Chapter 30: Reunions

Alice Lynheart smiled at the two hands she held within her own as they made their way out of the loading bay, shuffling through the crowd heading into the building with Matthew on her right side and Vincent on her left.

It had been several years since she’d visited the Ridgeport base. She honestly wasn’t sure who all they would be able to trust here now.

So far, there had been no sign of her father.

Then again, it wasn’t as if she was in any particular hurry to see him. She was brought out of her thoughts as she felt a light squeeze on her left hand. Turning, she flashed a smile in her boyfriend’s direction as they breached the entryway of the building.

The Ridgeport base was massive. Easily the largest of the three bases, Vincent couldn’t help but feel somewhat intimidated by the large halls brimming with soldiers.

Among the crowd, there were numerous soldiers dressed in maroon uniforms. The natives, Vincent assumed.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m beat. We’ll have to find someone higher up the chain of command to see about our accommodations,” Alice murmured, snapping the boy from his thoughts.

Vincent nodded in agreement. A quiet place to rest sounded absolutely heavenly at the moment. And he wasn’t picky either. Even just a small corner away from everyone so that they could be alone would be appreciated.

The brunette couldn’t help but smile at the wide-eyed Matthew as the trio made their way down the hall.

Upon reaching the end, the hallway opened up to a large atrium.

Vincent gasped. If he’d thought the hallways were crowded, it was nothing compared to the courtyard. Two stories loomed above them, all bustling with activity as the soldiers went about their daily tasks.

“Come on,” Alice spoke with a smile. “We should be able to find Commander Stein in his quarters in the east wing.”

Vincent nodded, still clinging to his girlfriend’s hand as she led the way over to a large staircase leading to the upper floors. As if letting go of her hand would mean she’d disappear.

No. He’d meant what he’d said. He’d never let her go again. Rules or not.

Reaching the top of the staircase, Alice turned down the left hall. Taking about three steps, the blonde froze as she caught sight of the figure watching her as he leaned against the wall.

The brunette soldier ran a hand through his shaggy, black hair as he regarded the blonde with a smile. “Well, well, well. Long time, no see…Alice.”

Alice frowned, a multitude of emotions swirling inside of her. “Hello, Julius. Been a while.”

Vincent’s ears perked at the name as he eyed the tall boy. He had somewhat of a lanky build. His brown eyes were bright in contrast to his tan skin.

“So you mind cluing me in on what’s going on? We got word over the scanner that the Pheora base is gone,” Julius spoke as he pushed himself away from the wall before approaching them.

Alice frowned again. “You didn’t receive any radio communication? The base is completely destroyed. We barely made it out. We could have really used the back-up.”

Julius pursed his lips. “Yeah, the communication system’s been down here for well over a month now.”

“What?!” Alice shouted, causing the brunette to wince.

Julius sighed, sparing a glance at Matthew and Vincent. “Look, you’ve obviously been through a lot. We can catch up after you all have had a proper chance to get acclimated.”

“How am I supposed to get acclimated hearing something like that?” the woman asked with a raised brow. “Our base got dismantled by an attack from the enemy. Few of us made it out alive. We were lambs to a slaughter, Julius.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You’re sorry?” Alice asked, unable to conceal the incredulous tone rising in her voice. “Unbelievable! Which idiot allowed the communications to remain severed?”

Julius narrowed his eyes. “Stein. You going to burn your gracious host to a crisp, are you?”

“Considering it.”

The youth held his hands up in the air. “I get it. You’re furious. The way I see it, you have every right to be. But this isn’t the time or place to be picking fights, not in your current condition. Not when you’re holding hands with some kid and a stranger.”

Vincent glared at him. He chose to remain quiet. Alice was grateful for that decision. He didn’t need to hand Julius anything to use against them.

“I can barely stand,” she replied. “He’s helping situate me.”

Julius hummed. A brief look of disapproval emerged on his face before he shook his head. “I’d suggest situating yourself in the medical bay.”

