The next time Michael opened his eyes there was a weight on his chest. He looked down, trying to move as little as possible to see whether or not Sara was still asleep. She was. Michael leaned his head back down on the mattress. This wasn't the most commutable position but Sara was still sleeping and he didn't want to wake her.
Michael's arm was still around Sara's waist, and Sara's hand was on his chest, while her head lay right by his heart. His feet were resting on the floor while one of hers was scooted behind her and another on the floor.
Michael was wondering how long they had been asleep. He noticed it was already dark but he couldn't check his watch. He moved his head and looked down at her while she was asleep. She looked so peaceful, he couldn't remember the last time he ever saw her so calm. It must have been when he kissed her. That genuine smile of hers appeared in his head and he smiled to himself, remembering that day. Wishing he could do it again. And wondering if she would ever let him get that close to her again. Sure she trusted him with her life, but with her heart, was a whole other story.
Sara opened her eyes slowly, getting used to the lighting in the room. She licked her lips slowly, moving her head to try to figure out where she is and who's there with her. She moved away from the warm body slightly and saw that it was Michael, it was Michael and he was watching her.
"Hi." He whispered, not wanting to disturb the silence of the room.
"Hi." She mimicked. She felt him remove his arm from her waist and it left her feeling a little cold. She sat up and rubbed her face as Michael remained in his position and checked his watch. "What time is it?"
"9:24." Michael answered as he moved to sit up as well. He leaned his hands behind him leaning on them as he stretched his legs out. "How'd you sleep?"
Sara nodded slowly and ran a hand through her hair. She couldn't even imagine what she looked like right now. "Pretty good." She saw Michael smile, in that Michael way. "You?" She countered.
"Me too." He answered. Michael rose to his feet and brought his hands up to his shoulders as he bit his lip.
"You ok?" Sara asked him from her position on the bed.
"Yeah." He said. "My shoulders just…."
"Feel tense?" She asked and stood up walking up behind him.
"Hmm." Michael answered and he realized what Sara was about to do and he turned around quickly. "It's ok, you don't have to."
"Ok." Sara said and she looked down, a little embarrassed at what she just did. It seemed so natural to want to massage his discomfort away. But she realized it wasn't that easy, and she couldn't believe she had forgotten that part.
"Um, listen." Michael said looking toward the door and back down at Sara and she looked up at him. "I'm starving." He said with a chuckle and Sara smiled slightly. "I can't even remember the last time I ate, so how about we go get some food."
Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, food would defiantly be good."
"Ok." Michael said with relief in his voice. He opened the door for her and she walked through. Michael closed the door behind him and followed Sara down the hallway toward the kitchen. He saw most of the lights were off, just the kitchen one on, to provide some light to the place. "Let's not wake them all up." Michael whispered behind her.
Sara felt a shiver go up her back when she heard Michael whisper those words. His breath on her ear made her bite her lip and she nodded slowly. She knew her face was probably matching her hair right about now. "I hope the kitchen actually has some food."
"Let's check it out." Michael said walking around her and opening the fridge. "Jackpot." Michael said with a smirk and turned back to Sara.
"What'd you find?" She asked peeking through his arm.
"Lasagna." He said taking it out of the fridge, walking around Sara toward the stove. He opened it up, turned it on, and closed it turning back to Sara with a smirk on his face. "LJ said Jane is an awesome cook."
"Good, because I am…"
"Starving." They both said together. They both smiled at one another and Sara was the first to look away.
"I told you once that all the questions you had about me, they had answers." He saw Sara's head perk up and she was watching him. He's wanted to tell her everything for so long, and now he finally could. He could give her all the answers, no more lies. "I can give you those answers now."
He saw Sara shrug and shake her head. "I don't…..I don't even know where to start."
Michael nodded and leaned against one of the counters and Sara leaned against another one across from him. Michael looked down from her and started. "Well you already know that I'm not diabetic. I used Pugnac. Abruzzi is the one who took my toes. The elbow I caught during basketball was because I banged my head against the bars. I started the riot and I knew all the blueprints so that's how I was able to get to you. I only married Nika so that she could get a green card in exchange for her coming into prison to give a key card. I never touched her, inside or out of prison." He paused and looked up at Sara and saw that she was watching him with her mouth slightly open and eyes wide.
He wanted to stop and explain everything in detail but he knew he would do that later. She wouldn't let him not, but he had to get this out now. "I got the burn on my back because I was leaning against a heat pipe so a CO wouldn't discover me on my way back from psyche ward. I didn't really break down in solitary, I pretended so that you would send me to psyche so that Haywire could fill in the blank on the tattoo for me. Once that was done I needed you to get out of there." A small smile passed his face. "I made that ashtray so that maybe I could get you to smile, and it worked. And then you know about the key."
"Why don't you refresh my memory." He heard Sara say quietly.
"Sara…."
"You said you had answers for me." Sara said before he had a chance to talk his way out of it. "Own up to it Michael."
" I need the key." Michael said and he brought his hands together and rubbed his thumb into his palm. Sara noticed this, remembering she'd seen him do this twice before. Once when she suggested a diabetes test, and once more when she asked a CO to let Michael see Lincoln the day of the execution.
"I, I needed to distract you." Michael looked down and Sara closed her eyes, she had always suspected this but hearing him say it was a while other thing. "But when I kissed it….." He was shaking his head trying to find the right words. "I was the one who got distracted, and when I asked you to wait for me. That was real." He took two steps toward her and took her hands in his and she looked up at him. "I wanted to ask you for the key but you just, you looked happy and I just, I wished that maybe you and I could have something in the future. It was like the whole plan flew out the window and al I cared about was being there with you. Kissing you."
Sara was speechless. She couldn't think of anything to say and all she could do was lower her eyes away from Michael's. Eyes that just always seemed to confuse her. She didn't know how she was supposed to react but in that moment all she wanted was to feel the way she did when he kissed her.
Sara slowly raised her head up to look at Michael. His eyes were searching hers with uncertainty. Without giving it another thought Sara dropped his hands and looked down once more. She looked back up at him and brought her hand up to his cheek. Michael had a confused look on his face but when Sara's hand traveled to his neck and put pressure to bring him down toward her.
Sara bit her lip and then reached up to kiss him softly on his lips. It wasn't like the kiss back in the infirmary. That one was rushed and uncertain. This one was sure and steady. Slowly Sara brushed her lips against his, and that's when she felt Michael kiss her back. His hand went around her waist while the other one held the counter. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue over her bottom lip and she opened her lips to let him through. She added another hand to his cheek and ran her delicate fingers through his stubbly cheeks.
"Ding." They heard the oven sound and they both pulled away. They arms still around each other. Sara smiled and closed her eyes again, licking her lips, savoring the taste of him on her. Michael looked down at her and leaned his forehead against hers, kissing her quickly on her lips again. She smiled up at him and let her hands drop slowly and he followed suit.
Sara looked toward the over and then back at Michael. "Sorry, but I'm starving."
They both smiled at one another and Michael shook his head slowly. The tension between them was now gone. "Ok, let's eat."
"Let's eat."