Aftermath [Isaac and Alice]

[Isaac Azure]

Getting Alice out of the hospital was a much easier ordeal than he thought it would be. Rather than dealing with a lot of paperwork and listening to a doctor blab on about what she should and shouldn't be doing. Isaac had explained how he himself knew how to take care of a person in this kind of situation and that he was well capable of taking care of Alice. Also giving the doctor a few looks like probably scared him probably helped the transition a lot. Isaac was always smiles first before he'd show his fangs whenever it was needed.

Now all he had to do was take his patient from the slums all the way to his apartment in the strand. That shouldn't take long, Isaac knew some shortcuts to get there. They were what made it easy for Isaac to go from home to the gang hideout in no time flat. He was a bit excited to show Alice is home, she had never been to it before and Isaac was sure she'd be pleasantly surprised by it. Even Isaac's sister, who lived in suburbia, got jealous of Isaac from time to time because of how nice his apartment was.

Isaac never cared much about how nice it was, though it was quite convenient to have such a nice place to live in. The only reason he actually had the apartment was due to the fact that it was the first available one he saw and at the time he was a bit desperate to get a place to live and stop living with his sister. This would be the first time he had a guest in his apartment that wasn't family so that was exciting. He wondered how Alice was going to react to the first time she saw it and all of its splendor.

There was another reason why Isaac got the apartment, a reason he hadn't really talked about. It was near godwine tower, a place that Isaac was certainly curious about. He swore to himself that one day he'd explore all of that tower and get to the bottom of its mysteriousness. For now all he had to worry about was getting Alice to her new temporary home. Isaac had to stop at the gang hideout first, and grab whatever it was that Alice needed to get from there. The place still reeked of the stench of the wolf blood. That was the only detour they made before going straight to the apartment.

"Here we are!" Isaac exclaimed in a rather whimsical manner as he had flung open the door to his apartment. The first thing she'd probably notice was the fact that this was indeed a penthouse apartment and that the place was quite clean and orderly. Isaac never really thought much of it and where the money came from to pay for all of this was from various places and reasons Isaac wasn't sure he should explain. He didn't give Alice much time to really look around as he practically carried her to the guest room and tucked her into the bed before she could say anything.

If there was one thing that he noticed it was that Alice definitely needed to expand her wardrobe. He'd ask her later after she was feeling better if she wanted to do some shopping, they were in the strand after all. "Now let me set up some rules," Isaac said with a smile as he made sure to put all of Alice's things neatly in the room. "There aren't many rules besides if you need anything just ask and this place is now your home too so don't be afraid to act like it!" Isaac was quite happy to have her here, it got lonely sometimes. "So is there anything I can get you? You name it and I'll get it,"

[Deleted]

Alice changed into her uniform that Isaac had brought for her from the base. The blue dress she had used as a disguise had been torn to shreds and stained with blood. It wasn't like anyone would recognize her anyway and the outfit had a bit of a sentimental value to her.

Alice was a bit shocked that such a nice hospital was located on the outskirts of the slums. It was a huge contrast, the white sterile rooms and the yellow-brown diseased shacks. Alice insisted they stop by the base and pick up some things. She stepped over the broken fragments of the plywood board that used to block the entrance to the warehouse. She found Ragnarok sitting in a bloodstained corner. She picked it up and headed down the familiar trapdoor. She felt a little sense of regret knowing that she wouldn't be returning here for a while. From the little common room where Alice kept most of her worldly possessions she picked up her burlap satchel full of journals and notes. She took Ragnarok to the very back of the tunnel network to where she had hidden her toolbox of money. She dumped the contents of the toolbox into her bag and set Ragnarok in its place. She would pay back Isaac whether he liked it or not. Ragnarok would be safe back there until she called on it again.

Once Alice emerged from the warehouse, Isaac began escorting her towards what was assumed to be the direction of his apartment. Isaac took her down a few side roads leading away from the slums. She figured as much. He always did seem to be out-of-place in the Ashoka Slums and he seemed to have a fair bit of money, which was a fair bit more than anyone else there. She started to get a little nervous when the backroad paths and shortcuts lead through and away from the suburbs. Where exactly was this man taking her?

When they finally arrived outside the apartment Alice had become very tired and her stitches felt sore. More importantly, they seemed to standing on the infamous Strand. Despite living almost her entire life in the Great City, she had only made her way to the endless street maybe twice! The Stand was a whole other world to the slums. This place was only for the richest and most high-class of denizens... or Isaac? Did Isaac really live here?

