Charlie would like to say that she isn't sure how they got here. If she were to recount the steps it took them to get back to Graceland, she would know that it took them exactly 3,450 steps. She couldn't make up some excuse like they had too much vodka and their cover demanded them to act as a couple. That cover they used to help Paige out was long gone, and yet, both FBI agents hoped to don the outfits of the cocky, sleek couple once again. Yet, here they were.
She knew how this happened. It wasn't anything that led to awkward pauses or aggressive shoves against the wall, it happened naturally, as if they were suspended in time yet well aware of those around them. They were in a bar that Charlie suggested. A bar that none of her cultivated personalities and characters would be in. This is where, she could marginally be herself- her alias- without having to pretend and remember all the little things about someone else's life. She could be half way normal and she was okay with being half way normal. It was better than losing your identity entirely.
They had a few drinks that much was true, but Charlie did not set out to seduce Mike. Mike was listening intently to a story she was telling him, something that didn't happen often to Charlie unless she threatened someone with castration. She figured out that she wasn't that much older than Mike; he just had the look of innocence about him and was still too green.
"You've got to be kidding me." Mike chuckled, leaning against the bar counter and closer towards Charlie. That's what she remembers him saying when her story is finished and she's looking unapologetic about the prank she pulled on this girl Marissa in the seventh grade.
"Fact." Charlie told him, giving him a pointed look, and laughing, "I could be mean when I was in middle school." She said with a shrug.
"Isn't that ever middle-schooler ever, though?" Mike reasoned with a tipsy laugh.
He was so close now that Charlie caught a whiff of his cologne. It seemed fresh yet manly, nothing too fruity like the stuff Johnny wore or dying with musk like Briggs. Charlie for a moment wondered what his lips tasted like as he bit his the lower flesh of his lip and his blue eyes roamed lazily across Charlie's body.
"You staring?" She caught herself whispering lowly to him with a languid smile in return.
"Mm, maybe." Mike replied languidly, his smirk the sort of drunken confident mess that made Charlie adore him even more.
He was swaying slightly, the sweaty palm of his hand pressed up against the glass bar counter, leaving a print on the already dirty tabletop and steadying him.
"I'm glad Johnny isn't here." Mike confessed to Charlie, leaning in even more to whisper this in her ear before he swayed back towards a man on the next stool. When he hit the young man's shoulder, supposedly, it was his twenty-first birthday; Mike apologized extensively with bold hand gestures and unnecessary patting of the man's shoulder. He even paid for a round of drinks for the person's friends.
"Why?" Charlie asked quietly, eyebrows knitting together. Were Mike and Johnny not speaking to each other?
"Oh, he'd just make me do shots and I'm horrible at them." Mike admitted, "I know, every guy is supposed to say he was in a fraternity and he always did keg stands." He snorted with laughter and shook his head, "I rarely made stereotypical stupid decisions, to my friend's disappointment." He shrugged at this, "I'm glad I didn't."
"I'm glad you didn't either." With that, Charlie leaned in as far as Mike had before, her lips brushing up against his. He tasted as good as he smelled. The whiskey sour Mike had- at the suggestion of the bartender- tasted bitter and sweet on Mike's lips. The amber liquid was practically absorbed in the cracks of Mike's lips that Charlie tentatively and carefully ran her tongue against the flesh, the tip of her tongue tasting to remnants of the soaked in liquid. She murmured appreciatively which caused Mike's body to stiffen as a reminder of where they were, who they were and what they were doing.
Embarrassed and scared that she had freaked out Mike forever, Charlie pulled away, her hands now scrambling for her purse, "Uh, we should…."
"Go back to Graceland." Mike finished. "Upstairs." He said boldly with a shy smile, his face tinged a light pink, from either the alcohol or the embarrassment she caused him.
She knew how many steps it took them and she hoped that no one was still up. It was two thirty in the morning when they walked through the back door that led to the kitchen.
"We'll have to be quiet, Mikey." She reminded him.
Mike didn't know what particular quiet she was referring to, whether meant in general or during what he thought was about to happen. He only nodded in response, the alcohol still flowing through his body but he had mostly sobered up thanks to the pretzels and water from the bar.
They walked up the stairs as stealthily as they could. They passed Briggs' room first. He usually was a heavy sleeper and they heard no shoes thrown at the door in case they had woken him up. Jakes's room was next; they heard the click of a light and assumed he was going to bed. They passed Lauren's room and noticed that click and whirl of a small fan that circulated cool air through her room. It was common knowledge that her room was the hottest, whether that was because of her liking it that way or just the structure of the house, they didn't know and particularly care about it at this moment. Johnny's room was the last room before Mike and Charlie's rooms. They heard furious typing and hushed talking. They assumed he was playing an online game before he went to bed.
"Perk of going upstairs with me, it isn't against the rules." Charlie whispered against Mike's ear, her trained tongue rounding against the shell of his ear, "And I know how much breaking the rules bothers you, Mike." She whispered.
Mike stiffened and felt his body surge with warmth.
Still, they tried to be as quiet as they could. They walked into Charlie's room and Mike felt an overwhelming emotion of fear and trepidation rush over him, as well as the warmth of alcohol and desire. He swallowed thickly and tried to regain his normal breathing as Charlie took off her high shoes which she regretted wearing. He didn't know whether to let her talk first or not.
She broke the silence.
"It's okay, Mike." She paused, "Really." She gave him a reassuring smile before she took off her jewelry and placed it on her nightstand. She turned around so that her sequined dress she loved to hate with the zipper faced Mike.
