Sam lifted her face to the sun, the warm rays bathing her in a light she wasn't used to as the rebel usually lived by night and by shadow. The cool breeze sweeping through the trees, at the edge of the pool where she sat with her feet dipped, lent a slight sense of freedom. When she closed her eyes she could almost imagine being far away from the city - somewhere she could just forget about everything. Forget about the Idols and the Tigereyes, forget about Freen and Charlotte, forget about Engfa... Even forget about both Mon and Lux. Sam had never felt so stifled in her life, thrown into the last situation she ever wanted to be in. She had no idea what she was supposed to do in order to handle the situation. Charlotte sent her to the Idols as a spy, while Freen has placed the most precious Mon in her personal care. The truth was, though, that she'd give her life to protect Mon, regardless of who was pulling the strings. After the way her and Mon had left things, Sam was simply dumped back into her state of longing for the foreign beauty. There was nothing that would change that.
"It's good to finally have you around." Sam canted her head backward to find Kirk standing over her, offering her a beer. She reached for the bottle and idly studied the label, her mind drifting as she brought it down to her lap without a word. "Cat got your tongue, Kwa..." Kirk stopped himself, realising he had better stop using the nickname, especially around the base. "Sam?" He automatically corrected himself and took a seat next to her with his legs crossed. "You don't seem too happy though. Why are you here if you don't want to be? You could have declined Freen's offer." Sam remained silent still, taking a long swig of her beer as her brow remained contemplative. She hated herself in that moment. She couldn't even tell her best friend the truth. She couldn't even face the truth herself - that she had been caught in a snare and was powerless to fight against it for fear of Mon being harmed...or worse.
"Are you here because it gets you closer to Mon?" Kirk asked tentatively, pushing the wrong button. "Fuck off, Kirk!" Sam lashed out in vehemence, though it was more herself she was frustrated with than her friend. "You never know who's listening..." She swallowed down her anger and shook her head as she lowered her voice. A moment later she cast an apologetic look at Kirk, happy that he understood her even when she didn't quite understand herself.
"Don't take this the wrong way, Sam, but you look fucking miserable. Just talk to me..." Sam shook her head slowly at his words and took a deep swig of her beer. Turning her shoulders to the side, she snorted softly and shook her head. "I'm not ready yet..." It was the best she could offer him at the time and she was glad that he knew better than to push the subject.
Kirk nodded and sipped from his own beer, his eyes wandering the horizon where, in the far off distance, he could just just make out the fluffy white clouds that were floating in the direction of the ocean that lay somewhere beyond. "We'll be doing our rounds between the ladies' establishments tonight. Are you joining us?" Sam thought about prowling the streets with the officers, which made her feel both sick and excited. She would love to get out of the compound, despite only having been there a few hours. At the same time, however, she had no desire to be anywhere near a possible run-in with the Tigereyes. She was very well aware that should she kill one more gang member from their side, Charlotte would have her head for it. Or worse - she'd have Mon's head. The thought made Sam's stomach twist and churn, the woman swallowing hard to keep her beer down. "I can't. I go where Mon goes. It's what I was hired for." She shrugged and glanced over at him, allowing him to read the weary look on her features.
"Well, you don't seem particularly happy about that." Sam ran a hand back through her messy dark locks and sighed at Kirk. "How am I supposed to feel, K?" Kirk raised his free hand in gesture as he looked back at her with a small smirk on his lips. "Ecstatic?" He lowered his voice then after taking a look around. "You get to be close to the one person that manages to melt that cold exterior of yours." He straightened his back before continuing in a more serious tone. "Though I wouldn't recommend it, if you value your life."
Sam scoffed in return. "When have I ever valued my own life?"
