DARKSIDE

25 | Lee Hiram

The next day Nova woke up early, too much time spent on bed to last a lifetime for her. She could feel her back start to ache, she'd slept so much. But this time, she'd spent a good half hour staring at the man who lay beside her, who slept like the dead. She wanted to trace that scar again, but she didn't. She knew he would wake up and for some reason; she didn't want him to wake up.

Looking past Derek's sleeping self, Nova looked at the time. Five minutes past six. They still had one hour left to get ready to go to the headquarters.

Staring at Derek a bit more and trying to recall when they both fell asleep last night, she remembered that after they'd had dinner—that Derek made and it was so delicious too—they'd both crashed in his room. While Nova was sure it were the medicines she'd taken that made her drowsy, she knew for Derek, it had to be pure exhaustion. The light stubble that had started to grow on his face told a lot about how he had been for the past fourty-eight hours.

Nova decided not to wake Derek up when she realised she'd better get moving and wash up to get ready already. Sliding the covers off of her body, she stood up and exited his room and went into hers.

After finishing her business she noticed it was already seven O'clock and that they needed to hurry.

She should probably check up on Derek too because he seemed pretty exhausted last night. He didn't even wake up early today; maybe Nova will have to wake him up after all. With his name on the tip of her tongue, she exited her room.

Only to see Derek arranging plates on the dining table.

"You're awake?" was the first thing that Nova uttered after seeing him.

"And you're dressed too." She stated to nobody in particular when she saw the folded sleeves of his white dress shirt and black pants that he wore. His black coat was hanging on one of the four chairs. His slightly wet hair styled back, and his skin glistening through the sunlight that came from the window. He was simply beautiful.

"Good morning to you, too, Ms. Newton."

With that Nova was brought out of whatever trance she was in just seconds ago and a blush covered her face.

"Oh, um, sorry, Good morning," she greeted and went to the kitchen counter to see what the amazing smell was all about.

"Cheese sandwich?" she asked when she saw the delicious looking things. Although they'd eaten late last night, the sandwiches looked too delicious to be left just like that.

"Yeah, because why not?" Derek said smiling as he came up to her.

Still getting used to it, Nova closed her eyes and took a deep breath when he put his arms around her. When she opened her eyes and lifted her head up, Derek's eyes were on her which made her smile. Giving a soft peck on her forehead, he let her go and they both sat to have breakfast. The sandwich was as delicious as it looked and after eating, and doing the dishes, they both set off to go to the SIS building. Penton had called for them.

Throughout the ride, neither of them said anything but this time neither of them felt the need to. They both knew they were thinking about the same thing. While the confrontation with Lee hadn't been on their focus all this time, it still had been residing in the back of their minds, nagging them for just a second and then going away. But right now as they went for their office, with mask covering their faces and both in a disguise; Lee was all they were thinking about.

When they reached, Nova was suddenly overcome with a lot of emotions. At first, she remembered the time she'd first come here which seemed so long back. Then she remember how she'd come here every day preparing herself to do better in each of her tests and interviews so that she'd get the job. And at last she remembered the time she'd been able to get what she wanted.