheeks. He smiled, switching all of the lights off and reaching to his jawline to pull away the helmet. The fresh air was a relief against his face, and he held the beskar gingerly with a few fingers as he lifted Zakia from under the shoulders. She unconsciously curled into him, arms wrapping around his neck and face burying itself in the crook of his shoulder. Zakia's legs wrapped around his waist, and Din used one hand to steady her against him as he dropped to the cabin below. The whole ship was dark, but he knew his way around well enough to make it to their quarters without incident.
Din set his helmet beside the bed, and softly laid Zakia in the pile of blankets. He brushed a hand over her cheek, and felt her eyelashes flutter against his finger.
"Hmm… Din?"
"Present."
Zakia's hand flopped about lazily in a clear signal for him to join her. He did just that, pulling the tunic from his chest and dropping it on the floor. Her fingers wound around his arms, and Din reveled in the warmth of her body under the blankets. As was their normal routine, Din shuffled about to pull her onto his chest. Zakia resisted, staying firmly planted on her back.
"No…" She twined her hand into his hair, tugging him down. "You always take care of me."
Her sleepy words cut him deep, and he lowered himself without resistance. Her fingers entwined with his hair, scraping against his scalp. Din allowed his body to rest just to her side, head propped on her chest. His nose brushed her chin, and Zakia ducked her head to kiss it gently.
"How's your shoulder?"
Din wiggled the joint about. "Not bad. The bacta took care of it."
"Good." Zakia's fingers traveled down his neck, massaging his nape and tugging at the hair there. "You know… You were pretty quiet today. Touchy."
"You said earlier that it turned you on." He shot back, readjusting so his face was hovering over hers. One elbow propped him up on his side, and the other arm reached across her body. "Change your mind?"
"Stars, no." Zakia set a hand on his bare shoulder, tracing it all the way up to his lips. "I just thought you'd want to know that you're it."
"It?"
"For me. You're it. No one else could drag me away if they tried."
Din's heart skipped, and he didn't have to speak to reply. He leaned down to join their lips, relishing in the warmth that spread through his veins. The only thing that could make it better was if he could turn the lights on. To let her see the sincerity in his eyes and the determination to stay together through whatever remained.
But until his Creed was broken, they would remain forever in the dark.