"Sam." Both Sam and Kirk craned their necks quickly to find the source of the spoken name behind them. Freen had approached them at some point and both hoped to god that she hadn't heard any part of their conversation. When she smiled though, Sam was able to wipe the beads of sweat from her brow in relief and moved to stand from where she was seated at the edge of the pool. Kirk followed her and tipped his head towards Freen, giving her a small nod in acknowledgement when she looked his way, then she glanced back to Sam. "I have to go out on some errands with the guys. I trust you will see to Mon's safety while I'm gone?" Sam nodded quickly in response and cleared her throat. "Of course." Freen was about to turn and take her leave when she paused, eyeing Sam more closely. "You can go get yourself patched up in the sickbay and have one of the officers direct you to your living quarters. You'll find a change of clothes there. When I'm back again you can take a break and fetch your things from your place." Freen smiled as Sam nodded in response, then the boss took her leave. Kirk, having to join Freen and the others, lightly patted Sam on the shoulder as he walked past her, sending her a sympathetic glance as he knew what she soon had to deal with.
Sam herself was weary at the thought of what she had to deal with now that Freen was on her way to leaving the compound grounds. She took a deep breath and swallowed down the last of her beer, before quickly moving off to the sickbay. The gods certainly had a twisted sense of humour and she didn't find the situation funny at all, yet she was absolutely powerless to change her circumstance.
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"She's so hot, oh my god..." Kade whispered to the other girls as all eyes were on Sam where she sat off to the side of the courtyard in the shade of a tree, reading a book. They tried their best to remain inconspicuous as they peered over the banister lining the walkway in front of the bedrooms on the second floor, but Sam was very aware of them. She played dumb, however, and continued pretending to read her book as her ears twitched, trying to pick up on their conversation.
"Kade! Keep it in your pants!" Yuki chastised her friend and glanced over at Mon. The young beauty had her back turned to the courtyard as she leaned against the banister, not really wanting to find Sam within her field of vision. Mon was terrified, if she was being honest. Being this close to Sam for such an extended period of time was sure to drive her to the brink of madness. She was still hurt at how they had parted, though there remained a very distinct fire burning in her chest for the archer. Then, hanging low over her head like a thundercloud, there was the fact that she had finally relented and shared her bed and her body with Freen. She wasn't sure how she could look Sam in the eyes - which was rich considering that Freen was her partner and Sam... Well, she wasn't sure what Sam was. Her saviour? Her hero? Her dream? Her secret? She seemed to be all that and so much more.
"Kade has a point..." Jim added her two cents as she herself eyed Sam rather closely where she sat in her maroon vest and black cargo pants, heavy boots propped up on the garden table. "I'm not sure how you have managed to resist her thus far. I'm not sure I could have..." Mon coughed in surprise at Jim's words, while Kade just smirked secretly, the only one aware of the extent of the relationship between Mon and Sam. She also knew it was time to throw her friend into the deep end and force her to swim. "Okay girls, we've got some business to take care of.
Shall we?" Kade stood and indicated to her friends that they should leave. Mon turned to follow them but Kade was quick to stop her, her shimmering eyes telling Mon what her obvious plan was. Mon firmly shook her head and ground through her teeth at Kade, "I'm coming with..." At those words Sam was on her feet, turning around to face the women standing above her. "I'm afraid I can't allow that." Her words were directed at Mon and her tone remained even and gentle, though somewhat firm. "Were you listening to us the whole time?" Jim seemed a mixture of shocked and horrified, recalling what she had said. Sam smirked, "Yes." Her answer was simple and truthful, causing all four women to blush furiously. Sam had to admit that she did enjoy the sight.
"What do you mean, you can't allow that?" Mon frowned down at Sam, not liking the way those words sounded. "I'm sorry but I'm just following orders. Freen doesn't want you leaving the compound unless she has had time to check all the safety boxes." Mon growled in annoyance and balled her fists. "I thought that's what she hired you for." Sam merely shrugged, indicating that the power to make decisions did not reside with her. Mon seethed silently, waiting for her friends to take their leave as they sensed the tension in the air. Once they were alone, Mon marched down the stairs and came to a halt in front of Sam, glaring up at her with stormy eyes. "I will not be made a prisoner!" Sam simply stared back at Mon, clenching her jaw tightly. "Then take it up with your girlfriend." Mon continued to seethe, one finger pointed at Sam. "Yesterday you told me your sob story about not wanting to be an Idol, and yet here you are. Is this for money?" Sam scowled and crossed her arms, fully offended and fully irritated at Mon's ignorance. "I still don't want to be here, and I don't give a shit about money." Sam turned to start walking away, but found a small hand clasped around her upper arm. "So then tell me why!" Sam paused and turned back halfway, smirking, "It's complicated." Just as Mon had told her when Sam saught answers about her and Freen.
