outofmyheadoutofmysoul

[outofmyheadoutofmysoul]

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"You’re engaged to him?!"

The words slipped out in disbelief, each one trembling with the weight of betrayal. All she could do was stare—eyes wide, heart clawing at her chest—as she looked at the woman she had once trusted more than anything. She averted her gaze, sighing with a weariness that didn’t belong to someone her age. She began to pace, restless, as though the movement could keep the truth from catching up to her. Lara’s voice trembled again—years of unsaid things spilling out in a tide she could no longer hold back. "Are you serious, Eli? Him?"

The BSAA base had always carried its share of ghosts, but today, its halls felt particularly suffocating. Eli had lived through horrors here—losses that had carved her down to bone. But nothing compared to the ache that pulsed in her chest now.

It had happened too fast.

The part of her she thought lost forever—the part she mourned in silence, night after sleepless night—had shown up again, just like that. And she had no armor prepared.

The sterile walls closed in. The flickering hum of the overhead lights buzzed like static against her skin. And Lara… God, she was right there, pacing with that same fire in her that Eli had always loved and feared.

"Lara, please…" Her voice barely carried. The words felt like broken glass in her throat—fragile, sharp, impossible. What she wanted was to close the space between them, to bury herself in the scent she remembered too well, to cling to the only place that had ever felt like home.

But she had no right. Not anymore. That version of them was long gone.

Her gaze dropped, almost involuntarily, to the engagement ring—quiet and gleaming, still unfamiliar on her hand. Her teeth caught her lower lip in a nervous ache.

"No, Eli. Don’t." Lara’s voice was all fire and fracture. "Don’t try to calm me down. You don’t even see what you’re doing. You don’t know this man."

The massive steel doors of the BSAA facility parted with a low groan. A gust of winter wind surged inside, carrying with it a flurry of snowflakes that scattered across the floor. By the time the doors shut again, all that remained were small, glistening puddles, silent testaments to the storm outside. The halls, normally bustling with activity, now stood in an eerie stillness. Most of the team had been dispatched on a field operation, and their absence left the building shrouded in quiet—a quiet so dense that even the softest sounds echoed through its barren corridors.

It didn’t take long for the two women in the entryway to notice they were no longer alone. For a brief second, their argument paused as both turned toward the sound of the door closing.

There, standing tall and broad-shouldered, was a man with eyes like the depths of a frozen sea. He looked first at Lara, then at the woman he had hoped to call his bride.

Something was wrong.

Chris could feel it in the air—thick and heavy, like the moment before a storm. One look at Eli’s uneasy expression was enough to tell him that he'd walked in at precisely the wrong time. But he wasn’t the kind of man to walk away, not when the woman he loved looked like she was barely holding herself together. He took a step forward, cautiously—eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced at the other woman, whose posture bristled with unresolved fury. He hoped whatever this was could be diffused with reason. But Chris didn’t yet understand just how deep this fracture ran, nor how much damage lay buried beneath it.

Lara, of course, recognized him the moment he stepped inside. The fraud. The deceiver. This was Chris Redfield. And she was going to make sure Eli understood exactly what that meant.

She had to understand.

There was still time, wasn’t there? A chance—slim, desperate, but real.

“So this is it,” Lara said, her voice steeped in venomous calm. “You and your people really pulled it off, huh? Tricked her good.” A bitter smile twisted her face—an imitation of amusement meant to mask the sheer rage beneath. “What now? You ruined my life. And now you're coming for hers too?”

“Lara—what the hell are you talking about?” Eli’s voice cracked under the weight of confusion and dread. Her amber eyes darted from the man she loved to the woman she never truly stopped loving.

None of this made sense.

Chris remained silent, analyzing, reading the room. Whoever this woman was, she seemed to know far more than she should. Her accusations were outlandish, yet... not entirely unfamiliar. He’d heard the Croft name before—an infamous legacy of wealth, ruin, and stubborn brilliance. And if memory served, this woman was the last of them. The last Croft.

“I know you don’t understand, Eli,” Lara hissed, stepping closer now, as if her words alone could jolt her from her trance. “But if you did, you’d never even consider tying yourself to a man like him.” She flung her hand out, pointing a trembling finger toward Chris. Her voice quivered—but not with fear. With rage. With grief. With something else, buried deep.

“You have no idea who Chris Redfield really is.”

Lara, who had once never dared to raise her voice at Eli, now stood before her, pointing her finger at the tall man, her anger and disappointment burning through her words. Her voice rose, louder, angrier, trembling from years of silence.

“He’s a monster, Eli. A man who worked with the same people who destroyed my life. Trinity.” Lara’s throat burned with each word, her fury spilling out like wildfire. “They murdered my father. They shattered everything. And he—” she gestured again at Chris, “he knew. They all did. BSAA knew. And they made deals anyway. They looked the other way.”*

Chris’s jaw tensed. His heart pounded like a war drum in his chest. So, she did know. Not everything, no—but enough. Enough to be dangerous. Where the hell had she gotten this information? Someone would’ve needed insider access. BSAA-level access. He stepped forward, raising a hand, finally about to speak—defend himself, explain, deny—but Lara didn’t give him the chance.

She would not be silenced.

Her eyes locked with his—furious, unflinching. The look she gave him chilled him to the core.

“And you,” she snarled, voice breaking, “how many lives did you sacrifice while Trinity held your leash? How many years did it take to turn her into your little puppet? How long did you spend controlling her, making her dance to your every command?”

Chris had had enough of the accusations. He tried to defend himself once more, his voice strained but firm.

''We had no choice. Finding Elias Vex meant following the only lead we had, and that was his history with Trinity."

The broad-shouldered man brought a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as if trying to ease the tension building behind his eyes. The shouting, the accusations, this whole confrontation—it was chipping away at the fragile trust he'd spent years rebuilding with Eli. And that, out of everything, was what terrified him most. “Using Trinity wasn’t association. It wasn’t allegiance. It was a forced situation— BSAA only—”

But he didn’t get to finish.

