"Hey," Nikita found Michael in their makeshift bedroom and immediately bounced over to him. He had been folding their laundry, cleaning what they had and cataloging what they still needed to buy. Yet the second she rushed over to him with that brilliant smile on her lips, he abandoned his task. Regathering supplies and making up for what they lost in the explosion could wait. Whatever had made his girlfriend so happy, and giddy, and want to wrap her arms around him was far more important.
"Hey. Where've you been?" Holding her close and smiling just as brightly, Michael wondered. Nikita had broken off from the others to torture her brother for kissing her best friend a while ago. There was no way she had talked to Sean that entire time. The team would've heard one of them yelling if that was the case. Michael thought Nikita had eventually tagged along with Alex and gone grocery shopping. But the young heiress returned alone after spending even more money on the team. The rogue had simply disappeared.
"Bullying Sean. And talking to Jill and Sandy," Or maybe she hadn't. Joy spilled through Nikita's response. She couldn't stop smiling or bouncing on her toes. Well that definitely explained where she had disappeared off to, and why she was gone for so long. She had managed to have a moment with her family- a real moment, not one obscured by the team's war with Division. For those few hours she was able to pretend everything was normal again; she could easily picture what her future might look like. Hope spread through every fiber of her being. A happily ever after with her family was so close at hand she could touch it.
"What?" Startled, Michael pulled away from their embrace. He must've not heard her correctly. She meant she bullied her brother, and Sean talked to Jill and Sandy. However, Nikita didn't make a move to settle his shock. She really had spoken to her sisters. A whole litany of warnings and lectures built on his tongue. She knew better than to risk her family's life like that. After all, she had kept their existence a secret from him for that exact reason. She probably would've never brought up her family if she hadn't seen Sean on a mission. Her loved ones' safety had been her main goal for over a decade. How could she give that up on one phone call.
"I know. I know. It was dangerous and stupid. But they think I was someone else, some cover Sean created. And it was only for a second. I mostly just listened as they talked, and told Sean what to say for me. For just a second, it was like I was home again. Jill, Sandy, and I bullied our brother, Sean and I teamed up against the twins, and I know what all of my family is up to. The end of this war is so clear," Pacing around the small room, Nikita recounted her conversation with her sisters. Excitement continued to thrum through her, despite how stupid she knew her decision was. She just couldn't help herself.
Michael could only sigh. He had been in that situation before. He understood why Nikita refused to see reason and wouldn't heed warnings. He had been the same with Max. It was easier to let their hearts guide them to what they wanted most. Rational thoughts that dragged them down could be shoved aside by uplifting feelings. Even if that giddiness was only an illusion, covering the dark reality they lived in, it was the best feeling in the world. But it was only bound to crash and burn. And Michael couldn't let Nikita go through that pain, "Nik…"
"I almost called you in to talk to them too. I want you to meet them so bad. Jill and Sandy are going to love you. Not as much as me, though," Nikita continued as if Michael hadn't spoken. She didn't want to think about the danger or the consequences. She deserved to have a second of happiness without reality dragging her down. Returning to her boyfriend's arms, she splayed her palms on his sturdy chest and picked at the fabric of his soft t-shirt. He softened at her touch, pressing his hands into the small of her back. Her brilliant beam of a smile soon turned wistful, and her voice quieted as she muttered, "You're a lot like our dad, you know."
"I hope you mean I'm like him in all the good ways," Trailing his fingers up and down her spine, Michael flashed his half-smile. Since they were talking about it, he might as well lean into the happiness she wanted to feel. Besides, Nikita knew the mistakes she had made. There was no use in him bringing it up or lecturing her. There was also a chance that she wasn't going to get burned. She could reunite with her loved ones, and live happily ever after in those post-war days they always dreamed about. He'd even help her get there.
"Yeah. You're funny, and sweet, and kind, and you fight so hard for the people you love. You also try to protect strangers who might not deserve it," Chuckling softly, Nikita dropped her gaze to the ground. Listing all of the great things about Michael was easy- she could do that all day. Talking about her father was difficult. Although she told stories about her siblings and her childhood, her parents remained a sore subject. The lies and abandonment continued to tear her up inside, just like the feeling of guilt over their deaths. She'd rather ignore that torment than face it head on. Fighting Division agents was simpler than her complicated emotions, after all.
"Some people deserve it," Tenderly, Michael lifted Nikita's chin. His green eyes ensured her brown couldn't dart away again. They had to broach the subject. Working through her pain would set her up for the future. Senseless insecurities could finally be put aside, and anxiety couldn't mar their happy ending. It was only fair that he made her work through those emotions, anyway. She had pushed him just as hard in regards to Hayley, Elizabeth, and Max. It was about time he returned the favor.
