Set after 3x12 "With Fire". Mikita set a date for their wedding.
After they returned home from Division, cleaned themselves up, and ate dinner together, Michael and Nikita continued to plan for their wedding. It wasn't that detailed. They mostly focused on how they were going to marry on Varca Beach with all their friends. They weren't entirely sure if they wanted a whole huge ceremony for their wedding, or just a simple affair. Simple probably would've been better. It could just be them and their family.
Besides where they wanted their wedding and who would be there, the engaged couple didn't plan much else for their big day. They would've, but they were quickly distracted. Nikita straddled Michael's lap at some point, and the two made out.
It was difficult not to kiss while they were planning for their future. Michael tried to stay focused on their wedding, yet Nikita just had to kiss him and express her love. When she climbed into his lap, he didn't even bother attempting to refocus her. They simply kissed, caressed, and moaned softly. Neither had any intentions of doing anything else the rest of the night. They were completely content in making out for as long as they could. They probably would've had a thought not popped into Nikita's head. She pulled away from Michael, confused, "Wait. Did you say you'd withstand torture for me?"
"Yeah. Glad that finally sank in," Michael smiled. He tucked Nikita's hair behind her ear, and caressed her cheek. He had told her he wouldn't break under torture if it was for her hours ago. She didn't seem to have paid attention to his words at the time, but they finally clicked then. Kissing him must've helped. Though, he began to wonder what about kissing him made her think about torture. She always had the weirdest thoughts at the strangest times. He could never understand her brain, "What do you think about when we kiss?"
"Sorry I haven't really been present lately," Nikita chuckled dryly. She definitely should've been paying better attention to Michael. He had been so sweet and gentle with her lately, and she had completely ignored him. Hell, she had assumed he was messing with her when he said he'd withstand torture for her. She should've realized how sincere and affectionate he was being at the time. Waiting hours to truly respond to him was far too long.
"You were saving the world. I get it," Michael shrugged. He didn't hold anything against Nikita. She was focused on stopping the terrorist and saving innocent people. If anything, it was his fault for trying to express his heart to her while her mind was elsewhere. Although it did help her find a way to break Ari, he should've waited. Maybe he should've waited for when they were making out. Then they could've continued to kiss.
"You were being sweet, and I didn't take it seriously. Though, I shouldn't be surprised that you'd hold out during torture for me," Nikita moved to climb off Michael's lap. They should have that conversation like actual adults. However, her fiancé held her in place. He actually preferred if they stayed close; she could continue to see the serious affection in his eyes.
"The only reason to hold on and keep fighting is for someone you love. And I've always been fighting for you," Gently tilting Nikita's chin so her eyes would connect with his, Michael confessed. She smiled and kissed him tenderly. That sentiment had clicked with her the first time he said it. Yes, she then used it to make Ari finally talk. But she couldn't dismiss Michael saying he loved her. She had tried before, yet he had instantly shut that down. He would always love her- every single part of her. Nothing she could do would change that.
Pulling away from their kiss, Nikita rested her forehead against Michael's and wrapped her arms around his neck. He tightened his hold around her waist and somehow pulled her closer to him. She sighed. She knew she had to tell him what she was actually thinking about when she said she should've known he'd willingly withstand pain for her. Yet it was still a topic that was difficult for her to open up about. It took her a minute just to build up the courage. And it took her another to force the words out, "You also gave yourself up to Brandt for me."
Upon hearing Brandt's name, Michael pulled slightly away from Nikita. Even after the torture they had received together, she refused to talk about that mission. He wondered if he could pry it out of her then. Keeping it to herself obviously wasn't good for her. She was back to being sullen and withdrawn. He needed to help break her out of that. They should only feel happy when they were home together, "You still haven't told me much about that."
"There's not much to say," Finally, Nikita slipped off Michael's lap. She was fully aware that she was running away both mentally and physically. But the night had been going so well- mostly well. It couldn't be ruined by the horrific things she had done. When she had tortured Ari for hours, she had almost lost herself to that monstrous side of her. She couldn't bring all that up again. She was trying to be better- trying not to lose herself completely. Dwelling on the horrors she had caused wouldn't help her.
"Bullshit," Michael, however, chased after Nikita. He had the opposite view than her. Bottling up her feelings and trying to run and hide wouldn't help anybody. He should know. What he had put himself and his fiancée through recently by not talking and pulling away couldn't be repeated. The two needed to talk.
Reluctantly, Nikita stopped in her tracks and turned back towards Michael. She really didn't want to discuss Brandt or the person she had become on that mission. The two were relaxing at home after too many stressful and terrible days. Did they really need to ruin that. Michael seemed to think so. He wouldn't let her rest if she didn't open up to him. Nikita sighed. There was no use fighting with him. When it came to making her talk, he was always going to win. He wanted to know her, comfort her. He didn't care what she revealed.
Though, she was always so terrified to reveal her past- even to Michael. And she always told him less than the full truth- just incase it saved her from any negative reactions, "I clawed out his eye when I brought him to Division."
"Whoa," Michael couldn't help but respond. Although that definitely made sense considering Brandt's feelings towards Nikita, he wasn't expecting it. Sure, Nikita had her violent moments. But clawing out someone's eye was extreme. She must've been pushed pretty far by Brandt to react that way. More had happened on her Division mission than she might ever be willing to share. Maybe one day he could ask for more of the story. Yet for the time being, what she had shared was enough. It certainly said enough, "Is it weird that I'm proud of you for that? I mean, the guy absolutely deserved it. He was a monster."
"It takes a monster to destroy a monster. Percy told me that," Nikita just sort of shrugged. She hadn't expected any positive reaction from Michael. The fact that he was proud of her shocked her, and she had no idea how to respond to it. So she simply focused on the one thing she could understand: the fact that she was a monster.
Michael stared at Nikita for a moment. He could've sworn she had said something like that to Ari before he had walked in to take over the interrogation. Was that what she was thinking about as she desperately tried to beat vital information out of their captive. Could that have been what was really distracting her when he confessed his love. Did his fiancée still think she wasn't worthy of his devotion, "Was that what was going through your head as you tortured Ari?"
Again, Nikita just sort of shrugged. Michael crossed to her and tenderly caressed her cheek. It took her a moment, but when she finally glanced up at him, he smiled softly and spoke gently, "Are you seriously going to believe Percy over me?"
While Michael's grin turned crooked, Nikita scoffed. He definitely had a point. She shouldn't base what she thought about herself on something Percy had said. That bastard had never known her. Yet her fiancé did. She should listen to him, learn to see herself how he saw her. It was far more accurate, after all, "Yeah. You're right. It's stupid."
Nikita didn't step away from Michael, but she did take his hand off her cheek. He made sure she didn't drop his hand completely. He tightened his grip and pulled her closer to him. The two didn't need to spend any more time apart. They should try to be as close as possible everytime they were together, "I know it's easier for you to believe the worst about yourself because that's all you've ever heard. But I will always help you see the best in yourself. I will keep teaching you to love yourself the way I love you for the rest of my life."
"That's what this ring means, right? Forever?" Playing with the engagement ring on her finger, Nikita asked. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear Michael say it again. She didn't want any doubts in her mind that her fiancé wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She already had so many negative thoughts, her life with him shouldn't be one of them.
"Yes," Staring deep into Nikita's brown eyes, Michael brought her knuckles to his lips. She smiled brightly as he kissed their conjoined hands. When he grinned just as brilliantly, she wrapped him in a tight embrace. He didn't hesitate to hug her back and place kisses along her crown. She hummed in contentment and melted into his warmth.
Her peaceful happiness didn't last forever, unfortunately. Nikita soon remembered something Ari told her, and she frowned. Placing her chin on Michael's chest, she looked up at him. He instantly tried to erase her frown with a kiss and a caress. But the expression wasn't going anywhere. She had thought she could've ignored Ari, yet the words had hunted her down. She could never escape the doubts, despite how secure and in love she felt at that moment, "Ari said that there is no forever in this business."
"Ari also told me that if our relationship meant anything, we wouldn't still be in Division," Michael responded with a shrug. Whereas Nikita began to pout, he shook his head. He only repeated what Ari had said to show how ridiculous it was. The engaged couple were nothing like Amanda and Ari. They weren't using each other, nor did they have perverse ideas about love. Whatever the former head of Gogol had to say about their relationship was bullshit. He had no idea how happy Michael and Nikita could be, "But Ari's full of shit. He spent so much time with Amanda, he forgot what real love and hope and happiness is like. But I haven't."
With her brightest smile of the night, Nikita kissed Michael. He held her close to him as he returned the affection. Whereas he wanted to return to their make out session, she soon pulled away. There were other things on her mind that she wanted to discuss, "Is that why you changed your mind about our wedding?"
"What do you mean?" To his knowledge, Michael had never changed his mind about marrying Nikita. The instant he had thought about marrying her, he began to search for the perfect engagement ring and started to plan the perfect proposal. He wanted nothing more than to spend forever with Nikita. Yes, he technically didn't have to marry her for that to happen. But it'd be the perfect expression of their love. Nothing could tear them apart; they were one hundred percent committed to each other.
"You said we should wait until we had real identities before we got married, that way it's real and permanent," Nikita recalled what they had discussed after Michael proposed. Both had agreed that getting married after they had completed cleaning up Division was the best course of action. That way, all the paperwork they'd have to fill out would be real and legal. They could actually stay together forever.
"I still want that. But I also just want to be married to you. We can renew our vows after we have pardons and identities. Until then, I want my forever with you to start now," Michael revised his previous statement. At that point, nothing to him was as important as marrying Nikita. He might've foolishly expressed otherwise in the past. But he knew better then. She was all that mattered, "So when do you want to get married?"
Honestly, Nikita hadn't thought about when exactly she wanted to marry Michael. She probably should've been planning for it since they got engaged (Alex had urged her to). But no date jumped out at her. Their relationship had always been wild; they didn't technically have an anniversary, and they had met when she had arrived in Division- which really shouldn't be celebrated. The two didn't have a special date they could marry on. Though, after some thought, Nikita realized there was a day that held a lot of meaning for them. It wasn't the happiest day, but it did bring them together. And that had been the best thing ever, "February 27th."
"It's March," Michael responded, bewildered. He knew Nikita was bad at keeping track of the days when she was focused on a mission. But there was no way she didn't notice that they were in a new month.
"February 27th of next year. That gives us a year to stop Amanda, secure our pardons, and have real lives," Chuckling, Nikita clarified. She wanted their future together to start immediately as well. But stopping Amanda and having their pardons first would've been nice. That way, they wouldn't have to worry about anything as they lived happily ever after on some tropical beach somewhere. The two, plus their team, could obtain all that within a year. And if not, then at least they'd have hope to hold onto, "And even if we don't, we can still have something to look forward to."
"Sounds perfect," Michael kissed Nikita. She grinned softly, then stepped away from him to write the date down. She also started to look at plane tickets to Goa around that time, and if they could reserve a portion of Varca Beach for a ceremony. Michael continued to stare at his fiancée with a dreamy look on his face. He couldn't believe that was real. He and Nikita were actually going to have a happily ever after, and it was going to start on February 27th.
As he thought about it, Michael began to wonder why Nikita picked that specific day. It seemed so random. However, it obviously meant something to her. He simply couldn't place why, "But, uh, why that day?"
"Cause that's when you stormed into my loft, kissed me, and told me I was right," Nikita flashed a sly grin. A hell of a lot more happened on February 27th than Michael admitting that she was right. Yet they deserved to focus on the light side of things. They deserved to laugh and joke around after the destructive hell they had struggled to prevent. The two were discussing their wedding, after all. There should be an overabundance of joy.
Michael was stunned for a moment. He wouldn't have considered February 27th as the happiest day in their history. He had hurt her repeatedly in his attempts to kill Kasim, and his whole world had been turned upside down when he discovered the truth. Though, the day did end with them finally expressing their love between the sheets. It wasn't perfect, but they had been together. Their future together wasn't always going to be perfect either. However, the two would remain by each other's side. No matter what they faced, they'd be together. Their relationship had started that way, and it'd end that way.
Instead of responding seriously, however, Michael decided to play off Nikita's sly grin. He crossed his arms over his chest and hitched an eyebrow. She stared back at him, daring him to say something. He wouldn't disappoint her. After a few seconds, he knew the perfect way to retaliate, "See. I withstand torture everytime I talk to you."
Instantly, Nikita threw a pen at her fiancé. He failed in his attempts to catch it, causing it to smack him in the cheek. But she didn't gloat. Rather, she asked Michael the ridiculous question that had been pulling at the back of her mind since she had realized what he had said about being tortured, "So, even if a Bond villain has you strapped to a table and threatening to run a laser through your dick, you still wouldn't break if it meant hurting me?"
"I would lose my dick for you," Michael deadpanned. Nikita might have only been messing with him by referencing one of the James Bond movies. Yet his statement still held. If she was on the line, he'd never break- no matter the torture.
"I knew it," Nikita smirked. The engaged couple couldn't hold it together after that. They erupted in laughter, eye rolls, and head shakes, unable to take things seriously anymore. Fortunately, they didn't need to. They had said all that they had needed to that night. The rest of their time together could be spent in silly joy.
"There's my Nikita. I was wondering when her ridiculousness would return," Moving across the room to rejoin her, Michael smirked. It had been a while since Nikita had said something truly off the walls. He had missed it. Luckily, they had managed to return to a solid and steady place in their relationship where she could be as ridiculous as she wanted. There was no need to be so serious all the time. The engaged couple could let their guards down around each other and be absolutely silly and stupid.
"Right around the time you stopped being so serious and brooding," Crossing her arms, Nikita fired back. Honestly, Michael hadn't been brooding for a while. When he had let her back into his life, he finally began to smile again. That had been her invitation to be silly with him again, but it took her a moment to accept it. She wanted to ensure that it was all for real. She was so very lucky that it was.
"I thought I was very serious Michael, always so serious Michael," Gently pulling apart her crossed arms, Michael repeated a tease Nikita had once told him. She could only look at him in pleasant surprise in response. He took the opportunity to step into her hold and kiss her.
The engaged couple let their hands roam their warm bodies as they kissed sweetly. Nikita also smiled throughout the affection. She had teased Michael about being always serious within their first few weeks together. She was surprised he had even remembered it, especially since they were making out at the time. The fact that he did made her want to kiss him harder- and wait a few more minutes before she pulled away to comment, "I'm surprised you remember that."
"I always pay attention when I'm kissing you," Michael husked against Nikita's lips. She canted her body towards his, and he pulled her flush against him. There was no need for them to talk the remainder of the night. The two could just keep kissing, touching, and loving each other.
"Let's put that to the test," Breathily, Nikita dared. Michael crashed his lips against hers. The engaged couple stayed as close as possible as they moved to their bedroom. Everything else was ignored. They only focused on each other and their joy, leaving blissful smiles in their wake.