Behind the Scenes - 6
A/N: Not sure if I have to put a disclaimer in every chapter but I don't own the characters, yadda yadda. This chapter was tough to write at times, like the last one, but we're slowly getting to the good stuff! Hope you enjoy!
After the funeral, Trinity and Neo said their goodbyes to Morpheus and other funeral attendees. They walked leisurely back to their apartment, careful to walk a couple feet apart. Neo was all too aware now of Trinity's concern about their public image. They were both exhausted but neither voiced this out loud. It was quiet at this time of night, as most people were in bed. Neo wanted to talk to Trinity but didn't know what to say. She hadn't shed a single tear at the funeral, nor did he really expect her to. That damn wall was almost impenetrable, especially around other people. He knew this was the soldier-version of Trinity, not his - girlfriend? Lover? Soulmate slash love of his life? He truly didn't know what to call her. Either way, he didn't want to impose on her so he tried to give her her space instead.
Trinity appreciated the space, and could tell Neo was trying to be very cognizant of her current mood. She was surprised, however, to find that she was actually in a much more calm headspace than she had been earlier that day. The funeral had been hard but mostly therapeutic in many ways. It allowed her the chance to say goodbye but it also left her realizing the fundamental fact that life was not guaranteed and could be taken at any moment. While most people would be frightened and stressed by this sudden awareness, she reveled in the fact that she was still here, and she was here with Neo, and they were alive and well. It almost energized her. In some ways, yes, she worried about the future and what would happen to them and whether they would make it out of this war alive, but for now, they were very much alive. She knew she shouldn't waste this precious time worrying about things that she had no control over, even if letting go felt very much against her true nature. She knew she couldn't take life for granted anymore and it took attending this funeral to finally come to terms with that.
As they arrived at their apartment, Trinity unlocked the door to let them both inside. They entered and right away they both removed their boots at the door. Neo sighed and fell into the chair in the corner while Trinity plopped down on the edge of the bed. They were both happy it was over and they were finally able to retire for the night. Neither spoke for a moment, not knowing what to do or what to say next. They just looked at each other, Neo trying to keep the sympathy off his face. He knew she wouldn't like that; she didn't want to be pitied. He'd spent all night trying to keep his eyes on her, trying to read her expressions and use them as a gateway into her thoughts. But as usual, she was stoic and unreadable, even when given societal permission to publicly show her grief; she still wouldn't.
He bent over and put his elbows on his knees, loosely clasping his hands in front of him. "So what time do we need to be at the council chambers tomorrow?" Neo asked, trying to break the thick tension. Clearly she was not going to volunteer her thoughts on the evening, so he figured it would be better to change the subject rather than pry into something she might not want to talk about.
Trinity rubbed the back of her neck, closed her eyes, and groaned. "Oh God, I almost forgot. You're right," she sighed. "Morpheus said 'first thing' so I would wager around 8."
"So, we should maybe turn in, then? It's almost midnight. That was one hell of a celebration of life…" Neo snorted.
Trinity nodded, stood up from the bed, and went to retrieve more comfortable clothes to sleep in. Without preamble or discretion, she began changing her clothes. Neo stood from the chair and looked away suddenly, unsure of what to do. Of course he wanted to watch but didn't think that was something she wanted him to do. But if she wanted to be shy, she could have asked him to look away. But she didn't, so what did that mean? God, this relationship stuff is confusing as hell, he thought. I don't know what I can or can't do, should or shouldn't say. Best to play it safe I guess - I do NOT want to piss her off. So, keeping his back to her, he grabbed the clothes he was wearing to bed earlier and changed into them, too.
Trinity peaked over her shoulder and smirked at Neo's sudden, obvious discomfort. It almost made her laugh out loud. He was so cute, trying to be respectful. She honestly didn't care whether he saw her or not but this route was certainly more entertaining. She supposed she could have said this to him out loud, but in a way this was more fun. Plus she knew what seeing her naked body would do to him and she knew they didn't have time for that tonight, not with their early morning schedule. Not only that, but deep down she knew seeing the lust in his eyes would ignite something in her she did not have the energy to quench. Not just yet, at least.
Once they were both changed, Trinity turned out the lights and they slipped into bed. It was like falling into a routine that both knew by heart; this was somethingthey were both very comfortable with. Trinity lay on her side while Neo cozied up to her back, being the 'big spoon.' He breathed her in; he couldn't help it, and she knew it. And she loved it.
