ORP: Live Like You're Dying

1735 Hours
Azalea's Apartment
Arlington, VA

Azalea hear the knock in between the songs, glancing over at the door. Nudging Ember with the toe to move, the brunette pulled the ear buds from the ears, setting the device on the windowsill, then rose up heading for the door. She knew it wasn't Lucas. Lucas had basically made this place his second home. Even though she barely saw him now other than at missions. Eventually she would figure out why. The higher ranking Lieutenant was more like a brother than anything else. They picked on each other, messed with each other, but at the end of the day were still there for each other and always had each mother's back. On and off the mission field. Yeah no definitely wasn't Lucas.

Reachin the door, Azalea gazed through the peek hole, seeing the flowers and stepped back smiling. The heart skipped a few extra beats and flipped seeing the man she always wanted to be near. Opening the door, the Lieutenant smiled, grabbing Logan's hand and pulling him inside. "You really didn't need to get me flowers Logan." She grinned giving his hand a squeeze, before moving to wrap her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. The young woman let out a small sigh, happy to finally be back in his arms - the place where she belonged in and waited leaving. They had only been together a short awhile, but each time they were together, the brunette found herself liking him more and more. So much more, it made the times apart harder. "How is it that I missed you when I just saw you a few hours ago?" asked gazing up at him, chin resting on his chest. With another smile, the brunette stepped up on the tips of her toes, placing a soft kiss against his lips. Now this is exactly what she had been waiting for since the debriefing.

After a few moments, Azalea stepped back, taking the flowers from his hand and headed for the kitchen. "Did you rest at all before coming over here? You definitely showered. You smell a lot cleaner." She glanced over the shoulder, giving him a wink, before opening a cabinet door and pulled out a vase to put the flowers in. Filling the vase with some water, the brunette placed the flowers in, then walked back to the living room, setting the flowers beside Dobby's cage. Ember bounded over to Logan, jumping up at him barking and wagging her tail, tongue hanging out of the mouth. "Ember! Get down! Don't jump on Logan!" She sighed shaking the head, giving the a hand signal for the dog to go down, walking back over to Logan. "Sorry about that. I think being trapped inside basically all the time is starting to get to her." Grabbing his hand, she leaned against his side, closing the eyes, just relaxing in the moment of finally being alone with him and back at his side. All the thoughts and stresses about the mission seemed to fade away now that she was with him. Who knew someone was able to do that just by simply having their presence there.

Tag:Logan Blackwood

1736 Hours
Azalea's Apartment
Arlington, VA

Azalea watched as Ember backed away, eying Logan but then moved back even further, walking over the bed. This was one of the many reasons she never wanted a pet other than a hermit crab. Dogs and cats you had to really feed, walk and make sure they weren't always cooped up. As great as it was having Ember around, the brunette couldn't help but feel like was keeping the canine caged up. It was frustrating. Maybe if there was a free moment on the weekend, she could take the mutt to a park to run around. Get out all that crazy energy that was obviously inside.

Glancing back up at Logan, the Lieutenant couldn't help but blush and smile at his comments. "I'm glad you chose to be in my company Mr. Blackwood. I'm quite honored." She smiled against his lips, pulling him closer if that was even possible. "Is it bad that I'm tempted to say don't behave in front of the team, just to see exactly what you would do?" The mocha eyes danced with a teasing gleam. Oh that would definitely give something for everyone to talk about - if they weren't already. "Pretty sure that Shannon has picked up on something between us. She is very intuitive to those kind of things. Surprised I have yet to receive a text for her saying we need to meet to discuss." Girl talk was never really one of Andre's strong points. Even with Billie it was still hard. Hearing and poking it out of others yes, but when it came to personal matters of her own? Yeah forget it. There was probably still bruises from Pinky smacking her to tell share things back in the Academy. oh those were crazy nights.

Following Logan to the couch, Azalea willing went into his embrace, kissing him back before curling up in his arms. It wasn't till he mentioned the mission the forensic specialist froze for a moment. This was the first time since returning from the mission she had been able to shut down the thoughts, and push them aside. Now he was asking her to bring it all up once more. This was one of the negative sides of dating a shrink. Couldn't really hide anything. His whole career was based around trying to read into feelings and all of that crap. Well this sucked.