With a low, guttural growl, Lara stormed toward him, fury rolling off her like a stormfront. Chris’s words may have answered some of the long-buried questions that had haunted her, but it didn’t matter anymore. Her rage had taken over, far too consuming to be calmed by logic.

He had stolen the love of her life. He had slipped that cursed ring onto the finger of the woman she once couldn't even bring herself to touch without trembling. And now, here he was, trying to paint himself as the noble one? Trying to make her look like the villain?

Would he ever back off? Would he ever stop forcing his way between them?

“Shut it, Captain. This is between me and my girl.”

The words spilled from Lara’s mouth before she could even process them. No filter, no hesitation—just pure, raw emotion. Maybe she didn’t even realize what she was saying in the heat of it all. But it was too late. The truth had cracked open like a fault line.

"Your... girl?"

The orange-haired woman turned her gaze—half-veiled behind loose curls—toward the other woman, who now stood frozen, her expression unreadable, staring blankly at the man in the room.

It had been years since Eli last heard Lara speak of her in that way—with such certainty, with such aching possession. And once upon a time, it hadn’t been rare. Eli had once woken to the warmth of lips pressed softly to her cheek at dawn, followed by a steaming cup of tea on the nightstand and a familiar hand reaching for hers beneath the covers. But that was another life entirely—one she had sealed away so tightly, even memory itself had begun to fade around its edges.

Lara turned her earthy eyes from the man she had called a liar—the man she couldn’t bear to look at—and instead fixated on the one she couldn’t stop looking at. Eli. Her angel, now wingless. Time had left its mark on her, yes, but this wasn’t just time. This was damage. This was betrayal and loss, woven into the silk of her being by people who never deserved her.

The woman who once wore her hair the color of chestnut now carried flames in its place—dyed orange, defiant. Whatever or whoever had driven her to such a change, Lara was ready to burn them down to the roots. And her eyes… those eyes were lighter now, but not brighter. Duller. Faded. The shine that had once lived in them was gone, like a star swallowed whole by the void.

Was this still the woman she once loved?

Was any part of her still Lara’s?

Chris stepped forward carefully, his voice low, almost pleading. “Eli… I wanted to tell you. You deserved the truth. I was just—waiting for the right time—” He tried to meet her eyes, but Eli wasn’t looking at him anymore. Her gaze was somewhere far away, caught between memory and disbelief.

Lara didn’t let him finish. Her voice broke the air cleanly.

She raised a hand, pointing at Eli’s ring finger—at the diamond that sparkled far too brightly for a moment like this. Her eyes narrowed on it with a hatred that ran deeper than anger.

“Did you let him put that on you without knowing who he really is?” she said, her voice low, sharp. “Tell me, Eli—do you honestly want to spend your life with a man whose past you know nothing about?”

Eli winced as if slapped. She hugged one arm to herself, the other hand rubbing nervously over her sleeve like she could erase the pressure building inside her.

If this was a nightmare, she needed to wake up. Now.

Slowly, her eyes rose. They found Chris’s—still holding, still waiting. She swallowed hard. “Is it true?”

The question was quiet. But the pain behind it roared.

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[outofmyheadoutofmysoul]

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“Oh, fuck off—no one can see the future in a few damn pieces of paper.”

The woman sitting cross-legged on the worn-out rug in the dimly lit living room turned her pale, warning gaze toward the smug man sprawled across the couch. A few tarot cards still lingered in her hands, their edges resting on the carpet like brittle bones. She took a deep breath to steady herself—just like that therapist had once tried to teach her… Tried, because that poor woman had ended up in the ground like the rest. Melodie was never the type to hold back when angry. After that murder, she’d barely scraped by. What a time that was.

“You fucking idiot. Didn’t I tell you to shut your damn mouth?”

The young man lounging on the couch, casually swirling the golden liquid in his bottle, flashed a shameless grin. Pissing people off was one of his favorite addictions—right up there with alcohol and chaos. Jeff brushed his dark hair back from his face and stared at the woman sitting on the floor. He and Melodie had never gotten along—and he couldn't blame either of them for it. He'd rather fucking die than try to get along with that bitch.

“What? I’m trying to save you from this bullshit scam. It's a goddamn waste of time.” Jeff grinned even wider, eager to see just how far he could push her tonight. “Instead of playing with that dumb shit, you should be down between my legs right now…”

“No one wants your tiny dick,” she snapped back. Melodie had long since learned to fire back hard. Jeff fucked with her every single day. “I'd get more pleasure grinding on a patch of poison ivy than touching whatever's rotting between your legs.”

Jeff choked on his beer right as she finished the sentence. He tossed the empty can straight at the tarot cards, now scattered across the rug, like a toddler throwing a tantrum. For Melodie—who was a master at bruising fragile egos—it was a clear victory.

“You filthy bitch!” Jeff’s deep, now-red eyes burned with rage as he barked the words.

“Jeff! You trashed everything, you fucking asshole!” she shouted, frantically trying to gather her soaked cards. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

The fight had already drawn attention from others in the mansion. Funny, considering this place—this so-called “home”—was in a constant state of chaos. Screaming matches were basically background noise. But tonight was different. Tonight, the Boss, Slender Man himself, was having a meeting in his study—and even the faintest noise could earn them a bloodbath. Of course, Jeff, arrogant little shit that he was, didn’t give a damn. He fed off conflict like it was oxygen.

The two only backed off when EJ walked in. Melodie slowly withdrew the sharp scissors she’d been pressing to Jeff’s neck, a deep, guttural growl still rumbling in her throat. She hated being interrupted.

“Jeff, put the knife down, or do I have to fucking rip it out of your hand?” The blue-masked man spoke with the tone of a fed-up parent—but with way more profanity. Most parents didn’t cuss out their kids.

