15

I saw the rank for now today is 1st in alilicia yipeee!! but day by day I lose more hope in this plotline, so I will finish it off...badly.  apologies in advance (?)

The mission had ended with a few setbacks, not too bad compared to their previous missions. The two teenagers barely successfully managed to keep the mayor safe, establishing the goal of the mission, though not without scrapes, bruises, and the usual chaos that seemed to follow them wherever they went.

The last of the security drones were being recalled, the crowd dispersed, and the blinking red perimeter lights slowly faded to green. The two teenagers finally stepped away from the cordoned zone, shoulders heavy with exhaustion.

Ali dragged a hand through his hair, wincing as his knuckles brushed against the cut on his temple. "Well," he muttered, half to himself, "we're still alive. That's a win, right?"

Alicia shot him a sidelong glance, her arms folded tightly across her chest. "Barely. If you hadn't decided to improvise again—"

"Hey, that worked!" Ali interrupted, pointing a finger at her with mock offence. "You have to admit, the timing was perfect."

"Perfect?" she repeated, her tone sharp but her eyes glinting with something closer to disbelief than anger. "You nearly got yourself blasted off the stage. If I hadn't—" She stopped herself, biting back the words, then exhaled. "Never mind."

Ali smirked despite himself, the familiar spark of teasing rising to his lips. "You mean if you hadn't saved me?" Her glare could have cut through steel, but the faintest twitch of a smile betrayed her. "Don't push it."

They walked side by side through the quiet street just outside the campus grounds, neither speaking for a while. The air smelled faintly of smoke from the earlier scuffle, mixed with the sharp night breeze. It wasn't silence born of tension — more the kind that followed after too much noise, when words felt unnecessary.

Finally, Alicia broke it, her voice low. "At least the mayor's safe. That's what matters."

Ali shoved his hands into his pockets, his grin softening. "Yeah. Mission accomplished."

Alicia exhaled, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I can't believe we made it through without completely destroying the auditorium," she murmured, shaking her head. "Again."

"You almost destroyed it," Ali corrected. "Key word is almost."

She shot him a look, but it was softer this time, more amused than scolding. "Barely counts."

They rounded a corner, the streetlights casting long shadows over the pavement. The hum of the city seemed distant compared to the adrenaline that still thumped faintly in their veins."So," Ali began, his tone casual but eyes scanning her face, "what now? Do we just go back to dorm life and pretend last night didn't almost get us expelled?"

Alicia laughed, a short, sharp sound that lifted some of the tension from her shoulders. "Dorm life sounds boring. I want to go for food first."

Ali's eyebrows shot up. "Food?"

"Yes. Real, edible, not-just-protein-bar food." She tugged lightly at the strap of her bag, eyes sparkling with mock seriousness. "I've earned it."

He grinned, shrugging. "Can't argue with that logic. Lead the way, boss lady."

As they walked, Ali glanced at her from the corner of his eye, noticing the way she kept her pace steady, how her short ponytail swayed gently despite the wind, yellow clips catching the streetlight for a brief, bright second. He didn't say anything — didn't want to disturb the fragile quiet of their victory — but a small, unbidden thought lingered: she's something else, isn't she?

Alicia, meanwhile, seemed entirely unaware, humming softly under her breath as she led them to a nearby food stall that still had a few customers lingering. They found a quiet spot on the curb, unwrapping sandwiches and sipping on soda, the night stretching lazily around them.

Ali leaned back on his hands, watching her unwrap her food with a contented sigh. "You know," he said after a moment, voice low, almost teasing, "for someone who's basically been bossing me around all day, you handle surviving chaos pretty well."

Alicia shot him a glance, smirk tugging at her lips. "And you? How's the tech intern holding up after nearly blowing up half the auditorium?"

"Hey," he said, hands raised defensively, "that one was an accident. Besides, you saved me again. Twice in one day."

Her smile softened. "You're lucky I'm nice."

"And you," he said, voice dropping just slightly, "are my favourite kind of trouble."

She blinked, almost caught off guard, then shook her head, letting a small laugh escape. "You're ridiculous."

"Maybe," he said, leaning closer just enough to make her shift slightly. "But you like it."

Alicia's cheeks warmed faintly, though she hid it behind a painful looking roll of her eyes. "In your dreams."

Ali chuckled, watching her bite back a smile. For a long moment, neither spoke, letting the comfortable quiet of the night settle over them. For once, there were no alarms, no missions, no chaos—just them, the city, and the lingering thrill of survival.

And maybe, just maybe, a little space to notice the small things about each other that usually got lost in the madness.

...

By the time they reached the dorm, the exhaustion had finally caught up to them. The faint hum of the air conditioner filled the room as Alicia tossed her jacket onto the chair and slumped onto the edge of her bed.

Ali, meanwhile, crouched by his bag, half-heartedly packing his things. "You know," he said, glancing over his shoulder, "we might actually get a decent report this time. No explosions, no civilian panic — just mild chaos."

Alicia let out a short laugh. "You make it sound like an achievement."

"It is," he shot back, zipping up one compartment. "We're improving. Maybe in a few months, we'll pull off a mission that doesn't end with one of us bleeding."

She glanced at the small cut on his temple and raised an eyebrow. "You first."

He grinned, pressing a finger lightly near the wound. "Adds character."

"Adds stupidity," she corrected, tossing a small packet of antiseptic wipes his way. "Clean it before it gets infected."

He caught it with a little smirk, though he didn't argue. The quiet returned for a bit as they each went about their things—Alicia folding her uniform neatly, Ali humming faintly while rearranging gear.

Then, without looking up, she muttered, "You did well today."

He blinked, momentarily surprised. "Did I hear that right?"

"Don't make me take it back."

Ali chuckled under his breath, the sound low and warm. "Noted, boss."

Alicia zipped up her bag and stood, brushing off imaginary dust from her sleeve. "Guess that's that," she said, her voice softer than usual. "We did what we had to."

Ali looked up at her from where he sat, a faint grin tugging at his lips. "You sound almost proud."

"I'm just... relieved it's over," she replied. Then, after a pause, "And that you're fine."

He blinked, caught off guard. "You were worried about me?"

She hesitated—just for a heartbeat too long. "Don't start," she said, turning away to adjust her collar. "Someone had to make sure you didn't do anything reckless again."

Ali chuckled, standing as well. "And you did. You always do."

That made her pause mid-movement. Her fingers froze over the zipper of her jacket, the quiet weight of his words hanging in the air between them.

When she finally turned back, there was a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes. "...Don't get used to it," she said, but her tone lacked its usual bite.

Ali smiled faintly, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Too late."

Alicia zipped her bag shut with a final tug. "There. Done. Finally."

Ali leaned against the wall, watching her with that lazy grin of his. "Took you long enough."

She shot him a glare. "Maybe if someone didn't scatter their gear all over the place, I'd have finished sooner."

He raised both hands in surrender. "Fair point." A beat passed before his grin returned—slower this time, almost thoughtful. "Alicia how would you ever want to be asked out?"

"What?" Alicia froze, halfway through slinging her bag over her shoulder. "What kind of question is that?" she asked, tone sharp but a little too quick.

Ali shrugged, pretending nonchalance. "Just wondering. You know, for research."

"For research," she repeated, unimpressed. "Sure."

"Yeah," he said, suppressing a grin. "In case I ever need to know."

She blinked, caught off guard. "You— what?"

He laughed softly, pushing off the wall. "Relax. Hypothetically."

Alicia rolled her eyes, turning away to hide the strange expression she had. "You're impossible."

"Yeah," he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "But you didn't answer."