CELIA

Atlas and I trained Sean the following five days after the mission as hard as we did when he got here. He’s getting better. Less bruises now, and not because I went soft on him at first, which I did. He saw through it, tried silently to tell me to cut it out. When I didn’t listen, still trained him at a weak throttle, he punched me hard and I kicked it up twenty notches, back to normal.

He continues to earn my respect each day.

I hope he’ll be accepted into the Ciphers so much that it’s giving me anxiety thinking he might not be. After all this work, it’d be...

Well, it’d just be weird not to have him around anymore.

I want Sofia back home so she can vouch for him in person. They’ll listen to her. Soph’s been out with the elders on missions when I’ve only been on one with them. They know wherever she goes bodies fall and people listen. Her opinion is more respected than mine.

I’ve been keeping busy to deal with my nerves, and cleaning my motorcycle on a warm afternoon, I hear footsteps.

“There you are,” Atlas calls out to me as he and Sean stroll up, the sun dancing on their skin and outlining Atlas’s long dark hair, lightening Sean’s ash-brown waves. I blink at the two sets of piercing blue eyes directed right at me, sink my rag into the sudsy bucket and wring it out just for something to do.

“You showered,” I lamely say, because of course they did. I’ve just lost the ability to think coherently. “What’s up?”

Sean bends to pick up a rock and throws it so far we don’t hear it land. “Atlas wants to see the new superhero film in town.”

Atlas jogs his chin. “You down?”

“Uh, sure, but I need to shower. I’m still in my training clothes. Figured I’d clean my bike before I cleaned up me.”

Atlas shrugs, “Well let me help.” He snatches my bucket from the ground and turns it upside down over my head. I scream, instantly drenched, hair matting, clothes suddenly painted on. Lunging for the hose I grab it as Sean leaps to turn it on for me. Atlas tries to run. But I’d already unraveled the thing when I came out here so I’ve got plenty of slack to chase him with.

Drenching the jerk as he dashes around, we’re both laughing as I shout, “How does it feel, Atlas? Huh? Feel good, you fucker?!”

I turn it on Sean and he throws up his hands, “Hey! I just helped you!”

“So?”

He sprints a jagged path, laughing his ass off. Atlas grabs him, holds his shouting body while I soak the two of them together. Then they change the game again.

As one unit they stalk me, lunge, wrangle the hose from my resistant fingers. I can’t fight them off, not as a team. Sean lifts me off the ground and I kick the air, screaming my head off as they drench me to the point where nothing is dry.

Atlas laughs, “Hold her tighter than that!” He grabs the top of my t-shirt and plunges the hose down inside it.

Oh my God, am I ever wet.

Ahem.

But a swift kick to Atlas’s gut sends him reeling. He grunts, grabbing his stomach, croaking to catch his lost breath.

Sean sets me down and I eye him like a caged animal. “I won’t forget this!”

“Okay, Tigress, lemme just get this, okay?” His smirk is sexy as hell as he slowly slides the gushing hose up and out of my sopping wet shirt. The metal end tickles my skin, bumps over the center of my bra and when it’s gone he winks. “There. All gone. But do you miss it?”

I blink at him as the sun plays tricks on me, glinting those sapphires into kaleidoscopes, all shades of blue I’ve never seen. His smile falters, fades as we stand here.

Atlas’s voice snaps through my haze, “That was one hell of a kick, Ceels, fuck!”

Glancing from Sean I ask, “Are you hurt?”

“Don’t insult me!” he laughs, trudging over to shut the outdoor faucet off. “We’ve gotta get dry if we’re gonna catch the movie. I want to be home for dinner. Unless you guys wanna grab a bite in town?”

“Nah, don’t wanna miss a night of Melodi’s cooking, just in case I don’t end up staying here.”

Atlas and I exchange a frown, “Right.”

Sean walks the hose back to its home and rolls it up, bending over to do it, the lines of his body showcased to perfection now that his clothes are plastered on. His body is changing, muscles becoming defined from all the hours we’ve put into him.

“Oh wait, I need to rinse the soap off my bike.”

He jerks his head to the house. “Go get ready, Ceels. I’ll take care of it.” At my hesitation he teases me, “I don’t take as long as you do.”

“Don’t give me that shit! I don’t wear makeup or anything!”

“Your hair is longer,” he smirks.

“I’ll show you just how quickly I can get ready, you jerk! Atlas, come on.” Sticking my tongue out I tease him, “See Sean, this is what you get for trying to piss me off. All alone and cleaning up my mess.”

His eyes narrow. I walk backwards for his response, hoping it’s delayed and that he knows I’m messing with him. When it doesn’t come I call out, “I’m sorry!”

He breaks into a grin, cups his hands. “Got you to apologize!”

Atlas laughs as I mutter, “Dammit!”

When we’re out of hearing range, he mutters, “Hated him saying he might not be staying here. I like the guy.”

“What’s not to like?”

“You have a thing for him?”

Wringing out my shirt I shrug, “What? No, Atlas, just as a friend.”

“Because I could see you two together.”

My jaw drops. “You can?”

Pulling at his wet pants, he shrugs, “I’m not trying to push you at him or anything. I just think the guy’s okay. I want you to be happy.”

“You do?” I whisper. “Are you trying to feel this way?”

Utterly lost he frowns at me. “Trying to?”

“You never…” I can’t finish the sentence.

You never thought about me?

You never wanted me?

You never saw us together?

“I never what, Ceels?”

“What if I said I had feelings for you, Atlas?”

He steps back, horror in his eyes. “Oh shit, don’t say that. No way. C’mon, you’re ruining me. Don’t fuckin’ tell me that.”

Sean comes around the corner and sees us standing here. Me, mortified. Atlas, like he wants to run.

Sean’s footsteps slow as curiosity takes hold. “Oh hey, if I’m interrupting something.”

I turn on my heel to escape. The front door slams behind me and Sage pokes her head out of the grand parlor. “What happened to you? Get caught in a storm? Hey Celia! Ceels?”