Letting out a small sigh, the brunette purposely kept the gaze on anything to make sure he wasn't able to see her face. There was no sense trying to say that she was fine, when clearly he called her out. A few moments of silence passed as Azalea tried to gather the thoughts and explain why the mission had affected her so hard. "When I was in the academy, there was a mission to a planet where the team contracted a virus that literally killed many of us, me included. For twenty-seven minutes, I was dead. I died and, somehow, was brought back to life. Don't ask me how because no one knows, but I've faced death before. I was literally at its door step and invited in for a little bit, and....it was the scariest twenty seven minutes ever." The young woman stopped for a moment, closing the eyes as flashes of that time burst through the mind. "Many say that when you die, you see a white light, heaven, or your reborn. For me? It was like being trapped inside your mind, the worse scenarios playing out, and there is no escaping it. I know that sounds weird, but that's what it was like for me. After that mission, that was basically when I really did the U-turn in my personality. I swore I would make the most of every moment. I was given a second chance. At our mission earlier? I was once again on death's door step, and I wasn't ready to cross over. There was still so much I want to do. Not only that, it was like death was teasing me. Almost as if it was saying, I'm still in control. I can still say when you come back or stay, and right now, you have no clue which way it will go. It messed with me. I wasn't ready to face it again. I know each mission we go on, there is that uncertainty, but at least with being shot, you have a chance. When your oxygen support is going? It's slow, and you don't know when or how or...."

Azalea stopped, closing the eyes once again not wanting to think about it anymore, not really sure what else to say. It was also a realization that that was the scariest way of dying in this female's mind - lack of oxygen, suffocating, anything that involved a slow process. The brunette wrapped his arms around her tighter, almost as if needing to know he was really there and nothing was going to happen. The mission was over with. They all had survived and she was going to be okay. Just needed a day or so to push pass this. She would eventually be fine, but something was saying that she would have to talk about this with Logan. Well crap. Talking about feelings wasn't Azalea's thing. That's what Destiny did. This Lieutenant just pushed them aside because eventually if you didn't think about them, they would go away or fade away. Of all the guys, Logan had to be a shrink, and she liked him way too much to even think about ending it now. Again, crap.

Tag:Logan Blackwood

1738 Hours
Azalea's Apartment
Arlington, VA

That experience during the Academy had changed Azalea - both for the better and the worse. For the better because it was the final shove needed to change this stubborn woman around. There had been a second chance given. Like Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, where he is at a crossroads with the finale ghost - needing to either change or face the rest of his life alone. The worse because of facing death in ways other than her own. It would always be one of those times that the Lieutenant would never be able to forget - not simply because of being in the home of death, but because of death snatching away those most closest and dear to her. So many cadets had been lost that day - one of them a young man she counted a brother, and almost a lover - Issac Thompson. There was still an emptiness in the heart where the man use to occupy. If there had been anyone, other than Destiny, who knew almost everything about this female, it was him. Even to this day, she still missed him and always wished for just one more moment around him - the quietness and gentleness she needed.


Hearing Logan's words, Azalea smiled slightly, burying her face into his strong chest, breathing his scent, learning to become familiar with it. Thinking about Issac, it made the female thinkof how similar the two were. There was that gentleness he held that was a lot like Issac's. The soft way he spoke, and how at ease she was around him, it was matched that of Issac's - almost as if she could see Issac being like Logan if he had ever made it to that age. Tears welled up a bit in the eyes, imagining as if this was Issac's way of still watching out for her even though he wasn't here anymore. Even in death, Issac was still protecting her arse.

The Lieutenant pushed the tears aside, feeling the familiar lips of Logan's pressed against her own. Smiling, Azalea's eyes fluttered to a close, responding back, resting a hand against his cheek, taking in his comfort and strength. When a few moments had passed, the brunette pulled back, running her hand across his smooth cheek. "Going to take some getting use to seeing you clean shaven" She gave a small wink before settling back down in his arms. The young woman had always been one for a little bit of scruff. A little bit of a shadow seemed to really bring out the facial features of a man. Not every woman thought so, but this one did.

