A/N: Thanks again for the encouragement, I hope you enjoy the next part!
Chapter Four
The hotel room was practical rather than luxurious but it was clean and had a comfortable double bed, that both occupants tried hard to ignore as they took turns unpacking.
"Do you want to use the bathroom first, while I put my things away?" Linka had asked, hovering over their shared bag as it rested on the room's only chair.
Wheeler shrugged, "Sure. Ok if I take a quick shower? I won't be long and then I'll keep out of the way while you get ready for dinner."
She heard the amusement in his voice and looked at him for the first time since entering the room. "Da but I do not take long either..."
The American grinned, "Whatever you say Babe."
He reached past her to unzip his bag and she jumped, half moving to stop him before forcing herself back.
Wheeler gave her a surprised look and backed off, "I only wanted my wash bag..."
Grimacing, Linka reached in for the item and handed it to him. "I am sorry, I guess I am a little on edge."
Her friend regarded her for a moment and then put the wash bag down before moving to stand in front of her, where he could put his arms around her waist. "Nothing is going to happen until you want it to."
Linka smiled up at him, relaxing against his chest and placing her hands on his arms, "I know. It is not that really, I just have it all worked out in my head how things should go, but you do not always do what I expect and..."
"Control freak." He teased softly, smiling when she chuckled. "Do you really want me to just do as I'm told?"
It was a challenge, but Linka knew that if she said yes he would do his best to comply. She shook her head.
"Good." He lowered his lips to hers, brushing against them lightly and surprising a gasp from her.
When he didn't immediately follow it up, but kept their mouths close together, Linka raised her lips to return the pressure briefly before pulling away entirely. "You do not need to... um... romance me, Wheeler. We... We have an arrangement, da?"
The Fire Planeteer winced and ran his fingers through his hair in a gesture of discomfort. "Well yeah but..."
She was watching silently, waiting for him to continue. "Look, I get that you aren't expecting this to lead to anything, after tonight that is, but well, we have a couple of days away together... Alone. Couldn't you just go with the flow? Consider it part of the experience."
The Russian was looking sceptical, "I was trying to separate it from our feelings..."
Wheeler looked annoyed suddenly but it was frustration rather than anger. "If that's really what you want let's just get it over with!" He pulled his jumper off over his head and his t-shirt followed it revealing a well sculpted torso and jeans that rode lower on his hips than the red boxers beneath. He walked to the bed, gesturing towards it. "Well?"
She moved back slightly, her eyes wide, and shook her head.
The American sighed, not without a little relief mixed in. "Some things aren't meant to be clinical and organised Babe, you might think you don't need the romance but you do, and so do I. You've set boundaries and that's fine, but even if it's just until we get back we can't fake it, and we can't pretend it means no more than satisfying the hunger for food would, not if we're going to stay friends we can't."
"I think I understand." The beautiful young woman nodded slowly, "We will have a contained relationship, completely separate to our usual friendship and we will define its parameters up front. Until we get back to Hope Island tomorrow night we will be a couple, in a physical relationship, and act the way couples do when they are away together, not just… tonight, but all the time. No past, no future, just living completely in the present."
Her partner regarded her for a moment or two as if trying to decide whether she really did understand, and then moved cautiously to take up his former position, pulling her back into his arms. This time she rose to meet him, tilting her head, her lips slightly parted. Linka ran her hands over his bare chest and up around his neck as they deepened the kiss, just as she'd always wanted to. It was better than she imagined though and whilst she would never admit it to him, she was in serious doubt about whether she could escape the encounter with her heart intact.
Parting breathlessly they continued to press soft kisses to each other's lips, no longer hiding their attraction.
"Is this what you always do?" Linka asked, "Set a time limit I mean, little pockets of time with their own rules?"
Wheeler was finding it hard to concentrate, "Yeah I guess… kind of, though we don't usually discuss it, it's just understood."
The lovely Russian blushed and pulled back, though not attempting to get away entirely, she looked down at his chest. "I am sorry Yankee… this does not come naturally to me, but I did not mean to make a production out of it."
"You didn't." When she didn't look up he kissed her forehead, "Babe don't worry so much, if I never bothered to discuss it before it's because it never mattered. You and me have more to lose if we screw up, we need to make sure there's no misunderstandings. There's nothing wrong with talking about it."
