See, I told you I wasn't abandoning this story! :) Thank you for reading and please review! I have an idea of where I want this to go, but I invite all feedback too. Thanks to Adena McGee and Aikiweezie for welcoming me back after a very long absence. Hard to believe it's been almost a year since I started "The Island." Cheers!
Misa set her fork on her empty plate, resisting the urge to groan. That was way too much food, she thought to herself. She'd decided to dispense with her anxiety over Hikaru's rather cavalier description of their relationship to Kakizaki by stuffing her face. She was successful on one count—putting away a remarkable amount of food. She'd eaten every bite like a lady though, using her fork and knife to cut and spear one bite at a time, even the pain au chocolate. The good thing about stuffing your face is that you don't have to talk, she had realized.
Hikaru too had been quiet while eating, other than to offer Misa helpings of the shared dishes. He had to admit, he was impressed—she'd eaten at least as much as he had, but he possessed a considerable height and weight advantage on her. He wiped his mouth with the black linen napkin that was resting in his lap and took a sip of his now-lukewarm coffee, wishing it were spiked with something a little stronger. Anything but whiskey, he mused to himself. He stole a glance at Misa, who was fishing around in her handbag for something.
"What are you looking for?" He asked plainly.
"My list," she replied. "Here it is." She produced a yellow post-it note from inside a long zippered pocketbook. It bore her tidy cursive script.
"What's on the list?" Hikaru asked.
"The things I wanted to get done today. Since we can't work," she explained. Misa's voice was relaxed enough, betraying almost none of the edge she'd felt when Kakizaki left.
"You make lists for your day off?" He joked lightly.
"You don't?" She teased back, raising an eyebrow for effect.
"I know this will come as a shock to you, but no, I don't," Hikaru deadpanned.
"Maybe I should take a page from your non-existent book." She replied. "Today's already been a pretty unusual day. I might as well just go with it," Misa said evenly.
"Just go with it," Hikaru echoed, a smile unfolding on his face.
"Do you want to get out of here?" she asked. "Since I'm abandoning my list for the day, the only thing left to do is open the bottle of wine in my fridge," Misa continued with an uncharacteristic grin. She glanced outside at the artificial sunlight. "Looks like a nice day, too." Her mind was made up and she felt surprisingly good about her choice.
"Sure, let's go," Hikaru agreed, glad that her mood seemed to have brightened a bit. They rose together from the booth and made their way to the door. Misa fetched her jacket from the rack and draped it neatly across her forearm. He held the door open ahead of her as she exited and it closed behind them with a small jingle. They made their way down the block, passing other eateries and boutiques, with the occasional electronics store or bookshop thrown in the mix.
"I must be a pretty bad brunch date if you're driven to drink at noon on a Tuesday," he lamented in jest, winking at Misa flirtatiously.
"You're welcome to join me and the wine," she offered warmly. "We can continue our informal debrief, since that's all this is," Misa sassed at him with a testy air. Too far? She wondered, immediately questioning her boldness. Nah. She decided to take a page from Minmay's superstar routine and flashed him a megawatt smile.
He raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth as if to speak, but shook his head once and gathered his thoughts for a moment before responding. "Oh, so you wanted me to tell Kakizaki that we've been romantically involved? I'm sure the rest of the squad would love to hear the details too . . . Seeing as he's the biggest gossip in the wing" He protested lightly. "And here I thought you weren't the 'kiss and tell' type," he teased drolly.
Misa stopped in her tracks and held up her hands in surrender. "Touché, Lieutenant. You've got me there," she confessed.
Hikaru turned to look at her. She lowered her arms and glanced up at his handsome face, catching his Catalina-blue eyes, not wanting to look away. His boyish grin faded, his expression turning more contemplative, concentrating. He took a step or two toward her, close enough that she could smell him. She inhaled sharply in response to his nearness. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she could feel her heart beating in her ears. Leaning his head in closer, he held her gaze.
"Don't call me Lieutenant," he whispered.
"Hikaru, then," Misa whispered back, her mossy eyes still locked on his.
The energy between them was becoming increasingly charged. Hikaru cupped the side of her face with his other hand, his thumb brushing her cheek. She stared back at him wordlessly for a moment, eventually closing her eyes to savor the moment. Each of his fingertips was fire, five tiny flames licking her skin deliciously. She shivered reflexively.
When she opened her eyes again, his lips curled up in a small smile. Hikaru bent down and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead, and somehow it was more intimate than a French kiss. The sheer tenderness of it all threatened to shatter Misa on the spot. She was accustomed to being strong and cold, after being so closed off and emotionally withdrawn following Riber's death, but this same defense mechanism had also made her fragile, brittle, one step away from crumbling into thousands of tiny shards. Her breath hitched, and she threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tight.
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, she pleaded with herself. After a few moments, she gently released him, before she let her emotions chase her senses away. Hikaru put his arm around her shoulder and they resumed their walk, stopping here or there to glance in a few windows of interest, but neither of them really wanted to linger downtown.
Eventually, Misa hailed an civilian taxi to squire them back to her quarters, thinking it more discreet than flagging down a passing military vehicle. Hikaru paid the fare and they made their way inside the housing complex that housed most all of the UN Spacy officers and squad leaders. Hikaru had recently moved there himself as a new team leader, though he wasn't in the same building as Misa.
She led him to the armed front door of her building, pressing her index finger to a metal panel on the heavy steel door, which unlocked after her fingerprint and heat signature were authenticated. From there, they made their way down a corridor, up an elevator, and across another corridor, until they were at her doorstep.
"Here we are," she murmured.
"My door is exactly the same," he remarked placidly. "But I bet your place is nicer," he pondered aloud.
She unlocked the door, again with her fingerprint, and suddenly, they were inside her apartment, standing in the entryway, which led into the kitchen. The door closed behind them with a resonant metal clack. She felt a little nervous and vulnerable, having Hikaru of all people in her modest home, her private residence. Thank god I'm a neat freak, she thought to herself.
Misa turned to him and gestured toward the kitchen and living room. "Do you want the grand tour?" She joked lightly, starting to walk to the kitchen to fetch the wine that they'd discussed over brunch.
"No," Hikaru replied softly, pulling her by the hand. He drew her close to him, and she almost stumbled into his chest. The air was electric. He wrapped an arm around her waist and bent his head down to hers until their noses nearly touched. Misa brought a hand up to his face, caressing his cheek and jaw softly, afraid he would flinch at her touch, but he smiled a little, lapis eyes agleam. She was mesmerized, feeling like she was living a hazy daydream. She trailed her hand up slowly, daring to touch more. Curling her fingers in his unruly espresso hair, she heard him groan softly in response.
The space between them was vanquished. Hikaru's lips were on hers, and Misa brought her free hand to his chest, feeling the lean muscle beneath his lightweight shirt. She returned his kiss with a soft intensity, letting the feeling envelop her, releasing the morning's anxiety. He was inflamed by her reaction, and he deepened the kiss, occasionally nipping at her lip. Releasing his hair, she trailed her hand down the back of his neck, coming to rest on his shoulder. He pushed a shock of her long hair behind her ear, caressing her neck and grazing her collarbones with his fingertips. He inhaled the sweet fragrance of her skin, and hair, which smelled clean and bright and perfect.
Hikaru came up for air first, kissing her neck and jaw, and she tilted her head sideways, inviting him to linger. But he lifted his head to look at her once more, hoping to catch her shining eyes. She locked her gaze on him, breathless and exhilarated.
"I'm glad you ditched the list," he remarked idly, kissing her softly, briefly, once more.
"Who says this wasn't on it?" she asked with a shy smile.