Mako and Raleigh spent the better part of the morning in his room, cuddled up on his bed and enjoying the closeness of each other. He laid on his back with Mako curled up beside him, her head in the crook of his arm and her hand splayed over his chest, lazily tracing patterns into his shirt. He thought about how, barely a week ago, he had been working on the Kaiju wall and hadn't even known Mako existed. Now, he felt like the direction of his life had changed irrevocably just by meeting her, and he pondered that for a while. Everything seemed so intense between them, like a high school crush on steroids; he had the strange desire to stay close to her, hold her, and touch her; and not even in a sexual way.
Okay, maybe a little bit of that, he admitted to himself.
But he felt relaxed and content just having her in his arms like he did now. It had been years since he felt anything even close to this for someone else, and it had never been this…consuming.
He knew this was a somewhat expected reaction to the Drift, but he felt sure that it was still outside the parameters of what was considered "normal". He and Yancy had always felt a desire to be close after they Drifted, but it was more about companionship; they shared a room and basically did everything together; training, meals, and social outings were all shared between them. With Mako, there definitely seemed to be a romantic undertone, and that was what was confusing him now. How could they tell which feelings were natural, and which were a byproduct of the Drift?
He felt sure he would have felt this way for Mako in a normal setting, but given his five-year hiatus of all personal relationships, it was difficult to say for certain. Would she have drawn him out of his self-imposed seclusion had she not been inside his head, and he inside hers? He thought back to their first sparring match and smiled; he thought she would have, simply by the way she had been completely unimpressed with him and had gone on to beat him almost effortlessly.
He looked down at her now; her breathing had grown deep and even, and her eyes had fluttered shut. His smiled widened as he realized she had fallen asleep on him, taking it as a good sign that she felt safe enough with him to let her guard down so completely. He was willing to bet that nobody, except maybe the Marshal, had seen her sleep in quite a long time; she was just that cautious. That was another thing they had in common, he thought: always being on their guard. They had both suffered traumatic losses at the hands of Kaiju, and they both carried the guilt of not having been able to save their family members, no matter how irrational the thoughts. Survivor's guilt and PTSD were both terms that Raleigh had heard thrown around about him, both following Yancy's death, and recently when he had returned to the Jaeger program. Sometimes it made him feel like he was defective in some way, but lying here with her, it didn't seem to matter. She was probably the one person on earth who accepted him exactly as he was; no strings attached, no questions asked.
It gave him a warm feeling in his chest when he looked at her, her delicate features looking so peaceful and relaxed as she slept in his arms. He didn't think he'd mind spending the entire day like this, simply existing with her and hidden away from the world. He gently pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, breathing deeply and relaxing along with her. Her arm tightened around his chest and she nuzzled her face against him, so he pulled her closer, cocooning her in his arms. He slowly drifted off to sleep like that, and for the first time in recent memory, he slept peacefully; not chased by nightmares or insomnia, thanks to the tiny, fierce Ranger sleeping beside him.
. . . . . . .
Mako woke a few hours later, feeling surprisingly well-rested, but also starving. She blearily looked around, trying to remember where she was, and realized she was tucked into Raleigh's arms like a teddy bear, wrapped in his warmth and his wonderful masculine scent. He was still asleep, his face pressed into her hair and his hand resting on her waist while the other was tucked beneath her. She rubbed her eyes but made no move to sit up, finding that she enjoyed the contact they were sharing. She looked over at the clock sitting on his desk and saw that they had just over an hour before they needed to be in the briefing room. Plenty of time for lunch, she thought. And possibly a change of clothes and a quick brush through her hair, she added, looking down at the wrinkled state of her shirt and the chaotic state of Raleigh's hair. She smiled at his state of disarray and lifted a hand up to run through his hair, enjoying the act of straightening it out.
His eyes opened slowly, and she saw him struggle for a moment to get her into focus before giving her a sleepy smile.
"Hey," he said quietly, his voice husky with sleep.
She smiled back at him, removing her hand from his hair but sliding it down his cheek before pulling it back. "We need to get up soon," she said, matching his quiet tone. "We have a little over an hour before we need to be at the briefing room. I don't know about you, but I want something to eat first."
He exhaled, and it sounded like a laugh. "Sounds good to me," he said, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "You know, that's the first time I've been able to sleep without waking up or having nightmares in...I don't even know how long. You must be good sleep company."
