Set post-series. Mikita have a beach day, watch a movie, then discuss families.
She smelled like sun, sand, surf, and strawberries. Michael pulled his wife tightly against his side so he could breathe her in. She hummed in contentment and nuzzled into his warmth. Her arms wrapped around him, yet she was too tired for any tight hold. She simply used him as a blanket and pillow as she flipped through movie selections. Michael chuckled against the top of her head, placing a kiss to her crown and breathing in her wonderful scent once more.
The two had spent all day on the beach outside their house. They had their own private stretch of sand and sea as their backyard. They wandered away from their little oasis from time to time to walk around, explore, and grab something to eat. Yet, for the most part, they swam, played, and relaxed in perfect isolation. It was absolute paradise on Earth, and Michael was so glad to have spent it with her- with Nikita.
They had stayed as long as they could outside, watching the sunset and the stars shine together. Yet a chill came with the night breeze that brought them inside. After a shower and a change into pajamas, the married couple settled on the couch with take out, and they began to flip through different streaming services for a movie to watch.
Michael could feel his sunburn begin to heat and tighten his shoulders and cheeks, but that didn't stop him from smiling softly. Despite the slight discomfort brought on by the burn (and the taunts he knew Nikita would throw at him for how fair skinned he was) he had never been so happy. He was in heaven. He had had the perfect day of sun, surf, and bliss. And he was with the perfect woman- his love, his heart, his life. He would never change anything about that day. In fact, he would give anything to live that day over and over again.
Even when she bolted excitedly upright out of his hold and glanced at him with a shiteating grin, "I found the perfect movie."
"What?" Michael asked. However, Nikita clicked on the movie before he could get a good look at the television screen. That was his fault for paying more attention to her than what she was scrolling through. He didn't have a chance to veto her choice. She usually picked a good movie to watch, so there wasn't much for him to worry about. Except, of course, for that smug, taunting smile she gave him.
"It's your one true love's favorite movie," Nikita tossed the remote on the coffee table so Michael couldn't rip it out of her hands and change the movie. She had plans to tease her husband, and she wouldn't let him ruin that.
It took Michael a moment to figure out what Nikita was talking about. He liked her favorite movie, so there was no reason for her to glance at him like that if she had played it. And if she had played Elizabeth's favorite movie (which, he wasn't sure if she even knew what that had been) she wouldn't have made a joke about it, especially one that excluded herself from also being the love of his life.
Michael had absolutely no idea what movie was playing or who Nikita was teasing him about. Until he saw the title card. Then, he groaned and tried to bury himself into the couch cushions, "Oh God no. Not Mac and Me."
"Have you actually seen this movie?" Nikita couldn't stop herself from giggling. Her first instincts had been to scroll past the movie and continue searching for something to veg out on the couch with her husband to. However, before she could click next, a distant memory pulled at the back of her mind. With everything that had happened after Michael's reconnaissance mission into Bellfar Systems, Nikita never got the chance to properly tease him for seducing another woman. A year after everything had settled down seemed like the best time to bring that back up. She could tease him without the heaviness of the aftermath weighing them down.
"No. Have you?" Michael grumbled. He was half-tempted to reach for the remote and turn the television off. But Nikita had settled back into the cushions and was digging happily into her dinner. She was perfectly content watching one of the worst movies ever made. Which meant he had to suck it up and make himself content as well.
"Nope," Nikita admitted. She was only aware of Mac and Me because of commercials when she was younger and clips that had resurfaced on the internet. Yet that didn't stop her from knowing that she and her husband were in for a treat. They were absolutely going to hate the movie. Though, they still might manage to have some fun, "But you did say you wanted to watch a new movie. So here we go."
Shaking his head, Michael chuckled softly. He wasn't going to win any arguments, so he might as well just go along for the ride. He followed his wife's lead and relaxed against the cushions as he ate his dinner. The two didn't say much as the movie got off to a weird start. They simply shot each other judging glances while they stuffed their faces. But after a while, Nikita's bewildered amusement turned into wary trepidation. Michael couldn't help but laugh at the attitude change, "Is this actually freaking you out a little bit?"
"I stand by the fact that this movie is creepy as hell," Nikita couldn't take her eyes off the creepy puppets that were moving around in the chaos they had created. The movie wanted her to feel sympathetic for the aliens, but all she wanted to do was burn them. Absolutely nothing should look that demented.
The creepiness of the aliens never faded. Yet Nikita was able to move past it and make fun of other aspects of Mac and Me- notably that one of the characters shared the same name of her husband, "His name is Michael!"
