FIC: Hope For The Hopeless - Chapter 2 [Miles/Charlie]
Title: Hope For The Hopeless - Chapter 2
Rating: PG (until now)
Word Count: ~1800
Genre: Angst, Fluff
Summary: "But then, lately, when she looks at you with those big blue eyes of hers, full of warmth, forgiveness and affection, that’s when you feel that tiny little flame called hope awaken in your soul."
Spoilers: Set in the aftermarth of 1x07 - The Children's Crusade
Author's Note: So... This fic somehow took on a life on its own... What was intended as a one-shot is now turning into something bigger. We need to survive four months, right?
Chapter one and two can also be found on ff.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8764056/1/Hope-For-The-Hopeless
Chapter 2
The moment she kissed his lips, Miles felt it was wrong. He tried - he really did - cupping her face with his hand and really giving in to that kiss. But there were no butterflies anymore. And thinking back to their last kiss, Miles didn’t even know if there ever had been butterflies or if it was all just a nice but slowly fading dream.
When Nora broke the good-bye kiss, Miles couldn’t even really look into her eyes. Instead, his gaze wandered to the blond-haired woman standing right next to him. Their eyes only locked for a second, before Charlie looked to Aaron, into the sky, to the ground, anywhere but him. But it only took that one second for Miles to see the hurt and pain written all over her face. And he hated himself for it because hurting Charlie is the last thing he ever wanted to do.
After that one fateful night a couple of days ago, both Charlie and Miles silently agreed on not bringing the topic up again. They both had to concentrate on getting Danny back and trying to figure out what was going on between them was a distraction neither could afford right then. So Charlie and Miles acted as if the kiss never happened. After a couple of days, Charlie removed the white bandage around her wrist and with it also removed the last reminder of why they had even ended up in a situation that led to that (breathtaking, earth-shattering, unforgettable) kiss.
But seeing the expression on Charlie’s face right then broke another tiny little piece of his already tortured heart. Before anyone could notice anything, he turned his attention back to Nora. He would miss her that was for sure. He could always count on her and trust her having his back. The feeling of knowing that someone else was there to take care of their little group always made him feel a little saver. Not that either Charlie or Aaron needed protection per se but eight eyes and hands were still better than six.
That was proven only moments later, after Nora and Mia had said their good-byes, when the three of them made their way through the woods towards Philadelphia. Miles should have known better than to think he would get away from Strausser that easily. And he shouldn’t have been surprised when the bullets came flying towards them. All he could do before getting shot was grab Charlie’s arm to pull her with him behind that old and rusty car.
Hearing Strausser’s voice, even after all that time, still scared the shit out of him. But it was no longer only himself he was scared for but also for Charlie, who crouched down next to him. He needed to get Strausser away from there, for he knew what he would do to Charlie if he got his hands on her. So while Charlie’s hand holding on to his thigh shot a lightning through his bones, leaving a burning mark on his skin, he knew that he had to go with the militia. With an intense, heated gaze Miles looked down first at her hand, then at Charlie directly before he screamed: “Hold your fire! I’m coming out!”
Miles could hear her whisper his name in fear, felt her eyes burning into his back as he moved around the car, with his hands held high. There was nothing he could do now. Besides, it was finally time to face the one man who had always scared him, anyways.
-----
After the four of them finally could get out of the water a couple of miles down the river, they walked for another hour, deep into the forest, just to make sure that no one could possibly have followed them. It was only when they were absolutely certain that they were alone that they finally set camp for the night. They immediately built a fire to dry their wet clothes, not wanting to risk any of them catching a cold.
That evening, each and every one fought his or her own demons. Aaron was drowning his guilt for losing the pendant with the flask that never seemed to get empty, while Nora was still mad at herself for trusting her sister so carelessly. Miles was his usual self, deeply in thoughts and staring into the flames, while Charlie sat on the other side of the campfire across from him.
How many more times would they get in so much trouble, barely escaping death before they could finally rescue Danny? Or would they run out of luck one of these days and just get captured? Tortured? Killed? Charlie, leaning against a dead tree trunk, pulled her knees close to her body, resting her arms and her head on them, watching the red and golden flames as the sizzling noise calmed her nerves. The feeling of always being in danger, never being able to relax or letting your guard down, the constant threat of anyone - especially her u… Miles - being killed at any second was slowly getting to her. And yet, Charlie refused to give up. These people around her risked everything just to help her, the least she could do was being strong. Because that is exactly who she was. Not being strong, or a fighter, or giving up has never been an option in the past and sure as hell would not be now.
