Behind the Scenes - 5
A/N: I wish I owned these characters but I don't. Would be super cool, but no.
Also, this chapter was kind of tough to write at times, mainly because fluff is my jammmm, and there's no fluff in this one. But there will be later. Oh, there will be. I hope you enjoy nonetheless!
Neo really did not want to wake Trinity up, but their comms were ringing and he could tell they were getting close to Zion. The tunnels outside had widened and light was beginning to be visible, illuminating the usually darkened walls. She had been sleeping on him for hours, occasionally repositioning to allow more blood circulation to his legs. He didn't know if she had done it on purpose or subconsciously in her sleep, but he was grateful nonetheless. Overall, he was so happy she had spent the night with him here. It gave him something to do, just to watch her sleep and run his fingers through her hair. Admiring her beauty was something that he could do all damn day and not tire of, this he knew for certain.
"Trinity, wake up… we're getting close, and I need to answer the call coming in…" Neo whispered. Though she had hardly stirred all night, hearing her name must have brought her back from the depths of her deep slumber. She blinked and looked around blearily before sliding off Neo's lap into the other chair. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, yawned, and ran her fingers through her tousled hair, trying to comb it down. She shot Neo an embarrassed look, but he just gazed at her as if she were the most beautiful thing on Earth; which to him, she was. This only made her more flustered.
Neo answered the incoming call, and it was just as he suspected - they had almost arrived. Trinity spoke up from her seat in the co-captain's chair, talking to the captain of the Nebulous and getting a status update. She sounded confident, powerful, and alert, as if she hadn't been asleep twenty seconds ago. Just another thing to admire about her; she could command anything - God that's hot, Neo thought to himself.
They had about five more minutes to go, the captain had said, so it was time to round up the rest of the crew and prepare for a landing. Neo volunteered to go wake Morpheus and Tank, if only for a chance to stretch his sore legs. Not that he minded, of course. It had been worth it.
Once everyone was gathered in the cockpit to prepare for landing, Neo could finally stop and admire the incoming surroundings. The city came into full view and he was in awe. He truly had never seen anything like this, and it took seeing to believe it, as Trinity had said. She had been right. He had been so consumed with taking in his new environment, he hardly noticed the bump as they landed on the platform. Trinity, Tank, and Morpheus wordlessly left the cockpit to go assist the arrivals crew. He sat there in the captain's chair, trying to glimpse around the Nebulous when suddenly, the other hovercraft began to lift off without them. Someone must have detached the connecting port, Neo figured. Now he could see the whole landing platform laid out before him, and just so happened to hone in on a group of robed individuals walking toward what looked to be a gangway being connected to the Neb. That must be the council, Neo thought. Hell, they don't look that scary… But his stomach flipped anyway.
As Neo began to stand so that he could leave along with everyone else, Trinity popped her head back in to ask him to wait. Neo looked through the windshield again and saw Morpheus speaking with one of the members of the council, an older gentleman with wispy white hair. Trinity informed him that they would leave in a moment, and told him he could go gather their things she had packed the night before, but not to walk down to the gangway just yet. He obliged, and walked back to their cabin to collect their bags. He understood Morpheus was trying to be tactful but this seemed a bit ridiculous to Neo.
Nonetheless, he was new at this and he trusted their judgment. So, he sat in the Core and waited to be summoned. Glancing around, he took note of how demolished the inside of this space still was. Bits of metal debris still lie scattered, the walkway above his head was twisted and half caved in, looking so precarious that it might fall down completely at any moment, and the only way to walk through this space was by taking a zig-zagging path around a fallen staircase, which was bent and lying on its side. Those sentinels really tore this place apart, Neo thought. The guilt of this destruction hadn't fully set in until now. He realized that had he just gotten out sooner, this ship wouldn't be in the shape it was in. He knew they had only waited as long as they did to blow the EMP because he was still plugged in. Suddenly, Neo's sadness at what happened began to ice his veins and sour his stomach. He needed to find a way to make it up to them, he just didn't know how.
