Scorched Earth [ONC 2024]

Chapter 1 - In the Dark of the Night

Marek looked around his room, trying to figure out if he was forgetting something. After tonight, he was never coming back here.

It made him all sentimental. He'd spent over a decade living here. SOPISOC had been good to him, taking him in and training him since when he'd turned fifteen.

But had it ever been good? Marek couldn't help but wonder about that more and more.

He was so tempted to say that things had changed, that this was a recent development. But the truth was, he had been a kid when he'd joined, and then he might have been too close to everything to notice the problems.

But either way, he couldn't stay here anymore. Especially not after falling in love with Varen. If Marek didn't run off first, he'd get banished anyway.

He was so sick of hiding and sneaking around. It made his heart hurt. Especially the fact that his friends would reject him if they knew.

Marek finished packing everything into his duffel bag, before walking over to his table, where he'd left a note.

It wasn't very long. But it didn't need to be. He'd made sure to mention to Aira and Nerry that he loved them, that he would miss them a lot, but he just couldn't follow Darreley's leadership anymore.

Marek felt a little bad about not mentioning Varen. But his former teammates didn't need to know about that. They'd probably think Varen brainwashed him, or something silly like that.

As if that would have ever been necessary. Marek had loved Varen since that time he'd interrogated him once. Or that time Varen had chased him only to make out in an alley with him while everyone else was fighting.

Marek nodded to himself as his heart fluttered, throwing the duffel back over his shoulder. This was the right thing to do.

He couldn't be in SOPISOC while dating Varen. And if he had to choose one, the choice was obvious.

Marek took one last look, sighing a little bit. It was time to say goodbye to everything he'd ever known and start a new life. It would be terrifying, but Marek knew he could count on Varen to hold his hand through the transition.

Hopefully literally. Marek really wanted to hold the other man's hand. They hadn't gotten much of that at all given the fact that they kept having to hide.

The best they had gotten was a few stolen kisses, a few far too quick quickies, and an encrypted chatlog all the while they pretended to be enemies.

It had been wearing on them both so much. But now that would be over at last.

Marek's heart fluttered, so excited for the future. No matter what, he'd be getting to be with the man he loves. Cuddle, sleep in the same bed, wake up together without being terrified of being discovered, have breakfast together—

Marek's dreams might have been small, but he'd never wanted anything more in his life.

Now he just needed to leave the SOPISOC headquarters without anyone getting suspicious.

It was the middle of the night, but there were always some night owl stragglers about. He doubted he could walk around with that duffle bag without people asking questions, but luckily he was only on the third floor.

His belongings could take it. Hopefully. It was mostly clothes, so that would soften the blow.

Marek opened the window and looked down at the dark grass beneath. Deciding not to think about it too much, he chucked the bag out of the window, watching it fall, grimacing at the soft but still very audible thud it produced.