Messier-17

Chapter 11

"We...we were hiking," Adrian says, obviously taken off guard. Vera gives him a look.

"With all those weapons on you?"

"I- we're cautious people." Adrian says defensively. Vera gives me a pointed look. "Ex military. Ash was in a special unit." Well, he's not entirely lying. Vera lifts her chin a little, but lets the subject go. A short silence ensues, and an awkward cough disturbs it.

"So, uh... I've got some stuff I gotta..." The man I recognize as Jules speaks up, shuffling off to the side. "I'm just- I'll just, uh...yeah..." Adrian and I watch him leave the room before glancing over at each other and then back at the empty space that Jules previously occupied. Adrian is obviously struggling to hold in his laughter and my beyond confused facial expression is probably making it more difficult.

"Who's hungry?"

We all turn to June, who had wandered off, and has come back with bags full of food. I stare at him, wondering where all the food came from as he sets the food down on a table nearby.

The first person to respond is Nyx. "Well, damn, I'm starving." Most everyone laughs and then moves toward the table, talking amongst themselves.

After all the food is eaten, Vera speaks up, "Terrence," he stands and gives Vera his full attention. "Take Jules, Will, Kai, and the newbies on a patrol. June, and Malik will stay with me." Terrence nods and gestures for us to follow him. I feel more comfortable knowing that Adrian is staying with me, and fall into step beside him as we walk out the door with the others. Everyone grabs a gun – two, in my case, and I got a few weird or amused looks.

"Stay together." Terrence says curtly once we get past the gates. Hums of agreement follow his command while I nod to acknowledge him.

After a few minutes of walking, Adrian nudges my shoulder with his own. I look at him and he smiles at me. I tilt my head, wondering what brought this out of him. He doesn't say anything; gesturing toward a small birds nest in a tree nearby. I look where he's pointing and smile softly when I see the birds in their home. I feel his gaze on me and look back at him to see his smile has softened and his eyes hold an emotion I can't describe. I furrow my brows and feel my heart rate pick up speed slightly.

"Hey, Lovebirds, you're falling behind!" Nicky calls over her shoulder, smirking to herself. Adrian immediately tenses up and turns beet red, his eyes leaving mine.

"I-I- um- o-okay." Adrian stutters out and walks faster to catch up with the group. I keep my eyes on him for a bit longer, watching as he scratches the back of his neck and tries to avoid eye contact with anyone, especially Nicky. I don't know how to describe that feeling from before, but I think I'll settle with warm. I stay in the back of the group, my eyes on Adrian's back. He seems less tense than he was earlier, but still not as relaxed as he usually is around me. Adrian seems to be the only person that can capture all of my attention and make the world around me fade away. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I push the thought away and pay more attention to my surroundings.

-

"C'mon, seriously?" Will and Kai have been bickering back and forth for the past hour; there doesn't seem to be an end to it arriving any time soon, either.

"Yes!" Kai retorts. "I'm absolutely petrified of geese! I mean, honestly, with those eyes that stare into your soul and- and not to mention the fact that they're cruel, unusual, an-and just generally crazy!"

"I have no fears," Will says.

"Quicksand," Terrance inputs quietly.

"...I have one fear," Will corrects himself, his ego clearly deflated, though he tries his hardest not to show it.

"Why are you afraid of quicksand..?" Adrian asks, somewhat hesitant to open his mouth. Will snickers quietly, only to earn an elbow in his ribs.

"Ouch! Chill out, will you?" Will decides to explain Kai's obvious fear of quicksand, even after several warnings and curses from Kai. "If you can believe it, we-" Kai shoves Will, still attempting to shut him up, but it didn't work. "Kai and I were in a swamp with Jules and Nyx, right? And-" Will pauses to let out another bubble of laughter. "We're just walking in this swamp when, out of the blue, Kai just- drops. I was worried at first, but, when we realized what had happened-"

"They all just started laughing at me!" Kai interrupts Will, exasperated and offended. Jules starts laughing his head off at the memory.

"He was terrified!" Jules continues the story, somehow gaining control of his laughter long enough to speak. "Will stayed behind to help him, but Nyx was starving and I was too busy laughing to help him out."

"Obviously!" Kai scoffs, crossing his arms. "Nobody did anything to help me for five whole minutes!"

"Oh, you poor baby!" Will teases him, pinching Kai's cheek. Kai slaps Will's hand away and keeps walking. "Anyway, in the end, it took me about five minutes to get him to stop panicking and another ten to get him out."

"That's only because you were still laughing and had to keep pausing your explanation! And nobody would even try to pull me out!" Kai complains.

"You do realize that it would take the power of a truck to pull you out, right? And even if we had a truck, it would dislocate both your arms." Nyx retorts with a straight face.

"Whatever!" Kai says, uncrossing his arms and walking ahead of the group.

"...is he always like that?" Adrian asks, clearly trying not to laugh for the sake of Kai's pride.

"Yes."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Not all the time..." Will says, throwing a look at Jules and Nyx for their blunt responses.

"What? It's true!" Jules throws his arms out defensively. Will looks at Nyx, as if to ask for a reason or prompt some sort of reaction. She just shrugs her shoulders and keeps quiet. Will rolls his eyes and looks at me.

"You haven't said a single word since we started patrolling, are you okay?" Will asks me. I don't respond.

"S-she's just more comfortable that way." Adrian steps in when the silence gets too awkward. "She doesn't really speak unless spoken to, a-and even then, she tends to take a while to find the words to say." I turn and look at Adrian, raising a brow at him. He shrugs a shoulder at me. "I'm observant." He says before winking playfully and grinning at me. I feel my cheeks heat up and I avert my eyes to the ground, unsure how to respond.

Will watches us with a weird expression on his face. "Are you two, like, together or something?" Adrian immediately turns as red as a tomato, feeling major déjà vu. When he tries to say something, anything, to explain, he can't stop stuttering.

"What makes you think that?" I ask calmly, tilting my head a little. However, before Will can explain himself, we overhear the crackling of a radio turning on and then Vera's voice.

"Is everything okay over there?" The crackling stops. We all pause and circle around Terrence, who has the communication device.

"Yes. How is everyone on your side?" Terrence asks.

"It's all clear." June is heard in the background.

"You can make your way back to base." Vera permits; the crackle ends with the conversation.