After about three minutes of waiting and wringing his hands over the state of his surroundings and his sudden guilt, Trinity finally climbed up the steps to retrieve him. They walked down into the bottom of the ship together, and in the far left distance he could see light emanating from where the gangway was perched. He noticed too that the bodies of their fallen crewmates had been removed and the space they used to occupy was now empty. This made Neo cringe, as he pictured some poor dockworker having to cart away the bodies that had died so long ago. He was grateful he didn't have to see that.
As they left the Neb behind, Neo reached for Trinity's hand. As his fingers grazed hers, however, she suddenly pulled away. Neo looked up at her, studying her face. She didn't even look back at him, she merely held her chin high and led the way across a wide metal bridge. The rejection felt like a punch to the gut.
"Trin, wait up," Neo called. Trinity's legs were moving faster than Neo's, as he was both trying to follow her around the maze of the city and also gaze around at this new, incredible place.
She suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, and whispered fervently, "You can't call me that in public, Neo. I am still your superior," before whipping back around just as quickly. Neo was stunned, but he followed her along, acting as if he wasn't bothered.
After about a minute of walking in complete silence, they turned down a small, narrow street and arrived at a small alcove with an attendant sitting behind a desk. This area was almost completely deserted, save for the attendant, who looked incredibly bored. As Trinity approached him, he smiled and waved. He must have known exactly why they were there because he began pulling out a small computer from underneath the desk; an odd-looking device Neo had never seen before. It almost resembled a typewriter without the paper insert, but the screen attached was oval and concaved and the keyboard was pliable. He could tell because as Trinity took the device from the man's outstretched hands, the sides of the keyboard drooped slightly. She set the device on a raised countertop adjacent to the desk, and began typing away.
Neo approached her, wondering what she was writing. He hoped she would say something to him now that they were (mostly) alone, but she said nothing. She didn't even look at him, which had really begun to get on Neo's nerves.
"So, what are you writing?" Neo asked delicately, trying to sound uninterested, yet mildly curious.
Trinity didn't look up from her task, but answered calmly, "I am registering you."
Neo had almost forgotten that this was the plan. Duh, of course that's what she's doing. That's been the plan all along, Neo thought to himself, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "So, what information are they asking about?"
"Your matrix name, your chosen name, birthdate, that kind of thing," Trinity responded without losing an ounce of focus.
"You know my birthday?" Neo suddenly asked as it dawned on him what she had said.
Now he caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder at him, annoyed. "Of course we do," she said as if she were talking to a two year old, and turned around to continue typing.
Without daring to say it out loud, Neo made a joke to himself about Trinity sleeping on the wrong side of the bed, except, she must have woken up on the wrong side of his lap instead. He then hoped to God she hadn't suddenly learned how to read his mind, as he tried to school his features into a controlled calm, away from his sly, cocky grin.
After another minute or so, Trinity finished her work and handed the device back to the attendant. The man smiled and thanked her, handing her something small in return, and they were again back on the move. This time they wound through much more crowded streets until they reached a large elevator. They only waited for a moment before the doors opened and they stepped inside. Neo breathed a sigh of relief - they were the only ones on board.
"What was that all about?" he suddenly lashed out. "What's with the cold shoulder all of a sudden?" Indignation was written all across his face, which he hoped disguised the hurt he felt.
Trinity just dipped her chin and raised her eyebrows at him, "I told you Neo, I am your superior officer. When we are in public like that, I can't be seen holding your hand or making eyes at you. People will talk, and the wrong people will hear about it. And you don't want that, trust me."
"Aren't they going to hear about it anyway? Morpheus is talking to the council as we speak, I'm sure!"
She sighed. "Yes, he is, but he is going to leave out that little detail to protect us. To protect me."
Neo was stunned. "Protect you? From what?"
