Once Upon A Night’s Sky

Christian could not believe she was here. The beautiful, out spoken, compellingly confident blonde who had stolen his last night was here, and she hated him.

It may have been less intoxicating and glamorous then the first, but did this girl know how to make an entrance. Christian almost didn’t recognise her as she rushed into the room, her long legs striding before her as she hastily made her way to the back, her eyes never once leaving the floor.

She was so far from the confident girl Christian had met the night before that for a moment the shock of seeing her again hit him with so much unexpected force that it almost didn’t register in Christian’s mind just what her entrance meant.

She was boarding his shuttle. The girl he would never have to see again was going to become part of his crew. She wasn’t leaving, every night, every day this girl was going to be there.

Christian let the palm of his hand sooth the tense muscles within the back of his neck. His one night stand had just become a whole lot more complicated. Their pack of no strings attached had just been torn to pieces before his eyes as he looked on unable to make a single impact, as If Christian’s life wasn’t already complicated enough.

It may have been this frustration which had caused him to call out to the officer. Then again it may have not.

Christian only loved women for one thing. Call him a sexist pig, he really didn’t care. In his life the only roles women had every played to his standard were when he was taking them to his bed. In his eyes women were never built for the rough survival of this war. They were too easily dominated. He had yet to find a woman who had stood up to him and had come out better off. Don’t get him wrong he had never raised a hand to a woman, but their emotions, they were easily manipulated.

Growing up on the streets girls were a rare sight to see. Some roughed it out but only ever for a few months. In time they all succumbed to orphanages. They always choose the easiest option. Until someone proved him otherwise Christian would continue to believe that any female as part of his team would weaken his chance of survival.

Out of every feeble female he had met his mother had been the weakest.

The moment the clock had stroked twelve and Christian had turned sixteen he had made a promise to never trust women. They always had and always would look out for no one but themselves. This is why he never fooled anyone into believing in him. No one should ever trust Christian unless he made sure to tell them otherwise. Why be humane in an inhumane world.

Christian didn’t care if the rest of the recruits or any officer for that matter thought he was a dick. He wasn’t here to make friends far from it.

He had been told many times his outlook on life was bleak, he didn’t care. Life was a cruel bitch and sometimes Christian was curler.

Christian knew the officer had been expecting a rise out of him with the directed comment but Christian knew when to pick his battles. This one just hadn’t been worth his time. Christian had practically fought for his life on the streets. Who did this man think he was if he thought one single comment was going to make Christian snap? Christian may have had a mouth on him of which he used to great extent but he very rarely resorted to using his fists. If Christian raised a hand to you, you knew you were in for trouble.

To the rest of the recruits Christian may have been arrogantly sleeping but he was in fact paying as close attention to their introductions as much as any other. He didn’t need to watch them awkwardly introduce themselves to get a basic instinct of how they interacted.

Christian had never trusted first impressions anyway. Blondie had all but proved that point. To Christian it had been like listening to two different women. He much preferred the relaxed and slightly drunken blonde. Her broken welsh had been much more enjoyable to his ears.

Christian was really starting to believe that this girl had been completely intoxicated last night that or he had dreamt the entire experience, until she bolted from her seat striding on her long legs, her blonde hair swaying with the force of her movement as she turned towards him. The fire that had been missing beneath her eyes was burning at full force now, lighting the vivid green hidden within the haze of soft blues. This girl was a wild one.

A satisfied smile spread Christian’s lips as recognition flooded her features before dropping to her seat in silence once more. Maybe this situation could work out to his advantage. If anyone on this shuttle was going to give him hell based on first impressions it was going to be her. Yet now he had her right where he liked. She clearly regretted last night and Christian was quite willing to use this to its full potential. Blondie wouldn’t be causing him any more problems.

Footsteps woke Christian from his thoughts as he slowly opened his eyes to take in the figure of a fellow male recruit before him. Raising his left hand in a quick greeting the recruit came to a steady stop at the top of the elongated room.

“Charlie” the recruit smiled easily. It was clear to Christian he had done this many times before. “I’m going to give you a quick tour around the space station and the training area before getting you back to your cabins. I’m pretty sure you all want some rest after that trip” he smirked. Christian liked this guy. He knew what he wanted and most of all what they wanted. “Any questions before we leave?” the recruit asked his eyes scanning the length of the room slowly.