"Oh God," Once again, Michael groaned. Whenever a character in the movie they were watching had the same name as him, Nikita would shoot him looks and make jokes based on the action and dialogue in the movie. He was positive that the taunts she came up with based on Mac and Me were going to be next level. He'd be able to survive them, though. After all, he could tease her back for being so freaked out over the puppets' design.
Eventually, the married couple finished their dinner and cuddled on the couch again. Michael quickly lost interest in the nonsensical action taking place on the TV and instead completely focused on his wife. He held her tightly in his arms, tucked her beach-waved hair behind her ear, and placed light kisses wherever he could. Nikita would've turned her head to return all the affections, but something on the TV completely captured her attention. She burst out into uproarious laughter, making Michael turn towards the television as well.
On screen, the main character- a wheelchair bound child- flew off a hill and into a river. The scene was not supposed to be hilarious, but the editing and effects looked so ridiculous, especially when the alien puppet popped up out of nowhere. Nikita couldn't stop herself from laughing at it. And, honestly, so couldn't Michael, "Your sense of humor is fucked up."
"You're laughing too," Between her squeals of laughter, Nikita called Michael out. The scene they had just watched was one of the clips she had seen people make fun of online. It was funny on its own. But, in context, it was even funnier. Mac and Me was one ridiculous turn after the next. Nothing could be taken seriously. Nikita and Michael began to make fun of everything they saw, drawing out smiles and laughter that the movie alone could never do.
Besides the character named Michael, the creepy puppets, and just terrible everything, the married couple found themselves making fun of all the McDonalds mentions in the movie. It felt like every two seconds they were being advertised the fast food. Most of it could be ignored at least. Except for the random dance sequence with even more creepy puppetry. Nikita couldn't laugh at it; it was so weird. All she could do was turn to her husband and ask, "So, uh. You wanna go to McDonalds after this?"
"Did the advertisements get to you?" Michael chuckled. He had heard that Mac and Me was created by McDonalds, but he had no idea that the whole movie was basically just an advertisement for the restaurant chain. Well that, and Coca-Cola. The product placements were just as bad as the effects and puppetry.
"I'm not immune to propaganda. Or middle of the movie dance sequences at a McDonalds," Nikita shrugged. Michael chuckled and pulled her even closer to him.
The movie quickly got boring- and too much like E.T- after that. Michael and Nikita lost interest again, and turned their attention to each other. They shared soft and tender kisses and touches that slowly but steadily grew more heated. When her hand landed in his lap and her fingers dusted his inner thigh, Michael decided it was time to end the movie. Who cared about the rest of Mac and Me. There were far better ways the married couple could end their perfect day, "Why are we still watching this movie?"
"I don't know," Nikita sighed. The boring moments of Mac and Me stretched on for far longer than the scenes they could make fun of and laugh at. The movie wasn't worth watching anymore- unless they wanted to see how many more product placements could be squeezed in. Neither did. So, Nikita reached for the remote to finally turn it off.
Except, just before she could, an explosion randomly occurred in the movie, and the main character somehow died even though he was nowhere near the blast. Michael and Nikita instantly looked at each other with the same shocked expression, "What the fuck?"
When that big climatic moment turned out to be another ridiculous event of bad effects and terrible writing, the couple laughed and ignored the movie again. They didn't resume kissing and touching, however. Instead, the two worked on cleaning up their take out trash so they could move things to the bedroom without worrying about cleaning up later. Michael took the cartons and utensils to the trashcan while Nikita straightened up the couch. She reached for the remote again to turn off the movie when, once again, she noticed something absolutely wild, "Shut up. Shut the fuck up."
"What?" Michael rushed back into the livingroom. For a brief second, he feared something was wrong. There was, just not with Nikita.
"The aliens are being sworn in as U.S citizens," Pointing to the television, Nikita squealed. The couple stared dumbfounded at the movie one last time before bursting into laughter. Of all the ways Mac and Me could've ended, they never would've guessed that. It was completely out of left field, and just felt like the cherry on top of the ridiculous weirdness that was the movie.
Continuing to laugh, Nikita finally turned off the movie. There was at least one more scene to watch, but it didn't matter; what they had seen was enough. Besides, there were other activities that the married couple wanted to return to, and Mac and Me was definitely not a part of those plans.
Kissing once more, Michael and Nikita fell to the couch in a tangle of lips and limbs. They weren't slow and tender anymore. Their kisses and caresses had a specific goal in mind. And that was to bring absolute mind-numbing bliss to the end of their perfect day. The two were making great progress on that front. Soft moans were already filling their kisses. However, at some point, a thought popped into Nikita's head that she couldn't keep to herself. She tried. Yet it burst out of her with a giggle, "Michael, I have a confession to make."