She still didn't look up so he kissed her head again, then her nose and then bent his knees to lower himself into an awkward position so that he could press a quick salute on her mouth, making her laugh and cuddle into him as he straightened up.
"As long as we are having an embarrassing discussion anyway, can we get the other one out of the way?"
"Huh?" he asked, enjoying the way she felt pressed up against him.
Grateful that she couldn't see his face she said, "Contraception."
"Oh!" He laughed, "I don't have any but I'm sure we can get something from the hotel's public restrooms."
Linka nodded, still avoiding his gaze but leaning her head against his shoulder and keeping her eyes down. "Da, I am sure you are right, but I would prefer not to… I have never liked the idea of it and it is not really necessary. That is, it is not necessary for me, one of the perks of working for Mother Nature… if I want to get pregnant I will have to ask her to release me but it made things easier from month to month, you understand?"
"Er yeah," He cleared his throat, "I always thought it odd that you and Gi never seemed to, er, well your moods are pretty consistent if you understand me?"
Wheeler couldn't see her rolling her eyes but he could hear the laughter in her voice, "Da, I do."
"But you know Babe that's not the only reason to use protection," Then he added quickly, "Not that you need to worry about me! I'm clean. For Sure."
"Me too," She told him. In truth she had already known about him too. The five friends were so close that if anything had come up in one of their regular medicals they would all have known it. "But if you would still prefer to…"
He tilted her chin up and kissed her again, long and deep and forgetting their conversation for a few minutes as he got caught up in all the sensations he'd so long craved and been denied, "No, I wouldn't prefer to… I've never done it without, so it'll be a first for me too."
The smile that covered her face just then was like pure sunshine and he didn't dare voice the thought in his head. Besides I don't want anything coming between us, not ever. Just the thought of joining with her made him want to forget his resolve and gather her up in his arms immediately to carry her to the bed. I can't rush things, not if I want her to not give this up… give us up.
Wheeler swallowed and said, "So, I'll go take that shower while you unpack and then you can make yourself even more beautiful for our nice quiet dinner date, ok?"
"Ok." She nodded happily, clearly getting into the spirit of things, and released him.
Retrieving his wash bag, Wheeler headed for the bathroom, turning back once to glance her way and grinning when he realised she was still watching him.
Once the door was closed, Linka gave a happy sigh and began transferring her things to one of the drawers provided by the hotel. She hadn't expected Wheeler's reaction to keeping things casual but even though it was more of a risk to her happiness playing it his way, she wouldn't have missed the chance to have two perfect days with him for anything. When he looks at me the way he does between kisses, it is hard to believe this is not forever…but if I do not want any regrets I must remember that it is going to end!
"... So Trish's mom comes in and there's paint everywhere, the floor, the walls, the furniture, I think we even got some on the ceiling." Wheeler laughed.
Linka chuckled and raised the glass of sparkling water to her lips, taking a sip. The hotel restaurant was small with an old world feel and made for a cosy dinner setting. There was music playing in the background and a little area for dancing, though no one was currently taking advantage of it.
"And we were covered, there were like these dried clumps in our hair and you couldn't tell our t-shirts apart." Wheeler grinned.
The Russian smiled back, "What did she do?"
"Stripped us off and dumped us in the bath while she went to clean up!"
"Together?!" Linka looked appalled.
Laughing, Wheeler said, "Babe we were five years old, we just thought it was funny."
Linka shifted uncomfortably, "I would not have, even then... I would have been mortified."
Her friend shrugged, "Neither of us were shy, though I guess maybe it had an effect on how we related later, being naked around each other was never a big deal."
"Did you get in trouble? For the paint I mean." The lovely blond still looked disturbed by the idea of being made to share a bath with a member of the opposite sex, but she clearly didn't want to discuss it any more.
Wheeler shook his head, "Nah, Maddie's cool, she never told my parents about the trouble I got her daughter into, and I never told her about the trouble I got Trish out of... there was no sense in worrying her."
"You were lucky to have such a close friend... I never really had someone my own age to play with, or to get into mischief with… not that I would have dared. My friendships tended to be... friendly, and well behaved." Linka sighed, "I was always the good girl."
