A/N: Sorry for the long A/N. Just to say I'm going with the sequels. Yes,
the ending too. I know not everyone liked it, but even if we don't, I think
we respect the ending that the Wachowskis decided on - after all, they're
responsible for all of this. ^^
I would love to update more often. I'm sorry I'm so slow. If anyone's seen Déjà vu, though, they'd know what my computer does when I upload things. So I have to forcibly grab people to upload things for me. Then I've got holiday homework and la, back to school in January!
Note: I found the line "... because the Oracle had said she would meet the One, and that she would fall in love with him - but Trinity knew what it might mean, when she hadn't been told expressly that she could keep him." In Of the flesh and binary. Forgive me. This has been the inspiration for the whole fic, and I've only just found it.
Centaur is again the best. I'm saving the argument for later. Zephy, (that's your name now), I hope the fight makes you happy. Without GypsyLemon, there would be no chapters. GrinningRandomElf, I can't believe you reviewed - I loved 'Body heat is the best defence against the cold'! ^^ And Xianny, sugar Neo is for licking, not chewing!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!
Isaiah 58:9 - Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
No! Sugar Neo for chewing! *munches Sugar Neo up* ~ Xianny
Neo has hot stubble! ~ Xianny
You come to your senses slowly. You're warm, not feverish, just warm - too warm to be back in your bed onboard ship. There's a strong laundry smell, the coarse soap you use to wash sheets or clothes. Zion flashes through your mind. Where were you last night?
The elevator; Neo. You open your eyes. There's a solid wall just in front of your face. Blinking quickly, you sit up. Your head brushes another's - Neo's. You wipe sweat from your neck. You can feel your heart pounding almost at a frenzied rate as you scramble off him, you've practically fallen asleep on his shoulder - face burning - on lap even. You only calm down when you realize - thankfully - that's he's still fast asleep. At least, his eyes are closed, though his mouth is open. You smile, glad he can't see you. Damn, damned cute.
You stopped last night, here with him. because the lift jammed. The thought makes you smile, again. For once, the old lift works in your favor. The lights are fully on, though, which means the power must be back online.
Neo snores quietly in agreement.
Easing yourself off him, you get to your feet. Then you change your mind, kneeling by his side, taking in his sleeping features.
You don't recall sleeping on top of him - in fact, you barely remember falling asleep at all. Maybe. And then there was his hand, resting on the small of your back, fingers cool and questing on the gap where the hem of your shirt has ridden up. You flush - he probably had a very clear view down your shirt last night.
You focus your attention back on the elevator panel. Apparently, it's still under repair - none of the buttons are lighted up yet. You recall being nearly at the fourth floor.
There's no one answering the intercom.
You hear a groan behind you.
Stoically, you gaze at the elevator buttons. There are times you wonder if you truly like him as a person, or whether you're just after his warm almond eyes or his smile. Most often, though, you wonder what he wonders. It's funny how he can seem so young, when he must be nearly ten years your senior. For now, though, you are his senior.
"The lights are back on, but the elevator still isn't going anywhere," you inform him tonelessly. "The good news is that it's currently under repair." (Neo grunts.) "Should be up in a little while."
You become aware of Neo standing behind you. His eyes are slits, and he's rubbing them furiously. His hair has somehow succeeded to be tousled to the point of defying gravity.
"Sleep well?" you ask him, casually.
He attempts a solemn expression, which comes out as a slightly sloppy - but equally adorable nonetheless - grin. "As well as you did."
You almost blush, wishing the lights would go out again so he wouldn't be able to tell. He has such high opinions of his shoulders.
The smile slowly gives way to a yawn. Neo goes back to his homegrown monosyllabacy. He motions for you to move aside.
"The intercom isn't-" you stop yourself as Neo starts pounding the unlit elevator buttons. "What are you doing?"
He stops abruptly, looking sheepishly back at you. "It worked in my old flat."
"Well, keep at it, Mr. Fix-it."
You watch in amusement as Neo proceeds to very systematically hammer each elevator button in turn. Nothing happens. He repeats the sequence, backwards, but still nothing happens.
Neo catches your inexorable smile out of the corner of his eye. He flashes you back one, properly awake now. It hits you that he's been showing off, of all things. and you've found you like it. Neo raises a fist dramatically, taking aim.
And the lights die again.
Stunned, stung silence.
Then, laughter. Unexpected laughter. Yours.
