Octagon Project 1: Melody Halloway

~-15-~

"I'm not getting on that thing with you." Vanessa said as Mel started her motorcycle. She sighed and looked over at the new recruit with an annoyed expression.

"You can either get on this thing with me, get shot, or stick around with Division 7." She cocked her head in the direction of the group that came out of the headquarters, pushing each other around and playing with a butterfly knife. At that sight, Vanessa took the helmet Mel was offering her and hopped on, holding onto to Mel's sides as they drove toward the house.

Once they were inside, Zack and Roy sat on the couches, but Dean and Justin weren't around. Vanessa looked back and forth between the two boys, mostly gawking at Zack who was too busy looking at Mel.

"You live with two boys?" Vanessa asked quietly. "No wonder you're so rigorous..."

"Four boys actually." Roy corrected Vanessa. "And she was already hard-headed before she was recruited. Dean's on a single mission- termination, and Justin is in the weight room." He then informed Mel.

"Oh, did he finally get to using the ten pounds?" Mel asked jokingly. Roy smirked and Zack walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and pouring water into it, placing it on the counter for Vanessa who took it gratefully.

"I'm Zack." He introduced, then pointed at Roy. "And that's Roy. The other two you'll meet later."

"If you pass your initiation." Mel grumbled, walking off to her room. Zack looked at Roy questioningly and he shrugged. One of them finally decided to get up and walk off after Mel, closing the door behind them.

"What going on with you?" He asked.

"Nothing." Mel snapped, kicking off her shoes and shrugging off her leather jacket, not caring about if the tribal tattoo down her spine showed or not.

"Well, clearly there's something. " He said, stepping closer and playing with a strand of her frizzy brown hair.

"No, there isn't." She said, tossing her jacket down on the ground near her dresser and kicking her shoes under her bed as he moved her hair over her shoulder to see the bit of the tattoo that she hated so much. It's blue ink started at the base of her neck and went down to her tailbone. Slowly, not to alarm her, he slid his arms around her waist and held her close.

"Don't lie to me, Melody." He said, kissing the top of the tattoo that showed. A small shiver ran down Mel's spine and he smiled. "I know you're lying."

"What if I'm not?" She asked, taking a deep breath as he kissed her shoulder.

"There are no what-ifs. Because we both know you are." He countered, kissing her shoulder again before biting it gently and Mel shivered. He found it so cute when she did that. He rested his head on her shoulder and waited for a reply.

"Either way, it isn't any of your business." She told him.

"Is that so?" He asked, ruffling the edges of her shirt.

"Yes, that's so." She answered as he kissed her neck hungrily. She pulled away and turned to face him, pulling him close again by the neck of his shirt. "And whether you like it or not, we have a new recruit in this house."

"That didn't stop you when Justin was a new recruit." He said, kissing her lips. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he had made a perfectly fair point.

"We both know that the others can be worse than me when it comes to dealing with new people alone." Mel then said as the front door opened and he sighed. They left the room to see who had just come in, looking successfully satisfied with themself. He stopped when Mel came out of her room with one of the boys following closely behind.