Behind the Scenes - 4
A/N: I don't own these beautiful characters but I wish I did. Hope you enjoy!
A few hours later, Neo and Trinity were awoken by some commotion outside their cabin door. The noises of shuffling entered into their subconscious slowly, versus startling them awake. Neo was lying on his side with Trinity's forehead pressed up against the back of his neck and her arm draped around his waist. She was curled into him, their legs tangled together. After opening his eyes and looking around the room, forgetting where he was for a brief moment, he realized they had just spent their first night together and his heart instantly sped up. He hadn't slept that good in… well, not since he left the matrix, actually. Slowly, he turned over so he could face Trinity, who was also beginning to blink the sleep away from her bleary eyes.
"What time is it?" she muttered, rubbing her face with her free hand.
"I don't know, your clock is blinking. But I think the other ship is here. I can hear footsteps in the hallway," Neo answered. He gently rolled Trinity on her back and nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent. It was intoxicatingly sweet and subtle, and wholly Trinity. He couldn't get enough.
She wrapped her arms around him, bringing him closer so that his head lay on her shoulder. She kissed the top of his head and secretly breathed him in, too.
"I don't want to get up," he groaned.
"Me either," she replied, as he kissed her collarbone. "But I think we have to."
"Must we, though?"
"We need to see what's going on and if we're needed for anything. If Morpheus tried to find you in your cabin and didn't see you there, he would know you're in here with me. Which, maybe dissuaded him from coming to get us." Trinity didn't know if she should feel embarrassed or not. She was a grown woman, and did grown woman things. But Morpheus was like a father to her and no daughter wanted their father thinking they were hooking up behind closed doors, even if they really hadn't.
"What do you want to tell him about us?" Neo asked, raising his head slightly to look into her eyes.
She twisted her lips in a contemplative gesture, before raising her eyebrows and said, "I guess the truth?"
"How much of the truth?"
"All of it. He is going to speak to the council for us and they are going to ask him all kinds of questions, including questions regarding your rise from the dead, I'm sure. He needs to have all the information so he can be prepared. Plus, you know he already knows there is something between us. He sees everything, that man."
Neo laid his head back down and chuckled. "Yeah, plus I'm sure it didn't help that I kept asking to see you during the times I was supposed to be helping him. He never seemed mad; in fact, he seemed really glad I was trying to be there for you."
"He's always felt like a father figure to me," Trinity whispered. "I was young and he was my mentor. He's always looked out for me. I am glad he let you come and comfort me when you did." She pressed her lips against Neo's forehead and kissed it warmly. He sighed in response.
"Trinity, I'm really torn. I want to stay here in this room all day with you. I really don't want to get up." Neo was serious, his voice deep and steady.
She just laughed softly and slowly began extricating herself from him. He groaned in response, sat up, and tried to keep his hands on her as she rose from the bed, stepping over his legs to reach the empty area of the room near the door. Once she was finally off the bed and out of his reach, he flopped back down in mild frustration. "We have to go, Neo. They may be waiting for us." She now stood next to the bed, looking down at him, and began slowly stripping off her clothes to put on fresh ones. She knew full well that Neo was slack-jawed and staring at her, and she grinned to herself, knowing what this was doing to him. He wasn't going to see her fully naked, she made sure of that by leaving on her underclothes, but it still gave him a little taste. He was seeing more of her skin than he had seen before, even just for a brief moment, like her toned thighs, flat stomach, and hourglass figure. His eyes raked over her, up and down, before she finally slid on the last of her clean clothing.
"God, you're fucking gorgeous, Trinity. I'm going to need a moment before getting up now, you know that right? Did you do that on purpose?" he teased, almost whining. She only laughed in response and threw some of his clothes at him. He frowned and put her pillow delicately over his lap, annoyed at himself for making it so easy for her to work him up.
