Vir convinced me to walk back to Headquarters after we had been in the coffee house for an hour or two. It was really nice, simply getting to know each other. For once we didn't talk about heavy stuff, such as attacks, fears and dead fathers. This time it was more about what places we would like to visit, what packs we had been to, what hobbies we had. Vir was a lot more relaxed, which made him joke around a bit more, although still in his typical nerdy way. He even got around to flirting with me a few times, causing my own cheeks to flush cherry red as opposed to Vir's. In the end, he escorted me out of the coffee house, and when I grabbed his hand, he didn't let go.

The sky had started to darken by the time we walked on the large street leading directly to the Headquarters. The air was cold, as was to be expected at the end of October, with a thick layer of clouds resting above our heads. A vicious, freezing gust of wind whisked my hair away, blowing it all directions. My nose probably starting to go red from the cold, I started walking slightly closer to Vir, who had tightened up his muscles as well, hoping to retain some more warmth. As we walked side by side on the concrete pavement, our feet stepping in sync, we passed by a few Sapientiae Pack members. Once again I realised how easy it was to single out the Sapientiae inhabitants by the way they dressed.

Professional, classy, and with a lot of blue tones.

I supposed that most packs had a certain way of fashion that was typical, with for example Fortis Pack members wearing a lot of leather jackets, Iustitia inhabitants often choosing contrasting black and white clothing, and Pulchritudo Pack members mainly showing a lot of skin. Vir, however, didn't fit in with any of the packs, solely based on his clothing choices. He seemed to notice the same thing, and I could see him look, slightly insecure, between their bodies and his own.

I squeezed his hand tightly, causing him to look sideways at me. "Don't," I merely said.

He sighed and was quiet for a while, but not for long. He took another glance over his shoulder at the man who had just walked past us with a hurried step, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. "Livia," Vir asked, obviously comparing himself to the other man. "Do you think I dress odd?"

I pondered over this for a few seconds, debating what I would tell him. I decided to go with honesty. "I do. Your clothing style is not one I would choose for myself, and I suspect many think the same, even your own pack members."

Vir tried pulling his hand from mine immediately, but I didn't let him cut off the contact between the two of us. "Hush, I wasn't done yet," I continued. "But I also think that you should not judge a person on the way they are dressed. Sure, you could improve in that department compared to others, but you surpass them by a lot for your intelligence. Everyone has their strong and weak points, and I'd rather that you focus on one that is not vain. And besides, I know I am right when I say that the Sapientiae inhabitants appreciate a good Alpha more than a well-dressed one."

I could feel Vir's relief radiate off of him in waves. Yet there still was that one sliver of insecurity which shone through in his next few words. "Would you appreciate it if I were to dress differently?"

I found that I couldn't answer this question as fast as I would have thought previously. Most of the times, his clothes were awful, ill-fitting and at least ten years out of fashion. Whenever he wore classy suits, simple shirts and basketball shorts, I was practically flabbergasted by how good he looked. Those times I could almost drool at the sight of him, and secretly, I wanted that all for myself. Why would other people – people who were not his soulmate, like me - need to see him so handsomely? I stuffed my jealous feelings deep inside of me before I figured out what my opinion on the matter was. Would I like it if Vir were to dress according to the Sapientiae standards? "I appreciate you, I like you" I said with confidence in my voice, trying not to think of the fact that I just basically told him that I was attracted to him romantically. At least I didn't blurt out that I loved him.

Because I didn't.

Not yet, at least. I wouldn't deny that at some point, probably in the near future if he kept up this relaxed and almost carefree attitude, I could love him.

Would love him. "No matter what you wear, I will appreciate how you are. That is how soulmates work," I continued, smiling because I knew it was true. "So if it makes you happy to change your wardrobe, I will stand by you. If you wish to go around the way you feel most comfortable – which is what I assume is the reason you're wearing that, I will support you and not leave your side."

Vir looked away bashfully, and nodded. "Thank you," he said eventually. "I will think about it."

