"Hey, Sean. Can we talk?" Alex tried to keep her voice down. She wasn't exactly sure why. The mood around the safehouse had just been so tense. She didn't want to disturb any stirring bitter emotions. Fortunately, she hadn't experienced those raging frustrations first hand. After the team had talked to Carla and she admitted she had been the one to start Division, things kind of spiraled out of control. Instead of dealing with it immediately, Nikita dragged Alex along with her to prepare for the Zetrov press conference. It was as though she was distracting herself from all of her problems by focusing on others'. Considering the young woman had nothing to say to comfort her friend, she let the rogue whisk her away; it was the least she could do.
While Sean and Alex were somewhat relaxing in the livingroom, the rest of the team (and Carla) was scattered about the beach house. The two had the space to themselves, yet he matched her hushed tone. He understood the sense of betrayal and frustration that came from revelations like that; he went through his own shock when his mother told him about Oversight and Division. They all just needed time to process. Focusing on the 'Alexandra Udinov' op gave them something to keep their minds and hearts off of more confusing things, "Don't you have to be at the press conference soon?"
"I have enough time for this," Ensuring they really were alone, Alex smiled shyly. She desperately wanted to say what she had been trying to for nearly two months. The date idea was out the window; there was no way they could make that work. But that wasn't her only opportunity to express her feelings to her best friend. With everything occurring, she was more determined than ever. That moment to themselves, before she had to ruin Semak's day, she could tell him how she felt. It wouldn't give them much of a chance to talk. Except the truth would be out there, in case anything happened, "I… Before more shit rains down on us, I just wanted to say that… that I… you and me… why is this so hard?"
It should've just slipped right off her tongue. Her feelings were so strong for Sean, she could see it; she was sure of it. The heart skips when he was near. The instant smile whenever he grinned. The constant need to be by his side and talk to him. Alex knew that had to have been love. Although she wasn't certain if she could speak that word yet- there was still so much apprehension- she could at least admit that she wanted to move their relationship forward. She wanted to be more than friends. Yet the confession lodged in her throat, choking away her courage. He sensed her anxiety, as he always did, and moved to comfort her. Hazel eyes were full of concern as they met anxious blue, "Alex, what is it?"
"I really like you. Like, like you like you… Oh, just… fuck it," Words had never been Alex's friend. She wanted to blame the fact that English wasn't her first language. But she knew she was afraid of what others would think of her raw emotions. That didn't have to scare her with Sean, however. She knew how strongly he felt for her in return. So, she let her actions speak for her. Grabbing onto his t-shirt, she brought his lips to hers. A spark seemed to ignite as the two kissed. It was gentle and tender at first. Yet soon, it grew into something more powerful. Everything seemed alright in an instant. Complicated and conflicting emotions melted away with the rest of the world. It all became as simple as that kiss.
Neither Alex nor Sean were aware of how long they kissed. But time had passed enough for the rest of the team to wander past the room. Birkhoff ignored them, fed up with couples. Ryan bit back a laugh as he continued on his way. And Michael had to dissuade Nikita from going over to tease them, despite wanting to do the same. Sean and Alex were in their own bubble of bliss. They finally got what they had wanted since before being roped into that team of rebels. Nothing really could keep them apart. Sean's bright, dazed grin after they parted, reflected as much, "Whoa. I, uh, really like you too."
"Yeah? Awesome. But, I gotta go," Alex bounced slightly on her toes, overwhelmed in excitement. However, she didn't get to enjoy that feeling or the kiss long. The Zetrov press conference was starting soon, and she had to make her grand entrance. She wished she could spend more time with Sean. They should definitely talk about what their future together held. But the world of spies and revenge was calling. They'd have to hold off for a bit.
"Right. Yeah. I'll drive you," Or maybe not. It wasn't a smart move for Sean to drive Alex, not with Division and Gogol. But he could drop her off a few blocks from the conference center. And it'd give them a chance to spend more time together. With that in mind, they didn't care about anything else. They excitedly left the beach house, a quick parting word given to their team. The two were ready for whatever was next. Surprisingly, it all didn't seem so bad since their kiss.
Laughing to herself, Nikita reentered the livingroom. Alex and Sean were a nice distraction from her thoughts. The two had been dancing around each other, attempting to finally connect. She was glad they solved how to have a relationship during a crusade. They deserved some kind of a win with the revelations of late. Before those thoughts could drag her down again, Michael joined her. He flashed her a smile, and she relaxed once more. She wouldn't allow herself to focus only on the negative. Especially when there were great things happening on their team, "Were we ever that awkward?"
"You accidentally made fun of my disability, and freaked out when I said I was CIA," Still not letting her tease Sean and Alex, Michael chuckled at the memory. Although Nikita rolled her brown eyes, she giggled too. The engaged couple had certainly come a long way since their first meeting. Letting each other in and sharing their secrets was definitely one way they grew ever more closer. They weren't the same lost, stumbling people, unsure of how to make connections. They were so proud of that fact.
"Fair. But I did makeout with you that night, no problem. Some would say, it was perfect," Nikita teased her fiancé, playfully swatting at his ass for emphasis. Despite the roll of his green eyes, Michael flashed a crooked smile. He reached to grab her in retaliation, but she deftly stepped aside. Mischief began to gleam gold in her eyes. Whatever task they had been attempting to accomplish was forgotten- it was on. She made the move against him that time, believing herself the fastest woman in the world. Normally, she was; he was just waiting for her. He grabbed onto her, and lifted her slightly off the ground. She shrieked and giggled, his own laughter bubbling out of him.
That all ended, however, when Nikita spotted Carla in the kitchen. Somberly, she urged Michael to set her back down. He did so without question. There had been a few moments like that recently. His fiancée would joke around with Ryan, Birkhoff, Alex, and even Sean, then immediately become serious at the sight of Carla. He couldn't really blame her. She had discovered her old friend- someone she once considered a mother figure- had created the hellhole of Division. She was heartbroken. And the day since the confession hadn't given her the chance to process that hurt. She had simply been ignoring it. Whereas he had been given her space before to deal, he knew it was time to step in, "Are you really okay, Nik?"
"I don't know," Barely a whisper, Nikita admitted. She carefully watched Carla grab a snack from the kitchen before returning to the room she had come from. Her old friend had been giving the team some time to come to grips with everything. Or maybe she was giving herself time instead. Finding out Nikita was involved with Division was a shock for her as well. It was all a lot to handle. At least Michael was there. The rogue could draw from his strength as he drew nearer, "I can't stop thinking that it's not fair. That no matter what, Division just takes my loved ones from me."
"It didn't take any of us. You made sure of that," Michael took Nikita's hands in his, gently reminding her of all the great things she had done. She wouldn't glance at him as he complimented her. She had never been any good at accepting the wonderful things about herself. Fortunately, she had him in her life to fight through that. She was more than what Division made her. He knew that more than anyone. She was absolutely amazing, and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life reminding her of that.
Nikita wanted to smile at Michael's kind words. He was spectacular at making her feel better; his strength was remarkable. Yet her lips wouldn't budge. The situation with Carla was just one more thing. Everytime they had control of one aspect of that war, another problem arose. Most of the time, she could roll with it and continue with the same ferocity she always had. Years of heartbreak wore her down, however, "Yeah. But look where we are. Still running, and still fighting."
"But we're together. We're alive. And we're giving them hell," Placing a tender kiss to her knuckles, Michael squeezed Nikita's hands tightly. She smiled that time. It was difficult to be morose when he was so sweet. That kindness was going to save her life over and over again, she knew it. For that moment, though, she just needed to calm. She could be light with her friends, teasing and joking like normal. Yet it was barely covering her hurt. She had to actively work on that if she wanted things to be better. And God knew she wanted better things.
Michael was going to be by her side every step of the way. Nikita's smile bloomed at the thought. She was so lucky to have his bright light in her life. She'd have to remind him of that later; they still had a task to complete, and the livingroom wasn't the most private room in the beach house. She could at least kiss his knuckles in return, however. He pulled her closer to him, eyes sparkling in love. Her heart stopped at the expression, though she had seen it a million times before. It was always a beautiful sight. She hoped her gaze reflected the same adoration, "How do you stay so optimistic?"
"You."
"Seriously."
"I am. It's always you," Often, Michael had moments of intense seriousness; nothing could budge him or change his mind. That was one of those times. The reason for everything positive in his life was Nikita. Strong emotion overwhelmed her, and she surged upwards to kiss him. Words hardly ever worked in her favor, yet action did. Kissing her fiancé let him know the feeling was mutual. It wasn't all dark with him near. They were wrapped up in one another, completely inseparable.
So much so, that they didn't notice Birkhoff entering the room. He intended to check on the couple's progress. Instead, he was met with more kissing. There wasn't anything to be annoyed about. The team had gone through a lot recently; they needed as much comfort as they could get. He just wished it didn't happen in such public places of the safehouse. They all shared a living space. The couples had to take that into consideration, "What is up with all the kissing?"
"Why? You want some?" The engaged couple had two vastly different reactions to being interrupted. Whereas Michael pulled away from the kiss to glare at Birkhoff, Nikita taunted him. The nerd honestly couldn't tell if she was joking or not. Her expression was completely deadpan. The safe bet was to assume she had teased him, at least with her fiancé staring him down. He didn't want to make any assumptions that would land in an impromptu sparring session.
"I don't know how to answer that without getting punched in the face," Birkhoff mumbled. Nikita smirked, pulling out of Michael's arms to gather what she needed. The analyst complimented the nerd on the smart choice, earning him an eye roll. The teasing and jokes didn't stop while the three started to work together. It made their task and everything else not seem as detrimental or stressful. There was no way any of them could do any of that on their own.
"Hey. Are we talking to Carla or what?" Eventually, Ryan burst their bubble. He didn't mean to be rude; it was just time to start moving forward. With a mumbled 'let's just get this over with', Nikita went to join him for the interrogation. Michael wanted to follow along, but he knew he had to stay back. Carla was reeling just as much as they were. The less people questioning her, the better. And if those few people included a familiar face, then they were bound to get some solid intel.
Birkhoff sighed, bringing Michael's attention back to what they were currently doing. As long as they continued taking steps to destroy the black ops groups setting fire to the world, the complicated puzzle pieces would fall into place. It wasn't ideal, but they had enough successes under their belts to ensure they got more. Although the nerd could see that positivity, he still scoffed at their misfortunes. The team was never that lucky, "All those years being in Division and trying to get intel on the hellhole meant nothing, huh."
"I wouldn't say that," Michael shrugged. They made it there together, after all. Their team being alive and safe was better than anything. They were halfway to their happily ever afters already.