Jeff, with a tired sigh, pulled the rusty blade away from her body. He rolled his eyes, muttering curses under his breath as he stomped toward the door. If he couldn’t get drunk in the living room, he’d just go rot in his room instead.

God, would he ever get to slice that bitch in two?

After Jeff stormed off—without a single word, strangely enough—EJ and Melodie were alone in the room. The stench of spilled beer mixing with the rotting odor wafting in through the open window made Melodie want to gag. Possibly the worst smell she’d ever encountered. She dropped to her knees to gather her tarot cards, muttering curses under her breath, her anger barely simmering beneath the surface.

“You’re both batshit insane,” EJ said as he crouched beside her to help. His black eyes were unreadable behind the blue mask. Melodie couldn’t tell if he was mocking her or being serious. “Y’know, people like you two fight like rabid dogs and end up naked in bed the next morning.”

“You're disgusting, EJ.” Melodie rolled her eyes. “If you’d said that about you and me, I’d maybe let it slide. But Jeff? Stop fucking deluding yourself.”

Once all the cards were back in a single, ragged deck and safely tucked into their pouch, Melodie thanked EJ and grabbed the faded purple shawl she'd left on the armchair.

The masked man spoke again.

“I’m serious. Jeff’s a total son of a bitch, a complete shit-stirrer. But you women always have this 'I can fix him' syndrome. You sure you’re not into him?”

EJ wasn’t like Jeff—he was sharper, more measured. If Melodie had to choose, she’d pick a guy like EJ in a heartbeat. Still, she couldn’t tell if he was joking or if there was some angle to what he was saying. He’d always felt more like an older brother than anything else, and somehow, Melodie actually listened to him—more than anyone else. Maybe he knew something she didn’t.

She was quiet for a moment before answering. “…I’m not dating him because I’d strangle him on the first day. By morning, you’d find him in bed, his guts spilling out of his stomach.”

EJ laughed—he couldn’t help it. That was exactly the kind of woman Jeff dreamed about.

“Pretty sure that’d turn him on.”

About an hour later, while Jeff was sprawled out on the floor of his room listening to music, a knock at the door tore his gaze away from the ceiling. He was still fuming, and whoever was on the other side of that door was about to be declared public enemy number one. Grumbling, he got up slowly and shuffled toward the locked door.

The moment he opened it, his scowl deepened. Of course. The pain-in-the-ass woman was standing there, pale blue eyes and her hair tied up in a messy bun like she owned the damn world.

“I didn’t order an escort,” he sneered, letting his eyes scan her body just to piss her off.

“I swear to fucking god, cut the whore jokes before I rip your dick off,” Melodie growled. It took every ounce of her self-control not to do it right then and there. “EJ forced me to come apologize. Not like I’m dying to waste my time with you—”

She was determined to finish her sentence, but... then she heard it.

“Wait—are you listening to My Chemical Romance?”

Jeff watched the furious expression on her face melt into something almost childlike—curiosity, maybe even excitement. The transformation was wild. It was like she’d been hypnotized. What, she listened to MCR too? He leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, giving her a smug once-over.

“Don’t bullshit me. You? Listening to MCR? Bet you can’t even name five songs.”

“Eat shit with your sexist crap,” Melodie snapped, but then her eyes locked onto something behind him��something on his wall. “Holy shit, is that a Gerard Way poster?”

Like a ghost, she glided right past him and into his room without permission, eyes darting around in wonder. She hated to admit it, but—fuck—it seemed like their styles weren’t that different after all. How the hell could someone with this much taste still choose to be such an insufferable bastard? It genuinely made no sense to her.

Watching her snoop around his room, Jeff couldn’t help but chuckle. Her interest was inflating his ego more than he wanted to admit. Maybe, just maybe, he could stop poking at her like a ten-year-old and just... talk music.

“I’ve got all the albums,” he said, gesturing toward the neatly stacked CDs on top of his bookshelf. “Stole this CD player from Ben. Works like a charm when you're crying your eyes out at 3 a.m.”

The two of them laughed, as if they hadn’t just been trying to stab each other an hour ago. Somehow, the tension between them had vanished. They sat down, listened to music together, shared their favorite songs, talked about artists they loved. With each topic that came up, the urge to know more about each other only grew stronger.

“Give me your hand,” Melodie said after a brief chuckle, reaching toward Jeff.

It was a foreign gesture to him—no one ever wanted to hold Jeff’s hand. Usually, his palms were crusted with dried blood and dirt, his fingernails packed with red, and he was, frankly, a disaster when it came to hygiene. Before offering his hand, his blue eyes dropped to his own palm, like he was trying to figure out why the hell she even wanted to touch it.

“Which one do you want? Left or right?” Jeff asked, trying to buy time.

“Left.”

A little embarrassed, like he was about to lose his hand-holding virginity or something, Jeff slowly held out his left hand. Melodie’s delicate fingers cradled his large, calloused one. Jeff watched every move she made like a hawk. His right hand, out of habit, had already twitched toward his knife. Just in case.

Melodie’s pale blue eyes scanned his palm closely. Of course—she was reading it.

“Hm… Your head line’s broken, fragmented… means your thoughts are inconsistent,” she murmured, leaning in closer. “Ah, yeah, and a crooked life line… that means you’ve got a lot of energy. Which, yeah, I can see that.”

“I have no fucking clue what you’re on about. Are you casting a fucking spell on me or something?” Jeff scowled. The vagueness was making him uncomfortable. He tried to pull his hand away, but Melodie didn’t let him.

“Stay still! I haven’t even checked your heart line, shithead.”

Jeff grumbled and gave up the fight, letting her do her weird psychic nonsense. Life line, heart line... none of it meant a damn thing to him. Still, unlike him, Melodie clearly believed in this stuff. He judged her for it, sure, but when he saw her eyes suddenly widen—something shifted.

“…What? What’s it say? What does my ‘heart line’ say?” Jeff asked, catching on to her frozen expression. “What the fuck did you see? What?!”