She laughed and sat up with him. "I think I need to change my shirt and brush my hair before we go. I'm all wrinkly and crazy haired now."
He looked down at his own shirt and sighed. "I guess you're right. Let me change this and then we can go get some lunch."
He swung his feet over the side of the bed and pulled the shirt over his head, tossing it in the hamper in the corner of the room. Mako's eyes widened as she looked at his toned, muscular back, enjoying the way his muscles ripples as he moved. She took in the scars from his circuitry suite that decorated his left side, and wondered what it would feel like to run her fingers along them…
She tried to get a grip on herself, giving her head a shake and looking away, not wanting to ogle him, when she heard a soft knock on the door. Raleigh looked around curiously, wondering who even knew where his room was besides Mako. He looked at her and she shrugged, just as unsure as he was. He walked over and pulled the door open, still shirtless, and peered around it, his eyebrows raised curiously.
"Hi, Raleigh," came a breathy, high pitched voice.
It was obviously female, and Mako could hear the excitement in it, as well as what sounded like a few other women along with her, tittering at the sight before them. She supposed she couldn't blame them; Raleigh did look good shirtless.
"Uh..." Raleigh said slowly. "Hi. Can I help you?"
"We were wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch," the voice said, still a little breathless and over excited.
Raleigh stared at her blankly. Mako couldn't see the girl from her position on the bed, because Raleigh was blocking her, but she could guess that the girl was taken aback by his apparent lack of interest.
"Oh..." he said slowly. "I'll be heading to lunch soon. With my partner." He stepped to the side slightly and jerked his head in Mako's direction. "Maybe we'll see you there."
Mako looked up and saw a pretty blonde woman in a cadet uniform looking at her with a shocked expression on her face, her eyes narrowing as she took in Mako's rumpled clothing, not to mention her being tangled in Raleigh's sheets.
"Oh..." she said. "Okay, sure. We'll save you a spot."
Raleigh smiled vaguely and closed the door, giving Mako a very confused look.
"What was that about?" He said blankly. "I don't even know that girl. Do you?"
Mako giggled. "Everyone knows you now. World hero, and all that? I'm sure every woman in the vicinity will be after you."
He sighed. "I'd forgotten about that part of being a Jaeger Pilot. Doesn't seem as awesome now as it did when I was starting out."
Mako tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged, opening a drawer and pulling out an unwrinkled shirt. "Well, when I was a kid just starting out, I liked all the attention I got from girls. But eventually it became kind of depressing, because I realized that they only wanted to be around be because I was a good pilot, not because they actually liked me."
He broke off, looking embarrassed, but Mako could see his point.
"That sounds lonely," she said, meaning it. But then she grinned and added, "Well, at least you know I'm not hanging out with you because you're a pilot. Since I already am one."
Raleigh laughed as he pulled the shirt over his head. "I did actually think of that, believe it or not..."
He bent down to put on his boots, and Mako considered his words while she watched him, bending down to put her own back on. He stood up a moment later, ready to go. She hopped up off the bed and opened the door to his room, walking out with him close behind her. She heard the loud metallic sound of the door closing as she was opening her own door, slipping inside and going for the dresser. She pulled out another clean polo shirt with the Defense Corps. logo on the upper corner, pausing for a moment to consider whether she should go in the bathroom to change. She heard Raleigh closing the door behind him, and turned to see him flopping down on her bed, looking at the ceiling in an attempt to give her some privacy. She smiled and turned away, quickly pulling the shirt over her head and replacing it with the fresh one. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her hairbrush off the counter, pulling it quickly through her hair until it was presentable. She checked her collar in the mirror to make sure her hickey was covered and the shirt was straight, then headed black out to Raleigh.
"Ready?" she asked.
He jumped up and headed out the door, clearly as eager for food as she was. She closed it and hurried to keep up with his long strides, trying to ignore the looks they were getting as they walked down the hall. Now that it was later in the day, there were people milling around everywhere, and she and Raleigh were somehow the center of attention at every point. A group of cadets gawked at them as they passed, getting close to the mess hall, and Mako felt herself blushing. Raleigh grinned down at her.
"Now who's getting attention?" He asked her, jerking his head towards the group who had since passed them.
She looked up at him curiously and he let it an exasperated sigh.
"Come on," he said, "You must realize those guys were all checking you out."
Mako's eyebrows raised. "I don't think so," she scoffed. "They're probably just aspiring to be you."
Raleigh rolled his eyes and placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her into the mess hall and towards the buffet serving tables at the front of the room. "I guarantee they were looking at you. You have your own set of groupies now, since you also saved the world. Now, what do you want to eat?"
Mako rolled her eyes but accepted the plate he was handing to her, picking up a serving spoon and putting food onto her plate. She finished ahead of him, grabbing a drink from the end of the table while he was still topping off his plate, and surveyed the room, looking for an empty seat. It seemed like there were suddenly a lot of women there, and a majority of them didn't have any food; they were just sitting at tables, looking in Raleigh's direction. She gave him a significant look as he approached her, grabbing a bottle of juice off the end of the bar and joining her.
"What?" he asked, confused.
She jerked her head in the general direction of the tables. "Look how many people are here just to gawk at you. None of them are even eating." She let out a small laugh, finding it a bit ridiculous, but there was the tiniest twinge of jealousy and irritation buried in there.
Raleigh's eyes widened as he took in the scene. "Jeez," he said quietly. "Well, let's not sit by any of them, or I might not make it out in one piece. Come on."
Holding his tray in one hand, he slung his other around her shoulders, surprising her. She looked up at him questioningly, and he grinned.
"This should keep us both safe from the groupies," he said quietly, bending down to whisper in her ear.
She hoped he didn't feel her shiver as his breath tickled her neck. She saw a lot of glares coming her way as he steered her through the room, heading for a group of empty tables in the back corner of the room. She could tell that the vision of Raleigh with another woman was not welcome in the eyes of the general female populace of the Shatterdome, but she tried to take it in stride and look like she belonged there. He set his tray down and she copied him, sitting down next to him as she had in the morning, curious about her desire to stay so close to him now when she had never enjoyed physical contact with anyone before. They started eating, talking a little but mostly focused on their food. After a while, Raleigh reached into his back pocket and took out the folded sheet of press conference questions he had gotten from Marshal Hansen, unfolding it and laying it on the table between them. The questions were fairly straightforward, mostly about what they had seen and how they had felt about it. Raleigh suspected that the press conference would be a lot less straightforward than this sheet, but he considered his answers anyway.
"You ready for this?" he asked Mako quietly, leaning his forehead to hers so they were nearly touching.
She looked at him and gave a small shrug. "I guess I'll have to be, won't I? I don't think there's any hiding..."
She dropped her eyes to the list, reading some of the notes that Herc had scribbled in the margins in his small, messy handwriting. She paused at one line, cocking her head to the side curiously.
"What is the nature of our relationship?" She asked blankly. "What does that mean, the nature of our relationship?"
She looked at Raleigh, who looked as puzzled as she felt. "I'm not sure..." he said slowly, looking up at her. "What do you think we should say?"
Mako shrugged again, her face feeling hot.
"Maybe we should just say we're copilots and leave it at that," he said slowly, and she looked up at him. He smiled and went on, "No reason to talk about it to the world if we haven't even decided for ourselves. What do you think?"
Mako nodded slowly, looking back at the list. "That makes sense. What about this one- 'why do you think you were chosen for this mission?'"
Her eyes narrowed. "That sounds like they're asking if I'm qualified to be here or if I got in because of who my father..." she broke off awkwardly, dropping her gaze to her hands which were now fidgeting with her fork.
Raleigh placed a large hand over her small ones, bringing her attention back to him. "If someone is stupid enough to ask that question, read them your simulation scores and class ranking; that should shut them up. And if it doesn't, I'd be happy to shut them up for you."
He gave her hands a small squeeze, the intense look on his face making her laugh. She slid her hands out from his and picked up her tray, pushing out her chair and getting to her feet.
"It's almost time. We should head to the briefing room and see what the PR people have to say. Are you ready?"
She stacked his tray on top of hers, balancing the empty plates on top and carrying the stack to the return area, Raleigh on her heels. She blushed as she saw the amount of people staring at her, particularly at the angry glances she was getting from the female half of the room. As she turned away from the return table, she found herself bumping into Raleigh's broad chest, letting it a small squeak of surprise. She felt his laugh ruffle her hair, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders again, pulling her along with him towards the exit, inciting even more jealousy in the crowd, Mako was sure. A reluctant smile found its way onto her face at the thought.