When Isaac finally escorted Alice to his room located near the top floor of the beautiful apartment building. Alice stood frozen. It was beautiful! She had an image in her head of how the rich and lazy lived, but it was nothing compared to this! Isaac however wasn't going to let her gape in the doorway. He persistently swept her down a short hallway leading to some sort of bedroom and forced her into a bed before she could work up a protest.

The room she had been forced into however was almost as magnificent as the living area, so she remained speechless as she gawked at her surroundings.

"So is there anything I can get you? You name it and I'll get it."

Alice only heard the last thing isaac said, so caught up in her surroundings. Did she want anything? Wasn't this room like... everything ever? Was she supposed to sleep here? Was Isaac sleeping in here too? There was only one bed... What were those things? Is that another room? No wait... that's a closet?!

"Huh- What? Do I want... Do you have some tea?"

She didn't know what she was saying, she just said the first thing that came to mind. Thinking about it, the long walk had made her kind of thirsty... but that wasn't important right now!

[Isaac Azure]

Isaac couldn't help but giggle at how Alice was reacting to all of this, it was just how he expected her to. It wasn't surprising, he and his sister reacted like this when they first came to the city. Living in the plains all their life they really didn't use much technology and the first time Isaac saw a car he freaked out. Yea he knew what one was but never truly got to see it in person. By the time he got this apartment all that awe and amazement had left him. It was different for Alice though he supposed, this was probably the first time she even saw a room this nice before.

Look at Alice he decide that the first thing he was going to do tomorrow was definitely take her out shopping. Though he probably wouldn't hurt to go out now to get her a change of clothes. Yes the uniform was cute and all but she needed to wear something more comfortable in bed. That's when an idea popped into his head. Maybe his sister had some spare clothes for her to borrow, surely she did. The only problem with this was it was going to be awkward explaining why he needed the spare clothes.

His sister was definitely the nosey type and Isaac didn’t' want her to find out about the gang, he'd have to make something up. Dealing with his sister was going to be a bit of a chore but he loved seeing her so it was alright. He smiled once Alice had made a request, she wanted tea! "Alright that's easy! I'll bring you the best tasting tea," He replied before leaving the room to go make the tea. It wouldn't take him long to do this and during this time it would allow Alice to think and process what was going on.

While he was in the kitchen he pulled out his phone to text his sister about the clothes. Luckily for Isaac his sister was pretty helpful and had agreed, though she added that he'd have to explain once she got to his apartment. Isaac let out a bit of a sigh when he read her response before going back to making the tea. Making tea was always a calming and fun process for Isaac, it was why he made tea rather often when he wanted something to drink.

"I'm back!" He said as he carried a tray with the a tea pot and a cup on it. Isaac made his way over to the nightstand next to the bed and placed the tray gently down. "Here's your tea," He then poured the tea from the pot into the cup and handed the cup to Alice, a smile on his face. "So," He began as he sat on the side of the bed and looked to her. " I texted my sister asking her if you could borrow her clothes. You two are about the same size body, she might be a bit taller, but you need to wear something more comfortable than that uniform," He smirked a bit before rubbing his chin, obviously thinking about something.

It wasn't long before he snapped his fingers and spoke "Before my sister arrives let's talk. I bet you have a lot of questions for me so I'll get the most obvious one out of the way. Yes, I do indeed have a lot of money. I've been doing many jobs here and there and making a lot of connection with some wealthy people which may or may not lead me to end up having a rather large amount of money. That's not really important though so please don't act around me differently because of it," Isaac wanted to get this money thing out of the way so he wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

"So now that I've explained that, do you have anything else you want to ask?" Isaac looked at her curiously. He never shared much about himself before and he figured this was a opportunity to do so since she's staying here. "Don't be afraid to ask anything! Even if you think it might be too personal. You should know more about the person you'll be living with and even more about one of your subordinates,"

[Deleted]

"Alright that's easy! I'll bring you the best tasting tea."

Alice almost made a move to follow Isaac out of the strange room, but stopped herself. For a long moment Alice just sat there, her mind still trying to process the situation she was in. After a few minutes she got up and started exploring the room. In this case, exploring the room meant touching everything. She touched the curtains, vases, bookcase, some weird piece of electronics with lots a blinking lights, a TV... after she was done touching everything in the room she flopped down on the bed. Beds had to be the best invention there ever was.

She almost fell asleep right there as Isaac returned with the tea. It was actually Isaac who had introduced her tea way back when they had first met. She was almost addicted now, which was unfortunate since the drink was rather hard to come by in the slums. Alice's "exploration" had allowed her to regain some of her wits somehow and she remembered her manners this time.

