Set pre-series when Nikita was training Alex to infiltrate Division. Sometimes, there were bad days.
It wasn't that late, yet Alex was exhausted. She had been training with Nikita all day to eventually infiltrate Division, and it was starting to take its toll. She hadn't been doing well that day. Sometimes, the teenager killed it in all the practices her trainer had her do. Yet that day, Alex was struggling just to speak English. She somehow managed to get through it all. But there was no plus side. Nikita was soon handing her ass to her in their sparring lesson. Alex quickly had enough. She couldn't take it anymore.
The punch she threw at Nikita was the last straw. Not only was it not as strong as Alex had intended it to be, but when the hit landed, pain traveled up her arm. She recoiled instantly. Although that saved her from Nikita's retaliating hit, the teen wasn't grateful. She stomped around the makeshift sparring mat, attempting to shake her pain away. It didn't work. Her thumb throbbed even more. A tearful curse bubbled on Alex's tongue before she could stop it, "Блядь!"
"You alright?" Cautiously, Nikita approached Alex. She knew she was having a bad day, and she thought sparring would be the perfect way to blow off steam. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Alex appeared even more worked up. She was more than likely about to explode.
"I just…" Alex tried to hold it in, however. Having a bad day while training wasn't indicative of anything. It was one off day amidst many great ones. But what if she had terrible moments like that in Division. What if she made too many mistakes and was canceled. Hers and Nikita's mission would never be completed. Division would keep killing innocents. And it'd all be her fault, "I just feel like we're going nowhere. And we're stuck in place. We're never gonna destroy Division at this rate. They'll kill us and even more innocents before we have the chance. And… and I'm tired. I'm so tired. And my thumb hurts really bad."
"Hey. Hey, It's okay. You're okay," Crossing to Alex, Nikita tried to soothe her sudden tears. The teenager's bright blue eyes welled with more and more tears as she ranted. It all came tumbling loose as she complained about her thumb. Nikita didn't know what that was exactly about. But she could help ease Alex's frustrations with gentle words and wiping of tears, "I know it's frustrating right now. I'm probably not helping with my doom and gloom rhetoric. But we'll get through this. You'll finish your training, we'll find the perfect mission to get you recruited, then we'll kick ass. This is just the tedious part. But we'll get there."
"I still think I should be your inside man," Holding back her tears caused her chin to tremble, yet Alex attempted to be strong. Crying over her frustrations was pointless. She couldn't be a calm and collected recruit if she kept losing it whenever she was overwhelmed. She had to get herself together. Nikita didn't get all weepy when she was upset, after all.
"I know," Softly, Nikita continued to wipe the teen's tears. As they faded, she also tucked her loose hair behind her ear. Alex shouldn't beat herself up for crying. It was okay to be frustrated and stressed. And it was more than okay that she vented about it. Alex should get it out in the open. She could work on making it better instead of bottling it up. Going into Division with a clear head and a way to process stress was a better idea than trying to be emotionless.
Alex just tried to focus on her breathing. There wasn't anything else she could do to calm down. The embarrassment over losing control that soon heated her cheeks wasn't helpful. A part of her wanted to disappear from that moment. But she knew that wouldn't serve her in the long run. She had to stick it out- breathe. Although the tactic helped her frustrations, the teen's thumb only felt worse. Lamely, she held it up for Nikita to see, "But my thumb really does hurt."
"Let me see," Nikita took Alex's hand in hers. The teen didn't flinch when her teacher touched her thumb. But the second she applied pressure, a sharp wince filled the air. Immediately, Nikita tried to correct her mistake. Alex seemed to calm again. Except, she'd have to go through more pain in order for her injury to truly heal, "Ouch. I think you tucked your thumb in on that last punch. You dislocated it. Hold on."
"Ow!" When Nikita popped the digit back into the socket, Alex screeched. She ripped her hand away, and attempted to shake the pain away again. That time it worked. Her thumb was sore, but it was no longer in pain. She began to finally relax.
"Feel better?" Nikita smirked. The expression was only meant to lightly tease Alex. She'd never dismiss the teenager's stress and frustrations. There were times when those were important to feel. Yet since Alex was calm again, Nikita could make a few jokes- even if they weren't the best.
