Aura gave Vision a friendly hug at the door before leaving. He was too stunned to react, but after she was gone, he smiled softly and muttered to himself,
"Friends, huh?" He felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that his efforts weren't completely meaningless.
After letting the feelings settle, he pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Clair a message,
"Hey, where are you? Can I see you?"
Veil's house wasn't far, so Aura was at his door quickly. He answered with Flow clinging to his waist,
"Oh. Hey Aura," he said with a bright smile.
He seemed surprised, yet genuinely happy to see her.
"Hey sis-in-law," Flow greeted. The new title flustered Aura slightly, but she pushed through it,
"Hey! I know you both saw the broadcast. Has Pierce already contacted you?" she asked, glancing down at Flow.
Flow looked down, squeezing Veil tighter; he flinched.
"He hasn't... but I know he will soon," she replied solemnly.
"What's this about?" Veil looked down at Flow, then back up at Aura in confusion.
"I'll explain. Can I come in?" Aura said. They both nodded.
As soon as she was inside, she went over the details as best she could, ending her statement with,
"We wanted to see if you'd be willing to join us, as well."
She was looking directly at Veil when she said this, and Flow perked up,
"Veil can come?" Flow asked excitedly, before Veil had a chance to respond. He chuckled lightly and stroked Flow's head,
"I'm guessing that means Flow is already part of this mission," he inquired.
After Aura nodded, he continued, "I wouldn't be able to stomach an entire month apart... plus there's someone I want to see on the mainland."
Flow looked at him with a hint of worry but said nothing.
Aura let out a sigh of relief.
"That's great! I'm so relieved." Aura said, then she smiled and added, "I also wanted to thank you for looking out for me when we first arrived."
"Yeah, I took turns with Vision, so it wasn't a big deal," he replied nonchalantly.
"It was a big deal for me. You both are dear friends to me, and I'll try to show it more often." Veil looked slightly uneasy as his gaze drifted away.
"Okay," his tone was flat when he replied, but a small smile spread on his face.
"Your brother has agreed to come too," Aura announced. Veil's eyebrows raised,
"I didn't expect that, but that just reinforces my decision. I got three reasons to join now." Flow grabbed his hand, gaining his attention. He looked into her eyes, his smile faltered, and his heart shook.
"You should go, we have some things to discuss alone," he said, without looking away.
Aura nodded and replied,
"Alright, I'll leave my contact information here. Please call if you need anything."
She pulled out a small notebook, wrote down her info, and handed it to Flow. After that, she left swiftly.
"Now... tell me what's wrong?" Veil said, cupping Flow's cheek with his free hand.
"Is it... your family, you want to see?" she whispered hesitantly. Veil chuckled,
"How do you know me so well?" he said in a teasing tone, while lowering his hand, "Yeah... I need to get some payback..." he tensed, cracking his knuckles, "and to get my little brother out of there. Hopefully, this mission will tolerate my little sidequest."
Flow got on her tiptoes, kissing his jaw.
"I'll make sure it does,"
Veil's expression became unreadable, but Flow could sense the longing in his eyes. The pressure from his gaze made her heart quiver.
Instead of replying, he lifted her into his arms and kissed her hungrily. She hugged his shoulders to support herself while returning his affection.
Once he stopped, he hugged her close and whispered,
"You're too good to me."
His voice was pained as if he felt guilty.
Clair was home when Vision messaged her, and she hurriedly replied,
"I'm home and completely free!"
Her palms became sweaty and her heartbeat erratic as she waited for him to text back.
Several minutes later, instead of a text, she heard a knock on her door.
She was so happy to see Vision that she flung her arms around him without thinking.
Clair couldn't get their kiss out of her head, and now with him so close, she buzzed with anticipation.
Her lips tingled, hoping to connect with his, but when she looked up at his face, he seemed conflicted. That's when she realized he wasn't just visiting because he missed her.
"I have something to tell you," he said in a low voice.
She felt something twist in the pit of her stomach and pulled him inside her place.
"Let's talk in here," she offered. They sat on the couch together, quietly at first.