It was that moment, when Charlie’s and Miles’ eyes met over the fire. They both stared intensely at each other and every sound around them - the wind, the fire, the heavy breathing of Aaron, the chirping of crickets - ceased to exist. The last couple of days they had succeeded in not getting caught up in such a moment but now that it happened they both had a hard time breaking the contact. God only knew what they’d have done had they been alone.
After a few seconds or minutes, Miles finally looked down, clearing his throat and getting up from his place on the ground. Without looking at Charlie again he announced that he would be back again soon. Nora looked after him concerned but did nothing to stop him. That’s why after another moment of hesitation, Charlie finally got up.
“He shouldn’t be out there alone,” Charlie said and moved into the direction where Miles disappeared into the forest.
“If anyone can take care of himself, it’s Miles,” Nora replied, eying Charlie suspiciously.
“I know. I still don’t want him to be on his own though,” Charlie answered and before anyone could stop her, she followed Miles into the trees.
It was almost pitch black and Miles was nowhere in sight, even though he couldn’t have more than two minutes head start. Charlie carefully wandered deeper into the wood, the light of the fire behind her slowly fading to black. She tried to listen for any sound, footsteps maybe or rustling of leaves, but it was all quiet. And while she was still trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness, a cold hand suddenly gripped her upper arm and pushed her harshly against the tree right beside her.
“Dammit, Charlie! What the hell are you doing?”
The sudden movement and growling scared her for a second but the moment she realized it was Miles, she relaxed considerably. He still held on to her tightly, his body coming dangerously close to hers. The heat of his body swept over Charlie in waves and made her dizzy.
“You can’t just wander off all on your own,” Miles said threateningly, his jaw tight.
“You are one to talk…” Charlie only replied, and while she should probably be a little more scared of him, considering how angry he was, she couldn’t concentrate on anything else besides him being way too close to her. The tiny space between them sizzled with energy.
“Careful now, kid,” Miles said, his voice raspy as he moved even closer, his body pushing Charlie against the tree just enough to not hurt her.
Charlie was trapped now, behind her the tree pierced her back while on the front Miles’ covered her entire length. They stared at each other, Miles angry and agitated, Charlie calm and expectantly. She could almost see the battle that was going on inside of Miles, as his heated gaze was fixated on her.
And when Miles finally leaned in, it didn’t really come as a surprise for Charlie. But before his lips even touched hers, Charlie moved her head to the side, Miles coming into contact with her cheek. A deep grumble erupted from deep within his chest and out of reflex, his hand smashed against the tree next to Charlie’s head.
“What the…” Miles started, taking a deep breath, before looking at her confused.
Charlie returned his insistent gaze. “Tell me if I’m wrong but… the other day… there was something between you and me. But you didn’t wanna talk about it. And then today… You kiss Nora like there is no tomorrow? Sorry, Miles, but I’m not going to sit by and watch you jump from one woman to the next.”
Miles didn’t know what to say, as he stared at her incredulously. So instead of saying anything, his hand touched her chin roughly but still with care, making it impossible for her to move. Before she could protest or say another word, Miles’ lips crashed down on hers.
He kissed her hungrily, his body pushing even harder against hers. Again, he was mesmerized at how perfectly they fit together, how every curve of her body aligned with his. Charlie grabbed Miles’ shoulders for support, as his hands moved down her body, coming to rest on her hips. She returned the kiss with the same hunger, lust and passion that Miles was feeling. His lips moved expertly over hers, his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. She didn’t hesitate and welcomed him greedily, triggering another deep growl from him. And when Miles put one leg between hers, making room for him, they were suddenly closer than ever before. Charlie could feel his arousal pressing into her stomach and every ounce of blood shot from her head right down to her center. Charlie had never needed anything - anyone - more than she needed Miles in that moment. She would have given everything just to get even closer to him. But then, as suddenly as it began, it ended. Miles broke away, panting heavily. His eyes were on fire and Charlie wished that he would just keep going, delivering her from that almost painful pull in her stomach.
“That, Charlie, was a kiss like there is no tomorrow, understand? But seeing as you don’t even know the difference between these two, clearly tells me that we shouldn’t be doing this in the first place,” Miles said and Charlie could have sworn that he almost sounded sad behind all the conviction and calmness. “Go back to the camp. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“But…”
“Will you ever listen to me? Go!” And without another word, Charlie left him standing in the darkness.
-----
A/N: The next chapter is almost finished... You want more? Or should I just hit delete and forget about the whole thing? I'll be a really happy camper if you left me a comment. Thank you!
Rating: PG (until now)
Word Count: ~1800
Genre: Angst, Fluff
Summary: "But then, lately, when she looks at you with those big blue eyes of hers, full of warmth, forgiveness and affection, that’s when you feel that tiny little flame called hope awaken in your soul."
Spoilers: Set in the aftermarth of 1x07 - The Children's Crusade
Author's Note: So... This fic somehow took on a life on its own... What was intended as a one-shot is now turning into something bigger. We need to survive four months, right?
Chapter one and two can also be found on ff.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8764056/1/Hope-For-The-Hopeless
Chapter 2
The moment she kissed his lips, Miles felt it was wrong. He tried - he really did - cupping her face with his hand and really giving in to that kiss. But there were no butterflies anymore. And thinking back to their last kiss, Miles didn’t even know if there ever had been butterflies or if it was all just a nice but slowly fading dream.
When Nora broke the good-bye kiss, Miles couldn’t even really look into her eyes. Instead, his gaze wandered to the blond-haired woman standing right next to him. Their eyes only locked for a second, before Charlie looked to Aaron, into the sky, to the ground, anywhere but him. But it only took that one second for Miles to see the hurt and pain written all over her face. And he hated himself for it because hurting Charlie is the last thing he ever wanted to do.
After that one fateful night a couple of days ago, both Charlie and Miles silently agreed on not bringing the topic up again. They both had to concentrate on getting Danny back and trying to figure out what was going on between them was a distraction neither could afford right then. So Charlie and Miles acted as if the kiss never happened. After a couple of days, Charlie removed the white bandage around her wrist and with it also removed the last reminder of why they had even ended up in a situation that led to that (breathtaking, earth-shattering, unforgettable) kiss.
But seeing the expression on Charlie’s face right then broke another tiny little piece of his already tortured heart. Before anyone could notice anything, he turned his attention back to Nora. He would miss her that was for sure. He could always count on her and trust her having his back. The feeling of knowing that someone else was there to take care of their little group always made him feel a little saver. Not that either Charlie or Aaron needed protection per se but eight eyes and hands were still better than six.
That was proven only moments later, after Nora and Mia had said their good-byes, when the three of them made their way through the woods towards Philadelphia. Miles should have known better than to think he would get away from Strausser that easily. And he shouldn’t have been surprised when the bullets came flying towards them. All he could do before getting shot was grab Charlie’s arm to pull her with him behind that old and rusty car.
Hearing Strausser’s voice, even after all that time, still scared the shit out of him. But it was no longer only himself he was scared for but also for Charlie, who crouched down next to him. He needed to get Strausser away from there, for he knew what he would do to Charlie if he got his hands on her. So while Charlie’s hand holding on to his thigh shot a lightning through his bones, leaving a burning mark on his skin, he knew that he had to go with the militia. With an intense, heated gaze Miles looked down first at her hand, then at Charlie directly before he screamed: “Hold your fire! I’m coming out!”
Miles could hear her whisper his name in fear, felt her eyes burning into his back as he moved around the car, with his hands held high. There was nothing he could do now. Besides, it was finally time to face the one man who had always scared him, anyways.
-----
After the four of them finally could get out of the water a couple of miles down the river, they walked for another hour, deep into the forest, just to make sure that no one could possibly have followed them. It was only when they were absolutely certain that they were alone that they finally set camp for the night. They immediately built a fire to dry their wet clothes, not wanting to risk any of them catching a cold.
That evening, each and every one fought his or her own demons. Aaron was drowning his guilt for losing the pendant with the flask that never seemed to get empty, while Nora was still mad at herself for trusting her sister so carelessly. Miles was his usual self, deeply in thoughts and staring into the flames, while Charlie sat on the other side of the campfire across from him.
How many more times would they get in so much trouble, barely escaping death before they could finally rescue Danny? Or would they run out of luck one of these days and just get captured? Tortured? Killed? Charlie, leaning against a dead tree trunk, pulled her knees close to her body, resting her arms and her head on them, watching the red and golden flames as the sizzling noise calmed her nerves. The feeling of always being in danger, never being able to relax or letting your guard down, the constant threat of anyone - especially her u… Miles - being killed at any second was slowly getting to her. And yet, Charlie refused to give up. These people around her risked everything just to help her, the least she could do was being strong. Because that is exactly who she was. Not being strong, or a fighter, or giving up has never been an option in the past and sure as hell would not be now.
It was that moment, when Charlie’s and Miles’ eyes met over the fire. They both stared intensely at each other and every sound around them - the wind, the fire, the heavy breathing of Aaron, the chirping of crickets - ceased to exist. The last couple of days they had succeeded in not getting caught up in such a moment but now that it happened they both had a hard time breaking the contact. God only knew what they’d have done had they been alone.
After a few seconds or minutes, Miles finally looked down, clearing his throat and getting up from his place on the ground. Without looking at Charlie again he announced that he would be back again soon. Nora looked after him concerned but did nothing to stop him. That’s why after another moment of hesitation, Charlie finally got up.
“He shouldn’t be out there alone,” Charlie said and moved into the direction where Miles disappeared into the forest.
“If anyone can take care of himself, it’s Miles,” Nora replied, eying Charlie suspiciously.
“I know. I still don’t want him to be on his own though,” Charlie answered and before anyone could stop her, she followed Miles into the trees.
It was almost pitch black and Miles was nowhere in sight, even though he couldn’t have more than two minutes head start. Charlie carefully wandered deeper into the wood, the light of the fire behind her slowly fading to black. She tried to listen for any sound, footsteps maybe or rustling of leaves, but it was all quiet. And while she was still trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness, a cold hand suddenly gripped her upper arm and pushed her harshly against the tree right beside her.
“Dammit, Charlie! What the hell are you doing?”
The sudden movement and growling scared her for a second but the moment she realized it was Miles, she relaxed considerably. He still held on to her tightly, his body coming dangerously close to hers. The heat of his body swept over Charlie in waves and made her dizzy.
“You can’t just wander off all on your own,” Miles said threateningly, his jaw tight.
“You are one to talk…” Charlie only replied, and while she should probably be a little more scared of him, considering how angry he was, she couldn’t concentrate on anything else besides him being way too close to her. The tiny space between them sizzled with energy.
“Careful now, kid,” Miles said, his voice raspy as he moved even closer, his body pushing Charlie against the tree just enough to not hurt her.
Charlie was trapped now, behind her the tree pierced her back while on the front Miles’ covered her entire length. They stared at each other, Miles angry and agitated, Charlie calm and expectantly. She could almost see the battle that was going on inside of Miles, as his heated gaze was fixated on her.
And when Miles finally leaned in, it didn’t really come as a surprise for Charlie. But before his lips even touched hers, Charlie moved her head to the side, Miles coming into contact with her cheek. A deep grumble erupted from deep within his chest and out of reflex, his hand smashed against the tree next to Charlie’s head.
“What the…” Miles started, taking a deep breath, before looking at her confused.
Charlie returned his insistent gaze. “Tell me if I’m wrong but… the other day… there was something between you and me. But you didn’t wanna talk about it. And then today… You kiss Nora like there is no tomorrow? Sorry, Miles, but I’m not going to sit by and watch you jump from one woman to the next.”
Miles didn’t know what to say, as he stared at her incredulously. So instead of saying anything, his hand touched her chin roughly but still with care, making it impossible for her to move. Before she could protest or say another word, Miles’ lips crashed down on hers.
He kissed her hungrily, his body pushing even harder against hers. Again, he was mesmerized at how perfectly they fit together, how every curve of her body aligned with his. Charlie grabbed Miles’ shoulders for support, as his hands moved down her body, coming to rest on her hips. She returned the kiss with the same hunger, lust and passion that Miles was feeling. His lips moved expertly over hers, his tongue seeking entrance into her mouth. She didn’t hesitate and welcomed him greedily, triggering another deep growl from him. And when Miles put one leg between hers, making room for him, they were suddenly closer than ever before. Charlie could feel his arousal pressing into her stomach and every ounce of blood shot from her head right down to her center. Charlie had never needed anything - anyone - more than she needed Miles in that moment. She would have given everything just to get even closer to him. But then, as suddenly as it began, it ended. Miles broke away, panting heavily. His eyes were on fire and Charlie wished that he would just keep going, delivering her from that almost painful pull in her stomach.
“That, Charlie, was a kiss like there is no tomorrow, understand? But seeing as you don’t even know the difference between these two, clearly tells me that we shouldn’t be doing this in the first place,” Miles said and Charlie could have sworn that he almost sounded sad behind all the conviction and calmness. “Go back to the camp. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“But…”
“Will you ever listen to me? Go!” And without another word, Charlie left him standing in the darkness.
-----
A/N: The next chapter is almost finished... You want more? Or should I just hit delete and forget about the whole thing? I'll be a really happy camper if you left me a comment. Thank you!