She seemed sad so he said, "Well you have me now."
Linka's sparkle returned, "To get me into trouble?"
"To play with." He waggled his eyebrows making her laugh.
"It is too late, if I was conscious of how to behave then, I am a hundred times more so now." She smiled, "Though I suppose sharing the things on my list is something, assuming that I have the courage to follow through with them all."
Wheeler looked thoughtful in a mischievous sort of way, "I'll have to consider this very carefully. It's about time you let yourself have some fun and it is obviously my responsibility to teach you how to be a little naughty once in a while."
She laughed and shook her head, "What about you?"
"Me?" He shrugged, "I'm already an expert in goofing off."
"That is true," The Russian teased him, "But I what I was asking was, what would be on your list?"
Understanding dawned, "Oh! I dunno Babe, I've never really thought about it. I pretty much just do what I want to… though I guess the top of my list would have to be the last one on yours."
Confused, Linka said, "But I thought you already had..."
Wheeler chuckled and gave a nod, "I have, I meant with you."
Colouring slightly, Linka tried to make light of it, "Well we have that covered, what else?"
"Are you going to do the stuff on my list too?" he asked, wondering how far he could push their new relationship.
"It seems only fair," she nodded slowly, "As long as there is nothing, well…"
He grinned, "Illegal, immoral or just plain gross?"
Linka laughed, "Da. Not that I think you would pressure me to do any of those things… or at least the first two."
"Ouch Babe," he exclaimed, though he was laughing, "I guess it depends on your definition of gross!"
"I will let you know if it comes up, and you are stalling," she teased.
"That's cos I can't think of anything!" Fortunately for Wheeler the waiter brought their orders just then and asked if they wanted any more drinks. By the time he left the American had figured out his second item. "Riding a mechanical bull."
Linka looked up from her plate somewhat perplexed, "Pardon?"
"I'd like to ride a mechanical bull, you know, see how long you can stay on for sort of thing."
The beautiful Russian shook her head, "Is that not dangerous… and a little pointless?"
"You asked," Wheeler gave a shrug, "Call it a guy thing if you like but it doesn't have to have a point, doing it is the point. And you know I make a great cowboy!"
She chuckled and applied herself to her dinner, saying only, "Very well."
Wheeler took her answer to mean that she did think he made a good cowboy, but he still pressed the point, "And you'll go with me?"
"I will go," Linka confirmed, "And I will take my turn, and judge the experience with an open mind."
The American's lips quirked into an amused smile that when mixed with the look in his eyes, gave a pretty accurate picture of the state of his feelings for her, but she wasn't looking. He watched her enjoying her meal for a few moments and then turned his attention to his own, but it wasn't long before he thought of something else and the evil glint in his eyes returned.
"Actually Babe, I've thought of something else I've never done and really want to do, and it shouldn't be too much of an issue for you… at least not after tonight."
She gave him a wary look but said, "Go on."
"Skinny dipping." When she didn't react he started to explain what it was but she held her hand up.
"I know what you are talking about Yankee. Gi does it at night on the Island, and she has tried to convince me to try it but I would not. I am surprised that you have not however."
Wheeler took a drink before answering, "Well there wasn't really anywhere to do it back in Brooklyn and I don't tend to think of it as a solo activity, if you catch my drift. I'm sure Gi does it to be closer to the water spirits or something, but that's not my idea of a good time. I don't want to join Gi and I definitely don't want the guys around. But you and me, that's different… and I wouldn't mind it being somewhere… not entirely private. I'm not saying I want an audience but a little risk of being caught…"
There was some hesitation and he wondered if he'd pushed things too far but she finally took a breath and said, "I am not sure whether the risk of being caught by strangers is more or less terrifying than being caught by our friends, but as long as there is no chance of being arrested… I suppose… after tonight… though I would prefer it to be somewhere private."
"Sounds like a fair compromise," he said softly, letting her know he wouldn't push her and since he was clearly pleased by her agreement she didn't feel too bad about chickening out of the full deal. Then he winked, "At least the first time, you never know, you might get a taste for it."
Linka laughed, relaxing again, "I will not rule it out, but do not hold your breath."
Her companion laughed too and for a short time they concentrated on their food, content in each other's company.
To be continued...