"Pierce... plans to go to the mainland, to explain to the world why Talitha was created, and press for rights to be enforced for people like us. He wants to do it soon." Vision started, clasping his hands together in his lap. Clair watched him, listening attentively. "They asked if I'd be a member of the task force in charge of guarding him."
Even though he hadn't fully agreed, he knew without a doubt that Veil would. So the decision was already made. This final statement hit her hard.
"How long will you be gone?" Her voice was shaking as she asked.
"I'm not sure... I was told at least a month."
Clair's eyes moistened, and her face scrunched up,
"But we just kissed," she blurted bitterly.
Vision sighed, then wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her against him.
She sniffled, and he felt her body shaking. He stroked her back, but she still didn't seem comforted.
"I don't want to be separated either," he admitted reluctantly.
That's when Clair wiped her eyes and looked up at him.
"Do you mean it?" she asked tearily. He nodded. Clair bit her lip and said, "Our phones won't work outside the island."
"What about the LoveNote?" he asked. She wiped away more tears and replied,
"...It'll work."
"I'll write to you whenever I can, so make sure you check it," Vision murmured, kissing the top of her head. She melted against him.
"I'll check it every ten minutes," she replied, sniffling.
Vision's brow furrowed.
"That might be too often," he said.
Clair giggled then, despite not wanting to. Vision released her shoulders and tilted her chin upward before giving her a gentle kiss.
"... I'm not leaving right away, so let's enjoy the time we have," he stated firmly, with his eyes sinking into hers.
Clair's heart raced, and desire overwhelmed her. She gulped, looking away.
"What should we do?" she asked shyly,
"I heard there's a resort on the other side of the island, let's go there."
Clair nodded in agreement with a mixture of excitement and disappointment.
"I wish I could come on the mission too... but asking would be pointless. I can't leave the island for more than a few days... No one else has powers quite like mine... plus I'm useless in a fight," she mumbled. Vision chuckled, stroking her slightly damp cheeks before kissing her again.
"I can't handle all this affection," Clair said breathlessly. Her face was burning up, and thoughts spun in multiple directions.
"Stop thinking about me leaving," he demanded. He pecked her neck, and she squealed, tensing up as his lips lingered on her skin. "I'm here now," he added.
Clair squeezed her eyes shut and nodded obediently. After her response, he pressed his lips back to hers.
"Go pack," Vision instructed softly.
Clair rushed off to comply, and once he was alone, he texted Veil letting him know that he'd be at a resort for two days.
The resort had a water park, several restaurants, a spa, and an on-site hotel.
Because it was the middle of the week, there weren't many guests, and they were able to book a large suite.
They went to the room first to leave their things.
"You can change first. I'll change in the bathroom," he offered.
"You don't have to leave, we're a couple, we can change together."
Her reply stunned him, but he went to the bathroom regardless.
Vision returned to the room in his swimming trunks and a T-shirt.
Clair was wearing a white swim dress; it was modest as far as swimsuits go, but he blushed. He'd never seen her outside of the long gowns she usually has on.
"What's wrong? Am I too cute to handle?" Clair teased, trying to be easygoing and suppress her anxiety. The more she enjoys this trip, the sadder she'd be when they eventually separate.
"Yeah, you're cute," he grumbled. He said it reluctantly, with a ton of attitude, but Clair was moved by the compliment regardless.
"Let's go swimming," she muttered softly. Vision extended his hand towards her while scowling towards the door, his face still burning red.
She chuckled softly before laying her palm against his.
She could feel his pulse quicken as they held hands, and smiled to herself.
As they made their way to the water park, he couldn't look at her at all. Only when they got in line for a water slide did he turn to her and say,
"Let's go down together," he said, looking much more composed. She nodded, but it was her turn to be nervous when she realized he meant for her to sit in his lap on the raft.
She stood nervously until the peer pressure from the people behind them urged her to sit down.
He hugged her waist, pressing himself against her back.
The tension didn't last long, though, because a split second later they were hurling down the slide at a terrifying speed.
She screamed at the top of her lungs while he laughed like a madman.