A/N: I am aware that this concept and a few aspects of this fic may be similar to others, so I'd like to inform you all that any coincidence in the plot is merely just a coincidence. I wish to steal nothing from fellow non-owners of the Matrix Trilogy.
Specifically, I know the name "Raven" has probably been used for Trinity's Matrix name before, and I find it too perfect to argue with, so I'm sorry if that's unoriginal. Please enjoy.
Right and Wrong
Chapter 1
He paid the driver and stepped out of the taxi, walking up to his apartment building with full intentions of entering. He stopped half way, his eyes catching a glimpse of glowing green. Once his eyes focused, there was no glow to be seen, just a busy street with the regular crowd bustling through, all grays and whatnot.
Must have imagined it.
He was about to turn towards the building again when he was attacked from behind. It took all of his strength to twist away from this strangers strong grip, but just as soon as he'd escaped, there were two more men on either side of him. His eyes were wide and frantic as he was helpless to prevent these men in suits and sunglasses from shoving him into a car—
Thomas Anderson woke up with a slight start, headphones still covering his ears, heavy metal still pounding into his eardrums. He felt slim yet firm hands on his shoulders from behind and knew exactly who it was, having given only one person on the planet extra keys to his apartment. It took him a moment to realize that he'd fallen asleep at his desk again, but was relieved once he realized he'd just woken up from a dream. Grogily lifting his head up, he saw the calandar hanging on the wall behind the computer adn remembered that this was only day two of his week off work.
Those same hands lifted the headphones from his ears, gently placing them on the desk and turning off the stereo. For a minute, his hearing was a bit weak, her voice muffled when she spoke.
"And this is how you spend your nights off work? With your computer instead of with me?"
He turned around to see his girlfriend, Raven, thinking that she was being a hypocrite. Her pale blue eyes were the first things to catch his attention, then the slick ebony hair she pulls back to keep out of her eyes, then her pale white skin that never sees the light of day. She was the picture of beauty to him, but not just because of her looks.
He put his hands in the air, successfully suppressing a yawn. "You caught me red handed. Yes, I'm cheating on you—" he then swiveled around so that his back was to her. "But you're cheating too. I've seen him in your house. In your room."
She grabbed the back of his chair and abruptly turned him around.
"On your desk!" Thomas continued teasingly.
She kissing him, partly to shut him up, and partly just because she'd wanted to in the first place. He instantly became fully awake, the touch of her lips sending waves of fire through his body. She was the only person he knew that could make him simply feel. He oftentimes felt numb to the world. Even hacking wasn't enough to make life bearable. She almost made him feel powerful, like nothing was impossible; like he could do anything, just with her by his side. In turn, he made her feel like a woman, much more than just an anti-social computer expert also lost to the world. If they hadn't met in college, neither knew what would have become of them.
Many didn't understand their unique connection or the purity of their love based on stereotypes about "computer geeks" and even hackers, which is why they simply chose not to hang around too many people.
"I brought you lunch." She said after pulling away from him, coaxing him out of his desk chair. He got to his feet and watched her for a moment as she strode to the kitchen, the ever efficient computer engineer in no mood to waste time, as always. Her figure was something he would never grow tired of, he mused, eyeing her long legs which were, to his surprise, uncovered. She usually wore pants or long skirts, not too proud of showing off in public—not thinking she had anything to show off, she'd admitted to him before. He'd told her, and showed her, many times before how ridiculous he thought her opinion on the matter was.
She turned before entering the kitchen, knowing that he wasn't following her. She saw the appreciative look on his face and glanced down at herself, having almost forgotten that she was wearing a miniskirt. She looked up and smirked at him. "Like what you see?"
"Always." He replied, only now walking towards her.
She looked him over as he came closer, noting that he'd been wearing the same outfit two days ago when she came over last. She shook her head, loving how much they had in common.
"Chinese again?" Thomas joked, sitting on the counter and picking up a box of mixed vegetables.
"What? It's your favorite." She replied, sitting next to him.
He smiled and handed her a box of something and a pair of chop sticks. They ate in a content silence for a moment.
"So, how's your search?" Raven asked.
He knew exactly what she meant. "I'm not getting anywhere with finding Morpheus. You?"
"Thought I had a lead yesterday, turned out to be a dead end. Had some fun with the bank though."
"Small stuff for 'The Trinity.'" Thomas teased, nudging her with his elbow.