...
They walked in to the Briefing room together, side by side, Raleigh no longer holding on to Mako. He figured if people were already curious about their relationship, they'd be better off not showing any kind of affection that might encourage rumors.
The room was large and open, with a long table at the front of the room and a few dozen chairs lined up facing it, generally used for members of the press when they were reporting on Shatterdome activities. The room hadn't been used much in quite some time, and it held an air of neglect about it. They headed up to the table where a number of people in business attire were milling about, talking quietly with the J-Tech crew members that were already seated. Clearly, he and Mako were the awaited speakers, because every head turned in their direction when Herc's voice rang out, greeting them.
"Becket, Mori. Up here, please." He waved them up towards the table and gestured for them to sit down at two chairs in the middle.
Raleigh felt Mako tense beside him, clearly dreading being at the literal center of attention, but she took a breath and looked determined, so he followed her along the back of the table to their seats. Each place setting had a small notebook and pen, along with a glass of water to the side, and Mako picked hers up at once and took a quick sip before looking up at the Marshal for further instructions. He gestured for them to take their seats, so Raleigh pulled out a chair for Mako before sitting in the one next to it, folding his hands on the table and looking up expectantly. He could feel eyes on him from both sides, and knew that the J-Tech crew members nearest him were dying to hurl questions and exclamations at them, but they refrained for the moment.
"Okay," Herc's voice boomed out, silencing everyone. "Now that we're all here, let's go over a few things. This is Amelia Clare, our head of public relations. She'll be going over the finer points of today's discussion, and give a few pointers on what to say and how to say it. I'll be speaking first, giving the press an overview of our strategies for closing the Breach, as well as...everything that followed." He cleared his throat, clearly trying not to think about Chuck and Pentecost, and went on, "After that, Becket and Mori will give their accounts of what happened down below, and include any details they see fit to add. The press will have plenty of questions, I'm sure, and you can answer the ones you want to and deflect the rest to me or the rest of the crews here."
He gestured to the rest of the people at the table.
"Next, the J-Tech crews will give an overview of the logistics of the mission; pilots, discuss the drop of the Jaegers, getting suited up, and so on. Finally, Newt and Herman will speak about the Kaiju science and why we had to do things the way we did." He looked at the end of the table where the chief scientists were sitting.
"Herman, please keep Newt from doing his crazy scientist routine and keep things on point so people can actually understand him."
Raleigh looked down the table and saw that Newt looked highly affronted, but he was smart enough not to voice any objections to Herc's assessment.
"After that's all done, there will be an open forum for questions by members of the press. We'll try and keep it short, and cut things off if any questions become too invasive." His eyes flicked towards Mako and Raleigh, but he didn't mention anything to them directly.
He looked over to Amelia, who nodded and stepped forward. She was tall, lean, and rather intimidating in her perfectly pressed pantsuit and high heeled shoes, Raleigh thought. Her blond hair was tied in an elegant knot at the back of her head, and her posture would have made even Pentecost stand up a bit straighter. Her face was serious, and she struck him as someone he would not want to cross. Not outside the Kwoon, anyway.
"It's best to keep your answers short and to the point," she said, looking up and down the table at everyone. "I realize that most of you aren't used to talking to members of the press, and it's okay to pause and think about your answer before you say anything. There will likely be tabloid reporters here looking for gossip, and they'll take any comment they can get and make a story out of it, no matter how little truth there is to it."
She looked irritated at the thought, but continued, "For that reason, it's best to be very clear about what you want them to know. I would advise against saying anything about your personal lives that you don't want splashed across the front page of People magazine."
She stepped towards Mako and Raleigh and said quietly, "You two, in particular, need to be careful about this. I've already had reporters calling my office demanding to know whether or not you're an item, details about your relationship-whatever it might be- and questions about your father, Mako. I've dodged them all and given vague answers, but they'll ask again. I suggest you just tell them that you're copilots who work well together and leave it at that, unless you want to give details. I wouldn't advise doing that, but it's your call."
Mako looked at Raleigh, panic evident on her face.
"I can handle those questions," Raleigh told her quietly. "Getting people to leave me alone and denying them information is sort of a specialty of mine."
She smiled reluctantly and nodded. She looked back to Amelia, who was looking at them in an appraising sort of way.