Running her fingers up and down his arm, Azalea allowed herself to relax in the comfortable silence. Being still, being calm, being quiet wasn't something this female was ever comfortable with. When you were still, your mind tend to think, and when you think you usually had face those thoughts you were trying to forget about. It was in the quiet moments you either relived worse fears, lost dreams, or hopeless wishes. They were some of the times you had to come face to face with who you really were. That is what usually ran through this brunette's mind in those still moments. The times where the past tried to rear its ugly head and make everything seem worse than it really was. It was in those times, lies tried to worm its way in and settle down in the depths of the brain - finding the weakest channel and taking root. This time it was different. This time, she was relaxed, and the only thoughts that were most present were of Logan - the man she was falling for more and more each minute they spent together.

A shock ran through the mind as Azalea came to terms with that realization. She was falling for him. Being in love before, the brunette knew what it was like - the signs that came with it. It was too soon. There was still so much to learn about the older man, and yet, she was still able to say she was falling. The connection they had, the way he was able to get through to her more than anyone else, including Destiny, there was no denying it. Even with Sean, she had never been this comfortable in the silence. Maybe it was because with Logan, she could feel what he was thinking without even saying anything - if that made any lick of sense. This had to be still in the infatuation stage. There was no way she could be falling this soon, but here she was, silently admitting that to herself. Man if Logan heard her now, yeah that wouldn't be so good. Azalea snuggled closer to him, still remaining quiet while the mind seemed to be in complete and utter chaos, once again.

Tag: Logan Blackwood

1741 Hours
Azalea's Apartment
Arlington, VA

Being so lost in thoughts, Azalea jumped feeling Logan's hand on her cheek. The face willingly turned towards the man that held her heart - whether he really knew it or not. The skin he had traced tingled from his touch. Her heart sped more to life as their lips connected, passion mixed with a slight hint of need. She smiled against his lips, opening the mouth wider for him as her own tongue sneaked its way in and pressed against his own. Every last thought vanished as the world started to fade away round them. Turning slight, the brunette snaked her arms around his neck, pressing her body closer to his. All the stresses, worries, and fears of the prior mission left the mind, leaving a complete void - unable to think or comprehend anything at this moment.

When he pulled back, Azalea felt herself almost gasping for breath, licking around the edges of her lips, taking in every bit of his lingering taste. It took a moment for the question to settle into the mind. She was still recovering from that kiss. As his words finally hit the deep regions of the mind, the female froze for a moment. Was he really asking that? Well of course he was really asking that. He wouldn't have said it otherwise. Waves of fear and anxiety started crashing against the brain. It was too soon. They didn't know each other enough. They were still in the early stages of this relationship. That act would almost cement what they had. His finger trailing down her chest, hooking around the pant loops wasn't helping either. It fact it was down right distracting. Damn he was good. Really good. Too good. The mind was screaming, yelling, no. Don't give in. Hold back. The heart was saying jump. Do it and don't look back. Give in or you will regret it other wise.

Slowly looking up, the mocha eyes connected with Logan's, staring deeply into them for a few moments. She wasn't sure what exactly she was looking for, but there was a reassurance - reassurance this was more than simply having fun in the bedroom. Taking a small breath, Azalea leaned up, pressing her lips against him, softly but passionately, then slowly pulled back. Removing herself from his embrace, the brunette grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together before getting up and backing away slowly down the hall, eyes never wavering from his.

When reaching her room, Azalea get go of his hand slowly, moving backwards towards the bed, leaning back on it, biting the bottom lip anxiously. The heart was racing, beating like a loud bass drum. She swore he would be able to hear it through the silence. She pushed all thoughts aside, no longer letting the mind dominate this time. For too long it had in the past. This time, this time the heart was going to lead. As scary as what could happen next might be, Azalea didn't care. She wanted this. She wanted him - all of him. She wanted to be with him completely - as one.  Who cared if it was too soon, or too fast. She wanted to give him herself. She wanted this. It was now or never.

Tag: Logan Blackwood