"I'll meet you out there when you're ready, Neo. Take as much time as you need," she teased right back, leaning down to give him a quick peck on the lips before exiting the room with an exaggerated swagger to her hips. He sighed in resignation. Back to work as usual, I suppose, he thought. He took some deep, calming breaths, and willed his body to relax. Soon, it was finally safe for him to rise from the bed and change his clothes. He was about to leave before he paused, reached out and picked up Trinity's used sweater from the basket in the corner of the room. He inhaled deeply, shuddered at how wonderful her scent was, even on her clothing, before putting it back and walking out the door to whatever lay beyond.
"Ah, Neo, you've finally joined us!" Morpheus exclaimed. He, Tank, and Trinity were sitting around the table once more, clearly waiting for him to arrive. Trinity just snickered and winked at Neo from her seat in the corner. He sauntered in and slowly, begrudgingly, Neo sat down across the table from her and playfully sneered right back at her.
"I told them," Trinity said to Neo with confidence and happiness, he noted gleefully.
"Told them what?" Neo asked, looking around at the others. But they both just grinned back at him, Tank especially, winking at Neo as if to say, 'you dog!' Neo didn't know how he felt about that.
"I told them what happened. How I somehow revived you, after you died. What I said. And how you feel the same way about me, and we're … you know, together now." Trinity might have started out speaking confidently, but her deep blush and softened tone spoke volumes. She still felt weird saying out loud how madly in love they were with each other after only knowing each other a few weeks. Neo didn't mind though, he knew it might sound crazy to anyone other than them. He was just glad he missed out on that conversation and that she was able to tell them the story without him. He knew Tank already knew, based on what he had secretly eavesdropped on a couple days ago, and he assumed Morpheus knew based on the conversation they had when Neo asked to go comfort Trinity. But to say the words out loud that Trinity was officially in a relationship with the One… he didn't know how the men would take information like that, when they were so protective of Trinity like she was their family. He could imagine that he would be their last choice for her, given that he may not make it out of this whole situation alive. But he squashed that thought down the moment it arose; he refused to even consider the thought of hurting her like that.
"Oh, alright then. Yeah, it's true," Neo said, blushing despite himself. "I'm glad she was able to fill you in before we reach Zion." He flashed a quick, loving smile to Trinity. He couldn't help it.
"Well, I for one am very happy for you both," Morpheus beamed. "And like I just told Trinity, we should reach Zion tomorrow. We are currently being towed along as we speak. I'm very excited for you to see our city, Neo. I think you will like it."
"Yeah, I am excited to see it, too. I admit though, I am a little nervous. I don't want to disappoint the council - I know you've worked for a long time to find me." Neo chose his words carefully. It's not that he lacked confidence in his role as the One, but he worried he wouldn't be able to do the same things within the construct that he had done before in the matrix. He wondered if he did those things as a result of pure adrenaline, or motivation to make it back to Trinity, or just dumb luck. He couldn't let anyone down, not when so much had been lost already. Their hopes and their futures depended on him. He needed to impress the council and prove that Morpheus had been right all along; that he was justified in breaking the rules and things should continue as they had been, with no consequences as a result. But he supposed only time would tell. He just hoped he was ready when the time came.
"I understand your concerns, Neo, but I have faith that everything will work out just fine. You are the One, and they will see what you can do."
"Thank you, sir. So what's next?"
This time, Tank was the one to speak up. "Anyone down for some poker?"
Trinity grinned devilishly. Poker was her game. Their cards had seen better days, but she would wipe the floor with these guys, and poor Neo had no idea what she could do.
But Morpheus and Tank knew. It seems a little initiation was in order. "Yes, let's. Neo, what do you say? There isn't much we can do while we wait," Morpheus said with a wicked grin. Neo didn't notice, he just looked over the table at Trinity with a pained face. He realized now that they had gotten up for no reason, and genuinely could have spent the day in bed together. It was as if she could read his mind, because she flashed him an apologetic look, as if she was saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't know!" In his expression alone, he tried to ask her to return back with him, but she pretended not to notice and got up to go find the playing cards and makeshift poker chips. Hoping to save face, Neo looked over at Tank and nodded unceremoniously.
"Sure, we can play. But what do you bet with?" Neo asked innocently.