The black-haired boy tried to yank his hand back to see what the hell had made her go mute, but he couldn’t figure it out. Melodie’s pale eyes were glowing now—and it was driving him crazy that she wouldn’t just spit it out.

“I—I need to go.”

Like she was escaping a crime scene, the young woman bolted from the room, leaving Jeff sitting there, alone and confused.

She sprinted down the dark hallway and made a beeline back to the living room. EJ was still there, scrubbing spilled beer out of the carpet. When he noticed her panting, he dropped the soap and sponge and turned to her.

“What’s with the panic? Weren't you in Jeff’s room?” His face was hidden behind his mask, but his voice made it clear—he was grinning.

“What happened?”

“EJ, I fucked up,” Melodie hissed, crouching down next to him and speaking in a whisper only he could hear. “I tried to read his palm. You know what I saw? A giant fucking M.”

“Would you look at that… Seriously?” EJ laughed. He had always known these two were tied by some twisted thread of fate. “Knew I was right all along.”

Melodie growled in frustration. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening. “No fucking way. Not in a million years. I’d rather die than end up with him.”

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[outofmyheadoutofmysoul]

God, please let this fanfic stay in the deepest depths of the earth, away from everyone.

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In the background, you could hear the sound of burning wood combined with the soft sound of finished vinyl records softly rising from the record player. It was like the roar of a lion, echoing the thunder outside. The rain and dark clouds outside wouldn't have suggested that it was early morning if you didn't have a watch. It was still dark and gloomy, a perfect opportunity to snuggle up like a cat under the warm blankets in bed, as Eli called it. And that's exactly what she was doing right now. Her curly orange hair wasn't in a bun this time; it was spread out on the bed, and if you looked closely, you could see one or two curls poking out from under the blanket. There she was, her body was doubled over in the center of the bed. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, the only sign that she showed any sign of life. She hadn't woken up from her deep sleep yet; last night had been exhausting.

The gentle drops of the morning rain were trying to gently wake her up by beating against the window. But no, they couldn't wake her. The orange-haired girl, snug under her warm blanket, was still sleeping soundly. It looked like she was going to spend the whole day in bed. This would be a great way to start her vacation. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn't, because the person with whom she shared the cabin deep in the forest might have a few words to say about that. Eli wasn't alone on this vacation, after all. It wasn't her driver who picked her up at home and brought her all the way out here. Ah, yes, this was her and her beloved's first weekend getaway together.

"Hhm..." The young woman muttered from under the blanket, her deep sleep gradually transitioning into a lighter state.

Eli turned left and right on the big bed. It was odd how she could move about in a bed designed for two people without making contact with anyone. She turned to her right, legs spread, and checked the bed.

Yes, she was left alone in bed. All alone.

The young woman was intrigued, and she carefully lifted her head from under the blanket. Her orange hair fell in front of her eyes as she peeked out. The room was a bit blurry, as she hadn't yet put on her glasses, but she could still make out the warm, inviting colors of the fireplace and the faint light from the window. With a contented yawn, she sat up slowly, her eyes still heavy with sleep. It was six am, she realized, as she glanced at the clock. She couldn't believe it. The view from the window screamed that it was two in the morning!

"It's too early..." Eli swung her feet over the edge of the bed, still feeling too tired to get up. "I feel like I haven't slept at all..."

As she tried to wake up, she heard the sound of slippers approaching the bedroom in the distance. The cabin was a bit old, and the furniture and wooden floorboards creaked all the time. It felt like a haunted house. Eli couldn't help but think that she might encounter the ghost of a past love in those creaks. Maybe if she went up to the attic, she'd finally meet them face-to-face.

The bedroom door opened slowly, the creaks getting louder with each push. The curly-haired woman was startled by the sudden noise, which was quite frightening for someone who hadn't yet woken up from sleep.

The man who entered the room with two cups of coffee looked a bit displeased. "Wait... I didn't expect it to make so much noise. This place is so old, isn't it?" Chris strolled to the center of the room, his gaze resting on the young woman sitting up in bed, trying to wake up.

"That car ride last night really took a toll on you, huh? You all right?"

Eli shook her head in response, indicating that she wasn't feeling well. "Traveling in the car doesn't feel so comfortable anymore, I guess. I never got any sleep." Eli yawned again, her hand covering her mouth as she tried to wake up. Her relationship with Chris was still relatively new, and Eli was doing her best to act with good manners.

"I thought you might still be catching some extra Z's at this time." Chris laughed gently at Eli's tired state. Her sleepy eyes and messy hair only added to her endearing appearance.

"What do you mean, 'by this time'? It's not even seven yet." Eli protested. She couldn't believe that she was saying this, she knew she couldn't get up early on vacation. No way!

A sudden loud clap of thunder interrupted the conversation on both sides, and the sound of rain filled the room. Chris took advantage of the silence to put the cups down on the bedside table, turn off the record player, and put the vinyl back in its place. They had been thinking about listening to music before bed, and Chris had a hard time sleeping all night with the record player playing. He let out a deep sigh of relief at being rid of it and turned his gaze back to the woman in the bed. Instead of speaking, he chose to smile.

Feeling Chris's gaze on him, Eli felt the need to straighten her hair a little. Oh, what a situation she had gotten herself into, as if it was the morning after her wedding night!

"Is that coffee for me?" Eli asked quietly. She hadn't turned her head toward the door, so she hadn't seen Chris walk in or the cups in his hands, but the lovely smell of coffee wafting through the room had reached her nose.

"Oh, yeah-" Chris quickly grabbed the cups from the coffee table and walked over to the bed, handing Eli the cup with the latte in it. Chris wasn't sure about Eli's coffee preferences yet. All he knew was that, unlike Chris, Eli didn't drink filter coffee. So, it stood to reason that she must enjoy softer flavors, right?

