The Sympathizer

Chapter 2

I wish I could say I had my first kiss with someone like Lazarus or Lucian. Sadly, that was not the case when I turned sixteen. My sixteenth birthday had ended with a birthday bash with half of Pluto as guests.

I didn't know most of the people who had come and had gotten severely intoxicated when I realised Lazarus was on a mission and would therefore not be joining.

Lucian stood in a corner the entire night, brooding when other boys vied for my attention. He barely drank and we'd gotten into a huge fight because I couldn't seem to stop drinking or flirting.

He'd disappeared at some point and someone I had been dancing with had leaned in and stolen something I'd been saving for Lazarus for years.

The next few days were spent in weeping regret. It was the worst birthday I'd ever had and I was determined to never make the same mistake again.

My seventeenth birthday was spent with General Lyra and the Sympathizers, infiltrating a terrorist group on Spica. Wiping them out and restoring temporary peace to the empire felt like redemption after how horribly the previous birthday had gone.

This year however, I find myself terribly free for my upcoming eighteenth birthday. No scheduled missions, no excursions with the generals, even our trainings have become rather lax.

It has begun to worry me.

The generals laugh and clink their glasses together. A group of friends and foes, the line between hatred and love so blurred I can never really tell if they genuinely like each other or if this is some twisted co-dependency because we're all so isolated from the public.

We've flown out to the cluster of planets famous for their sea food, trout and shellfish with flesh so soft, so nutritious, it is said a mouthful could restore youth for years.

The crystal dome located at the centre of The Isles of Sea Glass shines above us as our attendees flood the table with dishes of food. Crustaceans that have been cooked in rich cream, cracked open, ready for devouring. Grilled and deep fried fish, all cut and severed into delicate pieces.

Seaweed of various breeds and delicacies spread through out the table. I personally have always liked the red ones so I pile my plate with them and take a bite.

Lucian sits across from me and smiles when he notices this.

"So predictable," He mutters.

I flick a piece of seaweed his way and he puts his hands up to block his face, laughing in the process.

It feels nice to see him laugh, I've noticed how he rarely does so nowadays. He always looks so tired, like he hardly ever sleeps. The dark circles under his eyes tonight are more pronounced than ever but he's so undeniably handsome that he somehow makes them look good.

"You should have some of this," I put some melatonin rich fish sticks on to his plate. I've heard these are particularly good for peace and rest.

Lucian mutters a thank you and is quick to gobble down a few. "I don't need your sympathy, though. I'm fine."

I sigh. He's always so snappy when we comment about him looking tired and haggard. 

"Leave him be, Luna. He clearly doesn't appreciate it when a beautiful lady cares." Lazarus picks up a crustacean's shell and breaks it into two before sucking into the flesh. I can hear his tongue moving against the inside of the shell, his eyes never leaving mine.

My thighs clench together and I bite my lip, feeling my face go warm. He always does this, ever since I turned sixteen and he started noticing me as a woman instead of a girl.