Tank chuckled. "We have chips, man, but we also bet favors and chores. You down?"
Neo shrugged. "Yeah, sure. How bad can it be?"
It was bad. Neo had been wiped clean of all the chips he had been given. Not only that, he had somehow gotten himself in charge of cleaning the kitchen for the first month they were back on board and had even lost a shirt, courtesy of Trinity. He was absolutely horrified at these turn of events and regretted very much leaving their warm bed.
It had started fairly innocently, Neo feeling absolutely certain his hand superseded hers. He didn't have much left to bet, and they were the last two in the round, Morpheus and Tank having folded ages ago. Trinity was wearing two shirts, so Neo thought it would be funny to bet one shirt in the hand. Worst case she would lose one of her sweaters, but keep her thinner undershirt on. No harm, no foul, right? He had lost miserably, though. Tank and Morpheus howled with laughter at Neo's face as Trinity calmly laid her hand down, smiling innocently at him. Neo simply gawked, mouth opening and closing as he realized what had just happened. He'd been played like a fiddle. Now, he sat hunched over, goosebumps all over his arms, nipples so hard he could cut glass, while Tank kept repeatedly making jokes at his expense.
Finally, they were in the last hand of the night, but this time they were playing blackjack. The bet: night shift tonight, until arrival at Zion. Whoever lost had to take the shift, and those who won could get a well-deserved night's sleep. No one could fold; the worst hand took the shift.
Tension was thick. No one wanted to cover this shift. The silence stretched on, first for five minutes, then for ten, until finally it was time to reveal their hands. Tank actually won the round with two tens, Morpheus second with a king and an eight. It was all down to Trinity and Neo. Neither wanted to play down their cards. Tank started beating the table in a rhythmic motion, saying "bust, bust, bust, bust…" over and over. But Trinity and Neo just held their cards to their chests, eye contact never breaking. Seconds ticked by before finally Trinity slowly laid down her cards: a queen and a seven. Neo couldn't help it, he swore like a sailor.
Cheers erupted as Neo laid down his cards: a jack and a six. Trinity had won, which left Neo with night shift. Tank and Morpheus bumped fists and clapped Neo on the back, which made him wince at the slap to his bare skin. "Sorry you got cleaned out, loverboy, but you gotta know we had to haze you, man. You can't play poker with Trin, here, and not get cleaned out!" Tank exclaimed, laughing. He had a point. Trinity's pile was 3/4 of the total chips in the game, and included Neo's sweater, which was folded neatly next to the pile of chips. She just smiled sweetly at him, keeping her hand on his sweater, almost daring him to try and ask for it back. He just folded his arms across his chest, glaring daggers at her hand as it rested delicately on what she stole from him. She acted like she didn't notice.
"Tank's right, Neo. You're one of us officially now. We've all lost to Trinity many times over." Morpheus put his hand on Neo's bare shoulder, still chuckling to himself. "And on that note! I am off to bed, hopefully to sleep away the next 8 hours. I bid you all adieu and good night!" Morpheus called out over his shoulder as he sauntered down the hallway, still laughing to himself.
Tank soon followed suit, calling out his own goodnights. "Woo, that sure was fun watching her wipe the floor with you, man…" Tank snickered as he walked away, throwing shade over his shoulder as he went. Neo didn't say anything, he just sat and simmered in his humiliation.
Finally, when the two men had finally left the room, Trinity let it go. She giggled hysterically, doubling over, hand still on Neo's sweater. "Oh my God, Neo, I am so sorry! But that was the most fun I have had in ages. Your expressions… We really need to teach you how to use your poker face. When you lost your sweater though? God, I will treasure that memory forever." She couldn't stop and tears began to well in her eyes.
Neo simply rolled his, waiting for her to settle down. "Okay, well, we're done now, can I have my sweater now?" He asked impatiently. She continued to laugh, but handed over the sweater across the table. "I mean, can you see my nipples, Trinity? They're sharp!" This only caused her to laugh harder. He growled in frustration but couldn't help but allow a smile to come to his lips, seeing her this way. "You know, you're really cute when you laugh."