"I made it to get you out of bed. I'm not sure if it's your cup of tea, but..." Chris watched as Eli took the cup, her face lighting up with a warm smile.

"As long as it doesn't taste bitter, I'll drink it, thank you." With a warm smile, Eli took a sip of her coffee.

Oh, this is bitter coffee... Did he only added two drops of milk in this? Wow, that's so thoughtful! ''This is perfect," she said. Eli hoped her little white lie wouldn't be caught by Chris.

''I know that face, you didn't like it.'' Chris might not have known Eli's coffee preference, but he was no stranger to her.

Their relationship went way back, after all. It had been a year since Chris had rescued this woman, who was younger than him, from the hands of that awful company, from the very virus he had sworn to end. Chris was amazed that this woman, who he had once considered his enemy, had turned into someone he could take with him and spend the weekend in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere. He had tried so hard to save Eli. It feels like only yesterday that he had first taken her to the lab and watched her delicate body being connected by thousands of wires to machines he couldn't even figure out what they were for. Eli had spent almost six months in her tiny cell, all the drugs, antidotes and experiments, trying to rid herself of the virus that had infected almost all of her body… Chris would visit the young woman from time to time, watching her through the thick protective glass, since he was not allowed to approach her. Every now and then, they'd have a little chat, even though it was rare. Eli, under the influence of the virus, would play all sorts of tricks on Chris to get her out of that prison, while Chris just ignored all the mischief. It's possible that these little visits were the start of something beautiful, or maybe it was the first time they really looked into each other's eyes during the mission, when the men who were using Eli as a puppet put her on Chris's tail.

''What, I'm telling the truth!'' She put on a sincere smile and sipped her bitter coffee again. ''The best coffee I've ever had, I could have sworn you were a barista in a previous life.''

''No shit.'' Chris couldn't help but laugh at Eli's words. There was no way he could take this woman seriously, with her fluffy curly hair, just waking up. ''Come on, hurry up and get out of bed. I thought we agreed we were going for a walk in the woods in the morning.''

Eli looked tiredly at the older man with her bright brown eyes. ''I'm too tired for the walk, please let's spend some more time in bed…''

But no matter what she did, she couldn't change her lover's ''active lifestyle'', Chris would never allow it. If her body was still infested with the virus and still being used as a weapon against humanity, Eli could have easily adapted to Chris's lifestyle; the alien substance she was carrying back then gave her both energy and resistance, more than she could handle. But the endless fight they had back then was no longer, and never would be. Once she had lost the powers the virus had given her, Eli… was just a normal human being, nothing more. Not a puppet, not a weapon. Chris had saved her from the virus, but he had also stripped her of her non-human powers, and even after a year Eli was still adjusting to her new life and body.

''Chris, come on… Let's at least get some rest on the first day of our vacation.'' Eli put her cup down on her lap and puckered her face like a kitten, intending to be cute with her older lover.

''Besides, it's pouring rain outside, don't make me go out in this weather…'' The young woman pursed her lips, playing all her tricks to change the man's mind.

Chris couldn't help but smile at the way the young woman in front of him was trying to win him over. He knew that Eli would never have acted like this if they were on the BSAA team, and in fact, Chris wouldn't have acted the way he was acting now either. They both took care to maintain their professionalism around their team members, romancing at work? Embarrassing… They both agreed to keep their relationship under wraps for now. Seeing Eli in front of him now, so relaxed, made him happy, it meant a lot to Chris.

''You say you're afraid of a little rain, huh, soldier? Do you know what happens to people who disobey their captain?'' The middle-aged man spoke with a serious expression and tone. ''Maybe three hundred push-ups in the rain will bring you to your senses.''

''Three hundred push-ups? Oh, no!'' Eli shouted, although there was no trace of fear in her voice. You could hear the slight mocking tone in her voice if you paid attention. She raised a pillow between her and Chris to avoid his piercing gaze, her other hand holding the coffee cup she was halfway through.

Chris responded to Eli's reaction with a laugh, ''Running away from the mission, huh? Oh, you're dead now!'' His large hands grabbed the pillow she was holding and threw it aside in one motion, now there was nothing between him and Eli.

''Come here!'' Chris gently took the cup from Eli's hand and placed it on the nightstand before making a sudden movement, he didn't want to cause any accidents on the bed. When the mood was right to mess with his lover, he laid the much younger woman down on the bed in one smooth motion, grasping her delicate wrists with one hand and preventing her from moving.

Unable to stop giggling and laughing, Eli couldn't resist her lover's sudden attack and suddenly found herself underneath him. She continued to laugh while trying to get out of his grasp. ''What is this, am I being arrested? For no crime?''

''Oh, you liar. Who said you were innocent?'' Chris' laughter mingled with Eli's as they both continued to play on the bed. He was still refusing to release her from his grasp and let her go. He wasn't sure if she wasn't escaping on purpose or if she really couldn't do it for real. All he knew was that the old Eli could escape this kind of capture in a matter of seconds. When Chris realised what was going on, he eased up on the woman, thinking maybe he could have been gentler.

This was a chance for Eli to escape, and she wasted no time in taking it. As soon as Chris let go of her wrists, she freed herself and jumped on him, standing over him in the blink of an eye. She may have lost her strength, but her speed was still there. Eli looked down, a grin spreading across her face as her eyes met Chris's blue ones.

''Coffee did the trick, huh?'' Chris said sarcastically, the grin on his face widening because of the position they were in.

The young woman laughed and rolled her eyes, okay, maybe Chris was right. The bitter coffee had really helped wake her up, she'd be lying if she said otherwise. ''Yeah, yeah. Anyway… I'm up.'' Eli let go of him with a sigh. She slowly got out of bed and walked to the vanity mirror on the other side of the bedroom.