Suddenly Trinity turned on him with such force, Neo stepped back half a step. "Neo, they could remove me from the crew! I thought you understood this. This is something I've been worried about for the last week. I am not allowed to be in a relationship with a subordinate. If we were equals, it would be okay as long as it didn't interfere with the mission, but this is different. We have to treat this situation delicately and no one can know about us until it's safe." Neo could see the fear suddenly in her face. He hadn't seen it for a while, but it was plain as day now. He finally understood what she meant by her questions about separation, directed to Morpheus a few days ago. At the time, he thought that she was speaking in generalities but now he realized it was because of them being together.
"But you just registered me. Didn't you register me to your room? Isn't it kind of obvious that we would be sharing a bed?"
"I thought about that too, so I registered you to a room close to mine. You don't have to use it though, unless you want to…" she suddenly seemed very tired. Her impeccable posture slumped a little bit and she frowned, twisting her hair around her finger nervously. Neo resisted the urge to envelope her in a hug when the elevator doors opened. "Follow me," she said, leading Neo out of the elevator and down a hallway to the right.
Neo glanced around as they walked, trying to collect his bearings. He could tell they were in the residential district of the city, but there weren't very many markers to rely on to find his way in the future. He would probably have to stay with Trinity for a while, lest he get lost. Soon though, they arrived at what he assumed must be her apartment. Turning around to his right, he saw there was a balcony, beyond which spanned an incredible view of Zion. He was awed at how high up they were and how much there was to see from this vantage point. He couldn't help himself, he stuck his head over the railing and marveled at how much of the city he could see from this height.
Trinity gave him some time to admire the view. Gently, she slid their bags off of Neo's shoulders and brought them into the room. She turned some of her lights on and began tidying up, grateful Neo was still outside. When she was here last, she had no clue she would be bringing a man back to her place, let alone the One and the love of her life. Crazy how things change so fast, she thought to herself. Crazier still is that I just called someone the 'love of my life.' Jesus Christ Trinity, what's gotten into you?
In truth, she felt horrible for how she had treated Neo since they left the Neb, but she truly felt it was necessary. There were so many onlookers as they navigated Zion. Did she truly think a couple of regular citizens even knew her, let alone cared who she was seen with? No. But she'd learned over the years to trust no one and be absolutely certain before letting one's guard down. A lesson she had really suffered for, as of late, considering the treachery Cypher had wrought upon her crew. But she shook off the thought, desperate not to let those feelings of betrayal crawl back into her heart.
After a couple of minutes, Neo cautiously entered the apartment, looking around and taking it all in. He seemed awkward, which Trinity attributed to the newness of everything. In actuality, Neo had never before shared an apartment with a woman and had absolutely no idea what to do next. He suddenly felt 17 again, navigating the dating world for the first time and going into a girl's bedroom while her parents weren't home. He didn't know why he felt this way, when sleeping in Trinity's bed on the Neb felt completely fine. But nonetheless, he just stood there looking around for several seconds before shutting the door behind him and taking a seat on the chair in the corner. He looked over at Trinity, who was eyeing him with an odd expression.
"Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.
He nodded. "Yeah. Just…don't know what to do next." She didn't realize he meant both physically and emotionally. This was still kind of weird to him. Little did he know though, it was kind of weird to her, too.
Trinity considered. "Well, I need to go get you some clothes and get some supplies for myself. The room I checked out to you is actually right next door, oddly enough. I didn't realize it when he handed me the key." Ahh, so that's what that was, Neo thought to himself, nodding along. "I want you to be comfortable, Neo, so if you aren't comfortable here, there is always that option." She tried to sound nonchalant but Neo could see in her face that she didn't want him to go. And to be honest, neither did he. He was fine with the room being a formality.
"No, I want to stay here with you, if that's alright."
She sighed in relief. "Yes, that works for me too. So listen, I'll show you where the bathroom suite is just down the hall. I can leave something tied to the handle of our door outside so you know which room to come back to, should you need to head down that way. I know they all look the exact same. I shouldn't be gone more than an hour or so, so just keep entertained til I get back, okay?" She walked toward him and bent down to place a kiss gingerly on his lips.
Neo nodded, stood, and followed her out the door. She said 'our' door, Neo thought to himself, trying desperately to shake off his awkwardness. It made him feel really good, actually, that she was going to start calling this place "theirs." You just need to quit being so weird about it and grow up already.