"I thought you thought I was always cute?" she teased. "Or were you bluffing? No wait, you couldn't be, because I can see right through your bluffs like you're not even trying," she reached for his hand and squeezed, so he would know she was kidding. He squeezed back.
"Well, glad you all had some fun at least, even if it was at my expense. I'll get better and someday, I'll whoop your ass." Neo muttered to himself. He got up from the table, put his sweater back on, and stretched his sore shoulder muscles.
"We'll see… loverboy," Trinity said seductively. This caught Neo's attention. But she simply stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a sweet peck on the cheek. "I am going to go shower and go to bed. Do you need me to show you what to do on your watch?" she asked Neo. His eyes almost rolled back into his head at the thought of her taking a shower, but he restrained himself from letting it show too much in his face (or so he thought - clearly she could read more on his face than he gave her credit for).
"No, Morpheus showed me several days ago when we were still on opposite shifts. I've got it. I'll miss you, but I hope you sleep well and I'll see you soon." He put both hands on either side of her face and kissed her deeply. She sighed into his mouth, which pleased Neo very much; very much indeed.
"Okay… well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Trinity whispered as they pulled apart. She put the poker chips and cards back in the bag where they were normally stored, and put the bag on the counter top. As she turned to leave, she stopped and softly called out over her shoulder, "I love you, Neo."
He grinned widely and called back after her, "I love you too, Trin." The butterflies in his stomach sang at his words. He hoped they did for her, too.
An hour and a half later, Neo was bored sick. He had been sitting in the cockpit for what felt like ages, just watching the sewer tunnel around him and the Nebulous in front of him. All had been graciously quiet, but Neo had no clue how he was going to get through this endless night. He thought about getting the cards they used for poker and playing solitaire, but there really wasn't a good flat surface to use; too many dials and buttons.
So instead he thought of Trinity. In fact, he specifically thought about how he was starting to see a side of her he'd never seen before, and it was thrilling. He thought back to that first moment he laid eyes on her, how sensuous and serious she had been in the club. In fact, even all the other times he had seen her after he had been unplugged, she was always somber, never smiling. Every now and then, one of their crewmates had jokingly called her an Ice Queen or made a comment about how she should 'lighten up.' But that is not who Neo was seeing now. Despite her grief, and despite everything she had been through, she spent this evening smiling, and even occasionally laughing and Neo didn't care one bit that it was at his expense. He was just so happy that she still had the ability to laugh at all. Because if you had asked Neo a few weeks ago? He would say she likely didn't have it in her at all.
He understood now that she put walls up on purpose - and could he really blame her? Losing half the crew was explanation enough, and that war resulted in casualties, and when you've been doing this as long as Trinity has, it had to wear you down. In a way, he felt sympathy for her. This is the only real life she had ever known, especially once she realized the matrix hadn't been truly real. The fact that she was able to open her heart at all after all this time didn't cease to amaze Neo, either. It can't be easy, loving the One. When she was with him, she not only smiled and laughed, but she showed him precious affection, and opened up in a way that showed intense vulnerability. Most of all, she chose to let Neo see sides of her that she likely hadn't shown anyone in a very long time. She was the most resilient, strongest, and most capable woman he had ever met, and as he sat there ruminating on that fact, his heart ached as he realized how lucky he was that she chose to love him.
All of a sudden, as if summoned, Neo heard padded footsteps approaching. He turned around and saw Trinity come into view, a blanket draped around her shoulders, hair sticking up in odd angles. "Hey, what are you doing awake?" he asked, concerned. He hoped and prayed she hadn't had another nightmare.
She just shrugged. "I tried to sleep, really. But… I know it sounds pathetic, but I missed you. Now that I've slept next to you, I don't think I can go back to sleeping alone. It's too… lonely and cold in there without you. It's ridiculous, I know." She looked vulnerable in this moment, and Neo chose to not gloat about her needing him. She clearly was uncomfortable with how co-dependent she was feeling right now. But inside, he did a little victory dance.
