She followed the line of his body noting the scar carved into his upper arm- the result of Sark's attack on Daniel Ryan's sabotaged 747. She recalled their brief time together in the car park, and how much his touch had meant to her, his embrace causing reassurance to diffuse through the both of them. She knew now of course that that was a silent whisper- an affirmation of his devotion to her, and her only. She had needed his strength at that moment more than anything else, the intimacy of their embrace more than either had experienced. Sydney did not see the pain etched into his eyes as he held her once again, a thousand memories of his role of handler, friend and lover breaking through the emotional barrier he had so painstakingly built. His fingers clutched at her, clawing against the material of her jacket to ensure she was really there, that he wasn't seeing a ghost constructed of the desires and memories found at the bottom a bottle. She was really there and she loved him. After everything, she still loved him.
Sydney frowned sadly as she remembered how before Taipei all those sad years ago he had discovered her at the train station. The sheer compassion she had felt at that moment- the love she felt for him was unparalleled. She tried her best, like so many times in their first year of friendship, to not let her emotion rise to the surface, to show how he affected her, but this time, similar to their time at the pier, she couldn't help it. She recalled how he listed all the places she had mentioned, places that to her held a specific meaning or emotion. Her body fluttered as she realised he could read her like no other, and that he really was her guardian angel- her protector. She'd wanted to embrace him, hold his hand, smile at him, anything- just to show her appreciation: but no, the dangers of their life and not to mentionprotocol forbid it. It caused a ripple of anguish to seep through her body. This was so unfair, she had mused, it slowly dawning on her that she had fallen crazily in love with him. Once she knew of her feelings she was worried if he felt the same, how to be around him, how to open up when he asked her to, but she only found herself acting the same. Sydney smiled into the darkness of the car as she remembered her own realisation- she had felt that way all along only she hadn't seen it. She nearly laughed at her own stupidity, but bit her tongue to silence herself, enjoying her uninterrupted study of her boyfriend.
Sydney froze. Did she just think that? She rolled the word over her subconscious a few times, enjoying its taste. She was Michael Vaughn's girlfriend, and he was her boyfriend. She wished she could invent a word just for him, one more meaningful than boyfriend- after everything they had been through, all they had experienced to get to this point, the term 'boyfriend' seemed too irrelevant, too high-school for her liking. She quickly chastised herself realising there was no such word, and for now, albeit happily, she'd have to settle for the word 'boyfriend'. She smiled joyfully, a small shrug of contentment accompanying her expression of happiness.
She once again let her eyes lazily caress him. Her eyes stopped their journey her heart aching ever so slightly. She had once heard you can judge a man by the watch he wore; in the case of Michael Vaughn, this was no exception. The watch, similar to him was not overly extravagant, just sophisticated and to the point. It was aesthetically and textually pleasing, the soft surface of the dark and tender leather carefully encasing his wrist, sheltering it from the harsh realities of the situations around them.
The watch was also a symbol of his love for his father; a man who he hardly knew, but loved in a way he did no other. It showed the world how he looked up to him, the way he aspired to be like him and his respect for him. But more importantly it stated 'My father was William Vaughn, a patriot, a servant of his country- a good man. I am somebody'. This treasured possession also symbolised his own patriotism, his love for his country and for his agency, the love for the job, a job he did so well.
But most of all, she thought, what this watch showed the most was his being in love with a woman named Sydney Anne Bristow. Her. She blushed at the way he had literally warn his heart on his sleeve for five years, a silent declaration of his never ending love for her. It was their secret, one they had never shared with anyone and never would. Her heart broke a little when she noticed one day in a debriefing the way its hands idly moved across the black numbers. She tried not to ask herself if it was he who had had it fixed, or if it was some cruel trick that was being played upon her. She wondered if he ever told Lauren of their shared secret- of what this watch really meant to him.
Sydney finally took her eyes off his figure, taking the opportunity to close her eyes once more. She relaxed against the soft headrest of the seat, her eyes drinking in the flame coloured flickers through her eyelids. It wasn't long until she had completely fallen asleep, pleasant memories of him drifting across the surface of her subconscious.
Vaughn took his left hand of the steering wheel, distractedly kneading a knot that had formed in his neck. As he waited for the scarlet light to change to jade he glance over at the woman who had captured his heart so long ago. His eyes smiled, drinking in her appearance for a second. A loud obnoxious sound ripped him from his thoughts as the impatient man behind him thumped against his steering wheel. With much difficulty, Vaughn removed his eyes from his girlfriend, driving away, almost wincing at the thought of the word. Maybe three years ago she could have been his girlfriend, but now, even more than before, she was so muchmore than that. Sydney was his best friend, his confidante, his companion, his strength, his lover, his everything. She was all he wanted, and all that he needed. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing else. And there never would be.
Less than five minutes later Vaughn's car could be seen pulling up at Sydney's. He switched of the engine turning to face Sydney studying her beauty for a few more seconds.
"Sydney" he whispered gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She hummed in response, curling up more in the seat. "Syd. Baby we're home" he liked the taste of the words in his mouth; to him Sydney had always been associated with home, and once again he found himself unofficially sharing the house of the woman he had been in love with for too long. 'We should so be married by now' he almost said aloud, thanking the stars he did not. He unclasped her seatbelt, taking his time as not to wake her. Vaughn opened his door and climbed out breathing in the refreshment of the cool night air; he walked around to the passenger side opening the door, crouching to her height. As if aware of his presence even in sleep she turned her head to him, her breaths slow and long. He tucked her hair from her face behind her ear, oblivious as to how he was beginning to adopt her familiar habit for himself. Vaughn slid his arm beneath the arch in her back, her warmth radiating to his arm. He placed his other arm under the crook of her knees trying his best not to jingle his keys and disturb her from her much needed slumber. With care he lifted her from the seat allowing her to sleepily wrap her arms around his neck. He hissed as he clumsily hit his head on the frame of the door, glad she couldn't see his stupidity. He could have sworn he saw the hints of a smile twitching in the corner of her lips, but let it got as she rested her head against his shoulder.
Vaughn kicked the door shut lightly with his foot, heading off up the path to the front door of Syd's house unbelieving of how light she seemed. He mused about how her fragility had seemed to grow since her return, pushing her body and her emotions to the full capability. He blamed himself for that, wishing he had been there for her when she entered his life for the second time. He wondered if he wasn't coddling her once more, memories of arguments flooding through his mind like liquid. Sydney had once said that everyday she wished she could go back in time: he didn't tell her he had too, longing for a second chance at making things right. He stopped walking suddenly at the thought of this not being right, glancing down at the woman he loved. This was perfect, he thought, for this moment he'd go through the 628 painful days without her once more, just to feel the warmth of her body in his for just a second. 'How could this not be right you idiot?' Vaughn chastised himself. He continued to walk the path to the door.
He wasn't sure how he managed to unlock the door with his arm flexed beneath Sydney's sleeping form; a satisfying metallic clatter filled the room as he dropped the keys neatly onto the table by the front door. He observed her as he walked from the living room to her bedroom, his eyes leaping to check for obstacles every now and then. He laid her down on the bed, his hand cradling her head as he placed it on the pillow. He knelt beside her, lightly stroking her jaw with the knuckle of his finger watching her smile gently, sighing into his touch.
Vaughn wasn't sure how long he's been like that, the concept of time eradicated from his mind whenever they were in any sort of proximity. He perched on the soft mattress, seated beside her hip. He lifted her torso towards him gentle whispering into her ear to raise her arms for him. She quickly and sleepily complied, as with ease and care he removed his sweater from her warm body. He dropped the clothing onto the floor, holding her body to him, his palm pressed to the middle of her back. Sydney rested her head once more in the dip between his should and his head, her nose gentle grazing the skin of his neck. Vaughn removed her t-shirt and unclasped her bra with ease letting the material fall to her waist; the garments were quickly discarded on the carpeted floor. He then reached behind the coolness of her pillow with his spare hand and removed the tank top she wore to bed allowing it to glide down her arms and across the delicate surface of her chest and back.
Vaughn laid Sydney back on the bed carefully undoing the buttons of her jean skirt. He slid it down the softness of her long and slender legs, folding it once before it also landed on the floor. He removed her panties; replacing them with the soft pink plaid material of her pyjama bottoms he had seen her in five days earlier. He smiled at their shyness, observing how close they had become over the last five days. Vaughn placed Syd's legs under the warmth of her comforter; he stood slowly taking a second to breathe in her appearance and her scent. He bent down breathing a kiss against the suppleness of he lips which she gently returned andshe smiled as he whispered that he loved her and always would. He stroked her hair once more kissing her forehead tenderly.Hereachedfor the lamp andwith a satisfying click they were plunged into darkness.
He picked up the clothes scattered over the floor folding them neatly, laying them across the back of the chair in the corner of her room. He glanced at the daisies in the vase on her dresser; they were becoming tinted with the colour of decay- she would need some new ones he thought. He quietly closed the door of the bathroom, but not before stealing a last look at the beautiful girl who had stolen his heartin what seemed a dozen life times ago. He had never loved her more.
thanks for reading please review in you can!- dani xxx