War Of The Race's

CH 15: A Grander Diplomacy PT4

[...Talks and negotiations...]

5 days later

High-pitch beeps echoed throughout the sterile white room, following a pattern of memorable rhythms, Azzrick shivered in the chair he sat in which was positioned parallel to Kal'el's bed, he had been watching the feline fade in and out of consciousness for a while now, other members of B.L. had already made their stops, coming and going, but he stayed the entire time.

Kal'el's nose twitched as her head slowly turned to him, "You know, you don't have to sit here all day," she spoke, her voice dragged and creaky, taking time for each of her words to escape her lips, "I know, I know, but I wanna," he whispered, leaning in, resting his chin on his fist. She sighed, "You know, you shoulda' told me how much of a badass you were, being able to use feral instinct while staying 'n' control? My knight in shining armor, especially when you did that whole, you die ahh schtick," she told him, unable to stop herself from laughing.

Azzrick nearly fell out of the chair as his eyes widened, "You-you were awake for that!?" He blurted, his blue complexion almost turning pink, Kal'el just giggled as she watched him, "You're so fucking adorable you know that, once I get my new legs we need to finish what we started on that sub, don't think I forgot about that~" she purred, squinting at him.

He faced away from her and rubbed his neck, "I've been meaning to ask you about. . . that actually," Kal'el perked up, and using whatever strength she had to sit up, "Go on. . ." She seemed to drag her words more intentionally, her hospital gown suddenly slipping past her shoulders, but she made no intention of stopping it, in fact, she almost seemed to welcome it.

"Come on Azzrick, we went through two near-death experiences with each other, and you're a certified badass, and need I not mention you saved my ass.... I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you," her hand made a quick gesture to Azzrick's side, "And you've got the scar to prove it, so, what 'S' it?" she looked at him, her eyes loaded with a sense of yearning.

The room only seemed to expand with more anticipation, but she didn't push him, she let him take his time, during the intervals of silence, the rhythmic beeps were the sole thing adding noise, until he came clean, he wanted to know that what they'd had experience on that submarine was real, during that brief moment when they thought that their life would be squashed from them, hundreds of meters below sea level, with no control in determining their fates, he felt something, a spark, during that moment of shrouding darkness she was there for him, and he was there for her, he liked to believe that it wasn't just a way to bring comfort to their would've been demise.

After unloading how he felt, there was this purgatory speechlessness, her eyes would flicker to him, and then to her hands which she fiddled with, interlocking them and then unlocking them only to do it again, and then she spoke, but she answered with a question, "Why are you telling me this now?" She asked, Azzrick wasn't sure if this was a form of refusal or what, but her voice wasn't filled with disdain or a hint of unwillingness, if anything there was more curiosity with a bubbling sunrise.

But he couldn't shake off the feeling that somewhere along the way he had moved too fast, his knee went up and down as his feet tapped against the floor, "Maybe. . . I was scared. . . scared of you, ya know, saying no," he said, he thought best that if he had just kept his head down while in the squad, listen and follow orders, that he would get by, he never imaged that he would fall for someone in the squad.

His shoulders slumped, "I never was a sucker for. . . love. . . I am scared that me telling you this will cause you to look at me differently, and I don't want that, you won't hold this against me will you, I mean if it's a n-no then I totally get it," he told her, his eyes constantly shifting between her and the floor, there was another long hell burning silence as she just stared him, her grassy green eyes almost penetrating his very soul.