"Yeah," Rolling her eyes, Alex scoffed. She rubbed the remaining moisture from her eyes and finally moved off the sparring mat. Nikita moved with her; though, she kept her distance. She only followed her so they could put their sparring stuff away together. Alex was grateful for that. Since she had collected herself, she was ready to just move on. There was no need to talk about feelings, not at that moment. The two should keep moving with more training.
"Good. Why don't we just call it a night? We should rest, since you're so tired," Nikita, however, thought it was best to end the night there. As important as training was, so was rest. They couldn't keep running themselves ragged; that was potentially why Alex was so ready to crumble in the first place. The two had to relax.
Alex didn't look like she was ready to, though. She was tense and overwrought, and nursing her thumb a bit. She needed a distraction- something to focus on and relax with. Nikita considered suggesting a movie, but even she wasn't in the mood to sit down and watch something. The two needed something better. Once her stomach growled, Nikita had the perfect idea. Food could be used for comfort just as much as it could be used for subsistence, "Hey. What's your favorite thing to eat in the whole world?"
The question stunned Alex. She certainly wasn't expecting it. However, she wasn't going to not answer. Her stomach jumped excitedly at the mention of food. She needed to eat. If she had the chance to eat something she loved, why shouldn't she take it, "The whole world? Um. Probably fluffernutter sandwiches."
"What's that?" For some reason, Nikita was expecting to hear about a Russian dish Alex loved as a kid. She thought she'd hear something vaguely familiar that she could look up a recipe for and cook. Yet she had no clue what that sandwich was. It didn't even sound real.
"You don't know what a fluffernutter sandwich is? It's the best thing in the world. Way better than your veggie shakes," Alex couldn't believe Nikita didn't know about the sandwich. She had picked it up from some other young junkies on the street. She thought it was an American standard- like peanut butter and jelly. Almost everyone she knew had had one of the delicious treats. The fact Nikita hadn't was baffling. But, then again, she did think it was acceptable to replace a meal with a vegetable smoothie.
"My veggie shakes will bring world peace, just wait," Reaching to nudge the teenager, Nikita held back a chuckle. She was glad Alex was so excited about something. That was the perfect way to end a terrible day. They could laugh and smile instead of fighting frustrations.
"Yeah, but what's a nasty green smoothie compared to peanut butter and marshmallow fluff on bread," Alex returned the smug grin. She liked the veggie shakes just fine. But given the choice, it'd always be a fluffernutter sandwich. She didn't care how bad it was for her. All that sugar and stickiness was wonderful.
"That's what a fluffernutter is? Essentially candy?" Shaking her head, Nikita soon laughed. Of course the teen liked the super sweet sandwich. It was everything oh so delicious, yet oh so bad for you. It was the perfect food for a girl to find comfort in while on the streets. Nikita had had a few of those snacks. She still ate them on occasion. She couldn't fault Alex for doing the same. She deserved her treat.
And Alex was definitely going to get it. But she wanted her mentor to have a fluffernutter sandwich too. Everyone should have the joys of a sticky sandwich that was too sweet to be real. It always brought comfort and a smile, "You have to try it."
"We don't have marshmallow fluff," Nikita wasn't exactly saying 'no'. Of course she'd try Alex's favorite food. But the only ingredients they had for it were peanut butter and bread, and she didn't feel like going to the store. There were so many precautions she had to take to ensure Division didn't capture them on any cameras or whatever. It was too much of a hassle to do when she was tired. Shopping was a special trip. Being a rogue agent didn't allow for many mundane and normal things. Everything had to be carefully planned.
"Then let's go get some. And other little comfort foods," Except, the way Alex looked at Nikita couldn't be denied. She was so excited to eat and share her comfort food. The two could relax and bond over things that brought them joy and peace. That had to be worth the risk.
Taking a moment to think past her exhaustion (and laziness) Nikita couldn't deny Alex any longer. She was sure they could find marshmallow fluff in a small convenience store nearby. All their shopping could occur there without problem. Nikita sighed, "Alright. Let's go."
"Yes!" Practically jumping, Alex raced out the door. Nikita couldn't be annoyed. She just smiled brightly and followed the happy teenager.
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