"I get why Thatcher wants you, Hibana and Pulse to go to London to grab supplies, but why Tachanka? No offense."
Skylar walked out of the bathroom after washing her face to see Ash getting ready to go for a run. She knew she had a point, why did Thatcher want Alex to go with them, it wasn't like they couldn't get the supplies with three people, or was it the fact they were going to London and Thatcher wanted the 'buddy system' since the supplies needed to be divided between two cars? Both were plausible reasons.
"None taken." She chuckled. "I think it's the buddy system because we're splitting the supplies between two cars and one of us would've been driving back alone. I'm not complaining that he got called for this little errand, I could be stuck in a car with Thermite."
"Of course you wouldn't be complaining, you are the one dating him." Ash opened a drawer in her nightstand, grabbing her headphones. "Speaking of Jordan, he told me about what you said to him when he apologized."
She turned to sit back on her bed, plugging her headphones into her phone. Skylar laughed as she tossed her purse onto her bed, then sat down. She was making sure she had everything with her before they headed out. Wallet, check. Phone, check. Keys, check. Other random things, check.
"Hey I wouldn't be upset if Thatcher chose you instead. Oh god, I was joking. Do you really think Alex would be okay with having a threesome with Jordan? Wait a minute what did Jordan say?"
"He's Russian Skylar." Ash shook her head and rolled her eyes. "He told me you said he could join you guys someday, I think he's taking it to heart."
"Oh Alexsandr is Russian? I never noticed." She laughed as Ash threw one of her pillows at her, hitting her in the chest. "I did say that, but it was after I told him about the date Alex and I are going on this Friday. He said that we wouldn't get to our destination, I then joked that I heard jealousy in his voice and he could join us someday."
Skylar threw Ash's pillow back at her, then got up to grab her shoes. It was only 5:30 in the morning and they were supposed to be on the road by six to hopefully get to London by 9:30-10 o'clock. Depending on traffic.
"Oh, he'll forget about it in a few days." She stood up, sliding her phone into her jacket pocket. "I"m gonna get this run done with, I'll see you later tonight."
"He better or I'm gonna be in a pretty big pickle. And okay, see you tonight."
Ash headed for the door, as soon as she opened it Alex was standing on the other side with his fist in the air like he was just about to knock. She stepped aside, letting him go in, then left the room.
"Hey, I'm almost ready."
"Take your time, we don't leave for another thirty minutes." He sat down next to her, playing with her hair as she tied her shoes. "So why is my kotyonok going to be in a pickle?"
She nearly choked on air as soon as she heard him say that. Recomposing herself she turned to him, quirking a brow. "Are you eavesdropping on your girlfriend Tachanka? No, I'm kidding it was about Jordan. When he came to apologize yesterday he joked that we wouldn't make it to our destination for our date. I then joked that I heard a little jealousy in his voice and said he could join us someday."
"Ah, and does the kotyonok want Jordan to join us?"
"No, I don't. If there was a person I wanted to join us, it would be Glaz." Her eyes widened and she became flustered after she admitted that. "I just meant…..I'm gonna stop talking."
Alex stared at her in shock and disbelief, and the more he did, the redder her face got from embarrassment. He never would have guest she liked Glaz, she never made it seem like she did, then again she wasn't the type to outright say who she likes. Romantically or not.
"Glaz, hmm? I'm sure he wouldn't mind joining us for a little fun." He smirked and gently nudged her arm, making her laugh. "I didn't even know you liked him."
"He's sweet and pretty hot, but I clearly like you more. And please don't tell him." She sighed and scrubbed a hand down her face.
He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and kissed her head. "I never said you did. And your secret is safe with me, just tell me when you want Glaz to join us, I don't mind."
"You don't?"
"Why would I? I've seen the way he looks at you, kotyonok. It's up to you in the end."
Skylar shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Uh what do you mean by that?"
"I'll tell you in the car." He let his arm drop, then stood up.
She glanced over to the clock, then groaned. It was ten minutes to six and they needed to meet Hibana and Pulse before getting on the road. She stood up, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. Walking to the door, she stopped with her hand on the door knob and turned to Alex who was right behind her. She smiled up at him, tugging his shirt until he was mere inches from her face and kissed him.
"Before we get on the road. It's going to be a long day with little to no contact."
Alex scoffed and grimaced. "Don't remind me, I'm already hating it."
"Awe, you'll survive."
She heard him scoff, then chuckle as she opened the door and headed out. Stopping a few feet away from the door, so he could come out, close the door so she could lock it.
"I know I'll survive, I just don't like it."
Skylar threw her keys back into her purse and rolled her eyes. As they walked down the hallway side by side Alex kept brushing his hand against her, like he was going to hold it, only to pull it away a second later. After a few more attempts on his part, she sighed through her nose then intertwined their hands together.
She looked up at him to see a proud smile across his face, like it was his plan all along. She turned away and smirked. "Grown ass man doesn't know how to hold his girlfriend's hand."
He narrowed his eyes down at her, sighing through his nose. She met his gaze, quirking a brow as to taunt him. He looked away, lips pursed like he was thinking of a good comeback, but none came, he just kept quiet. It made Skylar smile.
They made it to the front of building, Pulse and Hibana were already waiting for them. She let go of his hand the closer they got so she could hug Hibana. Hibana always smelled of white flowers, berries and crystalline musk, whatever perfume she had Skylar was a fan of.
"You always smell so good Hibana." Skylar chuckled and pulled away. "You guys ready for a long day?"
"Beats being out on a mission Sky."
Skylar nodded in agreement, Pulse was right, it did beat having to be out on a mission. No terrorists to kill or a hostage to save, just a long drive down to London to pick up supplies before everyone headed off home for the holiday's. Well mostly everyone.
"Thank you! It's Keiko Mecheri Hanae, a japanese perfume."
"I'm definitely going to have to buy some."
"Until you do, I'll let you borrow mine if you want?"
"I don't normally wear perfume but I do have a date tomorrow night." She glanced over to Alex who was scrolling on his phone, no doubt wanting to get on the road sooner rather than later. "And it'll be nice to switch things up. I also think we should get going before someone has an aneurysm."
