NOVA
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28/02/2003
Panay, The Philippines
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"What?" I whisper, practically speaking right into his mouth from how close we are.

"I said what I said. I want you, Nova." He sighs against my lips, his unruly hair brushing against my forehead.

"You said it was a mistake," I repeat, forced to look up into his eyes as he tilts my chin a little higher. His calloused thumb sweeps across my lower lip.

"And I'm a damn good liar," he whispers.

Lips crash against mine the second he finishes his sentence, my back slamming against the outside wall.

God, yes. This is what I fucking want. His lips all over mine. Once again, it feels euphoric.

We're acting like two starving wild animals, right out in the fucking open where anybody could look between the buildings and see us.

Although, that's the least of my worries right now, and it seems he's thinking the same thing. He pulls away, grabbing my hand and leading me somewhere.

"Where are we going now?" I snicker, my heart thundering in my chest at the suddenness of everything.

He glances behind at me and furrows his eyebrows, turning so we're at the back of the barracks before shoving me against the wall.

"Somewhere we don't have to worry about being caught." He says as he leans down, snaking an arm around the back of my waist and pulling me against him.

His other hand is grasps at the back of my hair, guiding my lips back against his own.

His tongue glides into my mouth as I grate my nails down the back of his shirt. He groans, even more so as I slide my hands underneath his shirt, letting my fingertips brush against his bare skin.

They trace carefully across the ridges of his muscles, down every scar on his back; every single one a reminder of our careers. His hand around my waist starts to tug at the hem of my vest, he pulls away from my lips momentarily.

"Do you want this?" He whispers, seriousness in his eyes.

"Yeah, Leo. I do," I give him a small, hazy grin. Without a doubt this time.

"You're absolutely fucking beautiful, you know?" He returns the grin against my skin, pressing his lips against my neck.

"No," I laugh breathily, slightly distracted by his mouth. I'm not lying. I don't think I'm ugly, but I'm definitely far too rough around the edges to be considered 'beautiful'.

"No?" He clicks his teeth, "that's the wrong answer, Nov."

He kisses the same spot of my last love bite from him, pinching it between his lips.

"It's going to be much more difficult to hide if you do that," I murmur into his hair, absentmindedly tilting my neck to give him more access.

"You weren't doing a very good job of hiding it in the first place," I feel the vibration of his laugh against my skin before he pulls back. "But, we can stop if you'd prefer. Like I said last time, I don't want to push you."

I fold my arms across my chest.

"You 'want' me, right?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Yeah-"

Before he's even finished his words, I grab his shirt and haul his back against the wall with all of my strength, standing before him with my hands on his chest.

"Well, I want you to have me. Just fucking take me. All of me." I gaze up, completely shocked that that statement has just ripped out of my damn mouth. I smooth my hands up to his shoulders and take a breath. "I'm yours tonight, Leo."

I swear to fuck this man looks as though he's just discovered the meaning of life. His mouth hangs ajar before he shakes his head, snapping him out of whatever was going through his mind.

"You're sure about it this time? No regrets?" He brushes some hair from my face.

"There was never a real regret in the first place," I breathe.

His hands coil right down and my under thighs, lifting me up to his height. My legs wrap around his waist, arms around his neck. I can feel the bulge under his cargos, pressing against the growing ache between my legs.

I was expecting us to immediately resume our kiss, but we don't. We simply just gaze at each other.

The sky above us has sunken from the dusky purples into midnight blues, scatters of glowing stars assisting our vision as a warm breeze rustles around us.

"I never thought it'd be you," he whispers into the silence, holding me up with ease.

"What do you mean?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Doesn't matter,"

"Tell me," I grin.

"Nope."

"Don't be stubborn,"

"You're one to talk,"

Before I can continue pestering for an answer, he keeps me quiet me with his lips.

Very fucking aggressively keeps me quiet.

My nails dig into the nape of his neck as he deepens the kiss, slowly lowering us to the floor as my back meets the spongy grass.

