It's past 1 A.M.
Neva carefully opens the door, mindful of the sound, since her children are sleeping in the room. Stepping out the room, she closes the door behind with the same, gentle prudence.
She adjusts the pale pink, knitted throw blanket around her body and heads towards the darkened living room, where the door had already stands ajar.
She stops on the doorway.
Rhett is half–lying on the couch—his back against the cushioned arm rest, long fingers clicking away at the buttons on the laptop resting on his lap. Along with the crickets chirping in the shadows of the night, it's the only distinct noise in the hush midnight.
The glow of the screen casts a soft light across the inked living room, illuminating his face.
He looks up and sees Neva on the doorway. The lit hallway behind her edifying her silhouette—soft glowing, all swathed in a throw blanket.
Rhett smiles. "Come here."
Neva mirrors Rhett's smile and steps toward him.
Rhett reaches for the tiny remote on the coffee table and turns on the lights.
The darkness strips, and the sudden brilliance stings his eyes. But now he can see Neva clearly, walking toward him with a beautiful serenity etched in her features.
Her eyes—nebulous, hazy chocolate—absorbs the heavens. Slghtly raised, dark, and feathery—perfectly arc eyebrows raise looking at him—so lost in her.
Rhett closes the laptop and places it down on the coffee table. As he begins to sit up, Neva presses a palm to his chest and gently pushes him back.
He relents, his head falling on the cushion.
She unwraps the throw duvet and climbs onto the couch.
Lying on her side, she gazes up at him. Beside her, on the narrow space remaining, he settles close.
He wraps his arms around her frame, and she rests her head on his sinewy chest.
"Why are you still awake?" Neva asks, her hands moving to pull the duvet over him. "Just, working on something." Rhett says, kissing the crown of her head.
"What?" She asks, closing her eyes.
"Monitoring situations." His chest hums with soft vibrations as he speaks, this steady beating of his heart soothing.
Her cheek smooths against his chest as she leans in closer to him.
She sighs in comfort.
He had fielded covert malware to observe Raka's operations.
Although his position as an EIS agent was solidified by the deal with Elk, his objective won't cease until Raka is apprehended—or dead.
He had been attempting to track his location, gathering data from surveillance cameras and network traffic.
But nothing. There was not a trace of him.
"There's a whole team behind him. You can atleast take a nap." Neva murmers after a short, tranquiled pause.
"I can't risk you anymore." He says, his voice weak, shrouded in guilt.
The hurt inside him pesters, slowly rotting him from within.
Neva cranes her neck and threads their eyes. His eyes is dusky, the small smile in his lips concealing sorrow and insecurity.
She runs her gentle fingers from his forehead, brushing between the his deep eyebrows.
Gently, she makes his eyes close, feeling the sweep of his long, straight lashes beneath her skin.
Her fingers drift down the bridge of his tall nose... grazing the tip...
Then fingers linger on his lips, tracing the curve of his bottom lip.
"Don't be so burdened," her voice whispers out hushed, breathy.
"Hmm..." His smile deepens a little more.
Rhett holds her hand in his—and presses a soft kiss on her fingertips, and sealing a promise once more, slowly... softly he kisses the tip of her fingers.
"Keep the faith alive." Neva breathes out.
And she reassures him with a kiss on his soft lips.
Rhett, before a breath returns the kiss.
He grabs the back of her head, deepening the passion.
Their lips move, his warm tongue gliding and swaying with her warm, wet and seeking.
A soft moan escapes her.
His teeth gently nibble, suckling her bottom lip.
She's now atop him, the kiss long, deep and consuming—drowning them in a heated passion.
Dances the flaming tongues, their racing hearts, their breathings blur into one, forgotten and melting in the chorus of sweet little wet noises.
Lightheaded, feverish body, they are losing themselves in each other.
He binds them closer, hands on her back, pulling her deeper into him.
Her face heats up, warm and rosy, as she feels him harden against her.
His hands slide to her waist, fingers squeezing with sensual intent. Their lips stay connected, devouring the other–halves' sweetness.
In a swift, fluid motion, he flips her beneath him, catching her breathless, diving once more for her swollen, glistening lips.
He's drinking from her, his oasis—giving him life.
There is heat building.
There is a forest of butterflies swirling in her belly.
Neva presses her palms against his chest, gently pushing him back.
She sucks in a deep air, her lungs burning. Rhett rests his forehead against hers.
Both of them breathing heavily. Burning.
Two aching hearts thrum in rhythm—fast, fiery. Their cheeks flaming red.
Neva caresses his cheek, the pad of her thumb stroking, slow and tender.
When he meets her eyes, meets her smiling, radiant face and smiling eyes—
he feels like dying then and there, in her arms; and then and there living all he can ever achieve being alive.
And this agony of wanting her closer, closer than ever imaginable burns him to eternity... withering him to ashes.
"I want you, Neva." There swirls love and desire, an ache in his eyes, begging to soften her own.
"I need you." His breath hot and minty fans accross her face. "Please,"
He cups her cheeks, capturing her lips once more.
