After leaving the party, Indie and Frost immediately headed up to the second floor, remaining completely quiet until they were far away from anyone. Apart from the lunchroom, the rest of the base was mostly empty, so as soon as they reached the second floor, both Indie and Frost had a change in demeanor. The latter suddenly turned serious and resolved, completely getting rid of his drunkenness at the drop of a hat. Despite Indie glancing back and catching the moment he turned sober at will, she wasn’t the one with the questions since Frost had patiently waited for his opportunity to clear his doubts.

–What now? Are we going to make a move so soon?– Frost asked curiously, but Indie refused to answer as they were turning the corner to the staircase to the commander’s office, where not even the two usual guards were present anymore.

–Be patient, he will explain everything…– Indie replied quietly as they made their way up the stairs and cautiously opened the door. She peeked in first to see if Snake was inside, but instead, Viper welcomed them as she was tidying up stuff around the office.

–Hello again, take a seat…– Snake greeted eagerly, already leaning in on his desk as he waited for Frost and Indie to walk up to the chairs. They followed his order, but as Indie remained silent and only stared at Snake without either of them saying anything, Frost took his chance to speak while he still could.

–What are we discussing, sir?– Frost asked politely, but containing his anxiety as Snake began fiddling with a pen, drawing attention to the folded map at the corner of the desk. Frost tried to get a peek at its contents, but just when he leaned in for a closer view, Indie turned to look at him.

–Well, tomorrow is an important date…– Snake replied casually, sparking some suspicion in Frost now that both the commander and Indie were taking their time to inform him. But as his impatience was consuming him, he sat straight and listened carefully to what Snake had to say.

–We need to celebrate the graduation of your students…– Snake revealed, stunning Frost for a moment. He looked back at Indie for confirmation, but even when she nodded at him, he had to take his time to think before he realized they were both serious.

–What??– Frost exclaimed in disbelief, frustrated, shocked, and slightly offended. He startled Snake with his explosive reaction by almost jumping out of his seat. But before Indie could calm him down and prevent him from arguing with Snake, the commander elaborated.

–Didn’t you say they had passed their last training lesson?– Snake asked back with mild skepticism, prompting Frost to think hard about his response, once again glancing at Indie, worrying her as his irritation was impossible to hide.

–No, I d-...– Frost tried to explain firmly, giving Snake a bold and unfavorable stare before Indie cut him off, taking control of the conversation by pulling her chair closer to the desk.

–From what I’ve seen, the trainees have reached a competent level and should be considered for bigger, more important roles here at the base. They will serve as great assets for our state– Indie replied in an earnest, resolute, but also optimistic manner, getting two different reactions from Snake and Frost. The latter immediately caught on to her attempt to persuade Snake with her claims, but before he could object, she had already compelled him to believe in her.

–I haven’t seen them, but from what Indie has told me these past couple of weeks, they sound like some promising talents. I think she is right, we could definitely use more soldiers, especially if they have adopted your combat tactics and discipline– Snake told Frost directly, sounding grateful, convinced, as well as sympathetic and even lighthearted. Indie responded with a fulfilled smile, but as surprised as Frost was with Snake’s benevolence, he still began arguing as he held his attention.

–With all due respect, I’m not sure they are at that level yet, sir…– Frost whispered tactfully, leaning in closer to Snake while trying to remain calm. With Indie not being able to hear them, Snake didn’t even consider his opinion despite taking his time to hear him out.

–But the training is done, isn’t it?– Snake argued in a rather amicable manner, confused as to Frost’s arguments, though showing little to no interest in getting an actual answer. Seeing as his patience was running thin, Frost sat straight once again, and while he thought hard to explain the situation, another glance at Indie completely changed his mind and attitude all of a sudden.

–Yes, it is. They are ready to proceed with advanced training like the rest of the soldiers, but I’m guessing that won’t be supervised by me…– Frost replied with a more docile nature, almost unsure of himself as he anxiously waited for an affirmative answer. He was left in doubt as Snake thought of the next step for the trainees, but as he wasn’t in the mood to argue or even talk about the topic anymore, he assured Frost with a dismissive nod.

–No, you did a good job teaching them the basics, but now we have to plan something to reward their effort and learning– Snake replied indifferently as he adjusted his seat and looked across the room to watch Viper as she bent over to pick up a fallen book. But while he got a little distracted peeping on her, Frost and Indie exchanged stares, which quickly became tense despite her remaining cool. He gave her a good look but couldn’t figure her out, so as he accepted the task, he turned back to Snake and tried to comply as much as possible.

–Alright, what do you want us to do?– Frost asked with forced enthusiasm, though it completely disappeared when he caught Indie smirking for a brief second through the corner of his eye.

