Nine's POV
It's almost two in the morning, but I can't sleep. I can't shake away the paranoia after the fight with Setrakus Ra.
I look over to the chandelier hanging above me, then the view of Chicago, and finally to Six's sleeping figure right across me. I can't rip my gaze away from her. She's lying down on her side, with her back to me. A thin blanket drapes over her. I trace the curves in her silhouette with my eyes and I watch the rise and fall of her chest.
Six stirs. I feel bad for staring, but as much as I try, I can't look away. She flips over and I expect her to be mad at me for watching her. Right now, I don't really care. To my surprise, she is still asleep. Her face is now angled towards me and I take it all in. Even in her sleep she looks pissed, I think. This brings a small smile to my face. I linger a little too long, looking at her lips, and wonder what they would feel like on mine.
I've been around, and trust me, I've seen my share of hot girls. But there's something different about Six. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's because she's Loric - I'm not sure. She's caught me watching more than enough times before. I just wink and she dismisses it as harmless flirting. One time, she even sent a sarcastic flying kiss and I played along, making a gesture of catching it. Though she won't admit it, I'm still pretty sure there was at least some part of a real kiss there. I mean, come on, who can resist me?
All jokes aside, I really do like her. Not in a "let's hook up" way, but maybe a kind of John and Sarah way. I remember how he talked about her on the way to save Six. I know I don't come off as the romantic type, but hey, I want to have a girl to be proud of, to make this whole fight worthwhile. I'm almost certain that girl is Six.
I'm pulled out of my daydream by the sounds of muttering. I look over my shoulder to see where it's coming from, my senses on high alert for Mogadorians. I realize it's coming from Six. Her brows are now furrowed and her hands are balled into fists. I walk over, as quietly as I can.
I make my way to her and sit on the edge of the couch. I can make out most of what she's muttering. She's having a nightmare. I put a hand on her arm and she bolts up, grabbing my wrist, ready to flip me over. I don't doubt she can. I've trained with her before, and I have to admit, even I'm a little impressed with our little warrior princess over here.
Her posture and facial expressions say she's ready for a fight. Then I look into her eyes, now a colour in between grey and blue, I see the fear from whatever event she had to relive in that dream.
"It's just me." I say to calm her down. "Nine."
She lets go and knits her brow, wondering what I'm doing so close to her. Our noses are just an inch away and the fingertips on my other hand are barely brushing hers. She doesn't back away and I can smell her sugary skin and green apple shampoo.
"What are you doing?" She finally asks and bites her lip.
Why did she have to do that? Why did she bite her stupid lip when I'm so near? I feel her breath on my neck and my mind's a little mushy. "You were having a nightmare." I say after moment too long. "Mumbling things like Katarina and Mogs, something about a mountain."
She blinks in surprise and her long eyelashes flutter. I'm trying my best not to close the small space in between us, but she isn't making it easy. And Six says I'm the annoying one.
"Katarina was my Cêpan. We were captured by Mogs. I escaped, but they killed her." She says. I don't know why she's telling me this, and I don't think she does either. Though it makes me feel good that she trusts me with something like that. I know firsthand it's not easy to drop that bomb on people.
I still can't think straight from being this close to Six and my mouth moves by itself. "I got caught too. They killed my Cêpan, Sandor. If it wasn't for John, I would still be stuck in a cage. I never would have met the other Garde, or you." Our hands move a little closer. I'm not sure if it was me or her, maybe even both of us.
The look on Six's face tells me she's at a loss for words. She mutters something that sounds like "sorry" before looking down and at our hands. She curls her fingers and pulls away. She scoots up the couch, moving farther from me.
"I don't need some big tough guy to protect me from a little nightmare, Nine." She crosses her arms over her chest. "You can go back to sleep now. I can take care of myself." There's the Six I know.
"I do believe you just called me big and tough." I say with a smirk and flex my muscles. She smiles. Oh God, that smile.