Before both could drift off into sleep, Trinity set the alarm on her watch and set it on the bedside table. She turned slightly, so she could face Neo, and kissed him tenderly. As she pulled away, she rubbed the tip of her nose gently against his and felt his intake of breath. His big brown eyes shone in the low light and she smiled. This was by far her favorite part of the day, every day.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you more," Neo whispered back, sounding almost pained to say so.
"Are you okay?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed.
"Very okay."
She frowned briefly. "You sure? I know you're nervous about tomorrow…"
"I have you. We're here, together. I am nervous but…in this moment, I am more than okay. How can I not be with this gorgeous, perfect woman in my arms?"
She sighed, content with his answer, and rolled back over to her original position while trying and failing to suppress a smile. "You flatter me, Neo. Good night."
"Good night, Trin. But it's not my fault you deserve flattering."
She just scoffed playfully and pushed her body closer to his. He responded in kind by tightening his hold around her waist. She took a deep breath, memorizing the feeling of the heat of his body as it pressed against hers.
She slept more deeply that night than she had in weeks. A sense of peace had come over her, and she knew she had Neo to thank for it.
The beeping alarm startled both Neo and Trinity out of a deep slumber. They were still curled comfortably together under the blankets and neither wanted to get up. In fact, Neo contemplated throwing the watch against the wall and saying, "fuck it, the council can wait a few more hours." But alas, he knew he couldn't really do that. Too much relied on how today went.
Trinity reached over and grabbed the watch, shutting the alarm off. She untangled herself from Neo, sat up, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Neo just watched her try and wake up, marveling at her beauty, even in the early hours of the morning. As she stretched, he could see her powerful back muscles and immediately found his thoughts wandering to what she looked like under her thin tank top. He immediately regretted letting his thoughts wander there, however, because this only increased the severity of his morning "problem." He groaned before wiping his face with his hands, desperate to think of anything else. Worst of all, Trinity looked over her shoulder at him, smirked, and flashed him a teasing, knowing smile before rising from the bed.
"Do you need to take care of that before we leave?" she suggested sweetly.
Neo glared at her. "No, I'm fine. This is normal for guys and you know it."
"Of course. I just wanted to see if you wanted some privacy is all…" she huffed a short laugh, holding her hands up in surrender.
"No, I'm fine," he gritted through his teeth. Less than gracefully, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. Trinity took this opportunity to throw on some new clothes to wear while she escorted Neo downstairs.
After a minute or so of his faux meditation, Neo was ready to get up and get ready himself. He dressed quickly before he and Trinity left the apartment to go use the facilities down the hall. Once they were both ready to head downstairs, Trinity dropped their bathroom bag off in the apartment before shutting and locking the door behind her. They headed downstairs in comfortable silence, though Neo's nerves were twisting his stomach. He tried not to show it, but Trinity knew that Neo was feeling immense pressure.
They didn't head to the council chambers right away though, Neo noticed with confusion. They first headed to one of the dining facilities, most commonly used by the crews of the varying warships.
"Trinity, I don't think I can stomach anything right now…" Neo tried telling her. He was walking slightly behind her, but she continued striding on, confidently walking in the direction of the dispersal line.
"Nonsense, Neo. You have a big day ahead of you. You need sustenance. Who knows how long you'll be jacked in?" She tried to sound cheery, but he could hear the worry behind her faked tone. That certainly didn't help him feel any better.
"I don't know…"
But Trinity grabbed their food off the line, paid the employee, and signaled for Neo to follow her to a nearby table. Once seated, he frowned and looked down at the food. She pushed it towards him with one outstretched finger. "Eat. Trust me. You'll be glad you did."
He looked around the room. There were other patrons scattered around the place, but it was mostly empty. He figured most people were still sleeping after the funeral last night.
"I can try, I guess…" he muttered, before opening the cloth wrapper around his food. He took a bite, and they ate in silence. He didn't want to admit it to her, but he was actually pretty hungry. It took taking a couple bites for him to realize just how hollow his stomach felt.
"You're going to be great, you know. I'm not worried," she said, trying to sound reassuring. He believed that she did, in fact, believe he would do well, but he could also tell that she was lying about being worried. It was certainly a confusing sentiment. He tried really hard not to read too much into it, but there was a lot riding on this today. The level of exertion he expected to feel when he came out, and the toll his body took while fighting was also something he did not look forward to.
"I won't let you down," Neo said, trying and failing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Trinity stopped chewing, swallowed, and looked him dead in the eye.
