✔ Aspen | Sherman Yang

[after]

"I've always really liked quaking aspens."

Sherman glanced over at Miranda as she scanned her eyes around the perimeter of the cemetery. He can see parts of the yellow leaves reflected in her bronze irises, plus a mixture of familiar admiration. Her shoulder bumped against his accidentally and pink tinted her cheeks.

It was still awkward being a couple even after seven years. They had many valid reasons to hate each other and many ways to use secrets against each other too. The relationship was dangerous. As Sherman felt strange contentment rushing through his veins, he knew that he could very easily get hurt. She held a power over him, one that she likely didn't realize she had, and one he gave her permission to you. For now, and likely for a while, he believed that he was safe, yet it didn't stop the fear.

"Why do you like them?" he asked, voice deep and relaxed.

She shrugged. "I wish I knew. They were my favourite. I guess I should have liked mimosa trees because they are beautiful or pine trees because they are strong, but I liked aspens."

"I'd say aspens are quite beautiful."

"I never had the chance to see them in the way you did."

But today wasn't the day she would. Their parents were buried here, and they couldn't bring themselves to visit them without each other, even though they've dated for so long. Yet this was no sentimental day, it was an inspection.

"The grass is disturbed right there, maybe a couple of hours ago. It's trampled pretty badly like someone was in a hurry." Miranda told him, tying her trench coat tighter. "Pretty suspicious, if you ask me."

She walked towards the patch and pressed her fingers to the ground, focusing her energy on the earth. Her powers had gotten much stronger. Years ago, she would have passed out from a search like this.

When she lifted her hand, she approached a gravestone, one that looked very normal. Even without plant powers, he could tell that the site was dug up a little bit. It was a good find.

Miranda raked her hand through the dirt, killing the plants around it along the way, and pulled out a pistol. She dusted it off, then placed it in his hand. 

"Well, Detective Yang, do your magic," she said teasingly.

Sherman rolled his eyes and examined the barrel, the cold metal pressing against his fingertips.

"It was fired four times, one Saturday, one Monday, and two consecutive shots yesterday," he said. "It's fully loaded, however, which means that the person who buried it reloaded it for quick use, recently."

When he looked at her expression, his blood ran cold. He knew that look. She had seen something behind him, and it was best if they pretended nothing happened.

"How much time do we have until the meeting?" he inquired carefully.

"Around 40 minutes."

Which meant that the person behind him was at seven o'clock. 

"Is that enough time?"

"We'll be late by 10 minutes," she shrugged.

The person was 10 paces away.

A smirk played on his lips. "Good enough for me."

With the speed, he had been blessed with, Sherman spun around and tackled the person following him to the ground, taking the gun out of his hand and throwing it very far, then pointing the newly unburied one to his temple. "This is your weapon, isn't it?"

Then man snarled and suddenly a new, unfamiliar presence was quickly getting closer. As the person swung at his head, he had to release his grip on the suspect and defend himself. 

Suddenly, punches were everywhere and Sherman's adrenaline soared. It wasn't easy, he had to give them that. They were much larger than him and his partner and stronger. Clearly, this wasn't their first time in a situation like this. Yet as a son of a war god, it was hardly a challenge.

What was not supposed to happen, was when he glanced over at Miranda, his breath caught in his throat. She was handling her guy with elegance, elbowing him, dodging, almost as if the whole scene was practised over and over again. Gods, she was too hot to be his girlfriend.

The distraction ended up with a pair of hands wrapped around his neck and the gun knocked out of his hands. His knees were pinned to the ground and he tried to think of a solution before he ran out of air. How could he let his guard down like this?

As Sherman nearly rolled his eyes for being so foolish, he started to feel lightheaded. When he was nearly about to pass out, nearly about to summon a couple of henchmen of Ares to help him, the hands around his neck suddenly loosened and he gasped in relief. The man who had tackled him was now clutching his groin, yelling in pain.

Miranda thrust her ankle into his head and knocked him out cold, wiping her hands off in a job well done.

He gaped at her, awestruck like a teenager. She rolled her eyes at him and crouched to look at the marks on his neck. From the inside of her coat, she pulled out an ointment and rubbed it on his neck. The contact of her skin on his still tingled, electricity still burning. Her bronze eyes still glimmered with green specks.

"You're really dumb, you know that?" she said plainly.

"I love you," he blurted out.

"Whatever,"

He still noticed the cute smile on her lips as she closed the jar of the ointment. She caught him staring and rolled her eyes, then helped him up.

"Let's get married." 

She spun around suddenly, face wide in shock. Sherman felt his cheeks tinge red just a little bit at the sudden confession. He had been thinking about it lately, but now he knew more than ever that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. 

"That was the most stupid proposal ever." Miranda sighed, crossing her arms around her chest.

"Is that a yes?"

She raised an eyebrow. "It's a yes once you get me a ring."

He gaped, incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"Do I look unserious?" 

Sherman was about to protest until she sighed and wrapped her arm around his elbow. "I never specified the price." 

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes glinted and a huge smile crossed her face. "There's a convenience store a block from here. I'm sure you can find a box of candy rings somewhere."

"Well, what the hell are you waiting for?"

They ran off, leaving two unconscious bodies behind, forgetting about their case for a few minutes, and purchasing a rock candy ring which he slid onto her finger. Her hand never looked better.

END