Oh, my God, who the fuck is this creature? Eli was startled to see her reflection in the mirror, had she been talking to Chris like this the whole time? Unacceptable, a total embarrassment… She hadn't had a chance to unpack yet since they had arrived at the cabin only last night, so for now she tried to smooth her hair with her hands, her curly hair lost its fluffiness every time she stroked her hair, her curls came back to themselves. After a while, with lots of effort, her reflection in the mirror was finally something to look at. It was still not enough, but it was all she could do for now.

Since Eli got out of bed and left Chris alone, the room was silent, the only sounds were the raindrops on the glass and the crackling of wood in the fireplace. Chris was not against this silence, in fact he was lucky to have such a moment in his chaotic life. The middle-aged man turned his gaze to his lover, who was standing on the other side of the bedroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. It was as if she was hypnotized, but what was she looking at? She looked the same as always, the same fluffy curly hair and bright brown eyes… Her skin, still pale from not being back to full health, her delicate trembling hands and nail polished nails that she had been trying to grow for weeks… The two piercings on her bottom lip and the black beaded necklace she never took off around her neck. Chris was lost in thought, trying to understand why Eli was messing with her own body, oh, she was so beautiful. She was so much more than she had ever thought she was. It wasn't something that could be obtained by standing in front of the mirror for hours, funny, Eli already had everything she was trying to have.

Chris got off the bed and took a step across the room, standing behind Eli and placing his arms around her slim waist. ''You know, no matter how much you look in the mirror, your reflection will always be the same,'' he whispered softly, his voice soft and gentle like a spring breeze. "What's the thing you're not quite happy with? What are you trying to fix?'' Chris lifted his hands and, just as Eli had done, took her orange curls in his palms and scrunched them upwards, mimicking the way she was trying to 'fix' herself.

Eli couldn't help but laugh at the gesture; it was unusual for her to see her older lover touching her hair like that. ''I'm not trying to fix anything… My hair just frizzed up too much while I was sleeping,'' Eli said, sounding a little shy. Strange, she thought. She hadn't realized yet that she didn't mind being vulnerable and real with Chris, since over the years she had finally started to show more of her real self than her fake one.

''…If I had straight hair like you, I wouldn't have anything to worry about.'' Eli grinned at Chris's reflection in the mirror, she loved messing with him.

"Is that so, huh? Well, maybe I like this little source of worry. Your curly hair suits you." Chris looked carefully at Eli and then at the hair he held in his palm, then brought a curl to his lips and kissed it.

The young woman greeted Chris's gesture with a smile. But Chris's kiss was not limited to a single number. His lips landed on her neck after her orange hair, then on her cheeks, her nose, and finally ended this tiny route on Eli's lips. Chris kissed his young lover deeply, an intense kiss, as if to tell her how much he loved her. As if to involve his arms, he wrapped them around her, pulling her closer, and closer, even more closer.

Eli, her breathing catching in the heat of the moment, put her hands on his chest and asked for a break. When their lips finally parted and they both stopped to breathe, Eli was the first to break the silence. "I hadn't even brushed my teeth yet," she said playfully.

Chris let out a loud laugh, the way this woman was thinking was driving him crazy. ''For God's sake! Who cares about that?'' Chris cupped Eli's cheek in his large hand and pulled her towards him once more. ''Come here…''

One kiss, two kisses, three kisses, four kisses…

They shared a tender moment, filled with kisses that caressed their lips and hearts. My goodness, what on earth was going on this morning? Yes, the two of them were here for a weekend getaway, but it was still seven in the morning, they had tons of things they could do instead of jumping straight into the ''fun'' – like having breakfast.

Eli parted his lips from Chris's once more. As she licked the saliva from her lips, she fixed her big brown eyes on his blue ones. "Stop it, that's enough, big man. Let's save some of this for later," she laughed, not forgetting to wink.

After some time in the bedroom, the two of them stepped into the kitchen. It was a cosy space, not too big, just enough room for one person to cook comfortably. The light-coloured wooden countertop was divided into two sections, with a sink on one side and a stove in the middle, creating a cosy workspace. The kitchen cabinets were made of wood like the rest of the furniture, but the cabinet doors were painted a deep navy blue so that the wood wouldn't get lost between the floor and the countertop. The refrigerator was nestled against the wall, and on its door, there were a few photographs with tiny magnets, like little keepsakes. These were usually advertising brochures from the company that rented this cabin and photos of activities in the forest. Of course, these activities took place in the summer, and since it was fall, Chris and Eli were planning to spend the weekend at the cabin. Finally, on the shelf just above the lovely old stove were jars of all sizes. They were filled with all kinds of spices and sauces. Unfortunately, the kitchen was not designed for two people to cook at the same time. Especially not for tall and big, muscular people. Chris didn't even fit in the kitchen with Eli.

Eli was the first to notice this. The woman, who by nature did everything herself, knew she couldn't make breakfast in this tiny kitchen with Chris without going crazy. Besides, Chris was doing nothing but standing over her like a dog and watching her every move!

''Tell you what, big guy.'' Eli began as she gently wrapped her arms around his waist. ''I'll take care of breakfast, why don't you go and relax in the living room, maybe there's something on TV that interests you?''

Chris lowered his blue eyes and looked tenderly at the young woman hugging him, he understood her problem. ''What, you're kicking me out, a chef as famous as me?'' He was kidding, Chris was no famous chef.

Eli chuckled at her older lover, Chris was a very clingy boyfriend. ''Yeah, yeah. Go and leave me alone, chef. Let your assistant show off her skills.'' Eli pushed Chris out of the kitchen and into the hallway, Chris was about twice Eli's size, so Eli couldn't push him or force him out of the kitchen unless he wanted to. But now we're not going to argue about who's stronger, or who beats who.

The middle-aged man may have been kicked out of the kitchen, but he was still standing in the doorway with a grin on his face. The fact that Eli wanted to make him breakfast was… something new. Now he was going to eat from the hand of the woman he had once called his enemy? How ironic. Although, considering their current relationship… Chris would drink poison from Eli's hand if she offered it, and he meant it, I'm afraid.