"This place doesn't work the way I want it to," Neo grumbles, somewhere very close to your right ear. He shuffles even near, and you can hear a button being cautiously prodded. "What's so funny?"
You're still laughing as you reply, "You broke the elevator!"
"I did not," he mutters indignantly, punching more buttons.
"Well then, fix it."
Something pokes you in the back.
"The elevator, Neo."
"I can't see anything. You can try."
You'd been waiting for that. You slam him against the control panel. The buttons dig into his spine and he yelps, more out of surprise than pain. "The elevator is fixing you."
"What was that for?"
"Revenge," you say, as innocently as you can while blindly pinning his other arm to the panel. His breath is warmth and fury on your neck again, but he seems in torment. Probably thinking of how he kept stepping on your fingers.
For nearly a minute you struggle against him, savoring the dragging fatigue in your aching muscles which separates the feeling of a fight in the real world from one in the matrix. Palms slick with sweat are your eyes. You feel him there in the hot and heavy darkness.
A tiny red light flickers on. Something crackles.
"Now you've gone and broken something," Neo grunts between breaths.
You pause a fraction of a second. Enough time for Neo to pin one of your arms behind your back. You gasp, before kneeing him somewhere in the ribs. "It's the intercom. You answer."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Anything that'll bring them running."
"I'm being attacked," he manages feebly. Releasing the button, he looks back at you, or at least, you think he does. "You do strange things for fun."
The entire elevator jolts again, like there's an invisible beast stomping around in it. You knock him over when he looses his footing. His attempt at a sweeping kick is too slow, and the last thing he expects is for you to land on him - which you do -
"I give," Neo chokes out, flopping on the ground in mock-surrender. You're kneeling on his thighs.
"Really?"
"Oof. I mean, yes."
You loosen your grip ever so slightly, but don't let go of his arms. Bending low over him, you stay just above him, enough so as to leave a slight gap between his body and yours. You whisper directly in his ear, "I'm not done with you yet."
Your lips graze his ear lobe. Just briefly, just once. You lick your lips gingerly. Lioness, keeping her prize to herself. "I'm going to have to punish you."
(Georgie-porgie.)
"What for?" He's breathing faster now.
(Pudding and pie.) You shrug. "Same reason."
Neo snorts. "I see." (Kissed the girls.)
Your lips are trailing further down now, following his strong jaw line. He has cute stubble. "Stop asking questions, coppertop." (And made them cry.)
You close your eyes; you're just about there, there, close enough; where it's warm, where his soft breath mingles with yours; that place where you can feel every bead of sweat trailing down your skin, where you can feel your resolve weakening, your arms slipping, your bodies touching and your lips just meeting his-
Hard, glaring lights claw their way forcefully past your closed lids; you pause to catch your breath for a quarter of a second-
In a whirl of gray, you're on your back, facing the ceiling. You squint up against the lights directly in your eyes. Neo's sitting on your chest, grinning happily down at you and looking very pleased with himself.
"Got you this time," he crows.
Dammit. You sigh. "Such a gentleman."
When the elevator jolts again, this time decidedly upwards, you thrust your entire weight upwards, but Neo, smugly, doesn't move an inch. This time, though, the elevator stops by itself, rather than a mechanically induced jerk to prevent it from falling. It's back under control.
Your breath catches in your throat. From the corner of your eye, the door starts to open.
"Neo, get off," you whisper urgently. Your struggle is futile. Neo only grins back.
"Nope. Not falling for that one."
"The doors are opening," you hiss between your teeth. If you tilt your head to the right, you can see the gap in the doors as it widens - empty. For now.
Neo chuckles. "Even if the doors are opening, nobody will be out there."
Oh, you wish. You grind your teeth and roll as hard as you can to the left. With yet another, "Oof!", you manage to wedge Neo against the wall. With your remaining momentum, you force yourself on one knee, and then unsteadily stand.
The lift doors open completely. Fresh air pours into the elevator.
If there hadn't been anyone outside the lift, you probably would have screamed in fury over wasted effort. Instead, a very familiar face stares back at you.
"Link?"
"Trinity?" Link grins at you, white teeth contrasting sharply with his dark skin. His dreadlocks swing as he talks. "What's a chick like you doing stuck in the old junk bucket?"
You desperately try to stop him from saying more, but that isn't necessary as he turns his attention to Neo, sprawled on the floor, who groans at that precise moment. Link blinks a few times, before grinning again. "Hey, Trinity, who's this?"
