XXXIX ‖ shade and love

LONDON
June
Location: Elysium, Lethe

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Time Elapsed: 01:03:27 | 04:48:26 PM

"Tomorrow at 11:30:00 AM, all of you will be taking a flight towards Hilversum, Netherlands. From now to the stipulated time, I expect everyone to memories every information of this mission by heart. I don't need to stress the importance because you should know it very well. I'm deploying eight of you and I expect eight upon return," Morgiana stressed on her last line before directing her attention towards Seth. "Seth, install the information into everyone's devices."

At her command, Seth worked through the series of codes that had appeared on his screen and in a short moment, all of our braces shuddered with a notification and all information were transferred into our personal devices. Blueprints, background information and outlines. From the number of files, we definitely needed the amount of time that Morgiana stated.

I drew in a deep breath and suddenly felt Seth's hand atop of the hand that I rested on my lap. Vivienne and I turned at the same time to look towards him and a slight smile lifted from the corner of my lips as I flipped my hand around and squeezed onto his lightly. Seth must be feeling nervous for us but there was nothing we could do except to hold onto him now and assure him that we would try our best to come back alive.

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Time Elapsed: 03:29:32 | 07:14:31 PM

After the briefing ended, all of us returned to our respective homes and gathered all necessary items we needed before we regathered at Lethe. All of us sat in the same conference room and everyone distributed the tasks and started to look through all the documents. Flashing the blueprint on the hologram, Micah and Porter went through the planned strategy and made adjustments according to each of our capabilities. On the other hand, Esme, Veronica and Nash busied themselves to fit the best pieces of weapons for all of us by watching videos of our training and studying each of our strengths and weaknesses.

On the far end of the room, Jax and Seth occupied themselves with all possible programming and worked through the technical systems required to exact the Titaness' location. Settled in the middle, Vivienne and I focused on studying the necessary background information we would require. My eyes combed through all the activities that this Titaness had done in the past month and stopped at a string of number that appeared in her call history two nights before.

Jolting upright, I blinked hard and made sure that I wasn't seeing things but it was obvious that I recognised the number. My hands fumbled to the back of my seat to grab my phone and I punched the exact number I saw on the paper. A name appeared on my illuminated screen — Isaiah.

"Fucking crackers," I cursed under my breath and jumped when a hand suddenly landed on my shoulder, snapping my attention back.

"What's wrong?" Vivienne asked from the side and everyone directed their attention towards me.

"Nothing," I replied hastily. "I'm just going to take a break and be right back."

Pushing myself up to stand, I walked out of the conference room and stepped into the pantry right beside. I stretched my neck and made sure that no one had followed me out before I tapped on Isaiah's contact and raised my phone to my ear. My heart pumped faster with each ring and I shifted uncomfortably as I waited.

"Hey, beautiful." The ringing was cut abruptly and Isaiah's deep-accented voice sounded through the speakers. "It's been a while since I heard from you."

"Hey," I said, swallowing a nervous gulp. "I was just wondering how you're doing?"

"As usual," he chuckled. "Nothing spectacular."

"Would you be up for a drink sometime soon?" I tested.

"I would like that very much." His tone lifted amiably, but he continued, "However, I'm packed as of now. Once I made some time for you, I'll let you know again."

"Family business?" I asked, trying to sound casual enough though I could feel myself trying to hold my breath because I was too afraid to hear an answer.

"Yes, beautiful. I'm currently in Hilversum, Netherlands."

I nearly dropped my phone when he spoke. Pinching my nose, I paced the pantry agitatedly. A recollection flashed across my mind and I was reminded that months ago, Isaiah was also with Pelleas when Jax brought me to the French restaurant downtown. Pelleas Marston then, Tallulah Myerscough now. What in the shady ass business is this human involved in?

A lot of thoughts flooded my mind and I fret over the fact that Isaiah might really be dealing business with the Titans. The only thing that I couldn't understand was the kind of deal that a human could have with these primordial beings.

"Iva?" He called my name with a slightly raised voice and I was immediately jarred out of my thoughts.

"Y-Yes?" I stammered, still unable to recover from the suddenness of everything.

"Are you alright, beautiful?"

"O-Of course," I forced out a light-hearted laugh. "I'll see you when you're back, Isaiah."

"I look forward to seeing you again, Iva," he returned the laugh and hung up the call.

Well, shit.

Shaking my head, I pushed the phone deep into the back pocket of my pants. My mind contemplated if I should tell the rest about it but eventually decided against it. I quickly composed myself again and walked back to the conference room.

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Time Elapsed: 07:34:55 | 11:19:54 PM

Dinner was an entire disaster on its own because everyone was just swallowing their food through the tension, not bothering to chew whatever blandness we put in our mouths. Other than maintaining professionalism, I doubt that the four of us would ever become friends with the other four. Walking back to my respective assigned room, I smoothed my hand over my chest repeatedly. Hell, this chest burn. I had to make sure that I eat separately from the other four tomorrow because I definitely can't risk suffering from indigestion while being on a mission.