–A simple ceremony. Indie knows the details and has already prepared a speech…– Snake responded lazily, becoming less and less interested in the conversation as his assistant was now making her way to the desk to stand behind him like usual. Frost was stunned by his response for a second, but as he was already over the disappointment, he nodded reluctantly and prompted Snake to grab a box beneath the desk.

–Here, these are the medals we are going to give them. I’ve already assigned some soldiers to help you set up the event. Make sure everything is ready before noon– Snake added as he handed the box to a disinterested Frost, who appeared to be in a trance of disbelief, mixed with some subtle anger as Indie snickered at his reaction. Once he held the box, Frost kept looking at Snake in anticipation of more instructions, but as he was already shifting his attention to Viper, it looked like their meeting was over.

–Umm, is that all?– Frost asked with an empty, dull voice after peeking inside the box, not even impressed by the number and shininess of the medals. Snake turned around with a delay, and as he no longer even stared Frost in the eye, both he and Indie began getting up.

–Yes, I just wanted to give you the task of organizing the event. There should be some soldiers waiting for you at the court, and there are some cards that you have to read, but Indie should take care of most of the talking anyway…– Snake replied nonchalantly, to which Indie nodded affirmatively and turned to Frost, who begrudgingly mimicked her. While his distant stare showed no emotion at first, Frost soon began directing all of his spite towards Indie now that Snake wasn’t paying attention to them anymore, although it went mostly unnoticed as she was already heading out.

Without any official dismissal, Indie waited for Frost to walk out of the room first, further infuriating him as he squeezed the box of medals in his hands so hard that it began to crack. Once they were both out of the room, Frost tried to speak to Indie right away, but as the guards assigned to help him with the event were waiting outside, he was taken back to the court while he watched helplessly as Indie left. He didn’t even get her to look back as she headed straight to the barracks, where she disappeared into the empty hallways of the building.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

On his way to the court, Frost and the guards walked past the lunchroom, where the party continued despite most people being too drunk to speak. He caught a glimpse of Scott’s group and even stared right at him before turning the corner to the back courtyard, where he started setting up a stage for tomorrow’s ceremony. But while he gave the soldiers orders, Frost was absentminded and kept glancing back at the lunchroom, particularly at the corner where his students had gathered and kept partying.

After mixing themselves with the older villagers and superiors, the trainees lost themselves in a crowd of soldiers. Luckily, they were either unnoticed or didn’t draw much attention from the soldiers, as some students got the chance to dance with some older female nurses and cooks. Making the most of it, Chappy and Ace used the alcohol as an excuse to do everything they wanted, even grinding with girls drunkenly as they were barely able to stand straight. This sight amused the rest of the class, and while everyone tried to join in and dance to very basic flute tunes, Scott and Zoey stayed back in the corner of the room they were in earlier. But as they couldn’t hear each other too well, they went outside to have more privacy, staying away from Frost and the guards in the back courtyard as they faced the barracks.

–So, we didn’t get to talk much back there…– Zoey said in her sheepish demeanor, twiddling her thumbs and rocking back and forth nervously. In contrast, Scott had abandoned his shyness after being pressured to drink, and while one glass was only able to relax him a little, Zoey had turned into a different person after a couple of drinks.

–Yea, but it was cool having everyone celebrate together– Scott replied with a carefree smile as he tried to look back at their friends in the lunchroom. But all of a sudden, Zoey drew his attention by holding his right forearm with both hands to pull him closer.

–And how are you doing?– Zoey asked with slurred speech, almost like Frost but harder to notice as her voice became soft and docile. She stared attentively into Scott’s eyes, catching him off guard when he looked down and saw how much attention she was giving him. But while he turned a little nervous and looked away, he kept his cool and didn’t put much thought into his answer.

–Good, yea… I mean, that mission left me in a bit of shock, and I'm still trying to process what happened, but other than that, I’m fine…– Scott answered sincerely, turning a little disheartened for a moment until he stared back at Zoey’s big, jolly smile.

–Are you happy with your new nickname… Saint?– Zoey asked playfully, teasing him a little with her coy eyes, which followed Scott’s precisely, forcing him to stare back at her. However, the intense eye contact didn’t bother him, as her question brought him some excitement that he didn’t get to show before.

–How awesome is it? I didn’t think he would actually give me a cool nickname, but I guess saving his life was enough to change his mind!– Scott exclaimed with a proud, exalted grin that made Zoey giggle and turn cheerful as well.

–I can’t believe you actually saved him. From what I saw yesterday, he was about to kill you, or maybe even eat you alive. I genuinely thought you weren’t coming back…– Zoey responded lightheartedly, becoming grateful as she held Scott close enough to hug him again, squeezing his chest with affection but not too tight, making him squirm ticklishly.