She showed him the bathroom suite, which was only 30 feet or so down the hall, before walking back and hanging a tank top of hers on the handle of the door. "Now you won't be able to get lost while I'm gone," she smiled at him. "I'll be back soon, though." She kissed him once more goodbye before leaving him alone in the apartment.
Neo had no clue what to do to keep entertained. He had one spare outfit in his bag, and one bar of soap. He supposed he could find a towel or something in her apartment and go shower while he waited. It certainly beat just sitting here, twiddling his thumbs. Besides, a hot shower was exactly what he needed after being awake all night. If he had time when he returned, he would maybe even take a brief nap. Happy with his decision, he set off to find a towel hoping to make time go by as fast as possible, if only because he realized then how much he missed her already.
Trinity's mind was racing as she left her apartment. There was so much she needed to do, but she was incredibly tempted to just say "fuck it" and go make things right with Neo. She didn't think they had had a fight, but she could tell Neo wasn't feeling wholly himself right now. She just couldn't put her finger on what he was thinking.
But Morpheus had given her orders, and she knew she had to follow them. She just hoped it wouldn't take too long so she could get back to Neo and put him at ease somehow. Over the next half hour, Trinity wound her way through the market stalls, finding a variety of different clothing that she felt would fit Neo's slender frame. She found him more sweaters, undershirts, pants, socks, and underwear, using the funds Morpheus had given her earlier that day. She also picked out a couple items for herself that she was needing, including an herbal remedy she had not shared with Neo that she intended on purchasing. It was the equivalent to birth control inside the matrix, but it used both natural and synthetic blends of medicines to control ovulation in women. Her face flamed as she made the purchase, given that she had not purchased the medication in several years now - which only reminded her that she hadn't had sex in several years, which made her feel even worse.
Once that gruesome errand was completed, she hauled her bag onto her back and set out to the council chambers. She wanted to know if Morpheus was still meeting with them and if not, how it went. She was lucky enough to spot him just outside the city hall doors, speaking with someone she didn't recognize. Standing tall, she approached him and nodded a greeting his way. He saw her, excused himself from the other man, and approached her with fervor.
"Trinity! I was just speaking with one of the funeral directors. He is going to get everything in place to hold our crewmates' funerals tonight at 7. I don't know when Dozer's will be, but tonight we will honor Mouse, Apoc, and Switch together." He didn't say Cypher's name, which didn't matter to Trinity one bit. He didn't deserve to share services with the people he murdered. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I just got Neo's things, sir, and wanted to come by here to try and catch you so I could get an update. I am happy to hear they are able to fit them in so quickly." She truly was surprised it would be so soon.
"Well, as you know it has been over a week, almost two now, since their death. This needs to be… expedited." Morpheus said gravely.
Trinity didn't want to hear the rest of what he might have had to say, so she changed the subject. "What happened with the council?"
Morpheus sighed. "Well, it went about as expected. They want to meet Neo and see what he can do. They would like you to bring him by tomorrow morning - I suspect he will be there for the majority of the day. I told them what happened, about how he died and then miraculously revived, though we are unsure why." He gave her a small, knowing smile. "I explained what happened to the crew and how Cypher betrayed us. I think overall their sympathy for what happened has outweighed their anger at unplugging someone Neo's age. I think all will be well if he can prove what we know to be true: that he is indeed the One. They are skeptical at the moment, but I believe overall open-minded."
Trinity thought about what Morpheus said. So far, no bad news, she thought. "So, no one knows about… you know?" she asked him quietly.
He shook his head. "Your business is still your business."
She sighed in relief. "No one is being moved then?"
"Correct."
She rubbed a hand over her face, relief flooding her veins. "Okay. So what do we do now?"
"Well, I would suggest getting some food and getting ready for the services tonight. I will meet you at your apartment beforehand and we can head down together. I will spend this afternoon spreading the word about the services to anyone I know of who was friends with Mouse, Apoc, or Switch, so they may be in attendance. None of them had family in Zion."
