*12*
Nikita woke a few hours later to the insistent beeping of the alarm on Michael's phone. Michael himself was completely oblivious to the sound and still fast asleep. She reached over to press the snooze button. The fact that he slept through the irritating noise of the alarm signified his level of fatigue. She wished she could let him sleep, keep him with her in the warm haven of her bed... maybe someday, when this fight against Division was nothing but a bad memory.
For now she would have to settle for being able to gently wake him herself. And so she did. Her fingers stroking over his eyebrow and cheek as her lips softly brushed over his. She knew the exact moment he came awake at her touch. The pressure of his fingers on her back increased the tiniest bit and his face angled to hers like a bird turning to bask in the first rays of sun.
The first thing Michael was aware of as he was coaxed into consciousness, besides the comforting weight of Nikita's upper body against his, was a faint tingle in his lips. The next thing he noticed were her slender fingers caressing his features and her warm breath tickling his skin as she huskily wished him "Good morning". His arms tightened around her of their own accord and his mouth met hers in a slow and sensual kiss.
He rolled them both over, hovering above her and carefully keeping his weight on his elbows as he thoroughly explored her mouth. One of Nikita's feet gently disturbed the fine hair along his calf as she traced it upwards and her hands busied themselves stroking his back and tangling in his hair as his did in hers. A low sound in the back of her throat made Michael break their kiss. His eyes still closed, he rested his forehead against hers and asked, "What time is it?" His gravely voice, darker than usual, caused by sleep, sent a shiver up her spine.
"I'm guessing about 4.55 a.m."
Michael groaned, way too early to be really rested and already too late to let kissing progress into something more. In the back of his mind he started thinking he'd like to arrange for a wake-up call as wonderful as this one was, every day. Preferably with a bit more time to be able to properly take advantage of it. Nevertheless, the words that left his mouth were not fuelled by desire, but rather brought forth by his sense of duty, "I have to go get ready." Duty bound or not, he sounded more than a little reluctant to actually start the day.
When he made no move to get out of bed, Nikita nipped at his lips once and then lightly kissed him again. She didn't want him to feel torn between duty and desire. As honourable a man as he was, she knew desire would lose in the end every time no matter from what angle you considered it. So she decided to take 'desire' out of the equation for now and promised herself she'd keep on choosing to do so whenever necessary in the future until 'duty' - at least to Division - wouldn't be an issue for him any longer.
Framing his face between her hands and lightly kissing him a final time, she whispered encouragingly to him, "Go take a shower. I'll have a cup of coffee for you when you get out."
Resisting the urge to bury his face in her neck, hugging her close and letting the world pass them by, Michael heaved a sigh, got up and made his way to the bathroom, yesterday's clothes tucked beneath his arm. It took a few seconds for Nikita to remember that she'd stored away his things day before last. As soon as she did, she jumped out of bed and ran after him.
Her bare feet slapping against the wooden floor, Nikita caught up with Michael just before he closed the door to hand him his bag, which she'd hastily pulled from the cupboard she had stuffed it into, "I put it out of sight in case of unexpected visitors", she offered by way of explanation. A rueful grin stretched her mouth as one hand splayed over his chest and the other transferred his bag to him. His free hand came round to curl around her neck and he pulled her in closer to kiss once more, "Thank you". His eyes conveyed everything he didn't put into words and she kissed him right back, understanding perfectly.
Michael hadn't just thanked her for bringing him his necessities or for the coffee she was currently brewing as she listened to the water running through the pipes while he readied himself for the day. He had thanked her for the same things she was grateful for in return. The acceptance, compassion, understanding, peace and most of all the love they found with each other was worth everything.
A few minutes later Michael appeared looking freshly groomed and wonderfully handsome despite the dark circles underneath his eyes. Nikita greeted him with a smile and handed him his coffee. He thanked her again and took a long sip of the warm brew. Glancing at his watch he saw he only had about ten minutes left before he needed to leave.
Nikita observed him quietly for a bit, guessing at his thoughts. "Come back tonight Michael."
"Nikita I...", he started to tell her he wanted too, but left off on a tired sigh and finished with, "We have to be careful."
"Hmm, I know", she said as she folded her hands around her own cup.
"Come back anyway. And come a little earlier than last night", she told him. When she saw he was about to object, she held up a hand to hold off his reply. She took a sip of her coffee and turned around to grab her brand new signal jammer. Placing her cup on the nearest surface, she took his hand and placed the device in it.
Michael's eyes widened slightly as he recognised what she gave him. He was obviously impressed. "This is the most advanced one there is. Where did you get it?"