We hadn't even walked two minutes longer before he spoke up again. "You know, I don't have to think about it. These clothes are indeed comfortable, so I don't want to let go of them entirely, but I admit that it would be way more professional if I were to wear a suit during working hours. Like..." he paused, thinking deeply. "Baby steps. Right?"

I shortly tightened my grip around his hand again in agreement. "Alright. Baby steps are completely fine. But promise me one thing Vir, please."

"Hmm?"

"At some point in time, the khaki pants have to go."

It merely took a twenty minute walk before the large Headquarters building was right in front of us. From the start of our journey, it had been looming in the distance, towering over us with its enormous height. Even though the building had been serving as the centre of Sapientiae, where the Alpha resided and where the main management of the entire pack was done, for decades already, it had a modern look. Incredible architecture – at least, that is what I would've thought, had I been interested in architecture – with lots of intrinsic patterns made with stainless steel and glass. Large balconies with plants and trees, and solar panels to make the whole sustainable. Not to even mention the fact that although Invisible to us from this angle, there was also a helicopter platform on top, the one I'd used to get to Vir as fast as possible, only a week ago.

We entered the Headquarters not through the main entrance, but through a small building, about one hundred meters behind the towering sky scraper. It was hidden by what appeared to be a park that Sapientiae members could freely walk in, for their own pleasure. However, as Vir led me to a seemingly decayed cabin, I couldn't see anyone. By the looks of it, no one had been here in a long time. Out of sight from the busy roads, he opened up a wall by tapping his wrist.

Without a sound, the wall split in front of us, to form a small opening towards a dark hallway, lit only by some flickering TL-lights.

"Creepy," I muttered. "Is this where you are going to kill me? I warn you, I have excellent fighting skills, if you missed out on the fact that I'm from the Fortis Pack."

"Who says I didn't poison your coffee earlier to significantly weaken you?" Vir responded darkly, as he motioned for me to go inside. Confidently, I took a few steps forward, Vir following me without any other words as the door slid to a close behind us.

"You may be my soulmate, but that doesn't mean I trust everyone around you. I watched my coffee carefully as it was being made, and nothing weird happened," I countered.

"Observant." His response was short, as we went down a few stairs, only to get into another maze of underground tunnels with ominously flickering lights.

"But seriously," I said after a while. I was trying to remember how we walked, just in case I would need it someday, but Vir's high pace made it surprisingly difficult. Usually I have a relatively good sense of direction, yet it currently felt as if a potato would know the way better than me. "Why did you take me here and not the general entrance for everyone? Sure would have been more comfortable. And quicker."

Vir paused in his step for a split second. "These underground tunnels can only be used by a select group of people. In case of an emergency, this maze leads to several buildings, houses or other places from which the Alpha and Board of Management can easily escape unnoticed."

"These hallways look as if they have been built ages ago, so then past Alpha's and their teams would know these ways too, right?"

"Yes. That is a major disadvantage. However, whenever needed, only two escape routes are available, so to say, and it would be a waste of resources for enemies to cover all possible exits." He continued walking next to me, gradually slowing his pace so that I could take a look at my surroundings in a bit more detail.

Everything was surprisingly neat, I noticed. It was almost as if the flickering lights were a decoy, to make the hallways appear unused, old and almost in ruins. Yet there were no signs of rats anywhere, or even dust. Everything was meticulously cleaned up, and I realised why only a few seconds after, when the floor behind us was suddenly flowing over with an acidic smelling substance.

"To cover our tracks," Vir said, as soon as he saw my slightly shocked expression. "I wouldn't touch it, if I were you. Causes awful burns."

Ow-kay... Good to know, I guess?

"Still, we are currently not in an emergency, I presume, so why did you take me here?"

Vir was a bit startled by my question, as he did not respond immediately. Instead, he avoided my eyes almost awkwardly, his hand reaching up to his neck to scratch an invisible itch. "There... are no camera's, so no one from the Board, Management or other employees knows we are here."