"Yeah. We'll meet you guys at the warehouse."
"Okay."
She watched Pulse and Hibana leave the building before turning to Alex and grabbing his phone from his hand, forcing him to look at her. "Look I get you're angry that Six chose you for some measly errand, but can you please act a little happy?"
His face soften under her glare, and he sighed. "Yes I am a little angry that Six chose me to run some measly errand. Me, one of the older members to Rainbow and I get stuck on errand duty. The only reason I didn't make a fuss is because my kotyonok is coming along too." He took a few steps, placing both hands on her hips. "I promise I won't be angry about it anymore."
"Thank you!" She handed him his phone back, giving him a small smile. "I'm just happy it wasn't Thatcher who chose you to go or I probably would've been stopping a fight."
Alex grabbed her hand, gently squeezing it. "No, you wouldn't have. I would've told him how I felt, but I wouldn't have punched him."
"That would've been something I would pay to see." She intertwined their hands together and walked outside, pulling him along. "I think we should take your car, it has more room in it than mine."
"We can take yours, it's not a problem."
He started to head over to where her car was parked, Skylar planted her feet on the cold cement, hoping it'll stop him from moving. "No, no it's fine. We can take yours."
Alex stopped, turning to her with an amused brow. "Why doesn't the kotyonok want me to see her car?"
She groaned in defeat, letting go of his hand to shrug her shoulders. "I haven't clean it in a while and I don't want to go to the warehouse with a bunch of trash in the backseat. And I don't want you to see how much of a slob I can be."
She averted her eyes to the ground, cheeks tinting red by how embarrassed she felt. She looked up when she heard him laugh, blushing even more when she saw the gleeful smile on his face.
"Do you think I care about that stuff? I don't, you should've seen me at your age." He grimaced as he thought back on his younger adult years, making her giggle. "But we can take my car if it makes you feel better."
"It does." She smiled up at him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his car.
She let go of his hand as they neared his car, patiently waiting by the passenger side door for him to unlock it. As soon as she heard the clicking of the lock she opened the door to get in and away from the cold weather outside. Closing the door beside her she placed her purse by her feet, not really caring if it got dusty or dirty.
"I don't know why I pictured you driving a truck and not a SUV type of car." She chuckled as she click her seat-belt on, then grabbed her phone from her purse. Glancing at the time, they were already 30 minutes behind schedule. Good thing Pulse and Hibana were already on the road.
"I used to drive a truck, had to upgrade once I got here. It's not easy getting four big Russian's into a three seater truck."
Skylar pictured Alex, Glaz, Kapkan and Fuze trying to squeeze into a three seater truck, struggling to all fit in. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought of one of them having to sit on another one's lap, just so there would be enough room.
"Did no one else have a car?"
Alex put on his seat belt and put the keys in the ignition, turning it on. "Fuze did, it was piece of shit though. Always stalling."
"Reminds me of the car I owned in high school." She unlocked her phone, deciding she would reply back to the message she got from her mom. Once she read it, she sighed and decided against it. "You know how I told you I said my parents were okay with me staying here for the holidays?" He nodded. "Well I lied, I haven't told them yet and my mom keeps wondering when I'm coming back stateside. I don't know how to tell them."
"Just tell them the truth, what's the harm in that?" He pulled out of the parking lot and into the street, glancing between her and the road in front of them.
"I know my parents won't get mad as to the why I'm staying, I just don't want to upset my mom. She gets so happy to see me, that this will crush her." She grabbed her phone again, taking a deep breath before calling her mom. "I'll just call her and get it over with."
It didn't take long for her mom to answer the phone. "Skylar, it's about time you called me."
"Sorry mom it's been a hectic week. How's dad?" She snorted when she heard her mom scoff, then the sound of glass clinking together. Knowing her mom she was either putting away dishes or getting some plates out for lunch.
"Your father has been trying and failing on getting that vodka he wants to sell at the brewery. I've woken up in the middle of the night to find him downstairs in the kitchen trying to ferment potatoes. He's fine on the other hand and misses you."
Skylar glanced over at Alex, a small smile tugging on her face. "I miss him too. And I actually found someone to help him with the vodka, he said he wouldn't mind doing it."
"Really? Is he someone you work with?" She heard the sound of the dishwasher door being slammed shut through the phone. "Is that a car I hear? Skylar Elle you better not be talking on the phone while driving."
"Mom do you really think I would drive and talk on the phone? I'm not driving Alex is." She rolled her eyes, feeling a little embarrassed by getting yelled at by her mom in front of Alex.
"Okay, just making sure. Alex? He a friend of yours?"
"Yeah he's a friend of mine, a really close friend." She mumbled the last part of the sentence, hoping her mom was to preoccupied with whatever she was doing now to notice. Then glanced over to him to see him smirking.
"A really close friend, huh? Is he your boyfriend? And is he the one who is willing to help your father?"
She playfully hit Alex's arm when she heard him softly laugh, trying to make him stop - scrubbing a hand down her face and groaning. "Yes mom, he's my boyfriend and no mom we haven't been together that long. And yeah, he is the one willing to help dad with his vodka problem." She let out a content sigh, happy about confessing that but she needed to get to the elephant in the room. "Mom, I'm not coming home for the holiday's and no it has nothing to do with Alex."
"Oh, why not? Everyone was excited to see you."
Skylar closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She opened them once she felt a hand on hers, giving it a gentle squeeze - looking over to see Alex giving her smile of encouragement.
"I just don't want to deal with all the questions from our relatives, they don't understand that the majority of what I do is classified and they have no right to know. How many Christmases have I gone through that doesn't end up in some verbal argument? Not many since I joined the marines. I'll see of I can come home for my birthday though."
It took a few moments before her mom got back to her, making her heart beat rapidly in her chest.
"I know our extended family can be quite….nosy and I understand why you want to stay on base. I'm not trying to change your mind, but the family holiday party isn't at our house this year, it's at your aunts. If you decided to come, you don't have to go to that party and Alex is more than welcome to come too."