"You want me to come in there for a few minutes while you try to fall asleep?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No, you should stay up here. I just figured it was my fault you got stuck with this shift anyway, so I might as well keep you company while you're here. You don't mind, do you?" She sat down in the co-captain's chair and put her knees up to her chest, blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.
"God, no. I would love your company. I'm so bored," he complained, scrunching his eyebrows. She just smirked and nodded. She had been on this shift many times.
"I'm sorry again, about the torture. You definitely got trapped back there and though I had incredible fun, I am sorry it was at your expense."
"It's okay," Neo shrugged. "I'm glad you had fun. You deserved it. And now I know more about you than I did this morning, so I'll call that a win."
"It was also really nice to see Tank and Morpheus having a good time. That's the most I've seen them smile in a long time." Trinity admitted.
"Yeah, I can imagine so." Neo looked over and saw Trinity shiver through her blanket. "Hey, why don't you come over here," he said softly. He patted his thigh and held out his arm to her. She looked from his face to his lap, eyebrows raised, taking a moment to understand what he was asking, before smiling demurely and getting up. She sat down on his lap, spreading the blanket over top of them as she adjusted her position. Neo held her torso close to him with one arm and used the other to secure her legs as they dangled over the side of the chair. Having her so close to him was intoxicating to Neo, and he was so happy he figured she'd be able to feel his heart pounding right through his shirt.
Trinity's heart was also bursting, and she realized this was far better than any sleep she might have gotten in her cabin. She realized then that she had never before been this lovesick, this smitten with another human being. For a moment, the thought paralyzed her and sent fear rippling into her gut. But as Neo placed a very warm kiss on the top of her head, she began to calm down. Nothing about loving Neo was scary. It should be, given who he is, and hell - given who she is and what she has been through, but she knew deep in her gut that this was good for her. This was a love she had been waiting her whole life for, even if she didn't know it until now.
"So, what do you say we jump back into our game?" she asked innocently, turning her face to look him in the eyes.
"Absolutely, especially if it ends the way it did last time," Neo purred into her neck.
Trinity only chuckled. "No, we're on watch, we can't. But to make up for it, I'll let you go first. Ask me anything."
Neo contemplated. "Actually, something has been on my mind. I want to know about Zion. I admit, Trin, I'm pretty nervous."
She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Nervous? About what?"
"Well, for one, the council and whatever they are going to make me do, and two, whatever the consequences of that will be. But besides that, what could an underground city even be like? Is it damp and dark and scary, or am I just imagining things?"
Trinity considered his question, trying to find a way to put his mind at ease. "Okay, well for starters, it's actually not damp and dark. It's very close to the center of the Earth so it's pretty warm. Thousands of people live there but it's not total chaos. People live and abide by certain rules and for the most part, everyone gets along. Having a council is certainly better than having a president or something; they rule all, yes, but they rule fairly. Which, I don't want you to be scared about having to go before them. Morpheus is right, we do have allies on the council. They will just want to see what you can do, and it shouldn't be a problem to show them that. You stopped bullets in mid-air, I suspect you could do anything you put your mind to. Hell, I bet you could even fly or something."
Neo laughed. "Probably not."
"Either way, I will be with you every step of the way. Morpheus won't let them separate what little crew we have left. I think all of this is just a formality."
"So I lay low at first, until we are summoned. Then I do my thing. They tell me it's okay to continue to exist and live in Zion. Then what?"
Trinity couldn't help but roll her eyes at the petulant wording Neo just gave. "Then, we wait for the ship to be ready and we go back out. Freeing minds will be more important than ever. Then, somehow, we will find a way to stop the war."
"Easier said than done," Neo muttered.
"I know we will find more clues and answers, we just need to be patient. In the meantime, we continue doing what we have been doing: saving people."
"Again, you make it sound easy."
"Well, to a certain extent, it is. It's what we have been doing for years. It's how we found you. Sometimes I think you forget that I've - we've - been doing this for a really long time. Having you will only make things easier than they have been. I'm sure we will hit roadblocks, we always do, but seeing what you can do with my own eyes? I know it'll only add to our arsenal. You'll see."