“It can wait. Right now, I’d like a room.”

Her remark provoked a snort from the raven-haired youth. “Yeah, you and the two hundred others. Sorry to say it, but accommodations are going to be stretched thin, Alice. I hope that doesn’t come as a surprise.”

“Can’t say it does. But an admiral such as yourself ought to have pull.”

“Think nostalgia will get you any favors?”

Alice gripped the corner of her shirt and tugged on it, exposing her stitching. “I would hope my service would afford me the accommodations.”

“That’s more skin than I’ve seen from you since we dated.”

Alice glanced at Vincent, taking note of the teen’s disgust. She looked back at Julius and smiled at him before lowering the shirt. “You get clawed by a lion, and you’re more than welcome to show off.”

“Where the hell did you meet up with a lion? They ship you off to a jungle?”

The blonde offered him a coy smile. “You wouldn’t meet a lion in the jungle. That’s a common misconception. You’d go to a savannah.”

“And why were you in a savannah?”

“Never said I was. Tell you what though: You secure me a room, and I’ll spill the beans on whatever you want to know.”

Julius sighed, brushing an errant strand of hair with his hand. “I don’t know.”

“Tomorrow. First thing.”

He clicked his tongue. As if his head were hanging loosely on a pivot, he began to nod frantically. “Fine, fine. Consider it done. It’ll take some pulling, but I can get you a room. You and that, uh…kid there.”

“Matthew,” the boy answered.

Julius smiled, looking at Alice intently. “He yours?”

She glared at him, knowing where he was going with his line of questioning. “Something like that. We’ll broach that subject tomorrow.”

“And that young man there,” Julius said, gesturing to him. “Is he daddy?”

Vincent let go of Alice and stepped within a few feet of Julius. “And if I am?”

The conversation came to a standstill as the admiral studied him intently. A few seconds passed, and Julius chuckled. “Bold. Cool as ice, too. You certainly know how to pick ‘em.”

“Flattered. I hope you know how to pick out a room,” Alice flatly replied, uninterested in engaging the topic. She didn’t wish to draw attention to them anymore than they’d already done.

The admiral gave a huff. “Go to the med bay. I want you looked at while I make the arrangements.”

“That an order?”

He frowned at her question. “No, that’s a helpful suggestion from one friend to another.”

“We’re friends again, are we?”

“Certainly not the handholding kind like him,” Julius said as he made a gesture in Vincent’s direction. He narrowed his eyes at her. “On second thought, you do need to go to the medical bay. Get your head examined. Because if that’s a subordinate I spy you getting a little intimate with-”

Alice held up a hand, giving the admiral pause.

“You were doing so well, Julius. Here I mistook you for being a courteous gentleman. Not even five minutes, and you’re insulting my rationality, making threats. Shame, shame.”

Julius crossed his arms. “Down the hall, to the far-left. Medical bay. Now.”

Alice gave a rueful frown. “And what makes you think there’s even going to be room in medical right now? I’d wager a lot of our people are coming through with injuries.”

The brunette gave an agitated sigh. “I’m only looking out for you. Perhaps, if you would learn to let go of petty grudges, you’d see that.”

The blonde crossed her arms, giving a defiant glare. “You’re the one bringing up the past, not me.”

The brunette drew in a breath as he closed his eyes. “Fine. You’re right, my bad.” He paused, giving another sigh. “Follow me.”

Alice gave a small smile. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t go expecting a bunch of favors all the time. We have protocols for a reason, you know?”

With that, the admiral turned and led the group down the hall to another staircase.

Upon reaching the third floor, Julius led the group down a hallway on the right. Reaching the door at the end, he paused as he turned to Alice once more.

“Now listen, I hope you know what a favor I’m doing for you here. This room was Commander Victor’s back when he was stationed here before they built his base up in Deinan. Most of us admirals don’t even get to stay in here.”

Alice and Vincent couldn’t help the gasp that left their lips as Julius opened the door. Surely, he’d opened the door to heaven to them.