"Now, princess, go put on some casual clothes. You can't learn to defend yourself in a dress." Sam commented and headed for the stairs. "Oh, and by the way... While I'm here to protect you, Freen moved me into the room next to yours." She smirked as she climbed the stairs, only able to imagine the indignation on Mon's face. "I'll clear your room first before you enter. It's something I have to do everytime." Sam unholstered the gun strapped to her thigh and headed for Mon's door. Mon watched with a massive mix of emotions. She would likely be spending more time with Sam than Freen, which was a bad idea due to their budding sexual tension. Sam would be sleeping right next door, surely to keep her awake at night. And then there was Sam, strapped in her gear, which was sexier than Mon ever could have imagined. She watched as Sam ascended the stairs with a gun strapped to her thigh and another two holstered to a harness that sat strapped around her shoulders. The only weapons missing were her knives and bow and arrows. " What do you mean to defend myself? Isn't that your job?" Sam kept climbing as she answered, "And if I get killed? Then what? You need to learn to fight and you need to learn to shoot a gun. We'll get started with the latter.
Sam showed Mon to slow down as she approached her room, letting her wait until Sam cleared the inside. With gun lifted before her, she slowly opened the door and entered, quickly sweeping the whole place as well as the bathroom. When all seemed clear, Sam let Mon enter as she holstered her gun once more and motioned for Mon to enter. "Those large windows are a problem. Anyone can climb in there and put you at risk." Mon snickered and raised a brow, "Oh, you mean like you did?" Sam fondly recalled the night of the festival and how she played Romeo to Mon's Juliet. Things were so much different then, and it wasn't even that long ago. If it hadn't been for Kirk's interruption, she was pretty sure things would have ended up on a much more naked note. "Hey, don't tell me you didn't enjoy that..." Sam smirked at Mon, but the smaller woman just wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "That was a lifetime ago, Sam. Things are different now." And it was mainly the fact that it was Freen naked in her bed rather than Sam, that hung like a noose around her neck.
"Anyway..." Sam felt the shift in the air around them and decided it was time to get the day started rather. "I'll be right outside. Get dressed so that we can go to the shooting range. Mon nodded and Sam stepped out into the sun, her heart beating in her throat. Never mind having to somehow act as a double agent, but having to spend so much time in such close quarters with Mon was going to be complete and utter torture. Her desire for the woman had not dissipated at all and it probably never would. But the reality of who she was and who she belonged to made Sam feel sick to her stomach. Of any and every position Freen could have placed her in, the Head Idol decided that it should be her precious girlfriend's personal bodyguard. The idea both made her bitter and excited at once. She had no idea what to do with what lay ahead of her. All she knew was that she had to keep Mon safe at all costs.
Safe from the Tigereyes. Hell, even safe from the Idols themselves. When you grow up in a world where no one could be trusted, you learn to watch your back.