"I never pegged you for an optimist, Trin." Neo snorted. She shot him a glare.
"I am many things. But something about you does make me more of an optimist." She adjusted the blanket around them, almost nervously.
"So how do thousands of people live underground like that?" Neo asked, still confused.
"You'll see when we get there. But it's a fully functioning society. We have food, though we are limited in what we can grow so many things are synthetic. We have apartments, religion, medical facilities, a market - all kinds of technology to support our ability to live and thrive."
"What is your apartment like? Sounds like I will be spending a lot of time there." Neo couldn't help himself, he kissed Trinity's earlobe which sent shivers down her spine. He could actually feel her shudder, which pleased him greatly.
"Well, it'll be our apartment now. And it's nothing special. It's pretty small. Those who live there full time with their families get the nicer apartments, whereas everyone on the ships tend to only stay in Zion part time, so our places are more simple. My apartment is really just one big room, to be honest. Each floor has communal bathrooms with dozens of stalls for showers, toilets, things like that. My room is basically just a big bed with a small kitchenette and a small sitting area."
"Do you have electricity?"
"We do, but it's limited and citizens are encouraged to conserve as much as possible. So I mainly use candles when I can." Neo's throat went dry. Immediately he pictured Trinity in her bed, surrounded by candlelight. "You'll see - I'm not describing things well, but I promise it is going to be different than you're picturing it."
"Well, I guess I will see soon enough. But Trinity, there is actually one thing you didn't mention… I hope I'm not bothering you by bringing this up, but earlier when we were talking about 'what's next,' we didn't say anything about the funeral services. What is that like for Zionites?"
He could feel her tense against him, but she just sighed and answered, "It's a celebration of life. The bodies will all be cremated, and services will be held in the temple; it's this big open space in the center of the city where all important meetings are held, and religious services and funerals too. But once services are over, it'll be one big party celebrating the lives of those who passed."
"That doesn't sound too bad…"
"No, but it's definitely something that I am dreading. They died such… needless deaths. If they had died fighting agents like Mouse, or gotten attacked by sentinels, one could say they died as heroes, as soldiers. But they were stabbed in the back by their friend, a fellow soldier, though I can't fathom calling him that now…" Trinity grimaced. "It just feels so…pointless. I don't know if I'm making sense…" She shook her head.
"No, you are. I can't say I fully understand your pain but I understand what you're saying. They died before it was their time, and their potential was wasted. They didn't deserve what happened. But they still deserve a celebration of their lives."
She considered his words. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe it'll be good actually, to find some closure."
"I think it will. Funerals aren't for the dead. They're for the living."
Trinity leaned her head back on Neo's shoulder. Talking to him was so comforting, it never ceased to amaze her how wise and thoughtful this man was. "Very true. But now, to change the subject. I do believe it is my turn?"
Neo nodded. "Do your worst."
Trinity grinned. "How come you never dated anyone? Especially in the last year?"
Neo cocked his head in confusion. "And how would you know I haven't dated in a while?"
Trinity just shrugged. "I have my ways. Now answer the question."
Neo sighed. "Well, I guess I just am more of a loner. Or well, I was. I never found anyone that was interesting enough to keep my interest or pull me away from my work as a hacker. I was in a weird loop - work, get take out, come home, and spend all night on my computer, sleep a few hours, then do it all again."
"But you have had girlfriends, haven't you?"
Neo sighed again. "I guess so. Nothing serious, but yes, I have been with more than one woman."
Trinity almost giggled. "Because two is more than one?"
Neo mocked her playfully, and then answered, "Yes, fine, sure."
"I ask because I want to know how you got to be so… well… good at this. God knows I suck at relationships and yet somehow you just… I don't know, you put me at ease, you always know the right thing to say, you're just… good at this."
Neo was stunned. "Me? I'm not doing anything different or special, I'm just trying to be myself. I don't know how to be in a serious relationship either, I just want to treat you well and hope you don't get tired of me."
