Unseen Scene—Unit Alpha AU (Book One—Patrol Scene: Lesedi and Maaka) (Patreon)

LESEDI VERSION

Back at the Square

Forty-one minutes left. Counting down isn't really helping, but at least it's something to do. Silence stretches as long as the night's shadow, and I let out a breath just to break the quiet monotony.

Turning the corner of the block, my heart leaps into my throat as a figure emerges from the dark alleyway beside me. It settles again when I recognise the shape of…

“Lesedi!” I blurt, trying to relax the adrenaline that had been injected into my system from the fright.

She steps closer, the shadows melting away as moonlight spotlights her and the sight almost steals my breath away.

I cough down the surprise and smile. “Sorry. I didn’t expect to see you.”

“I hope you’re not disappointed?” she asks with the softest smile that edges on teasing.

“Of course not.” I rub at my eyes as I stare down the shadowed pathway behind me with a frown. “It’s actually nice to have the company.” When I look back, she’s right before me.

I blink, not even having heard her move. The silver glint of moonlight continues to radiate down on her, as though unwilling to stop kissing her all over with its silver glow.

I shake away the thought as it sends my pulse to skitter.

“I apologise for leaving you for so long alone.” Her soft smile nudges a little higher on her lips.

“It all right.” I shrug. “Splitting up means we cover more ground.”

“But it’s not anywhere near as fun as being partnered up,” she continues through a sigh before her eyes slide back to meet mine. “Especially with some such as you.”

I bite at my lip for a moment before I can’t make my mouth form around words. “Oh, you think so?”

“Of course.” She places a hand on my arm, a blossom of heat spreading out from it to wrap me in a blanket of safe warmth. “You are the most familiar with this area.”

Disappointment pools in my stomach. “Oh. Right. I can see how that would be useful.”

She draws her hand away, trailing her fingertips against my skin a little longer than needed before turning to look over the Square. “You have a beautiful town.”

“It’s not exactly mine,” I joke, to which she gives another smile. Seeing that expression on her is almost addictive. “But it is pretty here. Even in the dark.”

“I find most things are brought out to their full radiance at night,” she says, casting her gaze across the old buildings mixed with modern décor. “It’s something about the serenity of the night that allows you to see more.” She tilts herself back around to face me. “To feel more.”

It’s lucky she can’t tell what I’m feeling right now, or she’d wonder why my heart is about to slam out of my chest at the rate it’s going as she holds my gaze.

It seems the only serene beauty I’m able to focus on right now is hers.

“Maybe you’ll make me convert to a night-lover,” I say lightly in the hopes of drawing that smile from her once again.

She shakes her head. “Oh, my interest in you isn’t to sway your likes to mine.”

I almost topple on the spot. “Your interest in me? You’re…interested in me?” I give myself an internal eyeroll at my stammering. There’s never been anyone who has ever put me so on the backfoot as she can with a simple statement…and I’m not sure it’s an entirely unpleasant feeling.

“I was doing my best to make it obvious, Detective.” Her words almost shimmer in the air with the lightness of them.

My mouth falls open to make some kind of response, but it snaps shut again when her head whips around to glare into the shadows.

“What is it?” I whisper.

“A rudely timed interruption I will soon take care of,” she explains with a tight frown. She looks back at me and places a hand on my shoulder. “Please remain here. I will be back shortly.” Her eyes sparkle. “And I would so love to continue where we left this conversation off.”

She shoots off into the alleyway with such speed that my coat flutters around me.

I blink at where she’d been just moments before…and smile.

--

MAAKA VERSION

Back at the Square

Forty-one minutes left. Counting down isn't really helping, but at least it's something to do. Silence stretches as long as the night's shadow, and I let out a breath just to break the quiet monotony.

Turning the corner of the block, my heart leaps into my throat as a figure emerges from the dark alleyway beside me. It settles again when I recognise the shape of…

“Maaka!” I blurt, trying to relax the adrenaline that had been injected into my system from the fright.

“Are you alright? I didn’t mean to scare you!” Genuine apology rings in his voice as he reaches out his large hands to steady me.

I chuckle, the sound slightly strained at his gentle touch. “I’m fine. It was just a surprise to see you. I thought we were supposed to be splitting up to patrol?”

He withdraws his hands and runs one over his hair with a shrug. “Well, we were. But I grew bored.”

“Uh huh.” I fold my arms as I smirk at him. “By ‘bored’ you mean lonely, I’m guessing?”

He nudges me, almost making me sidestep, but I manage to keep my balance. “Aah, how did you get to know me so well so fast, [Name]?” His eyes narrow as he examines me. “You’re not a mind reader too, are you?”

I splutter on a laugh. “That would make this job a whole lot easier!” My chuckling stammers to a halt as I process his words. “What do you mean ‘too’? What else do you think I am?”

“Ehh…” His gaze flashes about the Square in sudden panic. “A detective. Yeah, you’re a detective as well.”

I flick an examining look over the way he fidgets on the spot—an interestingly meek look on such a large person—before deciding to let it go. “We better get moving if we want to meet back with the others.”

I take a few steps forward, and he immediately falls into pace beside me.

“We could not,” he suggests with a flash of a smile that makes my throat dry. “We could just hang out for a while longer. Just the two of us.”

“It is much quieter without the others,” I note, only now realising it’s the first precious moments of peace I’ve had since meeting Unit Alpha. They sure have a way of taking over your life without you realising!

He nods, draping an arm around my shoulders so as I look to him. “Also, it’s just the two us.”

For some reason, his meaning takes a lot longer to penetrate than it should, but when it does, I bite at my lip and look back to the street.

He stops, so I do as well, a crestfallen expression sinking across his broad features. “You don’t like that idea?”

The heat of him almost pressed against my side only has my already rising temperature racking up a few more notches. Yet, I only seem to want more of it, especially as it keeps the chill of the night at bay. Just being in his aura is like basking under the glow of the sun.

I’m almost distracted by how much I want to stand beside him that I forget he asked a question.

“Oh, I—”

He holds up a hand to pause me. “I’m being too much, aren’t I?”

I tilt my head only slightly, but he seems to take that as a negative answer, giving a groan and drawing away.

I resist the temptation to catch his hand as it falls from me.

“I’ve never done this part before,” he admits.

“What part?”

He rubs at his chin. “Been the one to, you know, say things. People just kind of fall for me, and it makes it easy. I don’t have to do the work.”

I’m not sure whether to burst out laughing or allow the pang of jealousy that wants to knot inside of me to continue.

“Oh…” I decide on in the end.

“Uh, I didn’t exactly mean that as it came out—” His words stop short as his whole body swings away.

I freeze on the spot at the tension which ripples through every one of his suddenly taut muscles. “What’s wrong?”

“I guess it won’t be just the two of us for much longer,” he moans. “Though maybe I should thank the bastard for interrupting this mess of a conversation.”

Before I can ask who he’s even talking about, he lunges into a nearby alleyway.

I race forward and swing into the street, only to find it empty and heavy with shadow.

“Huh.” I check down further, running my hands along the brick as though he might have found some secret doorway. There’s nothing but solid wall.

Still, I continue to search, the task helping distract me from processing what exactly just happened with Maaka.