"Neo, I will not leave you. Even if they put you in another room and take you away from me, I will not leave that building. I know you are the One. You know it, too. You can do everything you did before, and probably more. I have faith in you. And I promise to be there waiting for you to take you home when you come back out," she whispered earnestly, desperate for him to feel some level of confidence.
He was taken aback by her declaration, but it warmed his heart nonetheless. "Thank you," he replied bashfully.
She nodded once, and they continued eating their meal. After a few more minutes, they had both finished and it was time to leave. Trinity recycled their used cloths and led Neo back down the main street to the council chambers.
Morpheus was waiting outside for them when they arrived, looking a bit panicked. "There you are! I had worried you might have overslept."
Trinity just shook her head. "No sir, I just took Neo to get some breakfast."
Morpheus nodded in understanding. "Very well. Let's head inside and get Neo acquainted with the council, shall we?"
Taking a deep breath, Neo nodded and stepped into the building - ready or not.
Meeting the council hadn't actually been as bad as Neo had thought it would be. They all seemed fairly friendly, at least, the ones who talked had. Many of them had remained silent during his testimony. He was made to recall, in detail, almost every single event leading up to this moment: his time in the matrix and search for Morpheus, his run ins with the agents, his unplugging and the time spent on the Neb, and finally the all-too-important death and revival he experienced a couple weeks ago. He was sure to leave out all details of Trinity that weren't strictly professional, and when asked what he thought brought him 'back' from the dead, he simply answered, "I don't know, perhaps a sense of purpose; that I hadn't reached my full potential yet." That certainly sounded less suspicious than, "the voice of the woman I love confessing her feelings for me."
Trinity and Morpheus were allowed to witness his testimony, but were not allowed to speak. They sat in the audience, surrounded by unusually empty chairs. This was a closed session, and the council did not allow any others to witness what Neo had to say. Trinity didn't know if that was a good or bad sign, but she was grateful they even allowed the two of them to sit in. She knew it made Neo more comfortable to know he wasn't alone.
When he was finished with his story, a couple council members asked him some follow up questions, which he dutifully answered without skipping a beat. Neo may be an introvert, but he was doing spectacularly in Trinity's eyes. He sounded sure of himself; strong. She knew it was all a facade though. He was putting on a show, knowing all too well how important this was for them. She was so proud of him, she had to fight to hold back her tears. God, I was never this weepy before Neo, what has he done to me? she thought to herself, almost laughing out loud.
Soon, the questioning ceased. The council quietly murmured amongst themselves before Counselor Hamann rose from his chair.
"Neo, thank you for giving your testimony today. I can imagine it's not easy facing a group of people like ourselves, whom you have never met, and having to relay in such detail all that you have experienced the last several weeks. We do appreciate your candor, and hope you can understand why we must question you so," he said with a friendly smile.
Neo nodded. "Yes, sir. I do. I hope my explanation was satisfactory."
"Yes, my boy, it certainly helps to know how things transpired from your perspective. We have heard similar testimony from your captain, Morpheus, already. But now, we would like to invite you to show us what you can do. We have a station just down the hall where we would like to take you. There, you may enter into the construct and put your… abilities… to the test. What do you say?" Hamann asked.
Neo knew the invitation was only a courtesy. He couldn't really say no. He nodded his assent, careful to keep from reflexively looking behind him at Trinity and Morpheus for approval. He knew this was the plan all along.
Counselor Hamann clapped his hands together and smiled. "Very well. Please follow me. And Morpheus, Trinity, please wait in the waiting room in the front. We will bring Neo to you when we are finished." The council members all stood and filed out of the chambers, towards the room they would take Neo to. Hamann and Neo brought up the rear of the line. Trinity and Morpheus headed to the door they had entered from. Just before Neo could be ushered through the door, however, he risked one backwards glance towards Morpheus and Trinity's retreating forms. She must have felt it in the air, because she looked back at him, too. Their eyes met, and she smiled; a true, genuine, light-up-her-face smile. Neo's heart soared and he felt confidence flood his veins.
If only because Trinity believed in him, he was going to give them a show like they'd never seen before.
The waiting was agonizing. For one, Trinity had no idea how long this was going to take, which drove her crazy. She wanted to know how long she was going to have to sit here worrying, twiddling her thumbs. Two, she knew after talking to Morpheus that this was likely the last task they would have to do for a while, which made her impatient for it to be over. The ship repairs were nowhere near finished, so that guaranteed at least two weeks, according to Trinity's best guess, that they would be docked in Zion. Once Neo was done, they would hopefully have all those days off and to themselves. Days off meant days where they didn't have to leave the apartment. Not leaving the apartment meant quality time spent together, which she yearned for more than just about anything right now. Granted, she knew they could be summoned at any time, but she felt confident Morpheus knew how she felt and would do his best to only call upon her if it were truly an emergency.