"That sounds good," Amelia said after a moment, then turned back to Mako. "Mako, I know people will ask about Marshal Pentecost. It's natural for people to want to know, but it's also natural for you to not want to talk about it. It's okay for you to change the subject if things start getting too personal, okay? Thanks to the work he did, the Shatterdome isn't looking for anyone's approval anymore, so we're pretty much free to say what we like."
Mako nodded, and Amelia smiled kindly at her.
"Okay, everyone," she said, louder so everyone could hear her. "Let's get this show on the road."
. . . . . . . .
Bulbs flashed, nearly blinding them as they sat at the table, staring into a long line of video cameras and reporters. Marshal Hansen was wrapping up his account of the events, answering questions as he went, and Mako's nerves were starting to intensify. She took deep breaths, and Raleigh laid his hand on her leg under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze to let her know she wasn't alone. She gave him a small smile, then turned to the front as the first question was sent their way.
"Ranger Mori, can you describe your thought process when you got into the Jaeger to begin the mission down to the Breach?"
Mako stared blankly for a moment then said, loud and clear into the microphone in front of her, "I was thinking that it was time to do what we needed to do. We had a plan, and we needed to work together to carry it out." She blushed and looked quickly at Raleigh, who smiled and nodded encouragingly.
The reporter nodded appreciatively and scribbled some notes onto his pad of paper before continuing his questioning. "Ranger, what would you say help you the most in preparing for this mission? We've all seen the kind of devastation that's been caused by these monsters over the years; what made you want to be on the front lines?"
The reporter looked at her attentively, his pen poised over the pad of paper, patiently awaiting her answer. Mako felt like a hand was wrapping around her heart and lungs, making it impossible to speak or even breathe. How was she supposed to explain her deep seated desires for vengeance without sounding like a lunatic? How could she put into words the way that Sensei had raised her to be the perfect soldier, without even meaning to? She felt panic welling in her chest and her eyes flashed to Raleigh without conscious thought, and she felt his hand come back to her knee, squeezing it gently. He smiled kindly and leaned forward to speak into the microphone in her stead, as promised.
"We both went through the Jaeger academy," Raleigh said clearly, bringing the reporter's attention to himself. "Ranger Mori graduated a few years after I…took a leave of absence. She was top of her class, and that was all the preparation she really needed. Nobody makes it through the Jaeger Academy without serious skill and dedication to the cause, and all of us were committed to helping end the war."
The reporter nodded as his pen continued to fly across the page. "Thank you, Ranger. Both of you. I think I speak for all of us here when I say how grateful I am for your service. One last question: now that the Breach is sealed, what are your plans, if any? Have you decided whether you'll stay in the Defense Corps., or go elsewhere?"
Raleigh let out a small laugh. "To be honest," he said somewhat sardonically, "We pretty much expected this to be a one-way trip. We hadn't really considered what we would do if we actually succeeded in making it out alive."
He looked around at Mako, and she smiled weakly and nodded her agreement, eyeing the reporter in case he had any more questions. He was looking away, though, scribbling on his pad and leaving the floor open for the next reporter.
"Mr. Becket?" came another voice, and they both looked back to the crowd where a young woman about Mako's age had stood up, a pad and pen in her hand. Raleigh stiffened when he looked at her, but waited for her question.
"What do you think led to you and Ranger Mori being paired together? You have several years of experience, compared to her being a new recruit. Why is it that a more experienced Ranger wasn't chosen for this mission?"
Mako's eyes widened at the presumption, immediately deciding that she disliked the reporter, whether or not she had been the one who had written that question. Raleigh narrowed his eyes at the reporter, his dislike so evident that Mako was surprised the woman didn't recoil.
"I was out of the program for five years, if you recall, Naomi," he said coldly. "Ranger Mori was the top of her class, and I'm lucky that I was able to be her copilot."
He glared at her, and the woman blanched.
"I just meant-"
"You meant to imply that she got her spot in the Jaeger because of who raised her, and not because of her skill," Raleigh cut her off. "And anyone who believes that should really pay more attention to the class rankings and facts, and less to the gossip that flies around the Shatterdomes and Newsrooms."
