forum Traitors Never Win // Closed// O/O

Started October 08, 2020 by @gracehustle

tune

Finally, he is able to put the car in park for once. Rael got into the motel parking lot and took the spot closest to the room he reserved. The last three hours dragged on for so long he thought it would take even longer. Silence did not make it any better for him, although it was reassuring knowing that Nym was getting some sleep. It did surprise him how she managed to sleep through the whole portion of the trip without waking up for one moment.

Should he wake her up now? He sat back in the seat while taking the key out of the ignition. Should he not? Maybe he should just wait for her to wake up on her own. It isn't like they are being ambushed by someone. Besides the whole area around them is so empty. Sure there are a few other cars in the parking lot, but there was not a lot of people or traffic. Might be possible since they're out in the country and it's turning into the evening.

Rael got out of the car to go get the room key. Only after taking a few steps, he realized he hadn't been able to stretch his legs for such a long time. Staying in that small car for hours is terrible. Clasping his hands together, he threw them behind his back. A few bones cracked till he began to feel some soreness. With that being done, he felt much better while heading over to the motel check in.

The man at the desk pushed the book forward then held out a pen. Carefully taking it, he wrote in the name he mentioned on the phone along with the date, time, and room number. And as an extra measure, he showed his fake identification card. The man took the book back and in return gave him the key.

First he went over to the room making sure it was safe. Since it looked fine to him, he decided to dash back over to the car. He tried to take everything he can without any trouble. Taking three trips to and back, he brought along whatever was in the car. For some reason he decided to take in the portrait too. Gods only know why, he assumes.

The only thing, or person, left was Nym. By the time he came back to pick her up, it appeared she was still asleep. Rael couldn't help but quietly chuckle to himself as he opened the passenger door. "Bella," he cooed while gently patting her on the shoulder, "We're here! It's time to wake up. Do you want me to carry you over or hold your hand while we walk?"

Nym hadn't woken once in the entirety of the three-hour drive, passed out in the passenger's seat as she caught up on days worth of missed sleep. She had shifted around a bit though, and her most current position was curled up in the seat, legs somehow up to her chest as she covered as much of herself with Rael's jacket as she could.

Something about just sitting in the car, not driving always made her tired. She chalked it up to just liking the calmness in a vehicle, but there was a good possibility that it had something to do with the purr of the engine being an effective calming noise. Either way, she was asleep, and she looked quite peaceful while she was indeed sleeping.

Nym started to wake when she felt the car shut off, but being in her own world, she ignored it, nestling in further and slipping into her dreams. She didn't even jolt awake as the door opened, only the feeling of a hand on her shoulder making her blink and wake herself up.

"Hm?" She murmured, rubbing her eyes and looking around, slowly stretching. Nym focused on him with sleepy eyes, then put together his question, answering with a yawn, "I…uh…I can walk…gimme a minute."

With the effect of sleep still covering her, she moved slowly, looking much calmer than she normally did, even as she unbuckled herself and somehow got to her feet, wrapping Rael's jacket over her own on her shoulders.

"I could've driven you know…all you had to do was wake me up."

For a few more moments, he tapped her shoulder till noticing her moving. Well that wasn't so difficult. While opening the door wider, he took a step back. In the corner of his eye he looked over at the door to the room. The light above the door made the numbers on the side shine.

Glancing over to her, he couldn't help but smile. As always he wasn't able to pull his gaze away. Now he cannot recall this soft expression on her before, although it was just as mesmerizing as the others.

Rael shook his head. He can easily recall how exhausted she looked the one day he came to the cell. "You needed the rest," he stated before adding, "And no worries, I was fine the whole time. We made it and I got to see my bella really being a beauty, even in her sleep." Three hours cannot make up for how many days of sleep she missed out on, but he hoped it was good enough. "Let's go, you need some food too. I brought some firecracker chicken as well as some sandwiches. I thought you'd want to eat when we left."

When she got out of the car, he leaned over to close the door. Then he took out the car key locking the vehicle one more time. He stepped over to her then fixed the jacket. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Rael turned his head to meet Nym's eyes. A quick wave of tiredness overcame causing him to use his free hand to help hid his yawn. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry you over? It's just over there anyways. You look so tired still."

(Sorry it's a little short)
His words were enough to bring a faint blush to her cheeks, though Nym wasn't able to pinpoint the exact reason they did. She just gave him a tiny smile and looked to the ground, her foggy brain clogging her thoughts.