Morpheus also told her this morning while they waited that Dozer's funeral would be in two days' time. Part of Trinity felt guilty for not having gone to see Tank since they had been docked in Zion, but she knew he was grieving with his family right now. Her and Neo would break their staycation to attend Dozer's funeral, and she hoped that Tank could forgive her for not checking in on him sooner.
For hours, Trinity sat alone in the waiting room. Morpheus had left long ago to 'take care of some things', he said. But she had made a promise not to leave, so she remained. Morpheus eventually returned, however, and they sat in silence. At first, he sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, looking calm and stoic. After a while, he stood and paced around the room, glancing down at his watch every few minutes, agitation showing on his face.
Tired of watching him pace, she leaned her head against the wall behind her and began to drift off. She had no idea how long she was out before the opening and closing of a heavy door jolted her awake. Morpheus had fallen asleep too apparently, because he was now back in his original chair, neck bent to the side at an awkward angle. Maybe all that pacing wore him out, Trinity thought wryly.
"Morpheus, wake up," Trinity called. She could hear footsteps headed their way. She stood quickly, bones cracking as she did. She winced. God what time is it?!
Morpheus looked around, confused, before coming to the realization of where he was. He stood at attention, eyes drawn to where the footsteps were coming from. They both anxiously awaited Neo's return, but Trinity knew that Morpheus was most interested in what the council had to say after seeing what Neo could do. Trinity had to remind herself not to run to him and envelope him in her arms upon seeing him. She repeated it to herself like a mantra: "don't run up to him, let them bring him to you."
When she finally laid eyes on him, she was taken aback. He was bruised, with some dried blood in the corner of his mouth. But overall, he seemed okay. His eyes lit up when they saw her, knowing she had kept her promise. She tried to convey as much love and excitement as possible into her eyes, so he would see her and know how happy she was to see him. She just hoped Hamann wasn't paying her any mind.
"Ah, I was starting to worry, Counselor," Morpheus said, voicel deep, and still thick with sleep.
"Nothing to worry about, Morpheus. I have to say, I was incredibly impressed by your boy, here. The things he can do… well, I don't have a doubt in my mind. You've found Him, Morpheus." Hamann said, a wide smile on his face.
Trinity closed her eyes and sighed in relief. Neo had done it.
"I recommend lots of rest, young man," Hamann said, directing his attention towards Neo now. "If we need anything else, we will contact Morpheus. In the meantime, do enjoy your stay in Zion and let us know if there is anything else you need." With that, he turned and went back down the hall from which he came.
Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus stood alone in the waiting area. Morpheus reached out a hand, and Neo took it. He gave Neo a powerful handshake before wiping his eyes with his free hand. "I'm proud of you, Neo. I had no doubts that you were the One, and now they know it too." He paused, fatherly pride filling his face and bringing tears to his eyes. "I know you must be exhausted. I'll leave you two to head back to your apartment. I'll contact you if you are needed but consider the next couple of days yours to do as you see fit. You've earned it." Morpheus smiled once more before exiting the building, clearly relieved to have been finally justified for his decisions.
Neo and Trinity just stood there, looking at each other, speaking with expressions alone: I love you, I missed you, I'm proud of you, let's go home.
Wordlessly, they left the building, too, and headed back down the main street to the residential elevators. They walked in silence, Neo limping slightly. He was moving more slowly than before, which made Trinity shake with the injustice of it all. She knew this "test" had been unnecessary and now he was in pain. She felt a protectiveness over Neo that superseded any other emotion at the moment; she needed to get him home, get him some painkillers, and get him into the bed so he could get some sleep.
Once they finally arrived, she unlocked the door and brought Neo inside. She led him to the bed where he sat down slowly, gingerly. She carefully removed his boots for him before tossing them to the door. She brought him a change of clothes to put on and rummaged through her drawers to find the painkillers. He took them from her gratefully and swallowed them with some leftover water from dinner the night before that had been left on Trinity's table. Well, their table.
"I can take care of myself, Trin," he tried to argue as she helped him lift his shirt above his head. His arms were leaden but she didn't need to know that. She just gave him a knowing smile.