He climbs on top, pressing his whole body weight against me. The one place he doesn't put any pressure on is the left side of my chest, he's keeping himself leaned away from that area.

He doesn't want to hurt me.

Both of his hands grip the sides of my face, keeping me steady as his lips dance against my own. I try not to groan at the unbearable ache in my core, eased slightly by the position of his hips.

Maybe bad of me to think, but I want it eased by something else.

Neither of us stop to catch our breath as we practically fucking devour each other. It's charged, every goddamn touch from him sends an electric shock ripping through my body. 

To some, this setting would seem unusual. Outdoors on some grass at the back of the barracks, complete nighttime.

To me, I think it's beautiful. It's so natural, everything about it. I don't know what better view I could have than Leo's face in front of my own, his lips on mine with the stars scattered behind him.

It's perfect.

I slip my tongue into his mouth, entwining it with his as I wrap my legs around his waist. One of his hands moves away from my face, tracing down the front of my torso until he reaches my vest.

He takes my bottom lip between his teeth, biting gently as he slides the straps down my shoulders, dragging them down my arms and unhooking them from my wrists.

He places a hand on my back and guides me into my lying position, tugging the vest down over my hips.

"You're something else, Nov." He whispers, leaning down and kissing my sternum. I lace my fingers through his hair as his own circle around towards my bra clasps, unhooking them in one clean motion and pulling it away from my body.

Oh Jesus, I haven't been this visibly exposed to anybody in years.

My heart races like I'm a goddamn high schooler as his lips press against my chest, moving perfectly against my skin. I tense up under his touch, his eyes meet mine.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just been a while," I laugh breathily, letting my head lean backwards as I gaze up at the sky.

By a while, I mean it's been about 9 goddamn years.

"Just let me know if you want to stop, alright?" He takes my hand, running his thumb affectionately over my knuckles.

"I don't want us to stop," I whisper.

"Then relax and enjoy the way I'm about to eat your pretty fucking cunt," He grins, and my mouth legitimately falls open at his boldness. Oh Jesus Christ.

He leans his head back into my chest, running his tongue around my pebbled nipples. The heat is rising, and God help me, I'm fucking drenched.

My hand finds his hair as my breath quickens, the other tugging the collar of his shirt. He sits up, pulling it over his head as his hand creeps around the small of my back, guiding my waist up as he lays the shirt underneath me.

"Aren't you a gentleman," I snicker.

He grins, fingers tracing down my abdomen until they reach the buttons of my cargos. His eyes meet mine, catching my small nod of approval as he unclasps them in one swift motion, starting to slowly drag them down my hips.

"Leo, honestly what if somebody just walks around the back and sees this?"

"Nobody comes around the back here, everybody thinks it's just the fences. They don't realise there's a space in between."

"How do you know?"

"Because I always come here when I need to think, and I've never seen another damm soul."

He lowers his mouth to my abdomen, leaving burns of electric kisses down the line of my stomach.

"Lift your hips up for me a little, Nova."

Don't have to tell me twice.

I push into my legs, raising my hips as he slides his hands underneath them, guiding me into the position he wants.

My heart practically jumps out of my chest as soon as I feel his warm breath against my leg, my own breath speeding up rapidly as I tighten my grip in his hair.

He traces his way upwards from my knee, nipping my inner thighs as he nudges them apart with his head. Oh God, he wasn't lying. This has only happened once in my life, and I felt nothing.

Now, my legs are already shaking and he hasn't even fucking done anything apart from breathed on me.

He kisses along the creases of my hips before positioning his face right between my thighs, hooking a finger under the waistband of my panties and dragging them down to my ankles.

And now I'm completely fucking naked, right in front of him. He's definitely got a good sight of how wet I actually am.

"I'm going to make you feel so fucking good, Nova." I feel his warm breath brush right against my core, causing a bated sigh to escape my mouth as he leans himself forward at an aggravatingly tense pace. He's so fucking sure, and it's so fucking hot.