Trinity smiled and gave Neo a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Maybe that's it then. Maybe you're just a sweet, considerate man. But you don't get to be that good of a kisser without having at least some practice."
Neo laughed. "Very little, I assure you. Is it my turn now?" Trinity nodded. "Okay. My question is: How do you know I haven't had a girlfriend in a while?' Trinity rolled her eyes.
"I said I just know."
"Tell the truth. We're being honest here."
She groaned. "Fine. I guess I… well, the Oracle told me I would fall in love with the One. At first it made me step away entirely from the process of finding the One. Then, I got a little obsessed with it; almost as much as Morpheus. When we discovered you, and Morpheus told me about your potential, I just kind of… I… I watched you for a while."
"Watched me? How?" Neo asked incredulously.
"I would take any shifts I could get. Tank figured it out after a while and just started giving them to me. I would watch the code of the matrix. You get used to it after a while. I would see you do all the things you're talking about, and I wondered why you didn't seem to have friends or ever go out with anyone. I always asked myself, 'what makes this guy so special? What does Morpheus see?' But I also couldn't shake the feeling that you were meant for something big. I felt this attachment I couldn't explain. Kind of like deja vu, but I wasn't plugged in. The best I can describe it is like having a dream just before you wake up, and then you spend all morning trying to remember what the dream was. It's there, but just out of reach. That is how I felt watching you. Meeting you though… meeting you put the pieces together for me, even if I wasn't willing and ready to admit it to myself. I was insanely attracted to you in a way I had never felt, and wherever you went I felt, like, some kind of pull, like a compass. It was the scariest thing I have ever felt in my life, Neo." Neo was quiet as he listened. He'd had no idea.
"So, that is how I know you haven't dated in almost a year. That is how long we were watching you. It sounds so pathetic saying it out loud but like I said, it is a feeling that is really hard to explain."
But Neo shook his head. "No, I get it. I felt that string pull tight when I saw you in the club. It was a string with a hook on the end, in my gut. I never felt it before then, but it's never gone away since. I think the feeling you're trying to describe is fate. I think… and I don't know what you believe, so don't laugh at me, but I think you and I are soulmates, Trinity. I think that connection is deep in our blood and that's what we felt, just in our own different ways." Neo was almost whispering, worried he might scare her off. He knew she was still adjusting to the idea of being "tied down" to someone else. To make it sound like she never had a choice in the matter when Trinity was all about making her own choices in life, was potentially not a good idea.
She didn't say anything at first. She just looked out the cockpit window. After about a minute, she finally looked back at Neo, whose anxiety had tripled, waiting for her to say something. "I think you're right," she said softly.
He exhaled in relief. "You do?"
She nodded. "I do. But you've given me a lot to think about. And, I'll be honest, I don't really have the mental fortitude to think much about it now. I am getting kind of tired." She moved like she was going to try and stand up, but Neo held firm.
"That's okay, we can play more later. Will you stay with me though? You can sleep right here. I've got you." She looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes showed longing, but not for anything sexual. He longed for her companionship, her company. For a moment, they just looked into each other's eyes. Trinity bit her lip.
"Are you sure? Your leg isn't asleep?"
Neo shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Really. I'm comforted by your presence, even if you're asleep. You said you wanted me with you, right? To fall asleep in the first place?"
Trinity smiled. "Yeah, I did. You're lucky I am an easy sleeper usually, because I can't say I've ever fallen asleep on someone's lap before. But I think I can make do." She adjusted the blanket one more time and laid her head down on Neo's shoulder. He put his feet up on the control panel, careful not to press any buttons. This allowed for him to recline a bit and ease Trinity into a more horizontal position. She sighed in deep comfort as he put his other arm around her body and held her close.
Kissing the top of her head one more time, Neo whispered, "I don't care that you kicked my ass in poker, I am still the luckiest man in the world." She didn't reply, but he could vaguely feel her smile against him.
This was by far the best watch shift he had ever taken.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review! :) Can you tell I have a weakness for the little things? The little moments? They are my favorite!