"I'll talk it over with him and give you an answer tomorrow. Today is a little too busy and we won't be back at base until later tonight."
"Just tell me in the morning."
"Okay, and I should get going, long day ahead." She chuckled, rubbing her ear from holding it too long while switching sides.
"Alright, I love you."
"I love you too."
She hung up the phone, letting out another content sigh. Placing her phone in her lap she turned to Alex. "That went a lot better than expected and how much did you hear?"
He intertwined their hands together, keeping on the steering wheel. "I told you it would and everything."
"Then what do you want to do? 'Cause I still want to go to Russia and that would be a big pit stop to go to Maine first."
Deep down she was hoping he wasn't ready to meet her parents so they didn't have to go back to Maine, but she also wasn't fully ready for him to meet her family either. There was still a lot to tell her mom before they even got on a plane. The age difference being the main thing and she wasn't sure how they would take it.
"We have nearly three weeks off, kotyonok we have enough time to go to both places. It's up to you though." He gave her a quick glance before keeping his eyes on the road.
"I'll think about." She gave him a small smile. "Now I want to know what you meant by how you've seen the way Glaz looks at me."
Alex snorted and shook his head, but kept his eyes on the road since they were finally getting on the highway. She couldn't help but wonder if Glaz liked her too and didn't make a move because he knew Alex liked her too and didn't want to make thing awkward. Glaz was sweet, and she could see him doing that.
"I noticed him checking you out a few times, I didn't think much of it until he started looking at you like a ripe piece of fruit ready to be eaten."
"Well you beat him to that." She winked at him then chuckled, think back on their little shower fun they had a few days ago. "I do like Glaz and wouldn't mind him joining us someday, it's just…..I've never had a threesome before and I'm not sure if I'm ready for Glaz to see me naked."
"Honestly, I'm not in a hurry to have him join us, I very much like having you to myself. If you ever feel comfortable one day about it then I'll happily oblige."
"Then you do care, which is fine. It's not like I'm gonna run out and fuck Glaz anyways, that would be considered cheating and cheating is bad." She chuckled, changing her position in the seat she was sitting in.
With her free hand she grabbed her phone, unlocking it again to check her social media that she's been neglecting for weeks. Most of it was just checking up on her sisters' and seeing what they've been up too and the few close friends she made with her time in the FBI back in L.A before transferring over to Rainbow.
"Okay, I care a little."
"Why?" She locked her phone again, letting it fall into her lap. When she looked over at him, she saw a certain sadness in the corner of his eyes, a sadness she wasn't even sure exists in the older man. "Whatever it is, I'm not going to get mad as to why it bothers you."
"He's younger, that's all." His grip on the steering wheel got tighter, making his knuckles turn white. Glancing over he saw the concern etched onto her face, his face soften and grip loosening around the steering wheel. "I'm sorry."
Skylar covered his hand with her free one, giving him a small smile. "It's okay. Just...what's wrong? You never seem to have any issue with Glaz before….Oh." As she spoke it finally came to realization on why he was that upset. "Yes Glaz is quite attractive but I don't want him, I want you and that's not going to change Alex."
His eyes widened in surprise, glancing between her and the road numerous times before she had to snap him out of it. "You do?"
She could help the small laugh that escaped her lips, making him turn to her with a curious brow. "Of course I do, you're the first person I've like in over two years. You've already been there for me more times than I can count and we just started dating. And you're helping me let go of all the shit I've been holding in - you're making me a better person. I don't care about your age, never have, all I care about is how you are as a person."
He put the turning signal on indicating he was switching lanes, he did so until he pull along side of the road, then turned on his hazard lights and set the car in park. She watched him with curiosity as he turned to her with that gleeful look in his eyes. He leaned forward, crushing their lips together - pulling away a moment later.
"Ты мой рай, ты моё небо, ты моё солнце. You've made me a better person too, kotyonok. I know I shouldn't think that way about Glaz, and it was wrong of me to get so upset about it too when I didn't know how you really felt about him….me. I'm sorry."
Skylar leaned over, giving him a quick kiss. "You have every right to feel how you feel, sometimes our emotions drive us more than we would like them too. It's also better to get it off your chest now then to deal with this in the future."
"Good point, kotyonok, good point." She shut the hazard lights off, set the car in drive then got back on the highway. "Are you hungry by any chance? We left base pretty early and I don't know if you've eaten anything or not."
"I haven't eaten anything yet, wasn't enough time. I'm a little hungry, but I can wait until we get to London or we can stop at some store to pick up snacks. Either works for me."
"We can stop somewhere if you like, it wouldn't be a problem, kotyonok."
Skylar rolled her eyes and scoffed, making Alex glance at her with a raised brow. She knew what he was doing and as much as she would enjoy going to some restaurant for breakfast with him, it wasn't fair to Pulse and Hibana if they got to the place late.
"There's nothing more I would like than to go out to breakfast with you, and if it was just us I'd say go for it. But we have Pulse and Hibana with us and it wouldn't be nice to show up late to the warehouse." She heard him mumble something in Russian, then narrow his brows. "I was thinking about calling Thatcher later and lying about having a flat tire, telling him that we might have to grab a hotel for the night but you seem fine with just running the errand. So I won't both him."
He whipped his head to her so fast she thought he would've had whiplash. He looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes and a gleeful smile. "Skylar, I didn't think you would lie to your mentor like that. That's very sexy and you should do it, kotyonok."
The next second that past by her phone started to ring, she looked at the caller ID to see who it was, her heart sinking a bit when she read it was Thatcher.
"Hello."
"Change of plans Phoenix, the shipment was supposed to be there at 11. Due to the weather and unforeseen fooking events, it won't be there until 5 tonight."
"Are you serious?" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "It's fine, I'm sure we can figure out something to do to pass the time."
"Okay, and since it's coming in so late I don't expect to see you guys tonight, get a hotel and come back in the morning."
"You sure Thatcher?"