From his expression, it's clear he's already made his mind up. Neo is grinning sheepishly up at Link now. It makes him look guilty, if nothing else. Maybe he's just dazed.
"Trinity?"
You recognize that voice. You definitely recognize that voice. A moment later, Morpheus steps out from the side of the elevator.
"I heard that two of my crewmembers were shouting down the intercom," he begins sternly.
Then he stops. An odd sort of expression closes over his face. He mouth twitches, like he's got a frog in there trying to hop out. He takes a deep gulping breath. "The intercom in the shipyard elevator."
Morpheus coughs very fakely. Neo looks quite plainly uneasy. You wonder if he could be sick. Or worse, delirious.
Link cuts in, "Maybe I should inform them, sir."
Morpheus manages a quick nod before breaking into a slow jog, clutching his stomach as he runs. It's the strangest sight you've ever seen.
"Is Morpheus. okay?" Neo asks, standing beside you outside the elevator.
"More than okay. He's improving his health, prolonging his years." Link snickers. "Anyway, it'll be another ten hours before we head out again. He says to get some rest."
"We?"
For the first time, Link's expression changes. "Yeah, we. I'm coming." He flips his dreadlocks out of his face with a careless hand and a sigh. "I'm your new operator."
You nod, though Neo probably doesn't know why. Maybe his job would be easier if he didn't know - have to know - that his sacrifices were two-way.
"I'll see you in ten hours, then." You step fully out of the elevator. Glancing behind, you see Neo do the same. You try to catch his gaze, but he doesn't look back at you.
The elevator door grates peacefully shut, like a formidable beast going into slumber. Neo looks down at the ground, shuffling his feet a bit, as if trying to decide which direction to head.
You have to ask him, "Where are you going?"
Neo looks up. His flickering gaze seems to avoid yours - most likely riveted over your shoulder, to Link, who's within hearing distance. Uncomfortably, he replies, "Back to my room, I guess." His eyes slowly meet yours, but his words have more difficulty. "You have something in mind?"
Yes, I do?
Do you?
You?
"I suppose not."
A final glance would be too painful. You walk away from all you are hopelessly in love with, deeply bruised. Along the way you find your captain, ducked in an alley, clutching the wall for support, still laughing.
I would love to update more often. I'm sorry I'm so slow. If anyone's seen Déjà vu, though, they'd know what my computer does when I upload things. So I have to forcibly grab people to upload things for me. Then I've got holiday homework and la, back to school in January!
Note: I found the line "... because the Oracle had said she would meet the One, and that she would fall in love with him - but Trinity knew what it might mean, when she hadn't been told expressly that she could keep him." In Of the flesh and binary. Forgive me. This has been the inspiration for the whole fic, and I've only just found it.
Centaur is again the best. I'm saving the argument for later. Zephy, (that's your name now), I hope the fight makes you happy. Without GypsyLemon, there would be no chapters. GrinningRandomElf, I can't believe you reviewed - I loved 'Body heat is the best defence against the cold'! ^^ And Xianny, sugar Neo is for licking, not chewing!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!
Isaiah 58:9 - Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
No! Sugar Neo for chewing! *munches Sugar Neo up* ~ Xianny
Neo has hot stubble! ~ Xianny
You come to your senses slowly. You're warm, not feverish, just warm - too warm to be back in your bed onboard ship. There's a strong laundry smell, the coarse soap you use to wash sheets or clothes. Zion flashes through your mind. Where were you last night?
The elevator; Neo. You open your eyes. There's a solid wall just in front of your face. Blinking quickly, you sit up. Your head brushes another's - Neo's. You wipe sweat from your neck. You can feel your heart pounding almost at a frenzied rate as you scramble off him, you've practically fallen asleep on his shoulder - face burning - on lap even. You only calm down when you realize - thankfully - that's he's still fast asleep. At least, his eyes are closed, though his mouth is open. You smile, glad he can't see you. Damn, damned cute.
You stopped last night, here with him. because the lift jammed. The thought makes you smile, again. For once, the old lift works in your favor. The lights are fully on, though, which means the power must be back online.
Neo snores quietly in agreement.
Easing yourself off him, you get to your feet. Then you change your mind, kneeling by his side, taking in his sleeping features.