"Take it off." She whispered, sounding more confident than she felt.
She could see in the mirror Mike's nervousness and she held out a hand that he took and held for a moment.
"Where's my cocky, confident fake boyfriend?" She whispered with a grin that made Mike smile genuinely.
"J-just let me wrap my head around this." Mike stated, his hands now sliding to her waist, feeling the sequins prickle against his hands.
Charlie tried not to shiver; his hands were only on her dress and not any other part of her. She couldn't help but let her mind wander for a bit. Where else would he touch her? Would he be this nervous? Would he feel guilty afterwards?
She heard the zipper and her dark eyes flickered to the mirror as she watched Mike, face intent on the dress, as he pulled the metal down and the muggy yet cool air of California made Charlie shiver. She shimmied out of her dress, letting it pool to the floor.
Mike cleared his throat and Charlie stood where she was, not facing Mike but catching his reflection in the mirror, hoping she'd see a candid expression and not a controlled emotion.
"Y-you look…." Mike tried to search for words, "Beyond stunning." He settled on, his blue eyes trailing over Charlie's body, which used to be contained mercilessly by that dress and was now mostly free in her casual under wear, her bra a stark black.
"You're a little overdressed." Charlie stated, now turning around to face Mike, "You always are." She whispered, her eyes now trailing over Mike's clothed body.
"D-do you, or should?" Mike mumbled, his hands fidgeting with his clothes and gesturing towards Charlie.
She laughed lightly, "You can do it ki- Mike. I like to see you sweat." She smirked and tried not to think about his morning runs.
The young agent mercilessly removed his clothing, a swell of confidence now rushing through him, as he took off his jacket, button down shirt and tight jeans. He was left in his usual gray boxer briefs.
Charlie whistled lowly, "All those girls in high school that never let you take them to prom, they don't know what they're missing…" She told him honestly, looking over his body with a hunger that stirred in her lower abdomen.
Mike blushed, "Yeah, well, not a lot of girls back then liked nerds who never worked out." He shrugged. He was glad he didn't look like a complete dork though.
Charlie let her hands rest on his hipbones, the urge for her fingers to trail down his length already overtaking her.
"I normally wouldn't ask this but…." Charlie started.
"Year and a half." Mike admitted, "I studied a lot at Quantico, as you know, and they had strict rules." He paused, "And I set strict rules for myself. I didn't want to lose focus."
Charlie didn't seem disappointed by this, in fact she seemed proud and oddly turned on by his dedication. "Well," She murmured, "I hope you get to let yourself go and not focus on the books right now."
"Trust me, "Mike smiled, "I wouldn't dream of it."
Charlie turned around with a confident smile, letting her backside sway a bit as she walked over to her door and looked it. For a moment, her face dropped as she remembered something and Charlie cursed in Italian.
"Looking for this?" Mike held up a string of condoms and he realized what it looked like. He immediately blushed again, "I, no, I wasn't planning. It's a joke," He said hurriedly, "I stole some from Johnny, little by little so he thinks he's actually used them but he hasn't been sleeping with anyone."
Charlie grinned at Mike, relieved, "I have never been more proud of you and your pranks against Johnny than I am now." She murmured, her hands now placed against his hipbones.
Mike's skin felt like it was on fire; his abdomen muscles tense and he felt the reminder of desire well up in his body.
Charlie wasn't sure if Mike needed verbal stimulation but from what she noticed it seemed like he needed reassurance and sometimes that fell under verbal stimulation.
"Mike, you're hot." She laughed lightly, "Don't be so afraid of me either, I can take care of myself." She chuckled once more.
"Show me what your big bad squeezey toy can help you do." She whispered in his ear and at this, his hands trailed down Charlie's waist until they reached the swell of flesh and squeezed lightly.
She made a small noise of surprise and contentment, her body instantly arching into his touch. Reassured, his hands rubbed and teased the flesh there before a tentative slap from his hand landed on her soft skin. Charlie bit her lower lip to keep from making a louder noise than necessary.
"I thought about you…"She panted lightly against the crook in Mike's shoulder, "You were too damn happy and loud when you went running but so sweaty also." She whispered, "I wondered what it would be like to be that sweaty with you, to need to take a shower afterwards…."She paused, eyes looking up into his for a moment. She didn't ask him if he ever thought about her.
"Really?" Mike's confident trance was broken and his smile was magnetic, "Always thought you weren't even awake that early to notice me."
"Oh, I noticed you." She whispered, the ministrations of his hands on her flesh now moving north up her torso.
She felt the soft skin of his palms envelope her breasts, his thumbs carefully grazing her nipples which now rose with the coldness of the room and the desire running through her.
"You're such a tease." She whispered, almost reprimanded him for it.
"Can't I be?" Mike challenged with another smile, "I'm anything if patient and…" He whispered this in her ear, "Attentive. Thorough. Efficient."
Charlie laughed softly against his neck, placing a tender kiss against his skin, "Wow, Mike, you really know how to turn a girl on with your words." She teased, letting her hands trail down towards his boxer-brief covered backside, "You should take this off."
"You should help me." He whispered, eyes meeting hers, the nervousness still on his face but carefully trying to be masked.
"I will." Charlie responded, carefully pulling down the piece of fabric until Mike stood flush against her, naked , both questioning whether or not if they could handle this. Not if it were right, they knew it was, they had known since their first proper chat and when Charlie defended Mike against Briggs. They just hoped they wouldn't come undone at the seams in the worst ways.