''Assistant, huh? Ah, well,'' Chris widened his grin, leaning forward with his arm against the door. He was looking down on Eli, making the poor woman look like a child next to Chris. "I'm really looking forward to it, sweetheart, but remember, a big man like me won't be satisfied with just salad."

Chris leaned in towards Eli, his lips brushing her cheek as he gave her a kiss of good luck, a gesture to reassure her that she wouldn't burn down the kitchen. He had never seen his young lover cook before, so his concern was understandable…

After being called "sweetheart" and having her cheek kissed, Eli couldn't help but blush. Oh, this man knew just how to charm her. She wasn't even sure if it was healthy for a person to be so in love. The young woman who once considered emotions a weakness was now overwhelmed by the intensity of them. She couldn't even decide if this was progress or regression. She didn't say a word, just nodded her head up and down, and watched as Chris entered the living room. Now she could move freely in the tiny kitchen and prepare breakfast for her lover.

In the warm, cosy living room, just in front of the window looking out over the forest, there was a lovely pale green L-shaped sofa with a long cushion stretching along the window. Right in front of it was a coffee table with a glass top and wooden legs. The white fur rug on the floor didn't quite match the colors of the living room; a dark brown rug might have been a better choice. The people who furnished this rented cabin had filled it with whatever furniture they had, and it was clear that no one had budgeted for an interior designer. The old model television was placed on a small cabinet just opposite the sofa, and a DVD player was placed just above the television, as one would expect with a television this old. The tiny cabinet underneath the TV was just for this purpose, and through the glass doors you could see two shelves full of DVD boxes. The movie collection must have been quite extensive, after all, the people who came here on vacation were of all kinds. From where he was sitting, Chris could guess that the brightly coloured boxes were cartoons and the ones that were only black and red were horror movies. Who knows what other crazy DVDs were hidden in those shelves, maybe even a recording of a couple's bedroom adventures among dozens of movies. But Chris wasn't interested in that, he was in the living room, pressing tiny buttons on the tiny TV remote control, looking for a channel that suited his style, while Eli was in the kitchen making breakfast. Food channels, soap operas, magazines… For a man his age, these genres were way out of his league. He started pressing the channel change button faster and faster, dozens of channels flashed across the TV screen; no, nope, not this one, too boring, women watch this channel!…. It was hopeless, he had to find something else to keep him occupied until Eli called him into the kitchen. He put the remote down on the coffee table in front of him and got up from the green padded sofa.

Chris began to walk around the living room, examining the framed photographs and artwork on the walls. God, he had completely forgotten what to do when he wasn't in the office or on duty… Maybe he could go out and work on his car, but no, getting wet and getting his hands dirty in this rain was not something Eli would like. Hm, what choice did he have? The middle-aged man knew that he had no other entertainment in this tiny cabin other than his young lover, he had come here to spend time with her after all. He quickly dismissed the fleeting idea of pulling up a chair and watching the young woman cooking and crossed the hallway and opened the door to the study. Now that he had been kicked out of the kitchen, he could use the free time he had to work on some of his work that had been piling up since last night. He unzipped his business backpack, which he took with him wherever he went and which was waiting for him on the desk, placed his laptop on the desk, then took out the glasses he wore while working from the front pocket of the backpack and put them on. The walls of the study were made thicker to block out outside noises, and indeed they were, Chris could hear nothing but his own breathing and movements. With a deep sigh, he sat down at the desk and disconnected from the outside world. Just him, the laptop and the report he had to write.

The sound of Eli humming a song and pouring tea into a cup was all that could be heard in the kitchen. Since they had only arrived at the cabin last night, they hadn't had a chance to do any grocery shopping, but the ''welcome'' basket that had been left on the kitchen counter before their arrival and the few breakfast items in the refrigerator would be enough to fill their bellies this morning. The food must have been left over from the other tenants, but some of it was unopened and not expired. Besides… Eli knew that Chris preferred to eat high-protein meals at every meal, so she had to use that cheese and turkey ham in the fridge. What he doesn't know won't hurt him, Eli thought. Of course, Chris would just think that turkey had fallen from the sky.

''Chris, breakfast is ready!'' Eli called to her lover from the kitchen door.

...

''Chris?'' The young woman tried again, maybe this time she could make Chris hear her. She waited for a few seconds, but there was no answer… Chris couldn't have been old enough to lose his hearing. Where was this man? ''Chris, can't you hear me?'' Eli walked through the kitchen door into the hallway, her eyes searching for the big built man with broad shoulders.

She looked everywhere, but he wasn't in the living room, where she'd expected to find him. He had been sat on the green cushioned sofa, but now there was only a trace of him, no one was here. And the television had been left on! You old man, Eli laughed to herself. As she picked up the remote and pressed the off button, she wondered where else Chris could be… It was pouring rain outside, and even a soldier like him wouldn't want to be out in this weather. What else… Wait, is that… the sound of a keyboard? Eli turned her head towards the end of the corridor, towards the study door.

"There you are…" she said, her voice warm with surprise that her lover was working while on vacation.

Eli went back to the kitchen, picked up one of the trays resting against the wooden countertop, and placed the breakfast plates and teacups on it. She turned her steps into the study and walked carefully to the closed door. She didn't feel the need to knock, as she was already holding the tray, so she pressed her arm against the doorknob, gave it a little push, and went in.

When she was in front of him, Chris looked her up and down, over the top of his glasses, and a smile appeared on his face when he noticed the tray in her hand. He had been so busy with his work that he hadn't heard his lover calling him.

"Sweetheart, you didn't have to bring the plates here, we could have eaten in the kitchen," Chris said, taking off his glasses. But as his blue eyes focused on Eli's face, he realised she wasn't so happy about the situation.