"Yes. It'll take a few hours to get the stuff loaded on with all the paperwork and with the holidays coming up, the roads are going to be busy. I don't need any operators or supplies damaged. Just come in the morning."
"Okay then, we'll see you in the morning."
They both hung up, she would've called Hibana but figured Thatcher had already did that or was about too. Setting her phone back in her lap she turned to Alex who was glancing at her with a curious brow.
"Change of plans. The shipment isn't coming in until 5 tonight and Thatcher said to just grab a hotel and come back in the morning. Luck is on our side tonight."
"Are you serious?"
"Yup, and I can already bet that you have at least a few condoms in your pocket don't you?"
Alex smirked and went into his pants pocket, pulling out three of them. "Yes I do. I come prepared, kotyonok."
"Three? You really came prepared." She joked. "I'm surprised you didn't bring the whole box with you."
"I thought about it but I think three's enough, don't want to tire out my kotyonok."
Skylar scoffed, setting her phone in the cup holder that was closest to her. It wasn't hard to get tired out when you're in bed with Lord Tachanka, his libido was quite high for a guys his age and it didn't help that she was so much smaller than him. But she could still hold her own against him, and last a good four rounds.
"Someone's getting cocky. I can also hold my own against you, thank you very much…..I just have a hard time walking afterwards."
"That you can! Do you want me to ease up, 'cause I can?"
"No, no it's fine." She tapped her fingers methodically on her knees, wondering if she should outright ask him what she wanted too. "So...do you have any family? I understand if you don't want to talk about it, I just want to get to know you better."
"Not really, both parents are dead and I'm an only child. I do have some extended family still alive, but I hardly see them." He gave her a quick glance, a small smile on his face. "They live in another city and work usually gets in the way. Didn't you say you have siblings? Sisters'?"
"Damn, I'm sorry!" She intertwined their hands together again, giving him a small smile in return. "Yes I do. Valary and Chloe, Val's married to a guy named Evan who I've known since I was a toddler." Alex raised an amused brow, making her chuckle. "She's 12 years older than I am, when they started dating she was 14 making me 2. And Chloe is 10 years older than me, she's also engaged to her long time boyfriend."
"That's quite an age gap between siblings."
"Yeah it is. I wasn't supposed to be born so late, there are just somethings that are out of our control. My parents always called me the miracle baby." She saw the confusion etched onto his face, making her shake her head. "My parents were married straight out of high school and by their mid 20's they had my sister's. A few years after Chloe was born they decided they wanted another child, but nothing happened. They went to the doctor to see if anything was wrong, there wasn't, she just wasn't getting pregnant. My mom told me they tried for years to have me and then they just gave up, figured it wasn't meant to be. Until finally it happened. The strange thing is that it took a decade for me to be born, and during that time nothing happened."
"Wow, you really are a miracle baby." His eyes widened briefly as he contemplated her words. "That is strange."
"Tell me about it. It's one of those things you'll never know for sure."
The rest of the drive to London was filled with small talk and listening to music. Alex did the wrong thing by giving the AUX cord to Skylar, so their music ended up being a mix of pretty much every genre of music, minus classical and jazz. They met Pulse and Hibana at some cafe for a mid morning breakfast, which was good because by the time they got their Skylar's stomach was growling up a storm.
Alex parked the car next to theirs, Skylar grabbed her phone and purse, then got out and stretched. Her limbs thanking her as she did. "Did you two have a nice drive?"
"Can't complain. Did you have a nice drive?" Pulse glanced between her and Alex, shooting her a suggestive look. "I'm surprised you guys even got here on time."
Skylar shot Pulse a look and shook her head. "Funny. I'm sure Thatcher called one of you and told you the change in plans?"
"Yeah he called Hibana. So what are you guys going to do to pass the time? We decided to hit the mall and look around." He glanced over to Hibana who was looking through her purse on the hood of Pulse's car.
"The kotyonok and I haven't decided yet." He crossed his arms, then leaned against his car. "It's up to her."
"The mall sounds good to me." She shifted her weight from her heels to the pads of her feet, smiling over at Alex like a little kid. "I do like shopping. Also can we continue our conversation indoors? I'm getting cold."
"Yeah, let's head in."
They all headed into the Kennington Lane Cafe, it was cute and quaint and thankfully not packed. Deciding to sit at a booth, Skylar and Hibana took the seats next to the window while Alex and Pulse too the ones on the isle. Skylar set her purse aside and took off her jacket - Hibana doing the same.
A few seconds later the waiter came over with some menus and go their drink order. Pulse and Alex got coffee's while Skylar and Hibana got tea. It stayed quiet between them while they browsed the menu, deciding what they wanted to eat. It didn't take long for her to figure out what she wanted to eat, so she set the menu aside.
"Sky, you getting the vegetarian?"
"How'd you know?" She joked. "Yes I am. Are you? Or are you getting something a little more meaty?"
"A little more meaty for today." Pulse set his menu down and took off his jacket. That's when she saw he was wearing an FBI shirt, and chuckled.
"You're a vegetarian kotyonok?" Alex also set his menu down, taking off his jacket and turned his attention to her.
"No, pescaterian actually. It's like a vegetarian but I also eat fish and on rare occasion chicken and turkey."
"Oh, good to know."
She pulled his jacket from behind him and put it with hers. Next thing the waiter came back over with their drinks and took their orders. Skylar and Hibana got the vegetarian dish and Pulse and Alex built their own, both ended up with mostly meat on their plates.
"I'm glad you decided to join us, now Pulse won't be alone and bored while we shop."
"We're probably going to bore them. It's a good thing you're going anyways, I need to look for a shirt for our date tomorrow night."
"You didn't bring any formal wear with you, kotyonok?"
"Nope, I have some nice things that could work for tomorrow, but I don't like any of them." Alex shook his head and laughed. Skylar looked over to see Pulse with a curious look on his face, like he wanted to ask something but wasn't so sure if he should. "What is it Jack?"
"Oh, it's nothing." He brushed it off like it was nothing, but she could see right through him.
"Jack it's fine, just ask."