"Thank You," she said, taking the teacup from Isaac. Although she liked to act calm and polite around everyone, she often felt that persona slipping around Isaac. She wondered if she was getting a little bit too comfortable around him. She would have to be more careful.

"So, I texted my sister asking her if you could borrow her clothes. You two are about the same size body, she might be a bit taller, but you need to wear something more comfortable than that uniform."

So Isaac had a sister? Alice didn't argue about the clothes. It probably would be best to have something to go out in. Alice briefly wondered why Isaac had never asked his sister to join the gang, but she shook away that thought. She didn't need to know the reasons.

"So now that I've explained that, do you have anything else you want to ask? Don't be afraid to ask anything! Even if you think it might be too personal. You should know more about the person you'll be living with and even more about one of your subordinates."

It was true, Alice had many questions for Isaac. Why did he join the Ashoka Gang if he was wealthy and not at all bothered by the President's decrees? Did he have any other relatives she didn't know about? What "jobs" and "connections" did Isaac have that allowed him to come into so much money? Why did his eyes sometimes go dark when he thought she wasn't looking? Alice took a sip of her tea before responding.

"I don't want to know. Well, that's a lie, but I don't think I need to know about that stuff. Isaac is Isaac right? It doesn't matter that you are rich, or that you used to be a mass murderer, or a circus performer. You're still Isaac, right? It shouldn't matter whether you're my 'subordinate' either. That doesn't even sound right, subordinate. To me you more like... my knight than a subordinate. No one ever asks where the knight in shining armour comes from, because it doesn't matter."

Alice smiled into her tea. She felt a bit better after saying all that. It helped convince herself that she didn't need to know everything about him. It was kind of a lie, knowing that Isaac was wealthy did change a lot about their relationship. Alice had spent most of her life denouncing the people of the Strand as lazy sponges, feeding off the misery of those around them and not lifting a finger to help even though they were in the best position to try. She guessed that's what made Isaac different though. Alice had made quite a few exceptions for Isaac.

"Well, there is one question I've been meaning to ask you, Sir Knight. How do you really feel about me staying here? I don't want you to try to make me feel better or anything. You have to be a little annoyed that your damsel got herself in distress and now you have to take extra care of her. Despite what it might look like, I don't enjoy being a burden all the time. I think we can at least get our feelings out of the way... You're so difficult to read sometimes, Isaac.

[Isaac Azure]

Isaac was honestly surprised as to how well Alice was taking all of this. He thought that she would judge him for being so wealthy and make the relationship between them awkward. It didn't matter to her? Isaac thought that was sweet but also a little naïve, she was putting too much trust in him for not knowing him that much. Did it matter though? She was right that in the end Isaac is Isaac and his past didn't matter all that much…right? Isaac was a bit worried, worried that if he told her everything then each time she looked at him she'd give him the same look he used to get.

The look of absolute fear and terror but at the same time disgust and anger. The image of eyes like that staring at him popped into his head and was starting to get to him. He quickly got rid of the memories and started to clear his mind. All that was in the past, he was different now. He wasn't the same person that would cut a man down and the laugh at his pain, at least he didn't think he was that man anymore. Part of Isaac wasn't sure if all of that was truly boxed away.


Isaac let out a small laugh, Alice was pretty much on the mark when she said mass murderer or a circus performer. In some twisted and simple way, Isaac felt that accurately described who he used to be. There was no way he could call himself a knight, no, he was just a beast that found a new master. Maybe he was being a bit hard on himself, maybe in her eyes she was more than just a pawn or a lackey and he was more than that to her.

Isaac wasn't sure if he deserved that trust, especially not from her despite how much he wanted it. He still fret telling her the complete truth about himself despite it seeming that she didn't care. Just the thought of it made his hands shake. He'd answer any of her questions of course but he would have a hard time explaining everything. There was so much he wanted to tell her and he was positive she'd understand and not treat him differently…he hoped. "I guess you're right, Isaac is just.." He took a long pause and stared at the ground. "Isaac," His normal happy demeanor had disappeared and there was a bit of sadness on his face.

He quickly noticed this and stopped staring at the ground and looked to Alice, a smile on his face. If there was any reason to get over his past it would be for her. She was too important to him to let his past come back and haunt him. It would cloud his judgment, make him do things normally he wouldn't do. The last thing he wanted was for him to do something stupid and then make her worry about him. Isaac was now calming down now and relaxed himself a bit, being tense wasn't going to help.