"Hey, you know why I stopped doing things that big. Too dangerous. And I'm glad I got to do it at least once." She paused, eating, then nudged him. "You try cracking something as important as the IRS D-base."
"No thank you." He replied, half laughing as an answer.
They were quiet again, though the silence was content. Something they both enjoyed about being in each others company was that they could simply be sitting together and be fine, be more then fine, actually. They were two halfs of a whole and relied on each other for peace. It was a good life if they focused on that, but the world was too wrong to ignore such things.
"Rae?" Thomas said, using the nick name only he used. She reached over and stole a chop stick full of vegetables from his box and was still chewing. She met his eyes, silently telling him to continue.
"You know…" he began. "Since we're usually together, and we could both probably use a new place…" he trailed off, becoming nervous for no real reason. He glanced at Rae, who was looking at him seriously now. She knew exactly what he meant. Both of their apartments were basically too small, and they more often than not stayed at each other's apartments overnight, so what he was proposing was both somehow resourceful and romantic at the same time.
"Are you asking me to move in with you?" She asked, hiding her actual excitement from him, wanting to torture him a little, loving how adorable he looked when he was flustered. They'd been together nearly six years and he still got like this.
"Yeah, yeah, I am. Well, once we find a new place, that is—"
He stopped talking when she slid down to the floor form the counter. To his surprise, she stood in front of him in between his legs and pulled his face down to hers, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. When she reluctantly pulled away after some time, she was looking up at him with love in her eyes. "I would love to."
His smile was wide and infectious, making her smile back.
"I'm surprised you didn't just ask me to marry you." She said as she began to step back. Thomas managed to suppress a surprised look, stopping her from going anywhere by extending one of his legs as a road block. She got the message and glanced back at him.
"You've said, many a time, and I quote, that 'marriage is pointless.'" He said, his voice a bit more stern then he initially intended.
Raven tilted her head slightly in question. "I believe you've misquoted me there. I've said many a time that 'weddings are pointless' and that people underestimate marriage in general with the amount of divorces there are these days."
Thomas was silent for a moment, sliding off the counter, then leaning on it, staring into space as Raven stepped closer to him. He looked at her, deep thoughts plaguing him, faded dreams coming back in full color in his mind.
After a moment of wordless staring, he suddenly decided to act aloof, as if he hadn't just been questioning his lover about marriage. He pushed himself from the counter and sauntered out of the kitchen into the small living room space, slumping on the low couch.
Just as he wanted, Raven followed him in, still standing when she spoke.
"And?" She said, looking at him expectantly; inquiringly, wondering what on earth was going through his mind.
He shrugged. "Nothing, nothing. I know you wouldn't be interested."
"In?"
"Marrying me." He said simply.
Her eyes narrowed at him, her heart beat growing faster as the idea made its way to her very core. "Oh really? What makes you think that?"
He could see right through her, and a part of him melted seeing how his words were affecting her. He couldn't keep up the act like that, it was driving him mad just being this far away from her. He got up and swept her into his arms, kissing her fervently. She was quick to react, and relayed the same passion he was; a testament of how equal they felt, how free they were together.
He tore his lips away from hers and they were both short of breath. Once he regained some semblance of thought, the words came easily. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes, only you." She said without hesitation, the second half of her answer under her breath, but loud enough for Thomas to hear. She was surprised to find herself still standing, though she was clinging to Thomas with a fairly strong grip. He kissed her again, lowering them onto the couch.
When they eventually broke apart, Raven was lying on her back and Thomas was hovering over her. Raven pressed her lips to his neck and bent her knees, coaxing him to relax onto her. He moaned audibly, his mind only momentarily letting go of what had just happened. He had asked her to marry him and she'd said yes. There was so much to think, so much to say.
"You really mean it." He heard himself say, more of a statement then a question. "You really want to marry me."
Raven looked up at him, a cooled kind of lust in her eyes. She reached a hand to the side of his face and repeated what she'd said to him earlier. "Only you." And the kissing commenced, among other things.
That night, Thomas found himself lying awake in bed, Raven sound asleep beside him. He gazed at her for a long time, running his hands through her short hair, then on her face, remembering everything about her. He wasn't really one to cherish memories, but memories of her were different. Everything else felt so fake. Dreams felt more real than real life, but Raven made him forget every discomfort he'd ever felt.
As he drifted off to sleep, half dreams plagued him, green lines replacing images in his mind, reality fading away with unconsciousness.
End of Chapter 1. Stay tuned. (Cryptic endings rock!)