He set his coffee cup down, putting his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay. What does kotyonok mean?"
"Really? That's all you wanted to know? Anyways, it means kitten."
"That's so cute! And sweet!" chirped Hibana with a big smile on her face.
"That is actually cute. So you're like his little kitten?"
"Yeah." said Skylar with a big smile on her face. "I am."
"Well I want to know how you guys came to be? Because truthfully I didn't even know you two liked each other."
Hibana was all giddy, like a little child. It made Skylar laugh at how happy she was to hear about it. She just wished her and Alex's beginning of their relationship was a bit more romantic.
"Well we sorta hooked up at the holiday party, then I avoided him for like two days afterwards." She chuckled, glancing over at him. "It wasn't until he started looking for me, wondering why. After the little shopping trip with Ash and Thermite, I met him in his room and we just confessed everything, that we wanted to be more than just friends with benefits. That's pretty much it, not all that romantic but still good."
"Oh, so that's how it happened. I just knew you slept with him."
"Yeah, thanks to Jordan."
Hibana glanced between Skylar and Pulse, raising a brow. "What about Jordan?"
"When Alex went looking for me he ended up getting to Thermite first, at the exact same time when Ash and I were leaving base. We invited him along since we were going to the same place, that was the first mistake. "She chuckled. "After I talked to Alex for a few minutes, when I got to the car it didn't take long for Thermite to open his mouth. At first I told him it was none of his business, but he was so afraid that I did something to put bad blood between the FBI and Spetsnaz because it's not like Tachanka to go looking for someone. I told him we slept together to get him off my back, then he told the rest of them."
"Jordan really freaked out about that?"
"Yup, it was quite funny. Then he kinda freaked about the whole relationship in general - he's like that annoying big brother I never wanted."
Everyone laughed. What she said was true, Jordan was that annoying almost over protective big brother. Yes she understood where he was coming from, but at the end of the day she is a mature adult and can make her own decisions on who she dates.
"Why was he freaking out about your guys relationship? He looks to be the type to not care who dates who." Hibana took a sip of her tea, gently setting the cup down on the coaster.
"At first it was the age gap between us, then he confessed that he didn't want to see my 'innocence' taken away. I'll tell you that story someday."
Luckily their food arrived, cutting their conversation short. They turned the conversations over to small talk while they ate. It was mostly about what their plans were for the mall...or shopping center. They still had a good 6 hours to kill before they had to get to the warehouse, and Hibana and Skylar weren't trying to bore the living daylights out of Alex and Pulse by spending that time shopping.
Alex brushed it aside and said he was fine following Skylar around while she shopped and Pulse didn't have much of an opinion.
They finished eating, paid and then headed back out to their cars. They made a plan to meet in the middle of the shopping center after an hour or so, since there were a few stores Hibana and Skylar wanted to go to separately. Then meet up and figure out what to do from there.
xXx
"-I think today turned out to be a very good day." Skylar looked up from the rack she was browsing and smiled over at him.
He walked around the rack, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "It did turn out better than I thought. It also helps that I get to spend the day with my kotyonok."
She stayed in his arms, completely immersed in the swaying of their bodies. Until her eyes caught a glimpse of a blouse a few feet away. "Oooh." She broke out of his hold, walking over to where the blouse hung.
Alex chuckled and followed her, leaning against the wall as she examined it. His eyes never leaving her, watching how she looked over the white blouse in her hands. Her eyes tracing over every stitch, searing everything into her brain. He watched her walk over to the mirror a few feet away, holding it up to see how it would look on her.
Skylar glanced over to him, seeing that he's been watching her the whole time, but the look on his face made her heart skip a beat. He smiled over at her, and she returned it, then held up the blouse again to show him.
"What do you think? Truthfully."
He pushed himself off the wall and walked over to her. "I'm the wrong person to ask this because I think you'll look beautiful in anything. However white does bring out the color of your eyes. I think you should get it."
"Okay, and white brings out my eyes? No one has told me that." She placed the blouse over he arm so it wouldn't drag on the floor and she would have a free hand to browse around some more.
"Do you wear white that often?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm always afraid that I'm going to stain it. I do like white though and have quite a bit of white, i just hardly wear them."
"That makes sense. I've stained enough white shits in my life time to stop wearing them." He chuckled. "White does bring out the green in your eyes and softens the brown. As does the colors blue and purple."
"They do?"
"Just because I didn't make a move until months later doesn't mean I haven't been watching you when we were in the same room together." He laughed and shook his head, wrapping his arms around her - gazing into her hazel eyes. "I just didn't make it obvious, kotyonok."
She leaned up, giving him a peck on the lips. "It's funny that you mentioned it, because I always felt like someone was watching me, but could never figure out who. I'm glad it ended up being you."
This time he leaned down, placing a firm kiss onto her lips, momentarily forgetting they were standing in the middle of a store and not in his room back on base. It wasn't until he tried to deepen it when Skylar snapped back to reality. She placed her hand on his chest, gently pushing him away.
"Not here." She felt her cheeks become warm, no doubt red as well. "I'm done here, so you wanna go?"
"Yeah, lead the way." Skylar turned and headed towards the cashier. "You're cute when you get all flustered like that." She just shook her head and continued walking. By the time she put her shirt up on the till Alex was already taking his wallet out of his pocket. "I'll pay."
"Alex it's fine, you don't have too." Her hand was already in her purse, fetching her wallet.
"I want too."
Skylar nodded and took her hand out of her purse. As sweet as it was, she didn't want him to buy everything for her, there was no need when she had more than enough money to buy it herself.
"At least let me carry the bag." She grabbed it off the counter while he swiped his credit card to pay.
The cashier grabbed the receipts and a pen. "Sign here and here's your receipt."
He grabbed the pen, quickly signing his name and took the receipt. "Thanks."
"Have a nice day!"
"You too!"
They walked out of the store and into the grounded shopping center. Skylar automatically intertwining their hands together, so she wouldn't get lost from him. The holidays always gave her slight anxiety, especially shopping during the holidays. Everything was so chaotic, and it didn't help that they still had an hour until they met up with Hibana and Pulse. Then another 3 hours until they get the supplies they came for in the beginning.