You don't recall sleeping on top of him - in fact, you barely remember falling asleep at all. Maybe. And then there was his hand, resting on the small of your back, fingers cool and questing on the gap where the hem of your shirt has ridden up. You flush - he probably had a very clear view down your shirt last night.
You focus your attention back on the elevator panel. Apparently, it's still under repair - none of the buttons are lighted up yet. You recall being nearly at the fourth floor.
There's no one answering the intercom.
You hear a groan behind you.
Stoically, you gaze at the elevator buttons. There are times you wonder if you truly like him as a person, or whether you're just after his warm almond eyes or his smile. Most often, though, you wonder what he wonders. It's funny how he can seem so young, when he must be nearly ten years your senior. For now, though, you are his senior.
"The lights are back on, but the elevator still isn't going anywhere," you inform him tonelessly. "The good news is that it's currently under repair." (Neo grunts.) "Should be up in a little while."
You become aware of Neo standing behind you. His eyes are slits, and he's rubbing them furiously. His hair has somehow succeeded to be tousled to the point of defying gravity.
"Sleep well?" you ask him, casually.
He attempts a solemn expression, which comes out as a slightly sloppy - but equally adorable nonetheless - grin. "As well as you did."
You almost blush, wishing the lights would go out again so he wouldn't be able to tell. He has such high opinions of his shoulders.
The smile slowly gives way to a yawn. Neo goes back to his homegrown monosyllabacy. He motions for you to move aside.
"The intercom isn't-" you stop yourself as Neo starts pounding the unlit elevator buttons. "What are you doing?"
He stops abruptly, looking sheepishly back at you. "It worked in my old flat."
"Well, keep at it, Mr. Fix-it."
You watch in amusement as Neo proceeds to very systematically hammer each elevator button in turn. Nothing happens. He repeats the sequence, backwards, but still nothing happens.
Neo catches your inexorable smile out of the corner of his eye. He flashes you back one, properly awake now. It hits you that he's been showing off, of all things. and you've found you like it. Neo raises a fist dramatically, taking aim.
And the lights die again.
Stunned, stung silence.
Then, laughter. Unexpected laughter. Yours.
"This place doesn't work the way I want it to," Neo grumbles, somewhere very close to your right ear. He shuffles even near, and you can hear a button being cautiously prodded. "What's so funny?"
You're still laughing as you reply, "You broke the elevator!"
"I did not," he mutters indignantly, punching more buttons.
"Well then, fix it."
Something pokes you in the back.
"The elevator, Neo."
"I can't see anything. You can try."
You'd been waiting for that. You slam him against the control panel. The buttons dig into his spine and he yelps, more out of surprise than pain. "The elevator is fixing you."
"What was that for?"
"Revenge," you say, as innocently as you can while blindly pinning his other arm to the panel. His breath is warmth and fury on your neck again, but he seems in torment. Probably thinking of how he kept stepping on your fingers.
For nearly a minute you struggle against him, savoring the dragging fatigue in your aching muscles which separates the feeling of a fight in the real world from one in the matrix. Palms slick with sweat are your eyes. You feel him there in the hot and heavy darkness.
A tiny red light flickers on. Something crackles.
"Now you've gone and broken something," Neo grunts between breaths.
You pause a fraction of a second. Enough time for Neo to pin one of your arms behind your back. You gasp, before kneeing him somewhere in the ribs. "It's the intercom. You answer."
"What do you want me to say?"
"Anything that'll bring them running."
"I'm being attacked," he manages feebly. Releasing the button, he looks back at you, or at least, you think he does. "You do strange things for fun."
The entire elevator jolts again, like there's an invisible beast stomping around in it. You knock him over when he looses his footing. His attempt at a sweeping kick is too slow, and the last thing he expects is for you to land on him - which you do -
"I give," Neo chokes out, flopping on the ground in mock-surrender. You're kneeling on his thighs.
"Really?"
"Oof. I mean, yes."
You loosen your grip ever so slightly, but don't let go of his arms. Bending low over him, you stay just above him, enough so as to leave a slight gap between his body and yours. You whisper directly in his ear, "I'm not done with you yet."
Your lips graze his ear lobe. Just briefly, just once. You lick your lips gingerly. Lioness, keeping her prize to herself. "I'm going to have to punish you."
(Georgie-porgie.)
"What for?" He's breathing faster now.
(Pudding and pie.) You shrug. "Same reason."
Neo snorts. "I see." (Kissed the girls.)