"Trade secret", she winked at him.
"Nikita...", he warned her.
"Mi-chael", she singsonged back at him. It didn't have the desired effect. Always so serious, she thought to herself. This will take a little more effort, so she tried to rationalise with him even as she explained, "It's not that hard to come by if you know who to ask and have money to spare." He raised an eyebrow at her and took another sip.
"Think of it as an investment", she quipped and when he still didn't loosen up, she sighed and took a step forward, standing very close and wrapping her arms around his waist.
"What do you want to do then?", she asked. "Go back home to an empty apartment tonight when this little gem...", she nodded her head towards the device in his palm, "... just as easily lets us be together without anyone being able to trace you anywhere near here?" She took care to keep her voice soft and inviting, soothing even and Michael sighed as he rested his forehead against hers. "No..., I don't."
"Then come back tonight."
Michael nodded once, ceding to her logic, for now at least. Freeing his hands, he placed his half-finished coffee near hers and sat the state of the art signal jammer next to it. Framing her face between his palms he kissed her once, twice and then breathed her in as he held her close.
Nikita let out a relieved sigh and tightened her arms around him for a second.
"I have to leave", he whispered against her hair.
Nikita pulled back a bit and lifted herself to stand on her toes to kiss him. He tasted of coffee and mint and she savoured it for a moment before she let him go and wished him goodbye.
"Be careful", he requested.
Nikita smiled at him, "Always."
Michael raised his eyebrow again.
"Don't worry so much, hon. I'll see you tonight."
He didn't reply, he just briefly pressed his lips against her forehead and was off.
Stifling a yawn, Nikita laughed to herself at hers and Michael's own little version of domesticity. She considered starting her own day too, until she looked at the time. Her decision swiftly made, Nikita turned on her heel and went back to bed to catch another few hours of much needed sleep.
For the second time in a few hours Nikita woke to the sound of a phone blaring. The caller-ID informed her it was Alex and a quick glance at the time before she answered the call told her it was already 9.15 a.m.. Somewhat shocked she'd slept this late, she hurriedly answered her phone, "Morning Alex." Nikita frowned at how groggy she sounded and apparently Alex had noticed it too.
"Nikita? Did I wake you?"
But Nikita didn't get a chance to reply as Alex went on, "That's not like you." The young girl's voice went down in pitch and picked right up again, "Oh my god! Do you have a boy there?"
A boy?! Sometimes it was easy to forget how young Alex still was and at other times it wasn't. Oh dear god. No, no, definitely no boy. I did have one very perfectly gorgeous man here, Nikita answered only in her mind as Alex rambled on. "Who is he? Wait don't tell me! It's that CIA guy right?"
Ryan Fletcher? Again Nikita only replied in her head as her fantasy of Michael crashed and burned by the insertion of a very sweet and noble, but so not her type - company man.
There was no stopping Alex though, she was on a roll. "I knew it!", she continued.
No Alex I'm not involved with Ryan. It's my ex-handler, your current handler, that warmed my bed last night and a few amazing nights before that too. You know the one, tall, dark, handsome, slightly broody at times, very sexy... Oh she was so not going to break the news to Alex like this... In the meantime Alex was squealing and saying how happy she was for her mentor, that she should have someone in her life too, that she hoped she found with him what she herself felt when she was with Nathan.
Nikita heaved a sigh at the mention of Nathan's name, alright, no further, this ends here. "Alex? Alex!", only on the second invocation of her name, the girl fell silent. "I don't have a boy here", Nikita rolled her eyes at her own choice of words, "And there's nothing going on between me and Ryan, okay?"
"Oh, okay", Alex sounded crestfallen, "That's too bad." Oh no, it most certainly isn't, Nikita thought to herself picturing Michael's face as she'd kissed him awake this morning.
"Why were you still in bed then? You're not ill are you?", her protégé's concern was genuine and Nikita's face transformed with a smile.
"I'm fine, I just didn't sleep enough last night, so I went back to bed."
"Oh." Alex's disappointment at the lack of excitement involved in Nikita's sleeping late was evident.
"How are you?", Nikita asked.
"I'm okay."
"Did you think about what we discussed yesterday?", Nikita took care to keep her tone as nonthreatening as possible. The last thing they needed was for Alex to feel hassled and put her defences up again.
"Nikita, I can't..." The hesitancy Alex still expressed was clear from the few words she used and the tone she spoke them in. Nikita remembered back when she was in a similar situation with Daniel. Michael had warned her, Amanda had warned her and still she hadn't been able to end it, to protect Daniel from the fate that had been his the moment he laid eyes on her. She knew that Alex held out an irrepressible hope that her's and Nathan's story would end differently, just like she herself had had with Daniel...