"You act like I haven't been in your position before. Fighting for hours on end will wear you down, whether you're the One or not." She helped him out of his pants before deciding to forego putting new ones on, and just left him in his underwear. Carefully, she helped him lie down under the blankets. He winced as he moved, which only incited her earlier fury at his predicament.
"How long was I in there? It didn't feel like much time had passed…" he mused as he adjusted his position, trying to get comfortable.
"Several hours. I'd wager it's just after dinnertime based on how busy it was downstairs. In fact, I am going to go get us some food for the next few days while you lie down. I'll be back soon." Her watch was still lying on the bedside table from earlier, and she didn't care enough to check to see what time it actually was.
"No! Don't go!" Neo suddenly exclaimed, trying to sit up.
"Why? Are you okay, do you need something?" Trinity asked, worry spiking her voice. She fussed over him like he was a child, but Neo just swatted her away, annoyed.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just don't want you to leave. We've been apart all day," he whined, suddenly sounding sad. Trinity understood where he was coming from. It had been hard on her too.
"But we have to eat, Neo. You need to have something on your stomach since you just took those pills. I promise I will come right back. Hopefully we won't have to go down into society at all tomorrow. We can just lie around here all day and be together. Okay?" she tried reasoning with him.
He pursed his lips but nodded, "Okay, but come right back."
Trinity leaned down, kissed his forehead gently, and headed back out the door.
Twenty minutes later, with a bag full of food and beverages, Trinity re-entered the apartment. Neo was dozing slightly, but awoke when he heard her come in. He sat up and groaned at the soreness in his abs.
She walked over to him and handed him some more water, which he drank greedily. Then, after she had removed her boots and put her pajamas back on, she grabbed some faux veggie wraps from the bag and climbed onto the bed. Like they had done the night before, they sat on the bed and ate their dinner, happy to be sharing a meal in the privacy of their apartment.
Neo told her about the test, and how he had done what she recommended and thought of her throughout the experience. It gave him strength and confidence and he realized then, while recounting his day and what they had thrown at him, that he likely wouldn't be the One without her. He even told her as much, which only made her roll her eyes and laugh at him. But he meant every word. She may not believe it, which was fine, but Neo was convinced that if he hadn't met her, or if things were different somehow, he would not be the person Morpheus wanted him to be. Her love for him made all the difference; he knew it in his bones.
After dinner, Trinity cleaned up before joining Neo under the blankets. She snuggled up to him and laid her head on his chest, palm absent-mindedly rubbing his flat stomach.
"It's too early for you to go to sleep, Trinity." Neo said, confused at her new position next to him.
"Who said anything about going to sleep?" she shrugged.
"Well, I don't think I could do much more than lie here even though I really, really want to," he groaned. "But you don't have to sleep just because I'm probably going to."
She contemplated, and replied, "I want to be with you, and do what you are doing. If that means sleep, then so be it."
"That's not fair to you."
"Hey, it was exhausting waiting for you all day. I could use the extra sleep, too."
"Suuure, exhausting…" Neo chuckled. "I appreciate it, by the way; you waiting for me. I'm just glad it's over now."
She lifted her head slightly and looked up at him from her position on his chest. "I'm glad too. And you're welcome. I told you I wouldn't. I didn't want you to be alone."
Neo put his arms around her and held her close, soreness be damned. "I'll never be alone again, now that I have you."
Trinity didn't respond. In fact, this only reminded her of what she had wanted to talk to Neo about yesterday, before the funerals. Again though, she decided now wasn't the best time. It had been a long day for him and when those painkillers kicked in, he was going to be out like a light. So instead, she kissed his chest softly before closing her eyes and adjusting her position. She situated her leg so that it laid between Neo's legs and reached her arm around his waist, hugging him tightly.
Neo sighed contentedly and whispered into the darkness of her hair, "Tomorrow, when I'm feeling better, you're all mine."
Trinity's blood warmed and a shiver went down her spine in anticipation.
"Yes, sir," she whispered back, which seemed to please Neo greatly by the growing pressure against her thigh.
Soon enough though, as expected, the painkillers helped Neo relax and eventually he fell asleep. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her cheek. She felt undeniably happy in that moment, and couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring.
Neo had been mistaken though.
Tomorrow, he was going to be all hers.
A/N: Yeesh, another chapter done! Another not-so-favorite chapter, I've realized, but necessary to move the story along. Next chapter though… skip it if you don't want to read some smokin steam! As always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged!