FicWad

Delilah staggered back a few paces. All the Academy agents emerged from their hiding places. Delilah was about to speak, but they weren't done shouting yet.

"Happy birthday, Delilah!"

Al stepped forward, grinning like a daft duck, with a large ice-cream cake in his hands. Delilah smiled. "So this was where everybody was all day."

"Yep, planning this stellar party, man!" Al turned to the agents. "Everybody, like, inside, man! I got munchies set up!"

All the spies stampeded indoors. Julius was about to follow when he noticed that Delilah had hung back. She was leaning on the balcony rail, gazing up at the crescent moon, with a face that would bring rain on a warm summer day (i.e. sad). Julius walked over to her.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Delilah sighed. "I don't know, Julius. I want to be happy because it's my birthday, but at the same time I just ..."

She hung her head so Julius couldn't read her expression. But he did notice two teardrops fall onto the rail. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her head to their eyes met.

"Come on, De," he said softly. "You can tell me ..."

Delilah let out a soft sob and threw herself into Julius' arms. "I just miss my parents! They've been gone so long ... I don't want to believe it, but everyone else thinks ... everyone seems so sure ... I just feel so alone."

Julius hugged her tighter. "Hey, hey," he whispered. "You know that's not true. You've got a family who cares about you right here. Al, Scarlett, Nosey ..."

"You?" Delilah asked quietly, looking up.

Julius' eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "Especially me. I've taken bullets for you. Would I have done that if I didn't really care about you?"

Delilah pulled away from the hug, but her eyes never left Julius'. They got lost in each other's eyes. It was a place neither of them wanted to leave.