Trinity nodded. This likely would include other crews from other ships; at least, the ones who were currently docked. "Understood, sir." She nodded at him once more before turning to leave, but Morpheus gently caught her wrist, and pulled her close.
He whispered in her ear, "Trinity, when word does get out about who Neo is, things may get chaotic for him. People will likely treat him as some sort of messiah or they may react in fear and give him a wide berth. Either way, he needs to be prepared, as do you. Your 'business' will get out sooner or later," he warned. Her blue eyes flashed to his brown ones. She pursed her lips, nodded, and turned to leave again. This time, he let her go and returned back to his intended plans.
After returning from his shower, Neo slid under the blankets on the bed and breathed deeply. Trinity's scent was all around him, and it was incredibly relaxing. He looked down at the pillow and imagined her head lying there, maybe even thinking about him. He knows now that she had watched him for several months. Had she dreamed about him here, too?
Settling in, his thoughts drifted to what other things she may have done in this bed, and he froze, eyes snapping open. He couldn't help it, his mind just wandered there. He wanted more than anything to take it back and think of something else, but the thought was pervasive. He realized now that she had asked him about his dating life in the matrix, but he had yet to ask her about her dating life in Zion. Truthfully, he didn't know how to feel. Instinctively he was jealous, but realistically he knew he had no right to be. She was a grown woman who most certainly had other relationships before him, and that was okay. It didn't feel good to Neo to think about, but he HAD to accept it. I mean God, she was gorgeous and could get any man she wanted, he was certain. He just needed to push those thoughts out of his mind so he could sleep. He promised himself, though, before he drifted off, that he would ask Trinity about it later and hope to God he didn't regret hearing her answer.
Trinity looked at her watch. She had been gone over an hour; almost two, to be exact. She couldn't explain why she suddenly felt nervous to return. Just a little while ago she was so torn between leaving and staying that she almost didn't leave at all. In this moment, she completely hated herself for her behavior today, especially at how wonderful Neo had been to her last night. He was likely waiting for her, wondering where she was, and she was just sitting on a bench watching other men and women work on fixing the Neb. She had gotten all her errands done, including grabbing her and Neo something to eat, but she felt stuck here nonetheless.
Perhaps it was buying the medicine that got Trinity all worked up. She didn't know. It's not like she was planning on having sex with Neo today, though she certainly contemplated it; there was too much going on with the funeral and everything. Plus, tomorrow Neo had to be well-rested for his meeting with the council. These are bullshit excuses, Trinity. You know there's gotta be something else going on, she thought to herself, feeling like a coward. But what's the rush anyway? We have time, she seemed to argue with herself. Or do we? Is time really guaranteed to any of us?
Truthfully, Trinity felt foolish and a bit ashamed of herself, and she really didn't know why. It could be that she found herself thinking about sex with Neo on the day of her friends' funerals. It could be that she hasn't been to Zion in almost two months and perhaps it felt weird not being on the Neb, which felt more like home to her in many ways. Maybe it was a combination of everything. Either way, she had to get back to her apartment. It wasn't fair to Neo to keep him cooped up there, wondering where she was, especially when he couldn't leave to find her.
So, she hauled herself up from the bench, gathered her bags, and made her way back to her apartment. She bit her lip before cautiously opening the door, and before she could speak her practiced apologies out loud, she was surprised to see a half dressed Neo sprawled out in her bed, completely knocked out. She almost giggled. He was on his stomach, legs spread, mouth half open, clutching one of her pillows to his chest like a stuffed animal. He was absolutely adorable and every weird feeling Trinity had been ruminating on and obsessing about for the last hour and a half washed away.
Neo makes everything better, she determined. No matter how poorly she felt, whether it be from embarrassment, shame, sadness, grief, worry, or anger - seeing Neo or talking to Neo just made her feel whole and right and truly at peace. It amazed her and she wondered how in the hell it was possible for someone like HER to be so completely mesmerized by a man that way. She certainly never had been before. Suddenly, it dawned on her.
…Control. I've lost control.