Closing the door behind me, I gripped onto the hem of my shirt and two knocks sounded on my door. A small sigh escaped through my lips and I dropped my hands to turn around. Turning on the knob, I pulled on the door and saw Jax standing outside, leaning lazily against the wall. He dropped his head a little and looked towards me. One corner of his lips curved into a slow grin, revealing the deep dimple in his right cheek.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, a smile naturally pulled at my lips.

"Is that a question?" He leaned down to claim my lips and urged me into the room demandingly before he locked the door behind him. Reaching for the hem of my top, I pushed on his arm slightly. He pressed a kiss on my neck and whispered huskily into my ear, "Pretty please?"

"Shower—" I was already breathless when trying to speak. "Let me take a shower first."

"Lovely, let's shower together." With a hand on my hip and the other tangled within my hair, he inched in to kiss me as he moved both of us towards the showers. Thoughts left me as I sunk into the heat of this maddeningly irresistible man.

Everything went off in a haste and before I realised it, we were all bare and standing in the shower together. I was struggling to stand from all the senses that were making me weak and when my hand fell from my side, I accidentally pushed on the shower and water rained from above us, drenching us from head to toe. Yet, Jax only continued to claim my lips as if he were laying claim to my body, my soul and every single bit of me.

"Jace—" I whimpered, pleading for air and he finally lifted his head. He, too, was breathing deeply as those greyish-blue eyes bored into mine. They shone in a multitude of blues and silvers and his thumb skated over the curve of my jaw. In one strong motion, he hauled me to the side and turned me around, raising my hands against the glass of the shower.

"Keep your hands there." His front was so close to my back that I could feel the rumble when he exhaled the words and I shuddered at the sensation of him when his nose grazed the curve of my neck.

He planted one hand firmly on my hip and tugged me closer to him, fitting our hips together. I felt him thick and hot against my bottom and the heat within me spread through my body like wildfire. Tension grew when desire throbbed and pulsed between my thighs. I attempted to move my hand to touch him but he kissed the tender skin below my ear and warned softly, "Keep your hands there, sweetness."

One of his hands travelled up the curves of my body and wrapped around my neck, while the other travelled south till his fingers skimmed on the most sensitive part of me. I moaned when he added pressure and slowly worked in circles. It was as though all the sensations he placed me through were not enough because he caressed the nape of my neck with his lips and trailed a path of kisses down to the curve of my shoulder. Biting softly into my flushed skin, a keening cry escaped from my lips, "God."

"Never thought you'd be the praying type," he teased.

"You—" Words that formed at the tip of my tongue were lost the moment he landed his hands on my waist and lifted me till I was standing on the tip of my toes. He pressed his body fully against my back and pushed me nearer to the glass. My hands nearly slipped off the wet surface but I struggled to hold it there, for whatever reasons that my mind couldn't comprehend. He circled an arm around my waist and entered me from behind, slowly and gently — so contrasting of the strength of emotions he rushed into me.

He kissed, nibbed and licked on the sensitive skin of my shoulder as he moved in an unhurried manner against me. We were a wet mess from the water that poured from above us, or maybe we were also a mess from the need and want that wordlessly filled us to the brim.

I cried his name when released thundered through me and he continued to move at a slower pace until he met his own. My legs gave out but he held onto me so firmly in his hold and we stood underneath the stream of water to finally take a shower together. He never let me fall and I wanted to believe that he would never let me fall alone, literally and figuratively.

Turning the shower off, he walked out of the shower room and grabbed onto a towel. He wrapped it so seductively low against his hips before taking another to cover me. There again, he hauled me up in his hold and his habit of carrying people stubbornly remained. Sighing, I folded my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder. My hands playfully traced the firm lines of his shoulder blades and I felt him trembling slightly as he breathed, "Don't play on my restraint, latreía mou. I am no gentleman."

"What are you then?" I asked.

"Your man."

A satisfied giggle bubbled off my lips and I cuddled closer to him while nuzzling my head closer to the curve of his neck, earning a returning laugh for myself.

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Time Elapsed: 14:45:09 | 06:30:08 AM

At the sound of the alarm, I stirred awake with a comfortable warmth against my back. I turned around slightly and faced Jax, who's still refusing to wake up. My fingers traced along the bridge of his nose as I wondered why the Gods were so unfair. They created him with all these perfect features and every inch of him seemed to be carefully sculpted by blessed hands.

A little too lost in my own thoughts, I was startled by the suddenness when his hand caught mine. He chuckled and pressed a kiss into my palm. The lifted smile in his expression reached the vividness of his eyes as the greyish-blue illuminated brighter. His voice rasped with sleep as he greeted, "Good morning, sweetness."

We got out of bed and went towards the shower as we stood in front of the mirror and brushed our teeth together. We acted so normally, like any other couple that existed on the surface. And I wished we were, except that we weren't. Caught staring, Jax flashed a wide grin towards my reflection and I felt all the emotions swelling in my chest again. I blurted, "I love you."

I watched as his eyes widened and he turned to face me. With a toothbrush in my mouth, I kind of regretted confessing my love for him in such an unprepared manner. Though, there wasn't any hesitation when he — also with a toothbrush in his mouth — responded, "I love you too, latreía mou."

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