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"Okay, put these on. They'll protect your ears from the gunshots." Sam instructed Mon as they stood by the table laid out with different firearms, choosing to use the lane furthest from the door. Mon did as she was told and fitted the earphones, staring at Sam's lips as she spoke, unable to hear. Sam rolled her eyes and stepped closer to remove the noise cancelling object. "I meant when you're ready to shoot, unless you want your ears to ring all day." Mon blushed lightly. She felt completely out of her depth here as she had never needed to use a gun. Now, you see the targets way over there, yeah? With the bullseyes on them. Obviously your mission is to shoot as close to the middle of the rings without hurting yourself. Here, I'll show you, but safety first. Step a few paces back from me because a gun has a recoil, which means that when it fires it gives off enough energy that it can bounce back in your hand. That's why it is so important to hold onto it tightly." Sam explained and pulled out one of the guns holstered in the harness around her chest and put it down on the table in line with the lane where she was about to shoot down. "This is a Walther PPQ 5. It's one of my favourites because it's extremely accurate and holds 15 rounds - that's bullets. Here, put on your headphones and glasses." Sam did the same, picked up the gun, checked the clip and pulled back the hammer. Taking her stance she aimed at the target and pulled the trigger in quick succession. She stopped after 6 shots and pressed a button off to the side so that the target could slide to the front, allowing them to take a good look at the damage she had done. The middle of the bullseye was blown to smithereens with no other bullet hole in sight. Sam was a perfect shot.
Mon stared in disbelief as she removed her goggles and her headphones, then turned her gaze towards Sam in disbelief. "How did you..." She trailed off and Sam grinned at her. "Lots of practice." Mon shook her head in confusion, "But I thought you used a bow and arrows." Sam unclipped her gun and checked the safety before holstering it again. "Each weapon that I use is for a different reason. Each gun you see strapped to me is useful at different moments. I just prefer my knives and my bow because they are silent. If your enemies don't know where you are, it makes them easier to kill." Mon took a tentative step towards Sam, her eyes once again drawn to that scar. "Have you killed a lot of people?" Sam scowled and turned away from Mon, moving to the table to ready the gun she had gotten for her. "That's not something I like to talk about. Killing is not always the answer, or even the best option." She sighed and picked up the small pocket pistol that would clearly be easy for Mon to conceal withing a handbag or pants pocket. "This is a Ruger. They are meant as a last resort, which is why you're getting one of these. I only ever want you to pull it out if it's a life or death situation, okay? Promise me." Sam's eyes were pleading now as she met Mon's eyes, the concern etched into them like cuneiform frozen in time. Sam hated the fact that she had to place a weapon in Mon's hand. If she could truly have her way, she'd simply steal the small beauty away and take her somewhere that no one would ever be able to find them again. Mon did not deserve this kind of world. She was too good for it. She was too good for the Idols, too good for Freen, and too good for Sam herself. But what choice did she have? It was either teaching the young woman how to protect herself, or risk losing her in a tight situation. Sam showed Mon how to handle the gun securely, clip and unclip, clean it out and use the safety. She then let her line up for the shot, coming to stand against Mon's back and trying her best not to get dizzy from the scent radiating off the small beauty. Despite what happened between them in the woods that night, this woman still made her head spin, and every moment she had to spend with her was still torturous. Nothing had quelled her desire for Mon and she doubted that anything ever would. Mon was her red string of fate.
A new clean target was produced and Sam wrapped her arms around Mon's shoulders, showing her how to stand and hold the gun properly before aiming. Mon shivered at Sam's closeness, the goosebumps her proximity caused popping up like flowers in spring. One simple act of contact between the two and Mon could barely remember the night she had spent with Freen. The way Sam's body moulded into her own was just so perfect that she had to fight the urge to just drop the gun and spin around in Sam's arms. She knew she shouldn't be entertaining such thoughts, but she had reached the point of no return that first night in Sam's apartment already. She would deny it to all, but she could not deny it to herself.
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It was a table shielded from view on the outskirts of town where few ventured due its distance. The duo sat quietly for a while, seconds ticking by like a bomb was getting ready to explode.
"And you're sure no one followed you?" Dark eyes met dark eyes, intensity crackling between the two as the staring competition continued.
"Have you ever known me to be stupid? Don't insult me." Manicured nails tapped harshly against the tabletop.
"I don't think you're in a position to feel offended. Don't forget that I've basically got you by the proverbial balls." A sly smirk curved around lip corners.
"Don't underestimate me. You know what happens when you do that."