Mako's eyes widened at his bluntness, but if she was being totally honest, his defense of her left a warm feeling in her chest. A reluctant smile slid onto her face as she looked sideways at him before sliding her gaze back to the reporter, who was looking like she wanted to melt into the floor. The room buzzed with quiet mutters, and Mako thought they were equal parts critical of the reporter's gaffe and judgmental of Raleigh's reaction.
"I'm sorry, Raleigh," she said quickly, "I didn't mean-"
"Does anyone have questions that are actually related to the mission, rather than assumptions about our backgrounds?" Raleigh cut in again, glaring around the room.
The reporter flushed and quickly took her seat, avoiding eye contact with those nearest her. Mako glanced sideways at Raleigh and saw that his jaw was set in a hard line, his eyes blazing around the room as if daring anyone else to ask him a question. She hesitantly placed a hand on his leg under the table, ready to pull it back if he turned his hard gaze on her, but he seemed to soften slightly when he felt it and placed his hand on hers, giving it a small squeeze.
They spent another 45 minutes answering questions, each of them carefully within the boundaries of non-personal subject matter. Mako breathed a sigh of relief when Amelia stepped in to direct questions toward the J-Tech crew members, and she downed the rest of her water, breathing deeply and wishing she had some more. She felt hot and flustered, tired of being under the spotlight and wanting to hide from all the flashing bulbs and microphones. She felt Raleigh lacing his fingers through hers under the table, and she looked up in time to see him sliding his own, still-full water glass over to her, grinning slyly as she gratefully took a sip from it.
After what seemed like hours, the questions came to an end and members of the press began filing out of the room, no doubt aiming to have stories ready for the evening news. Mako looked to Raleigh then, not sure what to do next. He sighed heavily and got to his feet, gesturing for her to follow him. The rest of the people seated at the long table with them were filing out of the room, and they mixed in with the crowd to head back out into the hallway.
Upon leaving the room, it became evident that the majority of the photographers were still hanging around, clearly hoping to get some shots of the Rangers and crew members as they left the Briefing room. Flashes went off all around them, making it impossible to see where they were going, and Raleigh slung an arm around Mako's shoulders to keep her from getting swallowed up in the crowd and separated from him. He pulled her through the mass of people, keeping his head bowed so there wouldn't be much opportunity to take his photo, and they finally broke through the edge of the crowd and headed towards the doorway that led to the hallway that would take them to the inner areas of the Shatterdome.
As they came up on the door, Mako caught sight of someone hovering around the entrance, and felt her pulse quicken. The reporter who had asked the rude question was standing there looking around, Mako could only assume, for Raleigh. His arm stiffened around her shoulders, holding her even tighter to him when he saw her. The woman rushed over to them, her eyes on Raleigh.
"Raleigh, listen. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean that question the way it sounded."
Her eyes darted to his arm around Mako, but then back to his face, ignoring Mako completely. Raleigh clearly noticed that, and he scowled in response.
"Why are you apologizing to me, Naomi? It's Mako you insulted, not me." He stared at her, and she wilted under his gaze, finally looking at Mako.
"I'm sorry," she said briskly, her gaze flicking immediately back to Raleigh. "Can we talk for a minute?"
Mako bristled, not sure why the woman was edging her out of the conversation, but feeling irritated by it nonetheless. Raleigh's arm tightened even more, his grip almost painful now, but she didn't shrug him off. Their closeness seemed to irritate Naomi for some reason, and her gaze flicked between them once more while she waited for Raleigh's response.
"About what?"
"Look, I wanted to apologize for what happened. I acted really horribly and I'd really like to make it up to you." She sounded almost...flirty at the end of her declaration, and Mako could have sworn that she was batting her eyelashes.
Raleigh sighed. "Naomi, it was a long time ago. There's really nothing to talk about." His expression was blank, and he didn't really seem to care if she responded.
"Raleigh…" Naomi laid a hand on his arm, but he pulled away. Her gaze flicked back to Mako. "Are you two, like…together, or something?"
Raleigh sighed heavily, the sound full of irritation. "Not that it's any of your business, Naomi, but we're co-pilots. I'm glad you're doing well, but I'm really not interested in anything further with you. I'd rather my personal life not end up in whatever magazine you're writing for."
Naomi whipped her hand back, looking highly offended. "Can I please just talk to you privately for a minute?"
"Whatever you want to say, you can say here," Raleigh said without much interest. "Mako and I are co-pilots. You, of all people, should know that there are no secrets between people who have Drifted together."
