"You're pacing," Aurora smiled. She crossed her long legs as she leaned back, her arms balancing her along the edge of the bed.

She watched Alfred pace, nervously keeping eye contact with the cheap carpet.

"Alfred," she purred, smiling when he stopped, studying her. She loved the way he looked at her, no matter what they were doing. She wished that she could see herself through his eyes, even if only for an instant.

"I'm sorry. I'm just-"

"'Nervous." Her tone was amused and gave him the sense of her dangling a toy in front of him. In many ways she was, even if she hadn't realized.

He had spent his entire life being different. Unusual. Odd. Girls didn't like different. Even when he walked into Camp X, Krystina didn't even look at him other than a quick glance. Her expression tasted like sour milk.

"What are you thinking about?" Aurora tilted her head. She always cocked her head slightly, a subtle gesture of her waiting for him to go on.

"Krystina," he whispered without thinking about it.

"Oh." The word shot out of her mouth like a gunshot. "I should get changed," she whispered and he not only heard the hurt in her voice, he felt it down deep. She disappeared into the bathroom without closing the door.

"I didn't mean..." he stopped suddenly, taking in the full vision of her. Although still fully clothed, Aurora was un-pinning her blonde hair, letting each long, wavy curl fall down to her shoulders where it gave a soft bounce before landing perfectly in place.

"What is it?" She asked, concerned.

"Your hair. It looks beautiful..." he stammered, shaking his head softly. He hadn't had many crushes in his life but he suddenly understood. There was something about Aurora that turned him into a blubbering fool. The way her hazel eyes flickered softly when she watched him. The way her hair always fell into place perfectly. The way she tilted her head as she listened. She had such large doe eyes and yet he was the one who always felt like a deer in the headlights.

"It's a mess," she laughed softly, her cheeks growing pink. "But thank you, Alfred." He knew what she was doing. She'd caught on to the fact that he's never said her name. He knew she wanted to hear her name on his lips but he wasn't ready. If he uttered those perfect syllables, he may never say anything other than her name.

"I don't like Krystina."

"Umm, okay." She nodded politely. Unsure how to respond, Alfred turned and walked out of the bathroom. Aurora bit her lower lip, her body trembling as she tried to stifle the laughter.

When she returned to the bedroom area, Alfred was placing a thin blanket on the floor.

"What are you doing?" She asked, smiling in amusement.

"I thought I would give you the bed," he whispered, unable to look at her.

"You do understand the mission?" She asked. "It's got to go without a hitch."

"I understand."

"Which requires us pretending to be married," she said softly.

"Yes." He still didn't look at her, which she found adorable for reasons she couldn't seem to understand.

"Married men sleep with their wives," she whispered, her tone soft and sensual. When he stood staring down at the blanket, she stood, grabbing his hand. "Come to bed, Alfred," she whispered.

They both felt the sparks between them on such a simple touch. Still, neither spoke of it. They never did, no matter how many times they felt it between them.

"It's supposed to be cold tonight," Alfred whispered, putting the blanket that was on the floor over Aurora.

She adjusted it so it fell on both of them and inched closer. "Is this alright?" She asked when her tiny body was pressed against his, her shoulders landing at the bottom of his arm. He didn't even need to wrap his arm around her, it happened so naturally. They were like two pieces of a puzzle that connected together perfectly.

"It'll be fine," he whispered, trying to hide the anticipation in his voice.