Time once so slow now quickened its pace, faster than it should feel. Five hours were left, five hours till she came face to face with a tyrant of disturbing proportions. A man who hid behind a silly persona, an even more ridiculous mask.
The birdman would meet his match, he could count on it.
Slipped over her shoulders is her bag, making her way to the wooden door. She hears nothing but useless chatter, turning the knob in her hand. Amelia is stopped by the sound of running, looking back to see Kay running towards her.
Blonde hair being pushed behind her ears, she stands in front of Amelia. Her hand was still on the handle, but turned to the woman's direction. Kay looked completely saddened, eyes filled with emotions Amelia had forgotten could be present in the human eye. Regret, bargaining for her to take back her decision.
"Reston you can't be serious, 'disappearing and never coming back'?!" Kay huffs, shaking her head. "You know you're our leader, our boss!"
It was pitiful really, but it had Amelia feeling guilty. For once she felt as if she was harming the emotions of others, just by the way Kay's voice strained from her words. Body language tensed to be all too noticeable. Many over the course of the week had expressed their worries, trying to talk her out of going alone. Kay's seemed to strike a nerve for Amelia.
The blonde reminded her of someone long gone, someone she loved all too dearly.
Amelia lets go of the handle, stepping towards the other. Hands resting gently on her shoulders, a light squeeze. For once her stare wasn't cold, a rare moment for the agent. Her facial expressions are soft, a sad smile pulling on her lips.
"Kaitlyn.. You care too much. Please worry for your own safety before mine." The other woman goes to open her mouth to speak, but Amelia puts a hand up in protest. She shakes her head, Kay closes her mouth.
Amelia pulls her hand off of the woman's shoulder, walking back to grab the doorknob once more. Not before she looks back to her, a hint of guilt held behind her eyes.
"I don't deserve your care, not with who I am." Soft spoken, she opens the door. Amelia exited the conference room with the roots of guilt growing through her entire body. Surrounded by other agents, other faces washed out from her vision.
Too many to know by name, too little time to care. The clock ticked menacingly at her, every tick echoing in her ears. Five hours, that's all she had before she was in the unknown. It felt like there had been no time at all, Amelia was blindly going into a situation alone. No materialistic plan, no personal behind her. Only the sound of the hands ticking forward, the muffled chatter of people, and her heels clicking against the marble floor.
How could everything around her have become so insignificant, life used to hold so much more meaning. There always used to be something exciting, feeling free with the world at her beck and call. Amelia wasn't getting any younger, nor would time stop for her. Justice was the sole objective she now had in life, what would she be if her skills failed now?
Useless, a fraud: nothing short of the opposite of all her efforts. To become the person citizens could depend on. If she failed, it would all be over.
She stops, mind focusing back into reality. Standing in front of her was Dallas, hands behind his back. He wore a black trench coat, leather gloves slipped onto his hands. An attire filled with nothing but black, it looked like he was going to a funeral. The locks of his lilac hair followed over the sides of his forehead. Purple hues piercing her emerald eyes, Amelia clears her throat.
Stepping closer to him, she places her hands in front of herself. "Dallas, I thought you'd be with your own team at this hour.
"I came to check in on how your team is progressing with your check in, are they taking it well?" His lips curl into a smile, looking down at her with soft eyes.
Amelia sighs, looking back towards the empty conference room. "They believe it's unnecessary for me to go alone, and that the measures of a new supervisor aren't needed." She looks back to Dallas. "I don't believe any of them truly understand what a dangerous individual we are dealing with."
He pauses, placing his hand on her shoulder. Amelia tilts her head to the side, looking up at her lover with confusion. "It's better that your agents are kept in the dark on this man. Or else there would be more eyes on you in a negative light..Than him."
Dallas was right, it wasn't the wisest choice for any of them to know all of the details. They didn't need to know, it wasn't going to help her in any way. Especially having to go alone no matter what, it would only have chaos follow with more knowledge.
She places her hand on top of his, squeezing it. Nodding in confirmation, she speaks softly. "You're very right on that.. I don't need any of them digging into something that doesn't need to resurface." Amelia pauses, "It's all something I wish to get rid of."