Naomi's face reddened. "Fine," she spat, incensed. "Forget it. I hope you two are very happy together."
She clearly meant it as a dig, but Mako wasn't really sure what to make of it. Her gaze was bouncing back and forth between Naomi and Raleigh so much that she felt like she was watching a tennis match. Her gaze flicked up to Raleigh, whose eyes had narrowed as he raked Naomi over.
"What is it you're hoping to get from me, Naomi?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious, if irritated. "A story for your magazine, or what? I haven't got anything to offer you, even if I wanted to."
"I just wanted another chance, Raleigh. I'm not the same girl I was back then, and I wanted to try again…" she trailed off, wilting under his stare.
"You mean you want to try and get back in my good graces now that I'm back in the Ranger game, Naomi?" he asked coolly. "I haven't heard from you in five years. I'm sure you could have found me before now if apologizing was your real motive. It's a bit convenient that you show up now that I'm important again, don't you think?"
Naomi flushed but stood her ground. "It's not like that," she snapped. "You know I always cared about you-"
"You cared about status, Naomi," Raleigh interjected. "Nothing more. Please don't insult me by acting like you care about anything but being around people who are in a position to do something for you. I fell for it then, but I won't now."
Mako raised her eyebrows in spite of herself, surprised at the direction the conversation had taken and wondering if she should leave so they could have it in private. Her eyes moved from Raleigh's stony expression to Naomi's reddened face and was surprised to see that she, and not Raleigh, was on the receiving end of the woman's glare. Mako cocked her head to the side, determined not to wilt under the woman's gaze no matter how confused she was about the situation. Raleigh sighed heavily, and both women looked back at him.
"We can't change the past, Naomi. I don't bear you ill will, but there's nothing left to talk about. Good luck with your article."
He sidestepped her, tugging Mako along with him and ignoring Naomi's sound of indignation and anger, sweeping down the hallway away from all the people. Mako had no clue what was going on, but she knew Raleigh would explain when he was ready, so she tried to quell the anxiety that was churning in her stomach. She could tell he was angry, and wondered whether he'd want her around him or prefer to be alone. She shrank into herself, trying to keep from annoying him further, but he stopped mid-stride and released her from his grip. She looked up at him, almost afraid to hear what he had to say.
"I'm sorry about that," he said abruptly. "That was Naomi. She was…one of the girls who hung around me back when I first started piloting."
He looked uncomfortable, looking at the ground and shuffling his feet.
"Oh…" she said, not sure what else there was to say. "Okay."
He sighed, and he seemed to be exhaling his frustration because when he looked back up at her, his face was calm and more of the anger in his eyes had abated.
"We had a…falling out, years ago. She spent a lot of time with me and acted like she really liked me but…then she started seeing my brother behind my back."
Mako's eyes widened. "Why would they do that to you?"
"Yancy didn't know how I felt about her," he said, a little defensively. "But he started going out with her, and I saw the memories of it when we Drifted the next time. I was angry and hurt, and it almost ruined our relationship. I lashed out at him because I was angry at being used by another girl because of my status."
He looked embarrassed at the memory, but went on, as though trying to rid himself of a poison. "Anyway, the point is that I nearly ruined my relationship with my brother over her, when she didn't even really care about me. Looking back, it seems silly, of course, but at the time it felt…I don't know. Important, I guess. I know it's stupid."
He looked guilty, as though expecting Mako to berate him. She cocked her head, looking into his eyes.
"It's not stupid," she said quietly, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them gently. "She knew you had feelings for her and she went behind your back to be with your brother. That was very wrong and very selfish. And now…" she paused, not sure if she should continue.
Raleigh looked at her expectantly so she ploughed on, "And now she wants you back because you're back to being a Ranger again, with an even higher status than you had before. Or maybe she's actually trying to make up for what she did. I don't know."
She shrugged. She didn't want to assume things about Naomi's character without knowing her, but she felt defensive of Raleigh; even if the events had happened so long ago, and it made her dislike Naomi on principle. Raleigh cracked a smile at her thought.
"Thanks for looking out for me," he said quietly, bending down and pressing his forehead against hers.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent that was Mako, and, somehow, it calmed him. He stood up, wrapping an arm around her once again and turning towards the Rangers' wing, leaving the sound of talking reporters and clicking cameras behind them.
. . . . . . . .