“Erm excuse me but what about our things?” trust a girl to ask that question Christian thought as he lazily turned to face the red head sitting inquiringly forward in her seat. He supposed that the prime minister’s daughter was used to being waited on hand and foot. Christian was suddenly intrigued to see how this girl would cope in such contrasting conditions.
Christian hadn’t even brought a bag with him, why would he? He owned nothing. The only items which had belonged to him since he was sixteen were the clothes off his back. Sure he had out grown them every six months in the early years but he had never owned any more than two outfits for the last five years of his life. Christian didn’t get easily attached. Belongings had only ever slowed him down.

“I’ve had them shipped down to your cabins already. So lucky for you guys you won’t have to lug them around the space station.” Charlie smiled as if he had just performed a small miracle. Christian smirked maybe for the red head he had. “so if that’s it, were get going?” slowly looking around the room to an answering silence Charlie smile once more before exiting the room.

There was a small moment of silence as each of them looked on slightly unsure before a light rustle of movement filled the craft as one by one the recruits began to leave their seats. Christian stayed seated. He wasn’t going to be the first to leave this ship. In fact if he could he would be the last to leave. Christian had never really liked the idea of someone being behind him. It always gave him the urge to look over his shoulder, a trait he had been unable to drop from his years of living on the streets.

To Christian’s surprise it was James who stood first. The boy looked confident in himself enough, but to Christian he looked far from a soldier. Compared to the other male recruits within their shuttle there was nothing off James. Even Blondie looked as if she may have more muscles. Though through training Christian was sure this would be soon to change.

Not one to sit by ideally Christian was sure, Liam was next to stand. He could tell this boy was used to being in charge and Christian wondered just how well this boy would cope having to answer to whoever was appointed their captain. Christian himself knew just how difficult that task was going to be.

Next to stand was red. Christian decided this name suited her just fine. He had never trusted a woman in red and he sure as hell didn’t trust Dawn. He could see the clogs turning behind her eyes. This girl left nothing unanalysed, quick off the mark red made Christian uneasy. Plus he hated her father with good reasons what would make his spoiled child any better.

Slowly following, the girl who had first spoken timidly to Christian while waiting to board their shuttle stood to her feet. Strangely Christian could find no fought with the girl. She seemed harmlessly enough, but wasn’t it always the quiet was you had to look out for?

Waiting a moment to place his woollen hat back upon his mop of blonde hair the recruit Christian was sure had introduced himself as Robert stood from his seat. Christian was unsure of the boy. He seemed harmless on the surface but underneath? Christian knew that this could be a whole different matter. Robert was hiding something Christian just wasn’t quite sure what. It had something to do with his past that much Christian could guess. It wasn’t really rocket science, every recruit had something back on earth they didn’t wish to shared, most were their pasts. Christian himself was no exception.

Not wanting to be left alone with only him in the room Christian was sure Blondie was lastly to hastily stand from her seat and exit the room as quickly as her toned legs could carry her. Christian smirked as he too stood from his seat. The girl had hardly lifted her glance from the floor, let alone met his eye. He most certainly had the upper hand when it came to this girl.

Walking from the docked shuttle Christian exited into a long corridor. Following the lead of the other recruits he headed towards the elevators situated at the very end. Charlie stood patiently in one of the two lifts as he chatted adamantly with Liam who stood beside him. Christian shook his head. He really couldn’t be dealing with the boy’s constant questions that Christian had no doubt that he was bound to ask. Instead Christian steered to the right taking the second, less crowed elevator.

Though he wasn’t alone Christian felt much more at ease with only James and Ava as company although it was painful obvious they did not share the feeling. Though to be honest the silent tension had never really bothered Christian too much. If only to prove this point he once more let his eyes lull close with the movement of the elevator as he leant back against the furthest wall.

Feeling rather than hearing the lift come to a stop Christian let his eyes stay closed until he had heard both James’ and Ava’s footsteps leave. With a small satisfied smile he slowly let his eyes open only for it fall suddenly short as he took in the sight of Ava still stood before him. Her small palm was pressed against the persistently closing door as she continued to watch him intently.

“You don’t fool me,” she announced in bewildering confidence as her free hand brushed her chocolate fringe from before her piercing blue eyes. Christian laughed, not quite knowing what else to do.

“And what exactly haven’t I fooled you on sweetheart?”

“I know you think making a good first impression is the safest and easiest option to take which is why you aren’t, but it’s not”

Christian stood up from his relaxed position. What had happened to the shy girl he had teased so easily earlier today.

“No?” he questioned

“No it’s not. Making a bad first impression is.” With those simple branded words she left leaving Christian starring after her in bewilderment.

Maybe Ava wasn’t as harmless as he had first thought.