In an instant, my mood dropped to reach almost sub-zero temperatures. "Here, no one can see us together, you mean." I had almost forgotten Vir's aversion against people knowing I was his soulmate. Him bringing it up like this, rubbing it in that he didn't think I was good enough, smart enough for him, was like he stabbed me straight into my heart. I put my hand over the hurt area, massaging the skin gently in hopes of relieving the painful burning that his comment caused.

I stalked off from the crossing we had stopped at only a few seconds earlier, only realising a split second later I had no clue where I was going.

"Wait, Livia," Vir tried to stop me, calling after me in a desperate voice. "I didn't mean it like tha-"

"I thought that by know I had proven to you that I am not merely a dumb Fortis girl with nothing but muscles," I spat at him coldly, turning around. "Apparently I was wrong."

Vir had walked fast enough to grab my wrist to stop me from continuing my walk of shame through the maze, and I could see a flash of sadness and shame flow through his eyes, combined with something that looked strangely a lot like... Fear?

"N-n-no," he started stuttering. "I don't think you a-a-a-are dumb, not at all-ll. I n-never thought tha-at."

"Then why the hell are you so afraid of people knowing we are soulmates?" I was practically screaming in his face now, my eyes burning with the need to let tears fall. "Why do you lead me through this mess of a tunnel system underground, without camera's present, without a soul in sight to ever see us, if not because of that?"

Through my rage, I barely noticed how close Vir had pulled me against him.

I only realised when out of nowhere, he bent his head downwards to my height, and pushed his lips against mine. I was too shocked at it, that I didn't kiss him back for a long while.

I had not suspected him to do this, this was not the right timing, why did he do this?

Worked up so much because of the simple thing of his lips touching mine, I couldn't even enjoy the sensation. The sensation of having your soulmate so close to you, that literally nothing else matters.

I felt Vir pulling back after I didn't do anything for a full five seconds. As my eyes never closed, I could see the deep hurt in his facial expression when he realised that I didn't kiss him back.

For some reason, that shook my out of my trance.

Why the hell was I not kissing him back? My soulmate, the man I'd slowly started to fall for, the man that was so incredibly shy and awkward that he had probably never been with anyone else before, kissed me, and I did not respond.

"I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorr-ry," Vir stuttered, as he tried to take a few steps backwards. "I d-didn't..."

Without further ado, I reached for his face with both my hands, and pulled him back to me, and I pressed my lips against his, for a second – much better – kiss. One that I did get to enjoy to the fullest.

It felt so good.

His lips were extremely soft, as they moved uncertainly against my own, in a movement that clearly felt unfamiliar to him. It was wonderful. My eyes closed, I could feel the sparks that flew between us every time we touched, now exploding with much more vigour.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tried to pull him even closer. I felt him respond by weakly enclosing his arms around my waist, almost afraid to touch me even more. The heat from his warm, hot skin, slowly reached my own, causing my core temperature to become almost feverish with need. The need for longer, harder, more. I never understood why people talked about fireworks when they kissed the other half of their soul. A kiss was just a kiss right? But now, as I breathed in his clean, soapy scent, feeling lightheaded from the intensity of this kiss, I finally understood what everyone was talking about.

Except they were so wrong.

This was not fireworks. This feeling, this incredible sensation, was more like a fucking supernova, blowing me away. 

***

So they finally kissed!!! (ASDFGLKJLHKALJH I'm so proud of this chapter for some reason). Also, a very long chapter, so there you go :') 
I've recently joined a discord group where we write a lot together in so-called 'sprints' of around twenty minutes (With a sprintbot!!!) and it's been a lot of fun! The past three to four chapters I've posted are definitely a result of that :)

By now, school has started again, so I'm not sure whether I'll have the time to write a lot anymore. Hopefully, I'll see you soon though! 

Please vote and comment if you enjoyed this chapter ^-^ 

Liefs,
Sanne