Although her lips pulled in a small smile, Nikita broke from Michael's grasp. She didn't want to keep exploring the conversation. She knew she had to- she was the one to bring it up. But she wanted to keep ignoring all the negative aspects of her past; she had already lived through that pain once. However, her boyfriend kept her from straying far. He pulled her back into his arms and waited patiently for her to speak. Eventually, she sighed, "I didn't think so at first, when I was a recruit. Then I talked to you. It was after Amanda told me my dad had died. I… you were sweet and you wanted me to fight. You also said the same cheesy stuff he would."
He had always wondered what he had said to her as a recruit to convince her not to throw her life away. Nikita had been in a dark place those days (though, he didn't discover exactly why until years later), but something Michael had done had gotten through to her and settled her. Turned out, all he did was show that he cared. He was kind to her. He showed her that she still had someone in her corner. He was a friend she could turn to. He still was all those things to her. Of course that hadn't changed. He could remind his girlfriend of such, or he could make her laugh and breathe, "It's 'gouda' to know that the cheesy stuff works on you."
"Oh, God! That's worse than Birkhoff," Nikita half-groaned and half-laughed. Michael ensured she couldn't pull away from him again, however. She was trapped in his hold as they both laughed and smiled. Their foreheads ended up brushing, then their noses, then their lips. A kiss was the perfect way to seal in the feelings they had expressed. The two were joyful, contemplative, and serious. He was serious about protecting her, and she was serious about having him in her family. It was where he belonged.
Across the busy safehouse full of cleaning, hacking, and intel gathering, Sean remained on his cot. He just sat there for a while after ending his phone call with his sisters, thinking about what they had said. A date with Alex seemed like the perfect way to express that their kiss was more than a kiss. The morphine he was on and his gunshot wound hadn't belittled his words. She was awesome and so strong, and he wanted to be a part of her life. He simply had to talk to her first. When he spotted her walking past the room, he knew that was his best chance, "Hey, Alex. Can we talk for a second?"
"Yeah, sure. What's up?" Alex held back her nerves by being overly nonchalant. She had expected him to talk to her after she returned from the grocery store. The longer she waited for him to emerge from the cornered off section of the room he was resting in, the more anxious she became. What if he had only kissed her to kiss her- there was nothing more to it. Or, he kissed her and felt nothing, so he didn't want anything to do with her anymore. Thank God Sean finally stepped out from where he was hiding. Both his and Alex's fears could subside and they could see the truth. They didn't need to be so panicked.
"Uh. Do you wanna go grab something to eat?" Fighting hard to ensure his voice didn't crack from pressure, Sean asked. He kept his raging emotions in check, and acted as though all of his hopes and his heart weren't waiting for her answer. It was only a date; he shouldn't have been so nervous. Though, if he were being honest with himself, everything with Alex was more than just simple. There was a weight to it, an importance, he didn't quite understand. He had the feeling it was akin to the way Michael and Nikita looked at one another. There was a power in their shared glances, just like there was a power in the way Sean was drawn to Alex.
"I actually just went grocery shopping. But we can make something just for ourselves, and let the others suffer," Alex offered an alternative. She was so sick of eating out. She'd much rather have a home cooked meal, even if the team's cooking skills were alright at best. However, after a mortifying second, she realized Sean was attempting to ask her out on a date. She had completely fucked up by making them stay at the crowded safehouse. Yet maybe she could play it off. Cooking for one another could be romantic. They could still talk about their kiss and share a few more. She just had to act as though that was her plan all along.
Sean stared blankly at her for half a second. Did Alex not realize he had asked her on a date. Or did she not want to go on one with him, and was gentle in putting him down. No, neither of those could've been true- not with the way she had kissed him back. She probably just wanted a simple date, something more intimate. With Birkhoff busy with his computers, Ryan in analysis land, and Michael and Nikita preoccupied in their bedroom, the two could have that opportunity. He smiled brilliantly at her, "Yeah. That works too. What do you want to make?"
"Whatever you can cook. I'll just do the sides," Giving the choice to Sean, Alex let him take back control of the date he had asked her on. It was only fair after her stupidity had gotten in the way. Though, was it stupidity, or just extreme nerves. She was way too in her head over whatever she was feeling about him. It shouldn't have been that complicated. She didn't feel that complicated. In fact, her emotions were clear to understand. Alex wanted to keep kissing Sean and being by his side. It was just her messed up thoughts that got in the way.
"Spaghetti and meatballs it is," Beaming, Sean decided. His smile got Alex to finally relax, and she smiled in return. They ended up not talking about the kiss as they made their dinner. The focus shifted towards his recent conversation with his sisters and their plans once the war was over. Despite the need to discuss the feelings growing between them, talking about their future was better. The two could have hope together, and imagine bright things with one another. That allowed their smiles to bloom, their hearts to lift, and their bodies to drift so close they were touching. It wasn't the monumental date they wanted, but it was the start of something new.