"Food sounds good…and I can walk I suppose. No use in you carrying me if it's going to hurt your injuries," She replied, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she leaned into Rael's side.

She accepted the arm around her without hesitation, not questioning her decision. It had been three years since she had allowed someone to get this close to her, and frankly, she was craving physical touch. Rael's arm around her was comforting, and she almost wanted to just close her eyes and relish in the contact, though she knew that would have to wait for now.

Yawning, she glanced up at him, nodding to the motel, "Which one is the one we have?"

ael could not figure out why exactly, but he really wanted to tell Nym how amazing it feels having her at his side. The sensation was about to make him melt with all the heat rushing up to his face and ears. He tried to bury the smile growing on his face with a more relaxed expression yet the attempt turned to be unsuccessful. For him, time slowed down. He wouldn't care if they stayed like this for awhile. Staying with her leaning into him, looking at her cute sleepy expressions while watching the moon begin to shine bright as the day turned into the evening.

Somehow he was able to forget about the pain in his sides at the moment. Only when she brought them up did he start to think about them again. It is not as bad as it was a few hours ago, it only lingers till he moves too quickly. Rael laughed a little as he looked down at the ground for a second. In the corner of his eyes, he focused on her. "True, although, even if I was in a much worse condition, I would still ask you the same question," he smiled. Holding Nym makes him forget about everything, it makes him feel so much better. He wouldn't care if he had a bullet in his shoulder.

Shifting his feet so they'd point diagonally to the right, he glanced over at the door. Room number fourteen. "That one over there," he replied while pointing to it. It was not much far from where they stood. Practically is a hop and skip away. When reserving the room, he had a map out on his screen so he could find the best room that didn't require much walking or stairs. With him growing lethargic from today and her still waking up, it was a good idea.

The key to the room was in his left hand. Squeezing the keychain attached to it, he began to walk over. He did his best matching his steps and pace along with hers. They were not in a rush so he did not mind going really slow if needed. Halfway there, he let go of her so he could sprint over and open the door.

Nym looked to where he pointed and nodded, pulling a gentle smile onto her face, "You plan well, I like the location." She followed him to the room, step in step with him, even though she knew he was taking more time to walk alongside her. He had a longer stride, and slowing down to her had to be frustrating. Still, she liked the action, and his arm around her was still more than comforting.

Glancing around as she brushed the final tendrils of sleep out of her mind, she studied their surroundings. A small motel, not many cars, a room close to the car, it was impressive. She couldn't have chosen a better resting place herself. Plus, in the evening light, soon it would be hard to make out license plates, leaving his car quite safe for the time being.

"Did you already take all of our things inside?" She asked, realizing she hadn't taken the food or first aid kit with. It seemed like he had, as he seemed much more awake and stretched out like he had been out of the car for a while. Nym felt a tinge of guilt at the idea that he had brought everything in while leaving her to sleep. She should've been up to help him, and with his bruises, it would've been painful to carry that duffle bag again.

She stopped at the door once they reached it, watching the area around them while he unlocked the door. Instinctively, her training started to kick in and she tried to remember every way out of this place, and inevitably, she would do the same thing inside, finding all escapes, all hiding places, everything.

Rael glanced down at the ground as he rubbed the side of his neck. He stole a glimpse catching her soft beam. "Why thank you, it is my specialty after all," he winked.

"Of course, I took care of it before you woke up. I did it so then we can just head inside when you were awake," he said. He did not have any trouble with taking the things in. The pain was terrible as always, but he was trained to carry on even with a bullet lodged in him. Thank the gods he has not ever had to deal with that kind of situation. Although, this was no biggie in his mind. "Don't feel bad that you didn't help, it's okay."

With an easy turn of the key, a faint click sound was made. Rael pushed the door wide open as he stepped forward. The lights were already turned on from when he first came in here. He sat the stuff down wherever it was easy for him. Walking to and back sure did make him tired even though he still had a good amount of energy left in him.

He was eager to lay in bed after all they went through today. His footsteps were heavy as he ambled over to the bed on the right. Sitting on top of the sheets, he removed his boots and then placed them on the floor. Slowly, he laid down on the bed. For a second everything felt fine till his injuries got the best of him again. With his hand on his left side, he turned onto his back.

Rolling his eyes at the fact he still felt some pain, he let out a small groan. Either way the bed was so comfortable to him; he never wants to get out of it, ever. "Nym, you should laid down in one of these. They probably feel much better compared to the car seat."