Fear spiked in her gut as she set the bags down on the ground and fell into the same chair Neo had earlier. She realized that's what has been bothering her: she was no longer in control of herself or her feelings. Neo, for better or worse, spun her out of control. Even if it was in a good way, like how he eased her pain, she was still somehow beholden to him. She couldn't sleep without him, didn't want to leave a room if he wasn't coming with her, and made herself sick over the thought of being separated from him. Hell, she spent the better part of today thinking about having sex with him instead of focusing on preparing her heart to say goodbye to her friends. How terrible was that!? But he was her world now. She went from being an independent, badass soldier to a co-dependent, lovesick school girl. And though she loved Neo for certain, she did NOT like that.
Her throat suddenly felt dry. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't change the way she felt - she could try and will away the sadness of leaving him behind, but covering up a feeling doesn't mean the feeling is gone. She couldn't force herself to sleep without him just in spite of herself, because now they shared a bed. So what was she going to do? She felt torn and confused. She loved the way loving Neo made her feel, too; like she was lighter than air and filled with butterflies. He was a wonderful man who in turn made her feel special and beautiful, and she craved his attention. But what if she somehow lost herself in the process?
For the next hour, Trinity just sat there, staring at Neo's sleeping form and thinking about her feelings and their implications. She contemplated her emotional discovery and wondered what it all meant. She knew obsessing wasn't going to change anything, and though it worried her what he would say, she eventually decided that she had to talk to Neo about this. Perhaps he would have some wise anecdote that put her at ease and she could go back to normal, back to before they landed in Zion. In the meantime, she knew this for certain: Neo meant everything to her, and she would not lose him, even if it meant losing herself. She just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Deciding that she didn't want to wake him just yet, Trinity gathered some clothes and her bathroom bag and set off to take a shower. She took her time, letting the hot water wash over her, almost scalding her. When she finally had had enough, she dressed fully before returning back to her room. This time, the creaking of the door made Neo stir. Trinity closed the door behind her, sat down her bag, and looked over at Neo. His head was raised, brown hair tousled, and eyes shining.
"Hello, Trin. I missed you," he mumbled, grinning at her broadly. He was so happy to see her, it almost broke her heart. The conflict within her rose again and she forced it back down, refusing to let it ruin this moment for her. Now is not the time to bombard him with your ridiculous anxiety, she scolded herself.
"Hey there, sleepyhead. I missed you too," she replied, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed next to him. And she really and truly had. In that moment, all she wanted to do was crawl under his skin to be as close to him as possible, but she resisted the urge to try.
"How long was I out?" Neo asked, looking around the room for a clock.
"I don't know what time you fell asleep, but a few hours I'd wager." Trinity looked down at Neo who was now on his back, looking up at her with a sleepy, content expression on his face. He had one arm bent under his head like a pillow and the other resting gently on her thigh.
"Did you get everything done you needed to?"
She nodded. "I did. And the funeral is tonight, by the way. I talked to Morpheus."
"Oh. Okay. How are you doing?" He suddenly looked concerned.
Trinity shrugged. "I'm okay, I think. I hate to say I'm used to this, because it doesn't truly ever get any easier, but I've had time to process what happened I think. I just want to say goodbye officially, and then try and just celebrate the lives they lived, as intended."
Neo nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I see. You said you talked to Morpheus… how did the council meeting go?"
"I'll be taking you down to them tomorrow morning. They want to meet you and plug you into the construct, as we suspected. You need to get good sleep tonight so you'll be prepared."
Neo frowned. "Are they going to let you stay with me?" He sounded sad, and Trinity mentally kicked herself.
"I don't think so, but we can ask." She knew it would be denied, but she didn't want to take away his hope.
"I just worry… maybe I won't be able to do all those things without you."
"I know you can. And if you feel like you can't, just think of me, and know that outside, in the real world, I am most definitely thinking about you," Trinity whispered, trying to reassure him.
Neo smiled. "Come here," he said, and pulled Trinity down into the bed with him. He didn't try and kiss her, or seduce her; he just held her close, breathing her in. They laid side by side, looking into each other's eyes for several minutes before either of them spoke.