Alex glanced over to her, seeing the uncertainty etched on her face. "Kotyonok, you alright?"
"Yeah, can we go somewhere with less people?"
"Of course." He led them throw the plethora of people until they came to the food court with hardly any people in it, which was shocking. He walked them over to a table, Skylar sat down with a content sigh, and he took the seat across from her. "Better?"
"Much better." She slung her purse from her shoulders and placed it on the table. "I get anxiety with big crowds."
"Good thing you told me, now I can make sure we avoid big crowds."
"Well we don't need to avoid crowds all together, just shopping ones around the holidays." She laughed, then put the bag with her shirt in it in her purse. "I've been thinking about what we talked about in the car, about going back to Maine and Russia. I think we should, and it'll get rid of the anxiety I have of introducing you to my family. Are you still okay with going?"
"Yes I'm still fine with going, it'll be a nice vacation before work starts up again." He grabbed her hand, thumb caressing her knuckles. "Are you really that nervous about introducing me to your family?"
"That's the thing, I know they're going to like you, that's not the issue it's…."
"The age difference, right?"
He seemed hurt by that accusation, making her feel a little bad about it, but these were her parents he was meeting, not friends or work acquaintances that don't really have a say. She also knows her parents very well and knows that once she tells them there's an age gap between them, they'll be fine with it in the end. All they care about is how he treats her, nothing else.
"The one thing I like about my parents is they don't care about looks, or age, all they care about is how you treat me. When I call my mom, I'll tell her about the age difference and she'll be fine with it." She tried to conceal the big smile that was threatening to show, but failed. "Now you look cute when you get all nervous like that."
"Yeah, yeah." He swatted his free hand in the air, and smiled over at her.
xXx
They met up with Hibana and Pulse not long after, all deciding the should get their rooms for tonight at a nearby hotel before they went to grab the supplies knowing they'll all be exhausted afterwards.
Skylar plopped herself down in the large chair in their hotel room and groaned, she was already tired enough and didn't want to leave in another two hours. That's when the invisible light bulb above her head went off, she nearly launched out of her seat and went to the bathroom, flipping the switch on.
Alex watched from couch in amusement, seeing her face light up once she saw what she was looking for in the bathroom. She flip the switch off, walked over to him and straddled him. "There's a tub in the bathroom, an actual tub. I can finally have that bath."
He failed to conceal that booming laugh of his, finding it both hilarious and cute that she was this happy about a bathtub. "I was hoping you would figure it out."
She looked down at him in disbelief, and lightly shoved at his shoulder. "You didn't? You got this room for me?"
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "I did, I thought it would be a nice surprise. I know you've been wanting this for a while now, couldn't pass up the opportunity to please my kotyonok."
"I would say you didn't need too, but I know the answer. You wanted too." She leaned down, kissing him passionately before pulling away. "I'll show you my thanks later. After I have a bath that is."
"You can show me your thanks in the bathtub." He gave her a suggestive look, making her roll her eyes. "I wouldn't mind."
"And get water everywhere? I'll think about it." She got off his lap and sat down next to him. "I can't wait until our vacation."
"Me too." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It'll be nice to see where you grew up."
"Don't get your hopes up, it's not that fantastic."
It was actually quite the opposite, Bangor wasn't a huge place but it did have a few museums, parks, a casino, the pavilion that held concerts in the summer and the famous Stephen King house. Besides those, it was a pretty boring place. But it was home to her nonetheless and she would be lying if she wasn't excited to show him where she grew up and all the places she frequented while living there.
"I highly doubt that. Every place has its perks."
"Has anyone told you you have a somewhat of a acerbic outlook?"
She looked up at him, he looked like he was thinking about what she said. "No, not that I can recall."
"Ha ha. Very funny." She scoffed. "I am excited to show you around Bangor, only downside is it's winter and most of the 'tourist' destinations are closed."
"That's fine, kotyonok. Not like it's going to be the only time we go."
She just nodded. He did have a point, they would probably go back here and there throughout the year. As long as they both had time off at the same time. The one thing she was looking forward to was taking a long walk at the Bangor City Forest in the spring, seeing all the flowers in bloom and hearing the birds chirp.
"There's a tradition in my family, every spring the fam and I would take the day off and go hiking and spend the day at the Bangor City Forest. I would like you to come next year, if you're willing."
"I would like that!"
"Okay. It'll be fun, it'll start off nice and quiet, than ends with me being in an argument with one of my sisters'." She chuckled. "Happens every time."
"Are you being serious?" He scanned her face, looking for any sign she was lying but found none. "Okay why?"
"No, I'm just joking we don't fight that much. There is a lot of bickering though."
Alex's face faltered, making Skylar fall over laughing. All he did was stare at her dumbfounded and shook his head. "I should've known the little kotyonok was lying."
He spread her legs apart, placing himself in between them. Her laughter died down as she stared up into his eyes, grabbing his shirt and tugging him down, crushing their lips together. He pulled away panting a few moments later, looking down at her with lust filled eyes.
Skylar smirked and showed him the little blue packet the was between her fingers. "Come on we ain't got all day."
He snatched the condom from her hand and began working on the button of her pants as she did his. "I see we have a feisty kotyonok, I might need to do something about that."
xXx
Skylar was trying to ignore the slight ache between her legs while she stayed in the front of the warehouse with Hibana and Alex while Pulse took care of all the paperwork with the guy before they could load the supplies.
She just wanted to get this over with and go back to the hotel room for a long deserved bath. And get a little payback. She was now regretting the little comment she made to him, knowing she wouldn't be able to do anything until they got back and it irked her to no end.
A few moments later she felt a little tug on her jacket, she turned to see a little girl that looked no older than seven. She smiled down at her. "Hello there!"
"Hi. I think you're really pretty and I like your jacket."
"You're so sweet, thank you! I also really love your shirt. Are cats your favorite animal?"