Her eyes flicked around the inside of the room as the door opened, studying all the open places that she could. She took her time walking in, and even as she wanted nothing more than to lay back down, she walked slowly around the room, silently checking the bathroom, then making sure there was nowhere that things or someone could be hidden. Just like she had always done whenever she stayed somewhere.

It was instinct, and she zoned out while she did it, only looking over to Rael when she had finished searching. She didn't bring up what her training had just helped her do, not giving an excuse or reasoning for why she had just searched the room. Most likely he had already done so as well, but she

"I will in a little bit, first I think we should both eat," She replied, nodding to the food he had brought in. Nym gently took his jacket from off her shoulders, setting it down on one of the beds followed by her own. She then followed his example and took off her boots, leaving them by the open bed.

The beds did look comfy, she would give him that. It was hard not to just flop back on it as she grabbed the food and held out what she assumed was his portion out to him.

As he laid on the bed, he fought the urge to fall asleep. His eyes kept closing then opening incessantly for a few moments. To give himself an extra boost of energy, he pinched the side of his neck. The instant jolt was not enough to run around, but it helped him with sitting himself up on the bed.

After getting up, he raised a brow watching as Nym examined the place. He could have sworn that she did the same thing when they were at his home and also when they got out of it too. Personally he does the same thing, but he never thought about it much. Must be a spy and solider thing.

He was not completely sure why she was scouting the place out. This is only a motel room; there would not be a lot of places for one to hide. Besides, he is pretty sure the walls are hollow too. If there was something wrong, he would've returned the key and go back to driving. Still, searching one's surroundings is always a smart thing to do. It was sort of amusing how focused she looked while doing so. She appeared to be in her world while gazing around.

Rael did his best to not make it appear that he was watching. In fact, he curled his lips back in hopes of trying to hide his grin. When she had glanced back at him, he stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds then let his eyes fall onto her.

Agreeing to her words, he smiled. Probably was the better thing to go with first. He was ready to lift himself up and onto the floor before seeing her hand the food to him. Whispering a small thank you, he took the food. Taking off the tupperware lid, he used the fork and ate a piece of chicken. It wasn't at the hot temperature it's supposed to be, yet he was too lazy to get up. "I don't know if you ate at all today, but I hope this is good," he said, "Sit down and relax though, you need it."

"It'll be enough to get me through the day," Nym replied, popping open the container and starting to eat the food. It didn't bother her that it was room temperature, though she would've liked it warmer. Even if it wasn't warm, it was food, and she needed it to survive. Especially after only being fed scraps for however long she had been trapped in that damn building.

She shoved a bite of chicken into her mouth, waiting until she had finished chewing before she answered the second part of his question, "Rael, I just napped for three hours, I'll be fine without rest for the time being. You are the one that needs to sleep, if not to replenish your energy then to help your wounds heal."

Nym finished the portion of food much faster than she wanted to admit, shoveling bite after bite in. When she had finished though, she tried to make it look like she was still eating, making sure she got every last bit of food out of the container.

"Did you make this?" She asked, breaking her usual silence.

Looking up, she watched Rael for a minute, finding a tiny smile trying to worm onto her face at the sight of him so focused on eating. Before it could show though, she brushed it away, reminding herself of the ever-present reminder not to get too attached.

He was exhausted from the day, he didn't have enough energy to come up with an argument. On the other hand, he did not want to admit it either. "Do not worry about my bruises, I promise get some rest soon," he assured with a sigh, "It'll make me feel even better if you do too." It is more than obvious his injuries are going to take the whole trip to heal; maybe even longer if he makes it. If anything, she has to be concerned about herself first before telling him that he is the one who needs more rest.

Rael went back to focusing on his food. To him it tasted good, though it had to be years since he last made it. Thinking about food was much more feasible than trying to dissect his own thoughts or to go over the whole escape plan for the hundredth time.

While chewing on a piece of chicken, his eyes glazed over as he became fixated on one spot on the floor while eating. Gently squeezing the fork, he moved it around without looking at it.

"Hm?" He sat up looking all over the place before meeting her. In the bottom of his vision, he noticed the empty container. Rael couldn't help himself as he frowned for a few seconds. A small sad exhale left him as he shook his head. "I did. I made it last night," he recalled, "Do you like it?"

