Title: Just Feel
Author: Mango
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: This chapter was a little harder for me to write, I hope it came out okay. Let me know what you think.
In the car, they were both in the backseat while the driver made it through the narrow streets toward the airport.
"How was the reading?" She asked. Not prying, he guessed, just that she wanted to make sure he was holding up okay.
He laughed slightly, "Kind of sucked." A small smile grew on her face, and he cherished it. These days her smile was rare and hard to come by. "But in some ways it was good. She left me the estate." It was at that point that he head swung around and stared at him. He started to laugh at her reaction.
"Vaughn! That's incredible!" He couldn't believe the way her face lit up.
"That's not the half of it. She had a trust fund … I could probably retire now if I wanted to." He said. He found her reaction odd, until he thought about what he said.
"Wow." she said and looked at the hands in her lap. It came out with no enthusiasm just shock. And sadness.
"Not that I would." he said, backtracking. How could he retire now? How was he expected to leave her?
"Why not?" She asked. She looked like she was trying to read his reaction. Read his face.
"I like to finish what I start." He stated. He saw the blush of red rise to her cheeks and smiled with satisfaction. She looked away quickly, looking out the window at her surroundings. "She also gave me this." He said, reaching into his left inside jacket pocket and he pulled out an envelope. He sat, twirling it between his fingers.
"Have you read it?" She said, turning to look at him again. There eyes met and he shivered involuntarily.
"Yeah. Around twenty times when I was in there." He said, turning back to study the envelope.
At that point she did something amazing to him. She kicked off her shoes, undid her seatbelt and slid herself across the back seat until she was right beside him. She lifted her legs onto the seat beside her and leaned onto his side until he put his arm around her wrapping it from one shoulder to her other. He couldn't resist the urge to lean down and smell her hair.
They sat like that, in silence until they reached their destination. When the car stopped they still sat there, not moving. "Syd?" He asked.
"Hmm?"
"Can I take you back here?" When he was given silence as an answer he went on. "Like, do you think we could take vacation and come back here? There's so much I want to show you that I didn't get a chance to this time. I think you'll learn more than you ever would reading a file. If you'd let me." He could feel her goose bumps through the delicate material of her shirt.
"Yeah," She said, as if he had asked her if she wanted a cup of coffee. "I would like that."
When the driver opened Sydney's door she slid over, placed her shoes on her feet and exited the car. He was once again left feeling cold where she had left. He opened his door and Sydney joined him before they grabbed there luggage and dragged it into the line.
When they finally reached the check in counter, Vaughn found that he resented how Sydney didn't come with him, but waited until another was open and went there. There were some things that were going to have to change, and now he could change them.
~
The flight was long and exhausting. Sydney slept through most of it, waking only when Vaughn would shift his arm that she was resting on.
Remembering that Will had picked up her car they took a cab to his place because it was closer to the airport with plans of Vaughn driving Sydney home from there.
He could feel the anticipation radiating off of Sydney as he unlocked the door to his apartment. They stepped into the navy and white accented apartment and was pleased when he found it in its usual state of pristine. He couldn't remember how he had left it.
She stepped in, and Vaughn noticed her looking around. "Great place." She commented as he started toward to bedroom to put his bags away. "It's very you. It even smells like you." She noted. When he turned around and gave her an amused look she blushed. "And I can't believe I just said that out loud."
He laughed, noticing how embarrassed she looked. "Come on, let's get you home. You look exhausted." he said, noting the dark circles under her eyes.
She turned and opened the door "Thanks. I appreciate you noticing. Ass." She said laughing as he walked through it and locked up.
~
Sydney's apartment was empty when they arrived and he sighed, happy that she didn't have to deal with any hellos, she was simply too exhausted. "Is here okay?" He asked, dropping her bags in the living room.
"Yeah, that will be fine." She said, sounding distant and tired. "Can I make you some coffee?" She added, he guessed as an afterthought.
"You should sleep." He stated and she looked at him over her shoulder a somewhat irritated look, he thought.
"Tea then?" She suggested.
"No, thank you. I should be going."
"Okay" She said, her voice giving away her disappointment. He walked over to her back and took her shoulders and turned her around so she was facing him.
"Thank you." He said, feeling kind of foolish. "Those words seem so … inadequate, I know. But I don't know what else to say. I couldn't have made it through these past couple of days without you."
"Let's not be dramatic." She stated and he noted that she was avoiding his gaze. She was nervous. Agent Sydney Bristow was nervous. "Yes, you could have. But I'm happy I was there."
"Me too." He said softly. He couldn't take his eyes off her lips. He thought about kissing away the sadness and the exhaustion and imagined what it would be like. Warm, soft velvet he imagined. Just like the last time. And she would taste like heaven, like sweet and sex. He shook the thought out of his head and settled for pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Chere."
"Goodnight, Michael." She said, closing the door after him. He made his way to his car before patting his jacket pocket and turning back and knocking on her door.
She opened it tentatively, then stepped aside and let him inside. He stepped inside backed her against the wall of the entryway. "I forgot to give you something." He said in a voice he hardly recognized. He had to get out of here before he abandon all thoughts of chivalry.
"Oh yeah?" she asked, her voice husky with anticipation, her eyes darting from his eyes to his mouth.
"Yeah." He said leaning in ever so slowly. He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope. "This."
She stared at it for a moment, as if trying to place what it was. When it finally clicked in she shook her head. "No Vaughn, it was meant for you, I'd feel …"
He interrupted her mid-sentence. "I think it was meant for both of us, Syd. See you tomorrow."