Her one question that she had asked was an easy one for Isaac to answer. "How do I really feel huh? Well to be honest I am a bit annoyed but probably not why you think so. I'm annoyed that the reason you're here is because you really don't have a choice and you're hurt. Also seeing you will just constantly remind me of how I screwed up at protecting you…being a good ally. But then again I'm really happy your here because I get to spend more time with you but that's just me being selfish," Isaac then patted Alice on the head before he continued.

"You're not a burden and I like taking care of you. And I'm sorry for being difficult to read, it must be frustrating not really knowing what I'm thinking. Now I have to ask you something. How do you feel about me? I want to know your honest opinion on me Alice and I want you to know more about me I guess not as a subordinate or as a person your living with but more so as a friend. If we can even be called friends really," Isaac was sure that his sister would be arriving soon but he had to get this one out of the way.

[Deleted]

"I guess you're right, Isaac is just… Isaac."

Isaac looked troubled and Alice wondered if she had said something wrong. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to know about his past, she just didn’t think he needed to tell her just to feed her curiosity. He understood that right? Suddenly he looked up and smiled. This bothered Alice even more. It was what made Isaac so hard to read. If he felt upset or unsatisfied with something he should just say it!

Alice listened in silence as Isaac answered her question. The man was surprising insecure. It seemed a bit hypocritical for Alice to think so, but at least her insecurities were based on actual failures. Isaac seemed to be constantly beating himself over minor things and sometimes the faults of others.

“What are you saying now? Of course you protected me! I’m here now, right? If you keep saying things like that I’m just going to feel worse you know. Not only did I make a huge mistake and nearly lose everything because of it, but now I know I am responsible for making you fail some sort of personal responsibility you feel towards me. Punching me in the gut would sting less.”

Alice chuckled dryly. She knew her words probably wouldn’t mean anything, but she really did wish he would turn his frustration on her just once. She could stand being yelled at or even hit if it meant he would feel a little better about himself. She couldn’t do anything about this situation though. No matter how many times she told Isaac it had all been her fault he seemed stuck blaming himself.

Alice was a bit taken aback by Isaac’s question. What did she feel about him? She had asked that same question before and it was one that had bothered her for a while. The ”if we can even be called friends really” stung a bit. She thought they were at least that much, but Isaac didn’t seem to think so. Alice scrunched up her face in concentration. She knew her feelings for Isaac were complicated. She didn’t know how to explain them.

“Since you answered my question honestly, I’ll answer yours honestly as well. I don’t want you take what I say the wrong way and I might just be complicating things...”

Alice had never tried talking about her feelings before. No one really asked and she didn’t have a lot of experience with being close to people. She thought maybe this was a good time to start sorting it all out, but she didn’t want to hurt Isaac’s feelings.

“I think you’re amazing. You do a lot for me without asking anything in return. You’re always smiling and you never complain. You make it all seem so easy, even things I had once thought were too difficult to do alone. I said you were like a knight, but maybe your more like a prince. You’re even rich! You seem like some sort of magical perfect person. It makes me feel inferior, like I’m not worth it all. It makes me want to hide all my faults in case you one day take notice and leave. Although you are technically an ally it doesn’t sound right. Allies are little soldiers you move across the game board. We could be friends, but I’ve had friends and I’ve never… felt this way before. I think in terms of loss, losing allies is unfortunate, losing friends is tragic, but losing you is… I can’t even imagine it! I don’t want to be dramatic, but… I don’t think I could make it.”

Alice said this all while looking at her feet. She didn’t know what to think of what she just confessed. Didn’t it sound a bit selfish? What did it even mean? That’s not something normal people think, right? Isaac seemed to know exactly how he felt. He told Alice his feelings all the time without doubt or discretion. Why wasn’t it like that for her? Why was her own emotions so confusing?

[Isaac Azure]

Though she said that he had protected her he didn't feel like it. He still felt the pain from when he found her laying on the ground. Perhaps he was being a bit hard on himself but if he wasn't who would? He didn't want to make her feel worse so he figured he'd lighten up a bit and stop beating himself up, well at least verbally. He smiled at her words, still feeling terrible but he felt a bit better than before. Isaac felt that Alice wanted him to be mad at her but he couldn't, even if he wanted to he couldn't be mad at her.

It was due to how he felt about her, Isaac wasn't sure he'd ever feel this way about anyone and it was strange that he did about her. When he first met her he wasn't looking for anyone to care for, he didn't think he had it in him. She changed that though, made Isaac realize that his old ways weren't going to get things done the way they should be. He was happy he met her, if he continued on like he was they might have ended up fighting each other and that wouldn't end well.

Her words had completely caught him off guard and made him stare at her in disbelief. He surely wasn't any kind of prince or magical perfect person. There were plenty of things that made him not perfect and not prince like. Maybe if she knew more about him she'd change her mind, her opinion of him would lessen. No, knowing her she probably would still feel the same. She wasn't like other people who would change their opinion of someone because of their past. So why was Isaac dreading it? Maybe it was because he himself hadn't forgiven himself for the things he had done, the person he was.

No matter how much he tried to put himself down she didn't seem like that and Isaac was a bit confused but happy. Most people in charge of a rebel faction would probably just see their underlings as nothing more than chess pieces to be used but she was different. She made him feel special, made him feel like his was worth something. Isaac had told her he had strong feelings for her before and he never felt that there would really be something between them.

That changed after he listened to her words and as he did he couldn't take his eyes off her. There was something he wanted to say, something he should get out of the way before it was too late. But he was hesitant for a second, not sure that he should which was weird for him. It wasn't like he was afraid to tell her it was just strange. He continued to stare at her, totally taken away by what she had said though he was certain that Alice didn't understand how she was feeling. All he could do was smile, a little blush on his face.

"Alice…," He called out her name in practically a whisper as he got closer to her. Isaac wasn't sure what he was doing, he was just acting on impulse now. "Please stop me if I'm making you feel uncomfortable," He wanted to warn her before he did this as he had no real control. Isaac knew what his body wanted to do but wasn't sure if she wanted to do this, or was even ready to. Isaac was worried this was too soon but seeing how they were living, how dangerous it was he felt that he should get it out of the way before something happened to either of them. He got a lips distance away from her, seeing if she'd stop him before he actually went to kiss her. This wouldn't be the like kiss on the forehead or a hug or a pat on the head. Isaac was pouring his feelings into this, he wanted her to know just exactly how he felt.

[Deleted]

Alice continued to look at the ground after her confession. She was afraid of what she would see if she looked at Isaac. There was complete silence for what felt like an eternity. She knew she had said something strange. Was she broken? Who has that much trouble explaining how they feel? Emotions are a basic part of humanity. They shouldn't be this complicated! She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She shouldn't have said anything. Couldn't she have just said 'Of course we are friends!' and left it at that? There was no reason to bring up jealousy and insecurity and all that nonsense. When someone asks you 'How was your day?" you don't answer with your life story. It wasn't Isaac's job to interpret her feelings! After a while she heard Isaac speak.

"Alice… Please stop me if I'm making you feel uncomfortable."

It was so quiet she almost couldn't hear him over her own noisy heartbeat. Huh? Stop him? Stop him... what? Alice looked up for the first time since the question had been asked. Isaac's clear amethyst eyes were getting closer and closer. Her breath caught in her chest. Her already confused emotions were becoming even more confused. What was... happening? He stopped a mere few centimeters in front of her face. She could feel his breath. She was holding her own. She froze.

The final few centimeters were gone. Isaac leaned in even closer. She felt something warm press against her lips. Her mind went blank.

When she could finally see again Isaac was no longer... what was it... it was a kiss right? It felt like the warmth from that moment had traveled from her lips to encompass her whole body. Her body began to shake a little as her mind went into overdrive. She didn't know what to say or do... Did she hate it? Did she... like it? She didn't know! Isaac was waiting for her to say something, right? What was she supposed to say? What would he say to her...

"I- I- I'msorryIhavetothink!"

Alice ran blindly from the room. She had totally forgotten that she was in Isaac's apartment in her panic. Stressed and unthinking, Alice went into the first door she found and ran face first into a row of coats. She slammed the door behind her. Hiding curled up in the corner of the closet she tried to think things through, but her mind came up blank.

[Isaac Azure]

There short embrace was something that Isaac didn't think would happen. To be honest, he thought she was going to stop him. He wasn’t sure why he thought she was going to stop him he just did, though he was happy she didn't. For a moment there all of Isaac's worries and woes vanished and his mind was clear. It was just blissful happiness and even when he pulled back the feeling her lips lingered on his for a few moments before it disappeared. For once Isaac wasn't sure what to say to her, well he did but the words didn't come out.

He waited for Alice to respond and she did so in a way that he didn't expect. He figured he would get yelled at or slapped but instead she said she had to think and ran off. Isaac hoped that he didn't overdo it and freak her out too much. The last thing he wanted to do was make things complicated but he guess that ship sailed already. If she let him kiss her then she must have felt the same way he did about her. At least that's what Isaac thought about the situation anyway. Before he could go find her the doorbell had ranged.

Isaac had completely forgotten that his sister was coming with some clothes for Alice. When Isaac answered the door and greeted his sister the first thing she mentioned was how red his face was. Isaac touched his own cheek, and was a bit surprised how hot he felt. He knew now was probably not the right time for his sister to meet Alice so he had to take the bag of clothes from her and try and shoo her away, which was a chore in itself seeing how stubborn his sister was when she started to get nosy.

Isaac had to lie and tell his sister that she couldn't meet the person she brought clothes because she was extremely sic k and he was taking care of her. Isaac's sister didn't really believe him but left seeing how Isaac was ready to drop the bag and toss her back down to her car. When that ordeal was over he let out a sigh and made his way back to the guest room and placing the bag down next to the bed. Now all he had to do was find Alice, which wasn't hard seeing as he watched he run away.

"My sister came with the clothes, they're in the room next to the bed. I'll be sitting on the couch in the living room if you want to talk. You should probably change," At this point Isaac felt it was best not to bother her and let her process things on her own. So he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, staring at his feet and thinking about what just happened. Well, he wasn't sure what to really think about what happened. He knew what he did and everything but he was acting on impulsive which was strange for him, he was normally in control of his actions all the time. How strange this feeling of love he had, it made him do things he normally wouldn't.

[Deleted]

What am I doing?

It took a while, but Alice had finally calmed down. She stared at the crack of light coming from underneath the closet door. Was it safe to come out? No, it was too embarrassing. Hadn't she been worried that Isaac might think she was weird? Well this was definitely weird. Ironic that the place she had  run to in order to hide her embarrassment was so embarrassing in itself. Maybe this cycle would continue and she would be in a perpetual state of embarrassment for the rest of her life. That is where this situation looked like it was going anyway.

It was a good thing she decided not to leave as the doorbell rang soon after. Alice could almost make out the voice of Isaac and a higher voice, probably the sister he had mentioned before. They would have to meet some other time... when Alice wasn't sitting in a closet. Although she was thinking much more rationally, she still didn't know what to make of what just happened. Well, she understood what had happened, but she didn't know how to feel about it.

Isaac loved her. If it hadn't been obvious before, it had become painfully obvious now. Did she love Isaac? She thought about it deeply. Shouldn't love be instantly recognizable? Like happiness, anger, tiredness... She had loved her family and she had loved Lotus, the dream whom she had made a pact with when she was very young... Upon thinking of her family Alice shuddered, but she squashed the guilt back down into her body. That was a different feeling than the one she had for Isaac. Thinking about it, she had never actually loved anyone after her family. In fact, did she even have friends?

She guessed a better question was, why had she let him kiss her to begin with? She wasn't so naive right? She knew what was going to happen and she didn't pull away. Did she want to be kissed? Did she want to kiss him? Was this even okay? She was supposed to be the leader of the Ashoka Gang. Was it okay to fall in love like this when the next pack of wolves could end it forever?

"My sister came with the clothes, they're in the room next to the bed. I'll be sitting on the couch in the living room if you want to talk. You should probably change."

Alice waited until she could no longer hear Isaac's footsteps and creeped out of the closet. Stumbling a bit, she made it back into the room she had sprinted so foolishly from. She saw a few outfits laying on the bed. She looked out the window and saw that it was already late evening. One of the outfits she figured was supposed to be a nightgown due to the texture and thinness of the fabric. It was a little long for her, ending around her ankles instead of mid-leg and was white with little pink flowers. It reminded her of what she wore in the hospital. This was probably what she was supposed to change into. She decided it would be for the best if she didn't mention to Isaac that she had been sleeping naked to cut back on how often she needed to wash her clothes.

Once she had changed into the flowery affair, she sat on the bed for a minute gathering her thoughts one last time. Did she love Isaac? She wasn't sure. Was it safe to love Isaac? Probably not. Was she okay with Isaac loving her? ...

She got up from the bed and walked towards the living room.

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

[Isaac Azure]

Why did he have to fall in love? This was an emotion that Isaac used to laugh at and now here he was harboring it heavily in his heart. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to process everything. Isaac was a part of a rebel gang that wanted to overthrow the city. He wasn't here to fall in love, though he'd protect Alice with his life he didn't expect to love her at first. Why was he second guessing himself right now? It wasn't like he didn't think or feel or know that he loved her it was just, was it right too?

He kept asking that question over and over again, thinking that something would change. Thinking that someone would just magically appear and give him the answer to this. What would his parents think of him right now? What would the old man think? Isaac scoffed, thinking that was just going to bring back memories that he locked away. Still, he knew that they'd all tell him the same thing over and over again. They'd all tell him to stay true to his heart and not question these feelings and to cherish them as there's no point in holding things back in life especially if it came to this.

"What am I doing?" He was almost expecting someone or something to answer that question. Isaac eyes then went to the direction of the guest room, wondering what Alice was thinking. Wondering how she felling right now. She had been through a lot the past day and Isaac felt like he was just making matters worse for her. There was so much they had to do, and all of it was dangerous. Was it a right time for him to love? Was it a right time for anyone to love now?

As he thought about it for a bit he smiled as he came to a conclusion, an answer that would but his heart at ease. He was about to get up but he heard footsteps coming toward him, Alice? Isaac honestly didn't expect to see her for a while but she came into the living room, wearing one of his sister's nightgowns. He went to get up off of the couch but hesitated for a moment, what would he say to her? What was there to say to her? Isaac wasn't sure what to do.

Her question had caught him off guard, what did she mean by good idea? Did she mean her staying here? Did she mean was it a good idea for him to love her? Was it a good idea to love at all? Isaac got up off the couch and walked over to her, a faint smile on his face. "To be honest, I think the logical answer to that is no. This isn't a good idea, it's not a good idea at all and we're probably idiots for thinking about it," Isaac said, laughing a bit at the end of his words.

"But it won't change how I feel and I don't think it should change how you feel either. Even if it's the dumbest idea ever I feel that shouldn't effect anything. I feel that it's better to act on your feelings now and do what's in your heart before it's too late…before you miss your chance," Isaac stopped talking and stared at his feet. "I love you more than anything and I'm not sure how you feel about me or if this is truly a bad idea or not but that won't change anything. I won't stop loving you," He continued to stare at his feet, he wasn't sure what to do right now.

[Deleted]

Was this the right thing to do?

Alice thought back to her duty. She was the leader of the Ashoka Gang. Her goal was to dethrone the President and bring freedom back to the Great City. She was supposed to give her loyalty and life to that goal. This was war and love was dangerous in war. Loved ones could be used as ammunition. One day she may have to decide between the gang and Isaac. She would have to choose the gang. Was she strong enough for that?

There was another problem. She had made a mistake. She had made a mistake and kept it from Isaac. He thought he knew her, but would he think the same way about her if he found out she had purposefully lead the Falvadin to their base? If he found out about the contract? Could she tell him the truth? Was she strong enough for that?

Lastly... what if things go wrong? What if the worst happens? She could lose another loved one. She could lose Isaac... She would have to go on... for the gang. Was she strong enough for that?

Probably not, but what if what Isaac said was true? What if this was her only chance? Alice touched her stitches through the thin cloth of her nightgown. With what had happened, it just might be. She didn't want to die without understanding those feelings. She wasn't ready to lead a rebellion, but she needed to. She wasn't ready to forgive herself, but she needed to. She wasn't ready to fall in love...

"I trust you... Isaac. I trust that you are strong enough for this."

She didn't say what "this" was, but she trusted Isaac to understand. She trusted Isaac a lot. She knew that if he said he was going to do something he would do it. It didn't matter how impossible it was. He said he wouldn't stop loving her. She trusted him.

"I don't think I'm strong enough. I don't think I even know what love is, but... I think I can try. I want to figure it out before it is too late. It will probably be frustrating, but... will you help me?"

[Isaac Azure]

This wasn't going to be easy, this wasn't going to be easy at all. With love there was always pain in sort of way. They'd be constantly worried about each other on the battlefield and their judgments might be impaired by their personal feelings. Isaac was sure that Alice would make the right decision but would he? The logical thing to do was make sure that the gang lived on to fight another day and it wasn't completely destroyed. Isaac dreaded the idea of having to pick between her or the gang and he knew the correct answer, even though he hated it.

Was he strong enough for this? Isaac stopped any thought or doubt in his mind that would make him think that he wasn't. He was strong enough for this, no matter how pointless or troublesome it might be in the end. Now was the time for this though, well at least that's what Isaac thought anyway. He wasn't sure if tomorrow would be the last day he saw her or not and he didn't want there to be any unsaid words, any unsaid feelings between them. Isaac smiled, happy that Alice trusted him with something like this.

Without a second thought the man wrapped his arms gently around Alice, being careful not to hurt her. "Of course I will help you Alice. I'm always here for you no matter what," He continued to smile as he said this and held her a little bit tighter. Despite all the craziness going on in his head he was quite happy with this moment right here. If he could he would just have it be like this forever. Just the two of them with no gang or president to worry about but that world didn't exist yet. Once they overthrown the city maybe then they could find the time to love and not worry about what could happen.

He pulled back from the hug but still keep his hands at her side, staring down at her with a smile on his face. "Alice, do you mind if I kiss you again?" Isaac blurted, again not thinking before acting. He figured that he should ask before he did. The last thing he wanted to do was make her run away from him again but still he wanted to kiss her. The feeling of his lips against hers was something that filled him with a lot of joy and happiness, along with a feeling that felt like a hole in him was being filled up. Depending on her answer would determine whether or not Isaac leaned in to kiss her.

[Deleted]

She was acting silly, wasn't she? What had happened just yesterday had scared her. She was lost and confused and she wasn't sure how or when it all would blow up in her face. What would be the consequences of what she had done? Would the Falvadin find her again? Would they kill her. Now she was sitting here with Isaac and... maybe she just needed a little comfort. Maybe she needed to know somebody cared and maybe she just needed something else to care about.

She walked over to the couch and sat next to him, shifting around nervously. She felt scared, confused, embarrassed and... something else. It was the something else that concerned her the most. She didn't want to die without knowing what it was. She didn't want to die with her last feelings being guilt and shame. Isaac didn't deserve that either. He deserved to have his feelings at least acknowledged if not returned.

Maybe it was selfish to think that way. If she were to die, then the most pressing concern would be the wellbeing of the gang! Thinking about her own feelings at this moment was childish. She should be organizing a plan... what would happen if she were to be killed? The gang would have to fall to Isaac, though he had stated in the past that his loyalty was to Alice first. He surely cared about it, right? It wasn't just for her.

Alice didn't jump this time when Isaac put his arms around her. She hadn't even realized she had been shaking, but she quickly settled down when his grip got tighter. She was overthinking this. Even if the worst were to happen, she could at least spare tonight. If her mistakes came for her that night well... they would be together. They would definitely both die anyway so... they might as well be together.

"Thank you Isaac. I'm really happy I got meet you."

Alice said it with a little more finality than she had meant, but she needed to say it now before it was too late. She knew Isaac probably already understood that, but she needed to say it clearly. She needed him to know.

"Alice, do you mind if I kiss you again?"

Alice's eyes went wide, but she recovered quickly. She had come up with a resolution. It was alright. She was okay now. Tonight... she could allow this.

"Okay."

[Isaac Azure]

If he were to die tomorrow he would be happy knowing that he shared this moment with her. He'd die with a smile on his face and no regrets…well that wasn't true. He wanted to live, Alice made him want to live more than anything. Even if the only reason he had for this was to spend more time with her, to love her more, he didn't care if that sounded selfish. The Falvadin wouldn't keep him apart from the woman he loved, he'd make sure of that. The feeling of love was still a bit strange to him, he understood it but it was still strange.

In their situation it would probably no, not probably, it would bring a lot of pain and trouble but in the end they'd be happy. Once this world was free of people like the Falvadin they could spend the rest of their lives together happily. Isaac knew that this was a dream that was probably impossible seeing how surviving this was nearly impossible but he'd make sure it happened damn it. Even if he was on the verge of death he'd spit in its face before he'd let it take him away from her.

Isaac would treasure this moment, though he wanted more moments like this to come but he wasn't sure they had the time. He'd try to find some, even amidst all of this craziness there was time for something like love right? Between the gang and stopping the Falvadin, Isaac wasn't sure but he try. It wasn't like Isaac didn't care about the gang or bringing an end to Falvadin, he did after how he found out that they were responsible for what happened in the plains. He just loved Alice too much to just sit back and watch her get put in danger all the time.

The gang was important, it was, but Alice was more important to him and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't change that. He hoped that she didn't think little of him because of it, or trust his loyalty to her cause. The last thing he wanted to do was make it hard for her to trust him, to be able to feel completely comfortable around him. He smiled at her words, he wasn't sure where he'd be right now if he had never met her. He didn't want to think about though so he dismissed the thought from his head.

"I'm happy I met you too," Isaac gently spoke as he leaned in closer to her. He then kissed her on the lips again but this time with more passion than the last kiss. Isaac was kissing her like it would be the last time he ever got the chance, though he swore to himself it wouldn't be. The kiss lasted for a few moments before he pulled back, his forehead against hers and whispered "I love you Alice," He couldn't help but notice in all of this how late it was, he wasn't sure if she should go off to rest or if he should make her something to eat. It wasn't all that important right now, this moment was perfect…even if it couldn't last forever.