Elias dragged himself back to the motel after an intense training session with Melina. He managed to turn that little flame in his hand into something much bigger and harder to control.

He had been focusing so hard that his head started to hurt. When he set an entire dumpster on fire, his nose decided to start bleeding. That meant that they were done for the day.

"You did good,

" Melina told him as she walked by his side.

"The whole nose thing happened to me too when I started using magic a lot in a short period of time. It's hard on your body.

"

Elias wiped his nose, still seeing a small trace of blood. He tried to clean it all up so that Alyssa wouldn't worry about him.

He felt a little better now, but he was definitely tired. Magic took a lot out of him, while Melina had way more stamina.

"How do you not tire yourself out?

" he asked her.

"I'm just used to it. You only just started to really use your magic,

" she pointed out to him.

"Just keep using it and letting your body get used to it.

"

Elias sighed and nodded, figuring that she was right. He would have to be patient. At least he was getting stronger, even if it was taking a toll on his body. He looked over at Melina.

"Does it look like my nose was bleeding?

" he asked her.

"You might as well tell her. Next time you fight, it'll probably bleed again. She'll see it,

" Melina replied with a soft look.

"She can handle it.

"

"I know. I just don't want her to worry,

" Elias told her. Things were already stressful enough. He didn't want Alyssa to think that using magic was really hurting him, even if it seemed that way.

"She'll always worry about you. She's your girl. Even if Tyler doesn't show it, he's constantly worried about me too,

" Melina said as they walked side-by-side back to the motel.

"He doesn't seem worried about anything,

" Elias smirked. Then again, it was his job.

Tyler had to keep his fear in check to protect Melina. If he let his fear get into his head too much, he was going to fail at protecting the person that he loved the most.

"He's even a little nervous about tonight,

" Melina admitted.

"He's a teddy bear.

"

"That can crush anyone that dares to lay a hand on you,

" Elias replied, giving her a pointed look. He couldn't picture Tyler like she could, but she did know him better.

"Best of both worlds,

" Melina said with a proud look on her face. She stopped in front of their neighboring motel rooms.

"So, we can meet at the restaurant around five.

"

"Sounds good with me,

" Elias told her with a nod. He said goodbye to her and walked into the motel room that he and Alyssa were sharing.

Alyssa looked away from the television to smile at Elias from the bed.

"Hey, how was it?

" she asked him as she hopped off the bed to approach him. It only took her a few seconds to notice a trace of blood right under his nose.

Panic broke across her face as she stepped closer to him.

"You're bleeding! What happened?

"

"Nothing. I just pushed hard while practicing. Melina said it's normal,

" Elias told her, trying to get her to calm down.

He knew that it looked concerning, but at the end of the day, it was just a bloody nose. He had experienced worse injuries, and she had seen worse injuries too. He could survive this.

"Are you sure? You can't overdo it,

" Alyssa sighed as she dropped her hands from his face.

"It's perfectly fine. I have to train hard,

" Elias reminded her. He had to save his energy, but he also had to push himself so that he could get stronger.

It was a delicate line that he had to walk. If he tilted too far one way, he would regret it in some way.

Now wasn't the time to do actions that he would later regret. He had to be mindful of everything because he knew that Alaric could turn any mishap into a weakness.

"Please be careful,

" Alyssa told him.

"I will. Breathe,

" Elias chuckled. It was cute when she fawned over him, but he wasn't in any danger when it came to training. It made him more resilient against actual danger.

"We have to get ready for dinner soon.

"

"Are you ready?

" Alyssa asked him, lifting an eyebrow at him.

"After I shower,

" Elias said, pecking her on the cheek before heading to the bathroom to clean himself up. For a moment, his life felt somewhat normal.

He was getting ready for a date and ignoring everything else going on in his life. It was a brief moment of peace that he rolled with. He didn't know when he would feel like this again.

After showering and getting dressed, Elias met Alyssa at the door of their motel room, admiring her black skirt and fitted white shirt combo.

"You look beautiful,

" he told her. Honestly, she looked beautiful in anything. She looked great in nothing at all too.

He mentally shook his head at himself, telling himself not to think like that now, or they wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. Even with everything going on, his desire for her hadn't faded in the slightest.

"Thanks. I didn't really pack any date clothes,

" Alyssa said with a sheepish look as she glanced down at herself.

"Well, expect a date every night when this is all over with,

" Elias told her as he put his hands on her hips, pulling her close.

Everything that had happened made him want to cherish the time that he spent with her more. He didn't know when it would be taken away.

"You don't think that's overkill?

" Alyssa smirked as she looped her arms around his neck.

"For you? Never,

" Elias said as he rested his forehead against hers.. He wouldn't mind spending the night here with her, familiarizing himself with her pleased sounds and perfect body, but he knew that Melina and Tyler were waiting for them at the restaurant.