She nodded, playing with the fork in her hand before she stood once more, "I like it yes…reminds me of a dish from home." Nym stretched out before grabbing the container and setting it on top of the side table between the two beds.

Taking a moment to sit back down, relishing the feeling of a mattress beneath her, she laid down. She propped an arm behind her head, staring at the ceiling.

"I'll sleep after you do, we should be watching for any of your soldier friends that are intent on finding us."

Nym went quiet again as she zoned out, finding her mind drifting to thoughts of her home. It had been months since she had thought about the country, since the last time she had gotten information to the spy who brought it to the border. Normally she avoided thinking about it anyway, but now she couldn't help it. A part of her wondered what her siblings would think of Rael if he was ever able to meet them. Surely her brother would be in awe of him. A bitter look crossed her face. If he wasn't busy trying to kill Rael. There was the issue of him being an enemy soldier after all, and from what she guessed, he had to be a damn good one.

"Maybe someday you can give me the recipe and I'll make that dish for you," he smiled.

There was no other way to react to 'your soldier friends' for him besides rolling his eyes. He laughed at her words before taking a deep breath. "Alright. Knock me out if I wake up or wake me up when my 'friends' are about to knock us out then," he chuckled.

Rael closed the container then leaned over to set it down on the end table. His head turned to get another glimpse around the room. Staring over at the door, he thought about what would happen if someone found them. Well, if that were to happen, he could've sworn he put the fire extinguisher next to the wall on Nym's side earlier.

He slid closer to the pillows, and arranged them so he could sit up on the bed. As he shifted himself to recline back, he caught a glimpse of the framed picture laying next to the duffle bag. The portrait and food made him reminisce about their previous conversations back in the cell. How he brought up family and the reaction she had made to their ranting.

So many questions arose in his mind. Home, he wondered how many times she'd thought about it since they got out. He is assuming that it had to be a few years or so since she last been there. It must be something else to be in the country attacking all that you ever knew.

"What's your home like? Do you miss it?", he asked hoping to break the silence for a while. His hands clasped together as he glimpsed over at her with the corner of his eye.

"If I remember it, I'll tell it to you and you can make it. Or I can and you'll have to try it."

Nym blinked as Rael spoke, pulling her out of her thoughts. Her home? Gods above, he didn't forget any of their conversations, much to her dismay. This was going to be a frustrating conversation if he dug far into her past. Not that she would let him dig far, but even then, it was liable to get a little emotional.

"I suppose I miss Outhila in general…but my home specifically? No, I don't miss it," She replied, hoping to keep most of her emotion out of her voice. She paused, staring up at the ceiling, "I lived near the base of the mountain range by the coast, right outside of a fairly big city most of my childhood. If anything, it was a pretty place to live, but I still don't really miss it. It wasn't my home."

Succeeding in keeping most of her emotion inside, besides a bit of a harsher tone that came with her last sentence. Her father had run a successful farm as well as a small fishing crew, and the home she had lived in was a present he had bought their family when he had done exceptionally well one year before she was born. It was a pretty home, but she hadn't been fond of it, for many reasons.

"And you? What's your home like? Are you going to miss it?" She asked in a feeble attempt to change the conversation.

Missing home country but not really missing where she grew up; he wasn't sure whether or not he expected it. To him, it did seem like where she lived was a nice place. With Nym's words, he could only imagine what her childhood home looked like. The whole time, he kept his head turned to face her as she spoke.

An eyebrow rose up as he heard the questions. Supposingly, he guessed it was fair for him to be answering some questions himself since he started it. Yet something seemed a bit off, he is just too tired to figure it out at the moment.

"It was interesting," he shrugged. Rael sat there on the bed while contemplating what to say. Biting his bottom lip, he crossed his arms till he suddenly knew what to say. "We lived outside a quaint village, about ten minutes away from a military base. It was nice, but I had more fond memories in other places. I don't think I'll miss it per say, I'll definitely miss some people though."

Leaving behind everything might be the best thing he has ever done since they. There is not much for him to get upset about, all he had were memories anyways. Home was home for him, it's impossible to change it, but he had his mom and two of his siblings that made it all better.

Fiddling with his fingers, he stared down at them whike trying to think. Asking about why she didn't like where she grew up doesn't seem to be the best option, but he wasn't sure what else to ask. All he wants to do is listen and talk to her. He would have never guessed he'd be so meticulous over a conversation.

"Do you have anyone that made you feel at home? Anyone you're waiting to see?"