"Oh God. What?" Michael tried not to laugh, but he knew Nikita was about to tell one of her so bad they were good jokes. Why else would she stop kissing him.
"I love Mac and Me. In fact, it's my favorite movie," Nikita couldn't help but tease. After all, Michael's 'flirtation' with the other woman, Darlene, had been her reason for playing the movie. Her husband groaned and collapsed his head into her shoulder. She laughed and kissed his temple, "I love it so much that I never, ever, ever want to watch it again. Except maybe with Alex and Birkhoff."
Although Michael had to admit that watching Mac and Me with Alex's and Birkhoff's jokes and comments would be fun, he hoped his wife was serious about never watching that movie ever again. He lifted his head from the crook of her neck and glanced at her suspiciously. Nikita beamed. He shook his head, "I'm not letting you pick another movie for a whole week."
"That's fair," Nikita nodded. She and her husband continued to giggle as they resumed their kisses and caresses. Who cared about movies anymore. There were far more important things the couple should concern themselves with, like the wonderful feeling of one another.
Though, when his wife thrusted her hips against his, Michael couldn't fight the urge to pay her back for all her teasing. He pulled slightly away from her and husked playfully against her lips, "Let's watch E.T next time- the far superior alien family movie."
Michael expected her response to be an eye roll, a curse, a taunt, and a desperate surge to kiss him again. However, Nikita only sighed. Her thoughts weren't on the same page as his- at least when it came to the joke. She took it more seriously and replied almost dejectedly, "Eh. I don't want to watch another reunited with family movie."
Whereas Nikita moved to continue making out with her husband, Michael pulled even further away. The last thing he had expected Nikita to think about while watching Mac and Me was families. Sure, the movie featured a strong family theme. But the plot was so nonsensical, that it didn't really matter; it could be ignored as all the ridiculousness took center stage. Except, for someone who was always looking for her family, that part of the plot would've struck deep. Michael softly caressed his wife's cheek and stated apologetically, "I didn't know you were still thinking about that."
"I wasn't," Nikita argued simply. But when her husband sat up and stared at her, she knew she had to explain herself. Sighing, she sat up on the couch and tried to form her words. It wasn't like Michael was thinking. She wasn't still deeply upset about not knowing her birth family. She had mostly moved past that. It was just that the lack of knowledge snuck up on her at times, and she couldn't fight the feeling that a huge part of her was missing, "During the boring parts of the movie, I kept thinking about Darlene, then your hand, then your family, then my family, and… I don't know. I thought I was over it."
"Nikita, it's okay to wonder about your family. We all wanna know where we come from," Taking her hand in his, Michael placed a loving kiss to Nikita's knuckles. She didn't have to be over the fact that she didn't know a single thing about her birth family. It was okay if she remained upset about that. The fact that she was denied knowledge and lied to as a child wasn't normal. She should've been told about her family. Her lingering pain and resentment were completely understandable. Even Michael felt that way when he thought about her past.
"Yeah. But the last time I looked, you and Birkhoff almost got killed," Nikita squeezed her husband's hand. What was the point in looking into her past if all it brought was pain. The last time she had pushed so hard for answers, Michael and Birkhoff had almost been blown up. She couldn't bring that about again. No piece of information was worth losing them.
"Hey. We don't hold you responsible for that. Percy and Amanda were the ones who preyed on that desire. But they're gone now. You don't have to worry about that anymore," Michael reassured his wife. She could never be faulted for needing to know about her past. She deserved to know who her parents were and how she wound up in foster care. That giant question mark regarding her past wasn't fair. Especially since she had grown up with people who had never wanted her to erase that.
Nikita paid more attention to their entwined fingers than to her husband. It was never going to be easy for her to discuss her family. Michael certainly understood that. Though, just like she had helped him talk about his family, he'd help her talk about hers. She wasn't alone, "And that wasn't the last time you looked."
Bewildered, Nikita glanced back up at Michael. He smiled softly and kissed her knuckles once more, "I saw you reading your file when we took over Division."
Averting her gaze, Nikita quietly scoffed. She had thought she had been so sneaky when she had dug up her Division file. But of course Michael had discovered her. She appreciated that he had never said anything about it. She definitely wouldn't have been able to talk about it at the time. Honestly, she still couldn't really open up about it. However, she could at least try for her husband's sake, "I just wanted some answers."