"I brought us food. Morpheus will be here soon, and we should eat before he arrives." Trinity said, sitting up slightly, resting her weight on her elbow.
"As much as I don't want to leave this bed, I am starving," Neo groaned.
Trinity's eyes sparkled and she smiled conspiratorially. "Who said anything about leaving this bed?"
After about an hour, both Neo and Trinity were finally finished eating. They had taken their time, savoring the food that (for once) wasn't goop, while sitting on opposite ends of the bed, their legs criss-crossing each other's. Even while in the same room, they both wanted to be touching the other, in any form.
They laughed and talked while they ate, enjoying each other's company. Trinity told stories about Mouse, Dozer, Apoc, and Switch, while Neo just listened. She was more of the observer in the group, rather than someone who participated in the on-board shenanigans, but she had years worth of memories to reflect on. Sometimes she chose to hide away, but sometimes she couldn't help but witness some of the ridiculousness that happened on board: when someone took a card game too seriously when they were drunk, all the many lost bets and the consequences that came after, and even practical jokes played, mostly courtesy of Mouse. It felt really good to reflect on her friends this way. It helped ease her mind, knowing that they may be gone, but these memories would stay with her.
Around 6, they heard a knock on the door. It was tentative, like the person wasn't fully committed to getting their attention. Trinity went to answer it, and saw Morpheus on the other side. He was dressed in his finest garb, standing tall and regal.
"Hello Trinity, I am glad to see you are… ready." Morpheus smirked, looking her up and down. Trinity's cheeks flamed. She understood why Morpheus was hesitant to knock now. He thought she might not have been clothed. She huffed an awkward laugh before inviting him inside.
Neo immediately stood up from his spot on the bed, before inclining his head in greeting. "Hello, Morpheus."
"Hello to you too, Neo. I have come to collect you both, if you are ready to go. I thought we could take the long way and I could show you around the city a bit. What do you think?" Morpheus asked Neo.
Neo nodded. "That sounds great, sir. I just need to change my clothes into something more… appropriate for a funeral. It won't take long. Trinity bought me some nicer clothing today." He pointed toward the bag, still in the corner of the room.
"Of course. Well, I will step out and give you some privacy while you change. Do you need more time, or will you be ready to leave?"
"No, I'll be ready. Trinity, you good?" Neo asked, looking her way. She was still standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She nodded in response before politely following Morpheus out of the apartment.
"We just got done eating," Trinity explained, trying to reassure Morpheus that he hadn't interrupted anything.
He just chuckled. "Ahhh.. young love… I remember what that was like." Clearly he hadn't even heard her. Trinity just scowled, and looked out over the balcony.
After a minute, Neo emerged from the apartment and shut the door behind him. Careful to stay a safe distance away from Trinity, he followed them back to the elevator and down to the main level.
Morpheus showed Neo all the key points of the city, and explained a bit of Zion's history. Neo was again entranced by the sheer size of this impossible place. Trinity just listened to Morpheus, having been on this tour for the newly awakened dozens of times.
Before long, they had arrived at the temple, and the last stop on the tour. It caught Trinity by surprise how fast her heart was beating. She was nervous. As if he could tell, Neo excused himself from Morpheus's history lesson and approached Trinity cautiously.
Without touching her, and making sure to keep his voice low, he asked, "Are you okay?"
She shrugged, not really knowing the answer to that question.
"Well, I am here for you. Just look at me if you need to and know that I'm here with you, right now. I know I can't comfort you like I want to," he glanced around making sure no one could overhear him. "But just know that you're not alone."
They stood a few feet apart, staring into each others' eyes as Trinity's filled with unshed tears. She took a deep breath and nodded, appreciative of his words and support. She then glanced around Neo to Morpheus who was doing his best to remain uninvolved. But he caught her eye anyway.
"I'm ready," she said. And she meant it. I'm ready to say goodbye.
A/N: Again, no fluff which is sad but we'll get there! Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review!