She watched the little girls face light up at her question, it made her happy to see how happy she was. "You're welcome! Yes they are, I have two at home. Do you like cats?"
"Wow two? What're their names? I love cats, I grew up with them and miss having them around."
"Yup, their names are Cookie and Midnight. Why can't you have cats?"
"Cookie and Midnight are perfect names. I use to have a cat named Cookie too when I was younger. Where I live I can't have animals, it sucks."
The little girls face lit up again, it was such an innocent thing but seeing how happy she was at something so small just put a smile on her face.
"That does suck. If you can't have pets why do you live there?"
"Grace, love leave that young lady alone."
Skylar glanced over at the man with Pulse who turns out to be the girl father then to the Grace who pouted her bottom lip.
"Oh no it's okay. She's not a bother."
"Are you sure?"
"Completely."
"Okay."
Skylar smiled back down at her. "So your name is Grace? That's a very pretty one. Mines Skylar."
She nodded. "Yes it is. Thank you, Skylar is pretty too. Are they your friends?"
Grace judded her chin towards behind her where everyone else was. "You're welcome! Yes they are my friends. The one with your dad, his name is Jack, the other women with me, her name is Hibana and the man sitting in the chair on his phone, his name is Alex."
She looked behind Skylar and towards Alex, then back to her. "I think Alex likes you. He keeps looking at you with googly eyes."
"I think Alex likes me too." She glanced over her shoulder to see him smirking and trying to conceal a laugh.
"How do you know?"
"Well he's my boyfriend."
Grace gasped. "Does your dad know you have a boyfriend? My dad said I can't date until I'm way older."
Skylar couldn't help but laugh. "Yes he does know I have a boyfriend. And that's good, you shouldn't date until you're way older."
"That's good."
"Hey guys we can get the supplies now." She glanced over her shoulder to see Pulse standing in the middle of the room trying to get everyone's attention.
"Awe you have to leave?"
"Not yet, we have to load up the supplies into our cars."
"Can I help?"
"Ask your dad okay."
Grace nodded and ran over to her dad. Skylar slowly walked over to where they were while Alex waited at the entryway. She mouthed 'one moment' before leaning against the counter.
"I see Grace has taken a liking to you." He smiled down at her, making her a little embarrassed. "Are you sure you're okay with her helping you? I've seen the supplies that came in for you guys."
"She's sweet and very nice." She gave her a big smile, that she returned. "I'm sure there's a few things she can help carry out."
He nodded and turned to Grace. "Okay, now you listen to her and don't touch anything unless she tells you too."
"Okay!" She ran around the counter until she was next to her, with a big smile on her face.
They both walked over to where Alex stood, she was expecting for Grace to become a little shy around him, but she didn't, she kept her very happy-go-lucky personality. "Alex, this is Grace. She's going to be helping us. Grace, Alex."
"Hi Alex."
"Hi Grace. An extra helper is always a great thing."
They followed him into the warehouse, seeing Pulse and Hibana already getting some of the larger stuff onto a trolley. Skylar began looking over the boxes, most of them were a decent size and too big for her to carry. She sighed and put her hands on her hips.
"We're going to start with the bigger boxes, then work down okay?"
"Okay."
Alex pulled the trolley closer, then picked up one of the bigger boxes and set it on the trolley. She watched as Grace's mouth fell open and eyes go wide. "Wow, he's really strong!"
"He is strong." She looked over to see him picking up another box. "Do you need any help?"
He set the other box on top of the first one. "No, I've got the bigger ones. You can look through the others to see what's light enough for our little helper."
"Okay."
While he gather the few other huge boxes, setting them on the trolley she looked over at the smaller ones, crouching down to examine them. Grace was right beside her sitting on the floor as she patiently waited.
Skylar opened up a box, making sure nothing harmful was in it. "Do you help your dad often?"
"Yeah. He'll pick me up from school and he'll buy me ice cream before coming here. But I have to finish my school work before I can help him." She groaned and crossed her arms.
"I know school work can suck, but it's important you do it to get good grades." She slide the box over to her. "Is that too heavy for you?"
Grace stood up and picked up the box with ease. "Nope."
"Okay." Skylar grabbed a slightly bigger box that had some ammo cartridges in it. "Follow me."
She walked out of the backroom of the warehouse, followed by Grace until they came to Alex's car. He was already loading the big boxes into the trunk, and she was now thankful they did take his car instead of hers. There was no way she would be able to fit all the supplies in her tiny little Honda Accord.
"Should we just put these in the back seat?"
Alex turned to them after sliding the last box into the far end of the trunk, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Yeah, the smaller ones can go in the back seat until I get the last two big boxes."
Skylar walked over to the passenger side door, balancing the box on one arm as she opened the door. She placed the box behind the driver's seat and pushed it to the middle. "You can set the box on the seat or the floor, whichever you prefer."
Grace set the box down on the seat, then crawled into the car, pushing the box to the middle of the seat and placing it on top of the one Skylar put in. She crawled her way out and jumped down. She shut the door and they headed back inside.
Skylar began looking through the boxes again, most of the stuff was pretty heavy and it left very little for Grace to help. Alex was getting the two other big boxes loaded on to the trolley. She stopped browsing the boxes, getting a little too distracted by watching him pick up the last couple of big boxes they had left. Noticing how his muscles flexed as he picked them up, that's when she realized he wasn't wearing his jacket.
"Skylar, you're staring all googly eyed at your boyfriend."
She snapped back to reality when she heard her whisper that into her ear, making her a little flustered. "Sorry."
She went back to looking over the boxes, hearing Grace giggle beside her. Luckily she found another handful that she could help carry out to the car. She grabbed one, handing it to her, then grabbed a box herself.
As they headed towards the car, Alex was already coming in with the empty trolley. He smiled over at Skylar, and chuckled. "Yeah Skylar don't stare all googly eyes at me while we have work to do."
"You were staring all googly eyed first."
She heard his booming laugh as he continued walking into the warehouse. With this box being a little bigger than the first, she placed it on the ground before opening the door, sliding it in next to the other box. Grace did the same thing as before and placed the smaller box she was carrying on top of hers.