–Well, Indie seems to be the only one to calm him down… Buuuuut, that still didn’t stop him from breaking into my room and dragging me out to the field at night…– Scott affirmed with a chuckle, becoming nervous from Zoey’s embrace, but as she didn’t let go or even question his concerning comment, he leaned into it and hugged her back, prompting her to nuzzle up to his neck, getting a delighted grin from him.

–And how was it?– Zoey asked mindlessly, getting Scott to hesitate upon her vague question, but to avoid awkward silence, he answered with the first thing that came to mind.

–The mission? It was really cool, yea… Honestly, it was kind of fun, mainly because I just stood back and watched the team fight– Scott replied comically but turned insecure as Zoey appeared to be ignoring him. But as he sparked some enthusiasm in Zoey, she pulled away to look up at him again, now with a doting smile.

–But I’m guessing you also helped them in some way, right?– Zoey asked in a more coquettish voice. Surprisingly, neither her tone nor stare caught Scott’s attention as he tried to look back at the party, ignoring her question for a second. He got a glimpse of Crisis leaving the party and heading up to their lounge, but after fixating on Candy’s bright smile as she walked upstairs, he suddenly shifted his attention back to Zoey with an answer ready.

–Of course! I actually found a secret passage that led us right to the enemy and whatever they were hiding. And before the whole cave exploded, I found an exit in order to escape, and-…– Scott replied eagerly but became skittish as he looked down at Zoey and saw the way she looked at him.

–Wow, you are like an actual hero now. Did all that action get to you at any moment?– Zoey exclaimed in awe and curiosity at the same time, with her impressed and fascinated stare boosting Scott’s ego. He was flattered but didn’t waste his opportunity to tell his side of the story, although he soon realized he didn’t have much to say.

–I would be lying if I said it didn’t, but it also didn’t stop me from trying my best and keep living…– Scott replied modestly, almost immediately regretting his response after seeing Zoey’s blank response. She zoned out for a moment, but even with a rather vague answer, she got excited and, for some reason, friskier as she began giggling.

–So you almost died?– Zoey asked in a curiously flirtatious tone that made Scott chuckle nervously. He had to break eye contact for a second since her bewitching eyes distracted him too much. But as he kept it together and let go of his fear, he reflected for a moment to give an honest answer.

–More than once, yea…– Scott responded with a muted laugh, remaining cheerful but not as thrilled as before, which Zoey seemed to find intriguing, though not funny, as it sparked both worry and ache that seemed to arouse her.

–Woah, and to think that I almost lost you…– Zoey whispered in a mix of sarcasm and genuine sorrow and regret, confusing Scott as her attitude changed drastically until she cracked up again. In response to her affection, he laughed it off and gave her a comforting hug just in case, while she stared at him with a kittenish pout that further teased him.

–Ahh, yea. It’s crazy how dangerous missions can be… and those antipunks, or whatever they called them, they were ruthless at times. They kept shooting at us from all directions, and even when they could escape, some chose to defend their leaders instead of saving themselves… It was weird. Though there were some workers tha-...– Scott explained in amusement, growing a little shy as he told the story since Zoey kept staring at him with flirty eyes. She seemed more entertained by his reaction than the anecdote, and as her alluring grin got him to stutter, he waited for her to say something in return.

–I would love to keep hearing your story…– Zoey whispered to him, remaining sarcastic and distracted yet deliberately focusing only on his eyes as she got lost in them. He was caught off guard but remained calm, as well as unsuspecting, upon seeing her so interested in him. But that’s when he noticed her intentions with all of her adoration and teases, though there was little for him to do at this point.

–...But can we go somewhere more private so you can tell me more without all this noise?– Zoey added in a suggestive voice, enticing him for something he couldn’t even comprehend for a while. It took him a long moment to recognize what she was implying, and while he wasn’t completely certain, he inevitably became nervous as Zoey’s lustful eyes stared deep into his. And with her face right next to him, pulling him closer until her tiny nose brushed his chin, it was almost impossible for him to argue or even think of any other answer.

–Umm, sure…– Scott replied mindlessly, almost sounding reluctant as he naturally responded with his body. But as Zoey was still eager to hear his answer, she started giggling again, sounding naughty as she began brushing her hands around his neck.

Scott froze in place, allowing her to touch him until she took his hand and began leading him somewhere else. He wasn’t in control of himself anymore, but with no one around, there was no other option than to let Zoey take control. He did turn back to see if someone noticed, but as he began following her, his stare of disbelief fixed on her back while he tried to figure out what would happen to him or where they would go. After she glanced back and gave him a dazed wink, he couldn’t contain his excitement in anticipation of the private place she was taking him to.

| I SAID THAT HE WAS GETTING THROUGH TO ME

AND I WOULD TAKE HIS CHALLENGE |