"I mean it Nine." She says, swatting me on the chest with the back of her hand. "I don't need you protecting me."
She's so stubborn. Why can't she just suck up that ego of hers and accept my help.
Earlier I offered her to sleep in my room, which coming from me, is a big ass hint. Instead she opted to stay on the couch. Being the great guy that I am, I didn't want her to stay alone. So do you know what I do? I sleep on the couch across from her. Which again, coming from me, another big ass hint. Do I have to spell it out for her? I make coffee for both of us every morning for Lorien's sake!
In training and planning our strategies to defeating the Mogs, we always butt heads. Frankly, I'm not sure if it's because we're so different or because we're so alike.
"We're a team now, Six." I tell her. I'm determined to get through her tough façade. "You're not on the run by yourself anymore. It's okay to need someone every once in a while." I move closer to her. It's not as close as I'd like, but I'll take it
"No. I don't." Six says with a hint of anger.
I shake my head and get to my feet. "Damn it, Six." I throw my arms up in the air in exasperation. "I don't even know anymore, okay. Why won't you let anyone in? Why do you always act like it's you against the world?"
What she does next surprises me. Six runs up to me and I expect her to slap me or something. Instead, she wraps her arms around my torso and buries her face into my chest. I'm still confused about what just happened and heat rises to my face. Unsure of what to do with them, my arms just hover at my sides, until I decide to put them around Six.
She whispers to me, "Maybe I do need someone, sometimes."
"It took you long enough, sweetheart." I whisper back. I can feel her smile. I lift her up so that we're face to face. She wraps her legs around my waist so that she doesn't fall. I carry her over, back to the couch and Six sits with me.
Her blonde hair brushes my face as she leans into my ear. "If you tell any living soul about this, I will personally kick your ass, Nine."
"I'd like to see you try." I taunt. "Now will you tell me what happened in that nightmare?"
"You have to work for it." She says, her face so close to mine.
At this point I'm not sure what she means by work for it. Do I have to fight her? Do I have to do something for her? Hey, maybe if I'm lucky, she wants me to kiss her, and that's why she's so near. I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Make sure I can trust you." She says. "You want me to open up, you have to open up first."
"Deal," I say. I tell her about my days spent here in Chicago with Sandor. I almost tell her about Maddy, but stop myself, remembering something my Cêpan had told me about not bringing up ex-girlfriends on a first date. Technically I'm not on a date with Six and I'm not sure if Maddy was ever my real girlfriend, yet it still feels wrong to bring up.
Finally it's Six's turn. She tells me about her nightmare, how she was forced to watch her Cêpan killed before her eyes, how she was trapped in the Mog cave - the same one I was in. I can relate. I wonder what it would have been like if we had cells beside each other.
Somehow we find ourselves lying down and I can't remember how we got into this position. Her head is tilt upwards, watching me, studying my face. Our bodies press up against each other and our legs intertwined. I have one hand on her hip, while she has both hands on my chest. This feels oddly right, like this is how I'd like to spend all my nights.
For a moment, everything's quiet and I realize it's been like this for a while. I've never seen this side of Six. I've never seen her vulnerable. Her features soften and the constant scowl fades away. I thought she couldn't get any prettier, but I have been proved wrong.
"It's nice when you're human, Nine," She whispers. "Or at least act like it."
I open my mouth in a response, but someone beats me to it. Whatever little space we had is now gone and I feel Six's tender kiss. It takes a moment for my mind to register what's happening. Without even thinking I pull her hips into mine. My hand slowly makes its way up her back before getting lost in her hair. Forget what I said earlier, this is how I want to spend all my nights.
When we pull away, she tries to hide the smile creeping up on her. I feel dizzy and I don't know if it's from not breathing or kissing Six.
We talk some more and I don't notice how much time has passed. After so long, my eyes feel heavy and I begin to yawn. Slowly, then all at once, I drift off to sleep.