Pulling away, Rhett lingers close, over her heated face. Tangled eyes melting, drowning. "Let me make love to you."
Neva turns her face away, her core fluttery and warmish.
Her heart threatening to leap out from her ribs.
But then, he sees her lips purse. He feels a pang in his chest.
"Angel," his fragile, pleading voice asks.
"Rhett," Neva says, turing to face him.
"Can you wait for a bit?" She offers him a small smile. Then she lifts her head—kissing him again.
Rhett's smile is faint.
He lacks the ability to.
"I can." He says, instead.
He can, more, for there is a lifetime more of them—of him with her.
.
.
.
They lie in each other's embrace, bathed in the glow of a dim golden lamp shored on the small vintage table beside the by the three–seater sofa against the wall.
Her head rests on his chest, silly hair sprawled over. She plays gently with their intertwined fingers.
"What were you upto?" Rhett asks, his voice thick with sleepish.
"I wanted to sit on the balcony." Neva replies, still fully awake—clear and calm.
"You'll catch a cold."
"I have a strong immune system."
He chuckles softly. "Do you?"
"Uh–huh. You don't remember?" she teases.
"But you're more fragile during your luteal phase."
Neva glances up at him, surprised. His eyes remain veiled beneath heavy lids.
She turns away, closing her eyes and trying to drift into sleep.
"That's true. Most women do," she murmurs. "But I'm still in my follicular phase."
Rhett only hums in response.
Then, suddenly, he says, "The symptoms of this virus can seem like a common cold at first. Then fever hits. Gradually, it starts to impair the nervous system and vital organs."
Neva's eyes snap open. "You mean Ruhd?"
"Yes."
"So basically it freezes you do to death."
"Exactly."
"And winter's coming soon," she says quietly.
"All the more lethal," he replies.
"How does it spread though?"
"Airborne. It's basically a contagious disease."
The pandemic spreads unrestrained. And yet, there's still no hope for a vaccine. A nationwide lockdown, to last a month, is under government consideration.
Globally, 60,656 new cases are reported, with 2,666 confirmed deaths. The shortest time it takes for the virus to consume its victims is just three days.
A long pause follows. Silence settles between them.
"Rhett, are you asleep?" Neva whispers, glancing up at him.
Instead of answering, Rhett responds with a kiss on the on the crown of her head.
"Almost," he says.
"Angel. Will you marry me again?" He asks, their eyes fastening.
Marry him again?
She smiles. "Sure. Once this situation calms down." Once, Ishmael would be a danger no longer.
He grins. "Then soon."
She nods. "Soon."
She is his light. Glowing twilight in this dim–lit golden room.
Rhett leans in, and their lips merge.
"I love you," He whispers against her lips.
Then a drop of tear falls from his eye, tracing her cheek.
God. He loves her.
Loves her to death.
And death in their world doesn't exist.
For even if the flesh rots,
the soul endures—alive, living on for eternity.
Neva is thawing.
She hears the rapid thrum of her own heart, loud in her ears.
And she feels his familiar heartbeat as she silently rests her head on his chest again.
"I just wish I could take you away, somewhere far from here. Just us. And Rhean. And live in peace... everafter."
A short silence.
"What do you want, Neva?" he asks, noticing how quiet she has become.
"So much," she whispers.
"But now that I am here, I wonder—this is all I ever needed."
He smiled, squeezing her tighter, pulling her closer.
"No matter what, I will alwaysstand beside you."
And the anxiety that previously shrouded Neva, it burdens her no longer.
For she has faith—faith in this feeling of sacredness coming from the depth of his soul.
It's when she hears his steady breathing, that she knows he's asleep. And her whisper of the phrase he yearns to hear, even if he's fulfilled to have this blessing to embrace her warmth.
"I love you too."
---
Rhett wakes up feeling cold and barren.
He forces his heavy eyes to open and dizzily looks around.
Neva isn't here anymore.
Had she gone to sleep in her room?
Did the kids need her?
He fists the duvet she covered them with.
How long has he slept?
He rubs his eyes with the heel of his palm.
He removes the duvet and sits up.
He looks at the balcony door.
Through the gaps in the curtains, he can still see it's dark outside.
He feels for the laptop and opens it.
It's four-thirty in the morning.
He shuts the laptop and stands up.
Then he turns to the balcony again. Walking toward it, he doubts the difference in the wide gap between the curtains—it had been closer before.
And the lock is open.
Had she been out on the balcony?
For she's nowhere to be seen now.
The next thing he knows, he's sweating with anxiety as he searches relentlessly for her. He checks her room, where the twins are still asleep.
He checks the room to the left where Rhean sleeps, the bathrooms, and then back to the living room.
Going through the surveillance cameras on the laptop screen, his heart drops. There, it shows Neva waking up half an hour ago, heading to the balcony.
But then the cameras capturing her on the balcony turns black.
In the blur of the next moment, he wakes up Ace and Sky, who were sleeping in the rooms downstairs. They're confused by the impaired footage of the balcony, as the normal surveillance cameras show nothing of Neva returning from the balcony after she went out.
There's not a single trace of suspicious movement, or any footage indicating she left the balcony.