I glance down, and he's gazing right back up at me as he says "God, I want you so fucking much," before burying his face between my thighs. Holy shit.

My back immediately caves, breath hitching as his mouth connects with my drenched core, gliding the flat of his tongue between my folds.

He finds my sweet spot in about half a damn second, holding me in position as he circles the point of his tongue around my aching clit at an excruciatingly slow pace.

"Shit--" I gasp for air, fighting back the cry that's hitching deep in my throat as my hands pull at his hair for leverage.

He sinks his nails into my hips to keep me steady, pushing one hand against my lower stomach.

His eyes never stray from mine. I only break the gaze to flutter my eyelids, tilting my head back at this absolute euphoria.

My thighs fold around his head, quivering into insanity as his mouth purses around my clit, sucking it between his lips.

"Fuck, Leo-" I whine, fisting his hair. He hums against me, the vibration ricochets every last nerve in my body.

"God Leo, don't stop-" I plead, the low cry that's been lodged finally choking out.

"There's not a chance in hell I'm stopping before you've come all over my face, Nov." He muffles, lifting one of my legs over his shoulder to give him better access.

I squirm under each movement of his tongue; the way it skilfully rolls, the way it's perfectly easing the throbbing between my thighs.

Fuck me, I feel as though I'm going to hit my climax already.

"You do it so damn good," I sigh in pleasure, grating my nails into his scalp as I involuntarily begin to grind myself against his mouth.

"You taste so damn good," he grins against me. "Even better than all the times I imagined doing this to you."

My God.

I can't even comprehend what the fuck is happening, how fast this has escalated.

Leo Hendrix, whose mere name used to make me furious, now has his face buried deep between my thighs; and it's all happening out in the fucking open air.

You couldn't even write this in a damn book.

He speeds up, rapidly but lightly beginning to flick the tip of his tongue right over my swollen clit. I have to rip one hand from his hair to cover my mouth, muffling any desperate whimpers as my hips continue to buck.

"I already think I'm close-" I manage to splutter beneath my hand.

"Keep your eyes on me, Nov. I want to see those pretty fucking eyes when you lose control." He grumbles.

He switches back to suckling now that he knows I'm getting there, gazing up at me with his deep brown glare and pushing down on my lower stomach.

My thighs clamp firmly around his head, spine arching so much it could snap in half as I hit my climax. My hand presses tight against my mouth as I cry into it, eyes rolling back.

I can't even catch a goddamn breath.

He continues for a few seconds as I ride out my release, gliding the flat of his tongue up one last time before propping himself up onto his elbows.

A grin tugs at the corners of his glistening lips.

"I could do that for hours," he whispers, moving up and falling onto his back next to me.

"I don't think I could take that," I laugh breathlessly, and I'm not lying. I think I'd actually ascend straight to heaven if I had hours of that.

His head rolls to face me, wiping his chin with his thumb and looking at it, "I disagree."

I push myself up, pulling my panties up from my ankles. He sits, picking up my bra and helping me slide it back on, clasping it for me at the back before grabbing my vest.

The breeze is significantly colder, I guess I just didn't realise because I was too damn hot in the moment.

He slides the vest over my head, I pull out his shirt from underneath my hips.

Thank fucking God that it's black.

He pulls it over his head, looking down at it and running his hand across with a grin.

"I can feel how much you liked that, Nov."

I slap his arm, "shut up."

He snickers, pulling me against him by my waist as I tug up my cargos. He lays us down, one of his arms beneath my back, his other under his head.

"So, what did you mean before?" I ask, tilting into his chest to look up at him.

"Hm?"

"When you said 'I never thought it'd be you', what did you mean?"

"I- Well, I just meant I didn't see myself being this intimate with you." He grins, swiftly looking away.

That's all he meant?

"Ah, yeah. Me neither," I whisper.

"So, why 'Nova'?" He gazes back down at me, changing the subject abruptly.

"Why 'Nova'? What does that even mean?" I blink.

"Your name. It's not exactly common, I didn't know if there was some sort of 'hidden meaning' behind it," he chuckles, rubbing the side of my waist.

"My parents used to love visiting Nova Scotia, they were there when my Mom found out she was pregnant with me, apparently," I shrug, "they used to say I was their 'Nova baby', I guess it stuck."

"I love that meaning," he grins.

"Well, what about you? 'Leo'?"

"Grandfather was called Leonardo, he was Italian. I apparently look exactly like he did when he was younger, so I guess it fits."

"Do you have a picture of him?" I ask.

"I have a family picture in my bag from when I was a kid, that's it," he shrugs.

"I'd love to see it, it's sweet that you brought it with you,"

"I'm anything but sweet, Nov," he sighs.

"I disagree," I smile, leaning into him and looking at the sky. "Aren't they pretty? The stars?" I point my finger up, gazing at the familiar Orion constellation.

"You're pretty,"

I completely miss his comment as I shoot up into a seat, shaking his arm in excitement. "Holy shit, Leo, look."

A small light darts across the sky, leaving a glowing trail in it's path as it passes right over us.

Leo flies up the second he sees it, wrapping strong arms around my waist and leaning his chin on my shoulder.

"Well I'll be damned, I never thought I'd actually see a shooting star," he murmurs in awe.

"I haven't seen one either," I whisper in amazement.

We both marvel as the path of light fades, the star vanishing to somewhere else in our infinite solar system.

"What's going to happen when we get back to the States, Nov?" He sighs against my ear.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, are you going to be sent back to the Falcons?" He asks, and because of everything, I haven't even fucking thought about that.

I mightn't get to see him for months, and then I've got my year out providing we find Nicholas.

"I really don't know, Leo." I whisper.

"I want you to come back to the Hawks with me," he buries his face into my shoulder.

I really don't know what is going to happen between us. As soon as we're back in the States, are we just going back to how we were before?

"I didn't ever want to leave in the first place, but it's North's call. Also, Lisa got killed in the raid, so the Falcons have no captains as of now."

I cringe at the thought of Lisa's death, at the thought of her radiant blue eyes with the life draining out of them. None of our losses have fully sunken in yet, and I don't think they will until we touch down in the US.

Our whole time in the Philippines has felt surreal. Reality slowly starts to filter back into my brain.

"I just want a break from this life, from Nicholas, from everything," I sigh, and oh God the things I would give.

One day to forget it all. One hour to forget the feeling of lying in the woods and choking on my breath. One minute to forget the feeling of a blade plunging through my chest.

"You'll get it, you deserve that year out," Leo says softly.

But that means I won't see you for a year.

"I'm not taking it unless that bastard is caught," I grit my teeth.

"We will get him, Nov, I swear," he reassures, running his hand up and down my arm.

"I know we will, it's just when. I'm worried, Leo. I'm worried he's going to try and hunt down my Dad, I wouldn't put it past him at this point." I mumble.

"We won't let him get that far, I promise,"

"I'll take your word on that," I sigh.

"Whatever happens, he'll never get close to you again,"

I turn my head to look at him, pressing my lips against his for a moment before pulling away.

"I trust you, you've got me out of the gutter enough times," I grin.

"I would've thrown myself in the damn gutter for you. I should've killed him when I had the chance, like you said," he mumbles.

"And like you said, if you had gone after him, I probably wouldn't be alive right now," I run a hand through his thick hair.

He gives me a small smile, leaning his forehead against mine.

"I don't even want to think about that,"

"You don't have to, you ain't getting rid of me anytime soon Hendrix," I snicker.

"I'll miss you, you know? I can't believe our flight back is in less than two days," he kisses the side of my head.

"Holiday romance," I speak sarcastically, he laughs and shakes his head.

"Something along those lines."

He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and away from the cool breeze. I feel his warmth, listening to his heartbeat as we lie beneath the blanket of stars.

And for once, in so fucking long,

I feel safe.