"Did you get any?" Gently, Michael asked. He could assume that the answer was 'no'. If Nikita had found a lead, she would've chased it down already. Though, based on their current conversation, there was a chance that she had been too terrified to. She could've thought that another incident like Richard Ellis would've occurred, so she never bothered to get answers. But with all their enemies long gone, there was nothing for her to worry about. There would be no deception or pain in her future. So she could delve into her past without any repercussions.
Rather than respond, Nikita dropped Michael's hand and got to her feet. She should've never said anything about E.T. She should've just rolled her eyes at her husband and continued kissing him. Bringing up her family ruined the bright, happy mood they had had all day. Her past always ruined things like that, "I'm sure there's a logical explanation, like with you and Max…"
"Nikita," Michael hopped to his feet and reached for his wife. She didn't have to rationalize with him. She also didn't have to look at the bright side of things. She could rant and rave all she wanted. She was allowed to see the negatives in her situation. After all, since she had no information, there was a chance that there were no positives.
"No. My birth certificate wasn't even in there," Mumbling, Nikita admitted. Michael should've known that, though. He had read her file when she had arrived in Division. Also, years ago, she had asked him about what he had read in there. He had said that it was only a summary of her childhood, not an official report. When she had eventually poured over it, nothing had changed. It was the same basic information she had always known. There was no paper trail of her family anywhere. She had nothing to cling to or follow.
Gently pulling his wife into his arms, Michael tilted her chin up so she'd look at him. Just because Division hadn't had exact details of her past didn't mean no one did. He was certain that if they started searching, they could find something. It wasn't completely hopeless. Nikita could someday have all the information she needed, "If you still want to look for your family, we can. You can do some investigating, take a DNA test…"
"And have another organization have my DNA on file, no thanks," Nikita quickly shut that idea down. She'd be lying if she said that she had never considered it. However, the thought of giving her DNA to some random company didn't sit well with her. Division and The Shop had had her DNA and they could've done horrific things with it. She doubted a civilian company would do the same thing, yet it still wasn't something she was willing to mess with.
"Yeah. I can't really fight you on that one," Flexing his prosthetic, Michael muttered. They probably weren't going to encounter another organization like The Shop, but that wasn't something they were willing to risk.
Despite relaxing in her husband's arms, Nikita didn't seem to be completely present in the moment. Her gaze shifted towards an unfocused point, and she became lost in deep thought. Michael gave her a second to collect herself before he expected her to continue the conversation; the topic wasn't something they could rush through. It also wasn't something they had to have a solution for at that very moment. However, Nikita remained in her head. Michael had to draw her out to ensure she didn't remain permanently lost there, "What are you thinking?"
"I don't think I care anymore," Connecting her eyes with her husband, Nikita shrugged. Yes, she still wanted to know who her parents were. But it wasn't an all consuming need like it once had been. She could live the rest of her life not knowing, and she would be completely fine. She didn't need to find them in order to have a family. She had a very real one right in front of her, "I mean, I have the family I built on my own. Who cares about the one who gave me up."
"Even if they had given you up for a good reason?" Michael hadn't expected that response from Nikita. Though, he was glad that she was beyond content with living the rest of her life with the family she had built. She didn't need her birth parents to be happy. All she needed was him and their friends.
"If it was for a good reason, then I owe it to them to be happy and not dwell on the past, huh?" Nikita tenderly caressed Michael's stubbled cheek. Although she had desperately needed to know why she had been abandoned to foster care when she had been a kid, as an adult, she had realized that there were good reasons for letting your child go. Michael had demonstrated that to her years ago with Max. Sometimes, the safest place for a child was away from their parents. It wasn't ideal. But as long as they were happy and safe, then it was worth it.
"Yeah," Michael kissed his wife's palm. The two had talked about that before when he had led Cassandra and Max go. It wasn't something they had to revisit then. He was okay with his decision. His son was safe and could be happy, after all.
Watching Michael begin to lose himself to his thoughts, Nikita stepped even closer into his hold. Wherever his mind had gone, he could share it with her. She'd comfort him and assure him in any way he needed, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking we finally go to bed," Michael flashed his wife a crooked smile. There was nothing left for them to talk about. They had come to the conclusions they had needed to when it came to their families, and they knew they were in a far better place then than they ever had been. The married couple could return to their unbridled joy and happiness. And Michael could continue to wish to live in that day forever- the good, the bad, and the weird.
"Ooh, yes," Excitedly wrapping her arms around his neck, Nikita beamed. She and Michael resumed their heated, passionate kisses and shuffled towards their bedroom, clothes disappearing along the way. Nothing could interrupt them then. They were back to having the perfect blissful day- happy forever with the life and family they had built together.