The queen-sized bed in the left corner of the room was topped with four thick, blue pillows with some of the most elaborate embroideries Alice had ever seen. The white walls were accented in a lovely mocha, giving the room a relaxing, neutral feel. Adjacent to the main sleeping area sat a fully furnished kitchen and dining nook. A small hall to their right led down to what appeared to be a bathroom and second bed chamber.

“Wow!” Matthew beamed as he rushed inside to leap onto the large bed in the corner. “It’s like a house!”

Alice smiled warmly at the boy before turning to Julius. “Thanks. Really.”

The brunette waved her off. “Yeah, yeah. You owe me big. If Stein chews my head off, I’m sending him after you.”

Alice chuckled. “As long as it’s after a good ten-hour nap, bring him on.”

Julius briefly returned the smile before sobering. “Well, I wouldn’t thank me just yet. Leo is still M.I.A. If he doesn’t show by morning, the commander’s going to want to speak with you.”

Vincent glanced at Alice as she frowned, giving a nod of understanding. Did she not know about the convoy yet? Should he tell them? Crazy as the man had been, she still had a right to know.

“And if he doesn’t come?”

Alice and Julius turned to the amber-eyed boy at his question.

Julius pulled a face as a predatory smile tugged the girl’s lips upward.

“Well, the next person highest on the chain of command reported alive would assume responsibility. Leo’s base had no admirals, so it would be the highest-ranking lieutenant that would assume authority. That would be-”

“That would be me,” Alice chimed in with another bright, yet tired, smile. “I would essentially step in as commander.”

Vincent’s eyes widened.

“Acting-commander,” Julius corrected with a scowl, drawing the pair’s attention. “And I wouldn’t go counting your chickens before they hatch.”

Following his terse response, the teen turned and began his march elsewhere. Not that Alice was bothered by his departure. Time had done wonders for sharpening his tongue against her. Given he wasn’t permitted to use it on her in the way he desired, he opted instead to lash out with it.

“Well, isn’t he pleasant?” Vincent drawled.

She looked at him with a disapproving frown. “He wasn’t always a prick. An ego came with his promotion in case you couldn’t tell. He’s just afraid of being outranked by me again, is all.”

“I don’t know. I liked the sound of getting intimate,” Vincent replied, a hint of mischief lighting his vibrant eyes as a grin tugged at his lips.

A blush crept into the blonde’s features. She averted her gaze as she absently chewed on her lip, earning a soft chuckle from her boyfriend in response.

“What’s that? Inti…met?”

Both teens flushed, suddenly turning their attention to Matthew as he hopped off the bed.

The pair exchanged a shy glance.

“N-Nothing you need to be worrying about,” Alice finally murmured in reply.

The child giggled. “Yuck! You two aren’t gonna get all gross again, are you?” He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “On second thought, I think you better kiss her again, Vincent. It’ll probably make her feel better. She did cry a lot when she thought you were gone.”

Vincent sank his teeth into his lower lip to keep from laughing as the blonde immediately turned what had to be a million different shades of red. From where he stood, he could practically see the steam coming out of her ears.

Then again, he supposed he wasn’t much better, judging by the heat creeping up his neck.

Alice cleared her throat as she made her way into the room, followed by Vincent. “Right now, you need rest, young man.”

The boy pouted. “Aw! But this place is so cool! And it’s so big; just like you said it’d be. I wanna go exploring.”

Alice gave a light chuckle as she ruffled the boy’s hair. “Aren’t you sleepy?”

A long yawn betrayed the boy before he quickly whipped his head back and forth. “Nuh-uh!”

Alice laughed. “Well, I’ll tell you what, Mr. Explorer: For now, I know a nice bed back there that you can probably explore.”

Matthew laughed. “Okay.”

Vincent gave a fond smile as he watched them disappear down the small hallway. He couldn’t help but feel like a missing piece in his heart had been filled. He closed his eyes as he placed a hand to his chest, moving over to sit down on the luxurious bed. A relieved sigh left his lips as he flopped onto his back.

Amber eyes flew open as a hauntingly familiar sound drifted to his ears. It was a soft melody. One he swore he’d heard somewhere before.

Rising from the bed, the brunette’s feet guided him on their own accord. Before he knew it, he was standing in the doorway of the smaller bed chamber. Peering in, he gazed in wonder at the figure sitting next to Matthew on the bed.

The angelic melody continued.

Tears filled Vincent’s eyes, a warm feeling surging through his chest as the deeply-buried memory resurfaced. He paid no mind to the headache that followed.

He really had found her. After all this time.

The blonde’s eyes fell on him as she finished her lullaby; the same one from all those years ago. She smiled at him, sending fresh tears cascading down his cheeks.

Alice gave the, now sleeping, Matthew one last pat on the head before exiting the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Her eyes locked onto his once more. After a moment, she reached up, wiping away the tears.

“I like it better when you smile.”

Quirking a small grin, she placed her index finger and thumb at the edges of his mouth, forcing his lips upward.

Letting out a laugh that sounded more like a choked sob, Vincent pulled the girl into his arms.

“I-I thought I’d never see you again,” he murmured in a choked whisper.

Alice wrapped her arms around him as she buried her face into his chest. “Stuck with me now,” she returned. Pulling back slightly, she leaned up to seize his lips with her own.

Vincent trembled, giving a soft sigh of contentment as a tender warmth began to fill him.

Her warmth.

The brunette gave a faint moan as his girlfriend tilted her head, deepening their contact. After a few more moments of bliss, the pair reluctantly parted.

Chewing her bottom lip, Alice gave the boy a shy, but loving, gaze as she intertwined their fingers and led him back down the hall to the queen-sized bed that awaited them. At that moment, all she wanted was the amber-eyed boy’s tender touch.

Against the rules or not, she didn’t care. Right or wrong, she didn’t care. There was nothing on earth that could compare to the emotions swirling around inside of her now. She wouldn’t merely have sex with him. No. She had no interest in such vulgar references. She would make love to him. He had taken her heart. Now she would take all of him.

Tears reflected in her sapphire eyes as they reached the bed.

Time seemed to speed up and slow down all at once.

She ran her fingers along the naked flesh of the boy’s chest, unsure of just when she’d taken his shirt. Their lips reacquainted as she gently pushed him onto the bed.

Amber eyes gleamed at her in rapture as she moved over to turn off the light before returning to him.

Now blind, she would need to rely on her sense of touch. Oh, and touch she would. Hair, cheeks, lips…

A soft gasp left the young woman’s mouth as he pulled her to him, tugging her onto his lap as he reclined on the bed.

“Now isn’t this familiar?” he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

Alice’s breath hitched once more as his velvet tongue caressed her earlobe before descending to her neck. Suddenly finding herself unable to keep still, she squirmed against him. The teen would be lying if she were to say that she didn’t take great delight in the breathless whimper that escaped him.

God, she couldn’t get enough of him.

Gentle hands slipped beneath her shirt, fingers brushing the bare skin of her back as lips reacquainted to the feel of one another.

The couple slowly parted for air, Vincent carefully easing the shirt over her head. He swallowed as he traced a finger along the straps of her bra. “F-Further?”

A soft, shy smile lit the blonde’s features as she guided his hands around to the clasps of her bra. “Hold me tight, okay? Don’t let go. Not ever.”

With a flick of his fingers, the article of clothing fell away along with the dam holding back his emotions.

He bit back a sob as he reclaimed her lips.

Alice deepened the kiss, tilting her head to run the tip of her tongue along the seam of his lips. By now, she was positive that her whole body must have gone red by how hot she felt, but she couldn’t seem to find it in herself to care. This love positively melted her, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Her heated fingertips traveled down his chest to his abdomen, relishing every twitch and tremor the boy gave in response.

“Al-ice…”

The soft whimper was music to her ears. If she had her way, he’d be singing all night.