She nodded as he spoke, but she didn’t move her eyes from the ceiling as she listened. It seemed like Rael was in a similar boat to her, the people were the only thing she was going to miss. Living by a military base didn’t seem fun, especially since she could take context clues and guess that being so close to the base was a reason for him to join the military.

“Just my siblings, and maybe one friend if they’re still alive,” She replied calmly to his next question, shrugging, “My sister and brother are the only ones from home that I miss, and my friend is one that I met in training. Can’t assume that any of them are there anymore though, so I’m setting my wants to see them quite low.”

Nym picked at the blanket with her free hand, wondering if she should say more about her siblings. Rael wouldn’t know who they were, but then again, their safety relied on what she said about them. If anything happened to them she could heavily assume that it was because their names slipped from her.

“Who are you going to miss? Anyone you wish you could see again?”

Finally, she tore her gaze from the ceiling to look over at her travel partner, studying him silently. He looked almost, calm? Well, as calm and relaxed as any of them could be right now. She knew it was going to come back to bite her, but she couldn’t help but get lost in his looks. If they weren’t on opposing sides of the war, she would’ve already took a chance on a relationship with him, he was attractive, she wasn’t going to deny that. Blinking, she pulled her drifting thoughts from that area of thinking, tearing her attention away from the idea of curling up in his arms, or even just holding his hand.

"I'm sure they are fine. If they're anything like you, I believe you will be able to see them again," he assured. From family to the military, he knew so many people, but he couldn't say that he'd miss even a third of them all. There was no use in making friends in the field he had chosen as well; he feels lucky to have met someone like Nym, if only he didn't have this yearning to be more than so.

"Well, there's my one half-brother, my sister, and my mom. I haven't seen them in years, it's not like I ever had the chance of seeing them again in the first place. I miss them a lot though."

His eyes darted away once she glanced over to him. Something about Nym doing the littlest of things like looking at him is making his heart pound harder than before. Without a doubt, she's beautiful, and it's to the point where he is about to forget what to say. Every time he gazes at her or their eyes meet, he has the want to kiss her; she has the most kissable face ever.

Would it be worth anything to never say a word about it? If he knew that they'd be able to meet again after reaching the border, he would let it all out right now. All the words building up inside of him just pouring out about how he's falling for her.

Rael rested his chin on his hand while the other rubbed the left side of his chest. "Do you mind if I sit over there with you? I'm too far away to hear you," he grumbled. His head was starting to hurt from all the thoughts swirling around him. It could be from being hurt, but at this point, seems like it is something else. Everything started to hurt again, yet for another reason.

Nym frowned at the thought of him never being able to see his family again. He had given up everything to help her, including the ability to see his family. She could never make it up to him unless she left him here and continued on without his help.

Snapping back to reality, she looked at him, pausing before she sat up. "I don't mind, but I'll move over there instead, you don't need to be moving around."

In all her years of training, she hadn't been trained for how to handle her muddled emotions about an enemy soldier. She tried not to worry about that as she stood and walked to the other bed, sitting on the other side. Nym didn't quite settle back in after sitting down, wondering why in the world she was so aware of the small amount of space between them.

"Is this better? Any more questions?" She asked, looking over at him once more.

Nym shoved her nerves away while she adjusted the pillow behind her, propping herself up against the headboard so she was sitting in a position similar to his.

Rael stiffened as she sat next to him. Even as he asked that question, he wasn't expecting this to happen. He began to fidget with his fingers while keeping his mind away from digging deeper into his thoughts.

"Questions?" he whispered. At that moment, his mind became a blank slate. Whatever questions he had are all gone. They disappeared into thin air except for one. Is there a chance she feels the same way too?

No one has ever written instructions on how to deal with falling for an enemy spy nor can he manage to come up with a plan to push these feelings away. They just keep pulling making him want to get closer and closer to her. Now there isn't much of a space between them. This was not something he had ever prepared for. No books, maps, papers, or any preparation material can tell him what he should do.

"Earlier when you were helping me, you looked a bit flustered. You said you were alright, but something tells me you aren't…. I'm starting to feel a bit strange myself so I'm just curious," he faltered. Rael let out a quick sigh. He is more than aware that he shouldn't be this way, sensing this need to tell her, but every time he tried, his lips curled back refusing let another word out.

It took him a few seconds to muster up the courage to speak again. Letting go his hands, he let them rest on his lap. His eyes trailed over to hers. Heat stung his cheeks that were gradually turning red. "Is it just me or is there something else going on between us?"