Nikita sighed before answering, it wasn't to hard to relate, "I know Alex...". On the other end of the line, she heard Alex sigh too as Nikita got up from her bed. Rummaging through her stock of gadgets, guns and counterespionage gear, she found what she was looking for, the silver of the 'lipstick' tube glinting in the sunlight as she held it up. If she couldn't get Alex to believe that her and Nathan's budding relationship would end no differently than all the other ones between agents and civilians before it, the least she could do was equip Alex with whatever she would need to keep the threat Division posed to Nathan at bay for as long as possible.
"Do you have time to go for coffee or something?", Nikita asked of the young woman. "There's something I want you to have."
It was close to 11 a.m. when the antique bell above the door of the deli where they had agreed to meet up in for brunch, jingled. Nikita looked up from her table in the back corner to see Alex stepping over the threshold. Spotting her mentor quickly, Alex made her way over and slid into the booth, seating herself across from Nikita.
"Hey", she greeted.
"Hey yourself", Nikita answered with a smile. Her smile wasn't returned though. Alex was fidgeting and looked ill at ease, Nikita sighed.
"Alex?" Her former trainee looked up at her and Nikita continued, "Relax. It's me, remember?" The corners of Alex's mouth lifted up a little, a hint of a smile peeking through. "Let's just have a nice meal together okay?"
"Yeah... I'm sorry Nikita." Nikita just shook her head at her, no apology was necessary, she opened her mouth to tell her that, only to be interrupted by the waiter standing at her back, ready to hand them both a menu and take their order for drinks.
A few minutes later a pot of fresh mint tea was delivered to their table and Nikita ordered herself a club sandwich with smashed chickpea and avocado salad, while Alex went for a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon.
"So tell me...", Nikita started as soon as the waiter turned away, "... how are things really?"
Alex tilted her head at her, another smile ghosting over her lips, "Are you sure you want to know?"
Nikita narrowed her eyes at Alex which in turn made Alex sigh and proceed to tell her about the diminishing after effects of her rehab session with Amanda. How she had tired easily shortly after but didn't anymore. And how she didn't think Amanda posed an immediate threat right now. Nikita warned her and told her she knew better than to believe that, to still beware. Amanda was like a dog with a bone. She might seem to have let up, but hard gained personal experience taught her she would never give up. Alex seemed to be considering Nikita's words when their food was brought out.
Nikita decided then and there to keep mum about herself and Michael as long as Alex was not seeing things clearly and instead focus on Alex herself in order to be able to keep an eye on her as much as was possible.
When the waiter had turned away again, Nikita prodded Alex some more until she spilled the beans on her weekend spent with Nathan in the Hamptons too. Taking a bite of her sandwich, Nikita listened to Alex's carefully chosen words and was again reminded of herself not so long ago. She wouldn't warn Alex explicitly anymore on how dangerous a path she was threading, it wouldn't do any good, the girl was in love. And besides, deep down Alex knew perfectly well this relationship would not last herself.
She'd been through so much the last few months, years actually. Nikita more than understood Alex's need for feeling something good, for wanting to turn a blind eye to the very real threat Division - specifically in the person of Amanda - posed to her. And even though she couldn't stop Alex from doing whatever she needed to do, she could and would try her very best to aide her in keeping herself and her neighbour turned lover as safe as possible, for as long as it took for Alex to reach the only conclusion possible.
Cutting off another piece of her sandwich and popping it in her mouth, Nikita put down her cutlery and rummaged around in her handbag. Fingers coming into contact with smooth, cool metal, she pulled out the lipstick tube and put it on the table top. "For you", she told Alex.
Alex reached out and closed her hand over it, a question mark in her eyes, " You got me lipstick?"
Nikita smiled at her and winked, "Magic makeup. You will find that this particular shade will erase all your previously not so smudge proof lipstick from the guy you've been kissing with just the tap of a key."
Alex got the message loud and clear and sticking the tube into her purse she told her, "Thanks Nikita, I…"
Nikita just waved a hand at her, "It's nothing, just be careful okay?"
"Yeah", Alex bit her lip and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Good, then eat your bagel, you haven't even touched it yet", Nikita said in a stern voice but with a smile in her eyes.
"Yes mom", Alex said as she brought her arm up in a mock salute, but in her eyes Nikita saw the truth of things clearly. Alex was grateful she watched out for her even if she did think Nikita to be somewhat overbearing from time to time.