There's a half smile on Dallas' lips as he speaks. "As would I." Moving his hand from her shoulder, to her own.
The grip between their hands is strong, intertwining their fingers with eyes connected in an unbreakable stare. "Come, let's get you home to prepare you for your meeting."
A statement that has her stomach sinking inside of her, but all she does is nod. No way to express herself so openly out in the public eye, so it would stay bottled in. Hand in hand with her lover as they walked out of the agency together. Met with the same sleek black car, and the same man waiting to drive them home.
Reaching the car, the driver opens the back door for the two of them. Dallas lets go of her hand, beginning to step inside of the backseat. Yet Amelia stops, standing on the sidewalk as her lover gets inside. He notices there's no movement and looks back at her, eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Amelia? Is everything alright?" He asks softly, leaning forward out of the open car door.
No response from her, Amelia stays completely quietly. Only staring at her lover, eyes void of any sort of emotion. She wasn't spacing out, just trying to figure out what to say at this moment. How to express how she was feeling without sounding scared, desperate for another's help.
"Amelia?" Dallas calls out again, breaking the silence.
"Promise me you'll do whatever if something happens to me Dallas." Her tone is serious, sharp.
Dallas chuckles, shaking his head at her words. "Amelia nothing–"
"Can you just promise me? Even just to make me feel more at ease?"
The amused look on his face drops, Dallas falling silent in front of her. Even with the edging conversation, the stare between the two of them isn't phased. He moves out from the car, standing in front of her now on the sidewalk. Taking her hands into his own, he squeezes them.
Both of their dark gloves molded into the barely lit sky. Molding into one as the stars twinkled above them, something memorable. Her hands are pulled up closer to him, pressing against his chest.
"I promise Amelia, but one thing is certain." Dallas pauses, taking a deep breath. "I will make sure nothing happens to you ever."
So caring, so gentle. Even in the most dire of situations, he always seemed to have such a gentle touch. Whether it be his thumbs rubbing on her hands, or the soft tone coming from his lips. His words almost made her entirely at ease, as much as they could.
Those emerald eyes pull down to their hands, a half smile draped against her red lips. "Thank you Dallas." Amelia mumbles, fluttering her eyes with dark lashes swept over them.
"Look at me.." He says slowly, Amelia's head pulling up to meet his eyes.
His hand lets go of her own, cupping her cheek in warmth. His gloves were warm against her skin, his eyes warmed her on the inside. Before she knows it Dallas leans in, kissing her lips with a gentle press. Amelia places her own hands on his cheeks, kissing him back with the soft motions of their lips. A loving kiss between them, not knowing if it would be the last.
She had to survive, if not for her dignity then for the feeling of his warmth against her. Just a simple kiss could keep her going, give her strength. Amelia would come out of this for him, if nothing else.
Dallas pulls back, her eyes fluttering open to look at him. Hands still pressed against her cheeks, he leans closer to her. His lips press against her forehead, Amelia breathing out a sigh of relief. Their eyes meet again, his stare serious yet just as soft as before.
"I promise." He repeats, Amelia's lips curling into a large smile.
"I'm glad I chose you to be by my side." She states, a light chuckle following after. "No matter what, for better or for worse."
Dallas nods, "For better or for worse. I will always be by your side."
If these were the last romantic moments she got with him, she would never forget them. Under the bright stars, swearing to one another that no matter what happened the other would be there. Something she had never had in her entire life, not until she met Dallas. Five years would never be enough, life without him would be meaningless.
What would happen to him, if he lost her?
"Even in death, Dallas." Amelia says, Dallas tilting his head at her words.
It only takes him a moment before he sighs, a half pulled smile on his lips. Amelia could see the sadness in his eyes, the guilt of being a means to an end. She wouldn't comment, she wouldn't make him feel even worse. He had the heaviest guilt to carry on his shoulders, second to hers. His guilt was seeing her walk off alone, her guilt was walking hand in hand together.
"Even in death, Amelia."