Nym waited for his next questions, wondering why all of the sudden he was getting so quiet. Did she do something wrong? She didn't think sitting next to him gave away her feelings towards him, but maybe he had figured out why she had been acting the way she was.

Looking at him, she realized she had almost missed him starting to talk, her cheeks turning a flushed red in seconds. Shit. There went her plan to avoid all of her feelings for however long.

Opening her mouth, she was prepared to brush off her strange bathroom incident without bringing in her feelings. But she quickly shut it again when he continued. "I..uh…something like what?" She managed out, cursing herself internally for sounding as embarrassed and flustered as she felt.

She let out a small breath and looked away from him, busying herself with tucking a stray hair out of her face towards her braid. "Look…Rael…I'm not sure what's going on between us. I think we both know that nothing but an alliance should be between us, but at the same time, I won't deny that you are…attractive." Nym paused, her voice softer than ever, but holding a bit of a firm edge, "We're both adults, we both should be able to decide what's going on between us, but we both should understand the risks and the truths."

If her words held any confidence, her body language held none. She looked truly nervous, and maybe a little worried about his response. Had she taken things the wrong way? Was she going to sound stupid?

An alliance, is it too selfish of him to want more than that? Hearing her call him attractive was something he had never expected. It made his heart leap out of his chest as his eyes widened in disbelief. Rael did not dare to move a single muscle; it wasn't like he was able to in the first place. The shock from listening to her along with having to hear his heartbeat kept him still.

He could not help but notice how Nym was beginning to act too. Her cheeks blushing as she suddenly began to look nervous. Is she feeling the same way as him? Goddammit, she looks so cute. If he had any more bravery in him, he'd kiss her on the cheek right now.

The risks. From getting her to the border to whatever can happen even if they take him in too, there's a lot of what if's. He doesn't want to be careless, but he doesn't care of the fact they're from opposing sides or whatever is down the road from this point. His mind cannot predict nor plan out what's next for them, all it can do is think of her right now. And even when something will happen, it's still going to go back to Nym. The only thing he can do about it is to let her know, to let it all out.

"If we are talking about truths, then mine is that ever since we hugged in that gods-forsaken cell, I haven't felt the same. In any free moment I have, I think of you. I think of how beautiful you are… How I find you to be sweet even under those strong sturdy layers of yours… And especially of how I want you to be in my arms again," he sighed. It pained him to get out what he wanted to say. "Nym, I like you. Actually, I think it's more than liking at this point. I can't help that I'm falling for you, I can't stop it."

Rael wanted to look away from her. After saying all of that, he was scared of what she would say, how she'll react. Does she feel the same way too or is he blowing things out of proportion? Despite the urge, his gaze was stuck gazing back at her. His hand shook as it gradually reached over wanting to rest on top of Nym's before he pulled it back.

No, him already saying those things is too much. Having these feelings he isn't able to stop doesn't make any of this any better too. His lips trembled as he kept doing his best to force out more words. All he was able to do is repeat the words 'do you'. He paused for a second to take a deep breath then another one and another. Finally his eyes managed to look away, yet they stared back again when he asked, "Do you have feelings for me?"

Nym was silent as Rael spoke, feeling her cheeks flush an even darker red. She wasn't trained for this. Compliments were unheard of as a spy, and here she was, being told how beautiful she was. Biting the inside of her cheek while she thought, she stayed silent even as he asked his question.

"I think I have feelings for you," She replied gently, not meeting his eyes as she looked over to him, "But I won't lie to you, I'm still sorting out what I feel."

Reaching over, she took his hand hesitantly, pausing for another long moment to think of what to say next. She only had one shot to do this before she ruined whatever was between them, and she didn't want to mess it up. Nym tapped out a pattern on her leg with her free hand, feeling like a little schoolgirl from just her nerves alone. All she was doing was simply holding his hand, and already she could feel her heart racing.

"Every part of me is telling me that we shouldn't risk this all because of our feelings. We have to get to the border, and if we end up caring for each other…I don't know what will happen if we get caught." Nym finally met his eyes when she spoke, "Having feelings for an enemy is bad enough, this situation is only made more dangerous because of it. But, if we set some ground rules…I don't think I would mind seeing where this takes us."

Once again she looked away as she let out a soft, shaky breath, willing herself to seem more put together and unbothered by his words.

"What do you think?"