Your lips are trailing further down now, following his strong jaw line. He has cute stubble. "Stop asking questions, coppertop." (And made them cry.)
You close your eyes; you're just about there, there, close enough; where it's warm, where his soft breath mingles with yours; that place where you can feel every bead of sweat trailing down your skin, where you can feel your resolve weakening, your arms slipping, your bodies touching and your lips just meeting his-
Hard, glaring lights claw their way forcefully past your closed lids; you pause to catch your breath for a quarter of a second-
In a whirl of gray, you're on your back, facing the ceiling. You squint up against the lights directly in your eyes. Neo's sitting on your chest, grinning happily down at you and looking very pleased with himself.
"Got you this time," he crows.
Dammit. You sigh. "Such a gentleman."
When the elevator jolts again, this time decidedly upwards, you thrust your entire weight upwards, but Neo, smugly, doesn't move an inch. This time, though, the elevator stops by itself, rather than a mechanically induced jerk to prevent it from falling. It's back under control.
Your breath catches in your throat. From the corner of your eye, the door starts to open.
"Neo, get off," you whisper urgently. Your struggle is futile. Neo only grins back.
"Nope. Not falling for that one."
"The doors are opening," you hiss between your teeth. If you tilt your head to the right, you can see the gap in the doors as it widens - empty. For now.
Neo chuckles. "Even if the doors are opening, nobody will be out there."
Oh, you wish. You grind your teeth and roll as hard as you can to the left. With yet another, "Oof!", you manage to wedge Neo against the wall. With your remaining momentum, you force yourself on one knee, and then unsteadily stand.
The lift doors open completely. Fresh air pours into the elevator.
If there hadn't been anyone outside the lift, you probably would have screamed in fury over wasted effort. Instead, a very familiar face stares back at you.
"Link?"
"Trinity?" Link grins at you, white teeth contrasting sharply with his dark skin. His dreadlocks swing as he talks. "What's a chick like you doing stuck in the old junk bucket?"
You desperately try to stop him from saying more, but that isn't necessary as he turns his attention to Neo, sprawled on the floor, who groans at that precise moment. Link blinks a few times, before grinning again. "Hey, Trinity, who's this?"
From his expression, it's clear he's already made his mind up. Neo is grinning sheepishly up at Link now. It makes him look guilty, if nothing else. Maybe he's just dazed.
"Trinity?"
You recognize that voice. You definitely recognize that voice. A moment later, Morpheus steps out from the side of the elevator.
"I heard that two of my crewmembers were shouting down the intercom," he begins sternly.
Then he stops. An odd sort of expression closes over his face. He mouth twitches, like he's got a frog in there trying to hop out. He takes a deep gulping breath. "The intercom in the shipyard elevator."
Morpheus coughs very fakely. Neo looks quite plainly uneasy. You wonder if he could be sick. Or worse, delirious.
Link cuts in, "Maybe I should inform them, sir."
Morpheus manages a quick nod before breaking into a slow jog, clutching his stomach as he runs. It's the strangest sight you've ever seen.
"Is Morpheus. okay?" Neo asks, standing beside you outside the elevator.
"More than okay. He's improving his health, prolonging his years." Link snickers. "Anyway, it'll be another ten hours before we head out again. He says to get some rest."
"We?"
For the first time, Link's expression changes. "Yeah, we. I'm coming." He flips his dreadlocks out of his face with a careless hand and a sigh. "I'm your new operator."
You nod, though Neo probably doesn't know why. Maybe his job would be easier if he didn't know - have to know - that his sacrifices were two-way.
"I'll see you in ten hours, then." You step fully out of the elevator. Glancing behind, you see Neo do the same. You try to catch his gaze, but he doesn't look back at you.
The elevator door grates peacefully shut, like a formidable beast going into slumber. Neo looks down at the ground, shuffling his feet a bit, as if trying to decide which direction to head.
You have to ask him, "Where are you going?"
Neo looks up. His flickering gaze seems to avoid yours - most likely riveted over your shoulder, to Link, who's within hearing distance. Uncomfortably, he replies, "Back to my room, I guess." His eyes slowly meet yours, but his words have more difficulty. "You have something in mind?"
Yes, I do?
Do you?
You?
"I suppose not."
A final glance would be too painful. You walk away from all you are hopelessly in love with, deeply bruised. Along the way you find your captain, ducked in an alley, clutching the wall for support, still laughing.