After Grace was done placing her box in the car she turned to Skylar, biting her bottom lip and fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. "You can ask me."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
She relaxed a little, then pointed at the scar on her neck. "What happened?"
Skylar took an intake of breath and leaned against the car, crouching a little to be more at Grace's height. "I got really hurt when I was a marine, I got hit with metal plating when something exploded. I don't remember much of what happened, just a big bang and next thing I know I was waking up in the hospital."
Grace stared up at her with her mouth agape, and shock etched on her face. "Was Alex there to protect you?"
"No, I didn't know him at that time."
"Oh." She slumped her shoulders and pouted her lip. "I'm sure he would've protected you if he was there. And did it hurt when you got hurt?"
"Let's head inside." Skylar pushed herself off the car and they both began heading in. "I'm sure he would've protected me too. I didn't feel anything in the beginning but I had to have a lot of stitches and they itch after a while."
"Yeah, stitches do itch. I had to get 5 of them on my leg last summer, I was riding my bike and fell."
"I'm sorry to hear about that. It's no fun getting hurt during the summer."
"Thanks, and no it's not."
"You're welcome!"
When they got back into the warehouse, Skylar noticed that Alex had loaded up almost all of the remaining boxes, leaving a few for them. "I'll just let you take care of it next time."
"Just making sure the kotyonok can get back to the hotel soon so she can have that bath she's been dying for."
"What does that mean?"
Alex pushed the trolley with the remainder of the boxes, minus a few by Skylar and Grace. Skylar shot him a look and shook her head before turning to Grace. "Kotyonok means kitten in Russian."
"Oh so that's where he's from."
Skylar couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. Grace was such a wonderful and funny little girl, having her around had definitely made getting the supplies much worth it.
They walked over, grabbing the last few boxes and followed after Alex. He was already loading the boxes on the other side of the car, leaving their side opened. Skylar walked over to the car, placing both of the boxes on the floor, closest to the door while Grace set the last two on the seat.
"I thank you for being such a big help Grace!" She closed the door and smiled down at her.
"You're welcome! I'm glad I could help, are you going to come back someday?"
"I hope I do. Do you want me too?"
Grace nodded her head frantically, a big smile on her face. "YES!"
"Well Alex and I are going on vacation in a few days, before we go back to work we'll stop by okay?"
"Yay!" She jumped up and down in excitement - it was heartwarming. "Where are you guys going?"
Skylar grabbed her hand and began walking them both back inside, out of the cold winter weather. "First we're going back to my hometown, Bangor Maine to visit my family, then we're going to his hometown in Russia."
"I hope you guys have fun."
"Thank you! I think we'll have a lot of fun."
They came to the lobby where Hibana and Pulse were talking with Grace's father. She let go of Skylar's hand and ran over to him.
"Daddy, daddy Skylar said she's going to come visit again."
Skylar leaned against the counter next to Hibana, smiling down at Grace who was tugging on her father's shirt. Pulse and Hibana looked over at her, a smile gracing both of their faces.
"I see you made a friend Sky."
"Yes I did."
Her father look down at his rambunctious little girl, then over to Skylar. "Did she? We'll that's very nice of her."
"I couldn't say no to her and it's not a problem, I'm going on vacation in a few days and told her I'll stop by before I get to base." She felt a hand on her hip, knowing exactly who it was behind her.
"We should get going, a long road ahead." Jack put his wallet back in his pocket and they all pushed away from the counter.
Grace ran around the counter again and hugged Skylar around the legs. It made everyone stop and watch them. "Bye Skylar, I'm glad I met you!"
"I'm glad I met you too Grace!"
xXx
The warm water of the bath felt amazing against her muscles, not really noticing how tense her muscles were until she got into the water. A shower could only do so much to relax them, but a long hot bath was the key.
Alex walked into the bathroom in just his boxers a few seconds later. She moved down a bit to give him more room to get in. He pulled his boxers down, discarding them on the bathroom floor, then got in. He let out a relaxing sigh as the warmth penetrated his muscles, relaxing them.
Skylar moved over to straddle him again, the water swaying with her as she moved. He sat up a little straighter, wrapping his arms around her body - kissing a part of the scar on her neck.
"You're good with children, kotyonok! Grace really likes you."
"She was such a sweetheart!" She chuckled, tracing one of his scars on his chest. "I always found that funny considering I've never really been around children. They just seem to gravitate to me."
His grip around her tightened, pulling her closer to him as she could go. "It comes naturally to you. I could easily tell when I saw you with Grace, how at ease she was around you, for someone she had just met. You'd make a great mother someday."
"If I even have kids…..but thank you!"
"Never say never, kotyonok. You might meet a very handsome Spetsnaz soldier and change your mind."
Skylar moaned as he began to kiss and nip at her neck, his hands ravaging her body while hers wrapped around his neck. "So Glaz then?"
He immediately stopped his attack on her neck and looked down at her with his mouth agape. "Someone older than Glaz." He saw her opening her mouth to speak…"And older than Fuze and Kapkan."
"Hmph." She dropped her shoulders and pouted her bottom lip. "You got me." She chuckled and kissed him. "I'm kidding. You know that."
"I know, doesn't mean you didn't surprise me with your answer."
"I saw the opportunity and I took it." A hand slid down his chest and into the water, gripping the shaft to his semi-erect cock. "Like I'm gonna take the opportunity to get payback from earlier."
xXx
Later that night Skylar fell asleep in his arms, like all those other times they've shared a bed. He couldn't sleep himself, no matter how much he wanted too, so he just spent that time watching a sleeping Skylar still in his arms.
She looked peaceful in her slumber, and occasionally he would see her smile, hoping she was dreaming something good.
He started this day off in a sour mood, not too keen on running an errand. But he's happy the day turned out amazingly better than he could have expected and it all had to do with one FBI operative asleep in his arms. Now he can't wait for their little two week vacation together, two full weeks together, no other operators, no work, just them. Nothing could make things better.