Shy fingers lightly brushed her naked breasts, drawing a shuddering moan from her lips as his velvet tongue finally found her own.

Reaching the waistband of his jeans, Alice flushed as she unsnapped the button and slowly eased the zipper down. Drawing back, she offered the trembling boy another smile filled with warmth before sliding the clothing down his legs.

The blonde’s world shifted then. She was lightheaded as she found herself suddenly staring up into brilliant golden irises. “H-Have I…t-to-told you lately how much I l-love your eyes?” she whispered, breathless.

“I love you.”

The blonde felt her cheeks warm. It was then that she felt the subtle tug on her pants. She hadn’t even heard him unbutton them.

She swallowed, feeling her heart beat what had to have been a thousand miles per hour as his fingers hooked in the waistband of her cotton panties. Her breath hitched as he eased them down. She was unaware of her trembling until he gently grasped her ankles.

“You’re shaking.”

Alice swallowed, averting her gaze.

“Are… Are you frightened, darling?”

The blonde closed her eyes, feeling another shiver run down her spine.

Frightened by how badly she wanted him maybe.

Vincent brushed a hand to her cheek, giving a somewhat strained smile as she leaned into it. “Do you want me to stop?”

Sapphire eyes snapped open. “You stop now, and I’m going to have to hurt you.”

A light chuckle came from the boy as his cheeks darkened with color. Feeling more than a little timid, he slowly slipped out of his underwear.

The air in the room suddenly shifted as the pair shyly regarded one another.

Alice chewed her lip. How long was he just going to stare at her like that? She squirmed, resisting the urge to crawl beneath the blankets.

After what seemed like a paralyzing eternity, the boy spoke again.

“You’re…even more beautiful than I’d ever imagined,” he spoke, his tone a breathless whisper.

Alice found herself transfixed by his mesmerizing gaze as he slowly eased himself onto her, allowing her to finally feel the length of him against her.

Vincent allowed instinct to guide him as the girl carefully aligned them. He had absolutely no clue what he was doing. All he did know for sure was that her touch was driving him mad, and he was desperate to immerse himself in her warmth.

A string of whimpering cries left Alice’s lips as the boy slowly began to sink into her. He paused briefly at the soft resistance of her virginity, and she buried her face into his bare shoulder to muffle the cry.

Vincent groaned as he buried his face into her golden hair. She was so warm. Heart racing in his chest, he trailed his lips along her throat.

Alice shuddered, her toes curling as incoherent whimpers and sighs began spilling from her lips in a series of nearly inaudible sounds.

She was positively melting inside!

Vincent began a slow, gentle rhythm.

Both teens were soon lost in a world of their own creation as skin met skin over and over again, enveloped in a euphoria the likes of which neither had ever known before. They only briefly parted for air before their lips were joined together again.

Alice tightened her hold on the boy’s shoulders as he pressed deeper, her whimpering cry muffled by their joined mouths. She quivered as he hit the spot again. Then again. A pleasant chill tingled down her spine before her heart missed a beat, and the breathless whisper of his name escaped her lips in her release.

Vincent groaned, falling over the edge behind her.

Feeling very much like melted chocolate, the brunette slowly lowered himself onto his side, careful not to dislodge her from him as he tucked her head beneath his chin.

For a moment, only the pair’s breathing remained audible. They rested in each other’s arms, neither having ever felt so vulnerable, yet so loved before.

Alice smiled as she rubbed her cheek against the boy’s chest, feeling his heart still beating wildly. A sleepy warmth seeped into her limbs, weighing them down as she breathed out a sigh of contentment.

Adrenalin giving way to fatigue, heavy eyelids drifted closed.

Vincent gazed warmly at the angel in his arms as her breathing slowly evened out and deepened. A frown pulled at his lips as his thumb brushed against her bandaged wound.

Never again. He would die first.

A yawn escaped him as he pulled the blanket over them, cuddling further into the girl’s addicting warmth.

Tomorrow would be a new beginning. In more ways than one.