Eli let out a deep sigh as she placed the tray on the work table, the cups making a clattering noise. "Is this it, Chris? You're really locked up in here, working? You should have brought your office assistant with you." Eli's tone was a little angry, but she was doing her best to keep calm. She folded her hands across her chest, her body language showing her frustration at the man in front of her. "I thought we came here to spend time together. So what, you're going to do your job and I'm going to cook your food all day and night? All right, all right, sir."

Chris looked at Eli in surprise after hearing those words. He didn't expect to get such a reaction from his beloved because he was working, especially being scolded by a woman younger than him was something he wasn't used to. Still, being yelled at for no reason was not something anyone liked. Chris took his hands off the laptop keyboard and looked at Eli with a frown, studying the anger in her body language.

"Sweetheart, take a breath. What's with the attitude?" Chris gave a little huff and leaned back in his chair, keeping his eyes on Eli's brown ones. "You're being a bit unfair here," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "I'm the captain of the BSAA, I have responsibilities to fulfil even when I'm on vacation."

Eli put her hands on the desk and leaned against it, her head falling forward, breathing deeply, trying to calm herself. It would have been ridiculous to fight on the first day and in the first hours of the vacation and ruin the whole weekend. They had come all the way here, Chris had spent all that money renting this cabin for this getaway. Maybe it was wrong of her to get so angry over something so small. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at her lover who was still sitting at the desk, he was a grown man who had his life in order, a scolding from a young woman like Eli wouldn't affect him or change his mind. Besides, it was Eli who had sent him to the living room, Chris had never wanted to leave her side.

As Eli leaned against the table, taking deep breaths and trying to control her emotions, Chris watched her silently with his blue eyes. He could see the conflict in the young woman's face, her anger. She had every right to be upset, he had promised Eli they would spend time together and here he was, head buried in his laptop, working again.

Softening his expression, the middle-aged man reached out and touched her delicate hand, his voice soft. "Baby..." Chris's hand found the young woman's, his touch a gentle reassurance as he reached forward to intertwine their fingers. He could feel the turmoil inside her, the frustration she was trying to control.

"I know you're upset..." Chris said softly, his voice even softer than before. "I tried to find other things to do while I was waiting for you, but the TV is a stupid box, I wanted to spend the time more productively." he tried to explain.

The anger in her gut eased a little as her lover took her hand. Eli lifted her eyes from the floor to meet Chris's, his blue eyes as sincere and serious as ever. Eli remained silent, waiting for Chris to continue, afraid that if she opened her mouth again she would say the wrong thing. She took his hand and squeezed it, which was enough to calm her anger.

"But we haven't even had breakfast yet, how is it right to write a report with an empty stomach?''

Chris couldn't help but smile at Eli's question. The young woman was right, Chris's stomach was rumbling with hunger and the smells coming from the tray Eli had left on the table made him even hungrier. "You're right," Chris said, the smile on his lips widening.

"I can't concentrate properly on an empty stomach.'' The middle-aged man squeezed Eli's hand gently and pulled her towards him; seconds later, she found herself sitting on his lap.

''Besides,'' Chris continued, a hint of sarcasm in his tone, ''I don't want to deal with a grumpy princess. You're even more annoying when you're hungry.''

After these gestures and words, Eli had no anger left, or anything else. But no, Eli wasn't annoying, what was he saying? She rolled her eyes as if she wasn't bothered, but she couldn't hide the smile that appeared on her face.

"Annoying, my ass. My reactions are perfectly appropriate, as they should be.''

''Appropriate, huh? Like you sitting on my lap right now?'' Chris laughed, unable to stop himself from laughing at Eli's defense.

He knew he was getting on the young woman's nerves and Eli's fake anger was too adorable. He pulled Eli closer to him by the waist, a mocking look in his eyes. ''Seriously? Because the last time I remember someone throwing a tantrum was when they couldn't get their morning coffee.''

"Don't keep reminding me of that, it was a very sensitive time for me.'' Eli was aware that her lover was clinging up to her again, the man would have almost eaten Eli for breakfast. Still… it wasn't so bad to be loved like that, Eli knew she could live with it.

Before things could get any more heated, the young woman reached across the table and picked up the tray she had brought from the kitchen. She sat back down on Chris's lap and showed him the plate she had prepared for breakfast.

"Stop talking and dig in. Your tea is getting cold.''

Chris laughed again, his large hand tightening its grip on her waist as Eli settled into his lap, smug satisfaction in his blue eyes. He loved having Eli so close to him, the warmth and weight of her body against his.

“Bossy as always,” Chris teased, unable to resist the urge to touch her more as his large hand roamed up and down his lover's waist.

However, he knew better than to argue when Eli was in this mood. So he stopped teasing her and leaned down to place a quick kiss on her neck. ''All right, sweetheart. I'm eating, I'm eating…''

Chris looked at the plate Eli had placed in front of him and picked up his fork, his attention now focused on the breakfast before him. From the first bite, he was convinced that his lover knew how to cook. As he pushed his laptop aside and began to eat, he couldn't help but glance occasionally at Eli, who was eating her own food, still sitting on Chris's lap like a little girl, with no intention of getting up.

Chris leaned over to whisper in the young woman's ear, his tone teasing. ''You know, you're a bit distracting when you're this close…''

Eli's heart was beating faster than ever as her lover suddenly whispered in her ear, and the pink in her cheeks was undeniable. After chewing and swallowing her mouthful, she turned to Chris and frowned. ''I guess they didn't want a second chair in this room. Don't get any naughty ideas, I'm just sitting on your lap because there's nowhere else to sit…''

Chris raised an eyebrow, still with that cheeky smirk on his face. He could feel the warmth radiating from Eli's flushed cheeks and he found it rather admirable. He couldn't help but laugh at her comment, enjoying the way she was trying to act cool even though she was obviously touched. Eli always tried to hide her feelings, most often when she was embarrassed.

''Sure, sweetheart,'' Chris replied, amusement in his voice. ''You're just sitting here out of obligation. You're not thinking about being naughty or anything. Got it.''

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