Chapter 10
...
"I saw you exiting Trinity's bedroom" Vik approaches Neo from behind as he fills his cup from a faucet. Her eyebrows lift in a smug look "Did you succeed in making her putting out?"
Her voice is curious and somehow expectant, but Neo doesn't turn to her, just turning off the faucet and placing his cup on the metal surface of the counter.
"Vik," the way how Neo says the woman's name is a warning at not going on along that way.
... But, shit!, is it so clear he has a crush on the Captain? A bad one actually!
... Shit!
Neo passes a hand through his very short hair at the thought of having told Trinity, out loud ,that "you're so damn beautiful!"
Well, at least he didn't get a punch on his nose for that.
Vik just gives Neo an amused look, but she raises both her hands like asking for his pardon.
"Look, I'm sorry. I'm a moron. I was raised by machines."
She smiles at him with an ear-to-ear smile, turning to the door when it gets open, and greeting Trinity with a friendly 'hello, boss!"
"Speaking of the devil," Vik whispers in Neo's ear as he turns too, meeting Trinity's eyes. His 'morning!' comes out awkwardly.
Vik whispers in Neo's ear again. 'Make the first move!'
But Neo just scolds at Vik instead.
"Maybe you should go" Neo just says to Vik, trying his best to succeed in filling his cup of water without spilling it on the counter, and on himself. He feels like crap, and like his head has been split in two.
"No, sorry. I promise, best self. Best self."
Vik's tone is clearly sarcastic and amused, and Neo whispers a very unconvinced "Sure!"
Just to confirm Neo's thought, Vik whispers again in his ear before leaving. 'Trust me, make the first move. She'll put out!"
She leaves this time, not before having raised doubts in the Captain, who is still looking at them.
"What's going on between the two of you?" Trinity asks calmly.
"I'm putting him out," Vik says with a smirk looking in Trinity's eyes "I'm the Queen of putting out" she adds teasingly as Trinity lifts both eyebrows.
"No doubt about it" the Captain jokes at the innuendo as a smirks plays on her lips too.
Neo instead almost chokes with a sip of tea.
"You ok?"
Trinity walks near him and pats the spot between Neo's shoulder blades as he gives her a very awkward look, and a nod.
"You look like crap" she says giving him a serious look "I told you had to slow down"
"Yeah!" He shakes his head at the memory of the previous night. No, he's not going to touch alcohol for a long time! The bare thought gives him a wave of nausea "Anyway, thank you for the Tylenol"
Trinity answers with a very little smile which is a silent 'you're welcome'
...Geez, how much he likes that very little smile of hers!
"Trinity,"
Trinity looks up at the sound of her first name from Neo's lips. It's unbelievable how much she likes the sound of her own name from his voice! And, for how much she likes her rank title, she's somehow happy that he's beginning calling her by first name more often "about last night, I-"
They both turn to the door as it gets open. Ghost appears on it, reminding to Trinity that her call with Morpheus is in five minutes. She just nods to her second in command, and he disappears closing the metal door again.
"Don't worry about last night," She says in a reassuring tone "Take the day off. From the dark circle under your eyes you definitely need it"
Neo stares at her. Actually he wasn't about apologizing for having get drunk, but asking her... what? ...actually he's not sure what he was about asking her? He would have asked about the conflicting signs between her body and voice, but he has no guts enough. She hadn't pushed him away. She had stood there, trapped between his body and the wall like... waiting for... what? Well, maybe he was just too drunk. And yet he remembers every detail too well for a drunk man.
"I slept in your bed," he says tentatively as a minuscule smirk plays on Trinity's lips.
"Quite obvious" she just replies, staring at him with amused eyes.
"Where did you sleep last night?"
Trinity's eyebrows lift this time, and she looks away for an instant, biting on her lower lip almost imperceptibly, then at him again.
"In your bedroom, since you slept in mine" she replies with a shrug like stating the obvious.
Neo just looks at her with a thoughtful gaze, and for an instant she has the impression that he's almost disappointed by her answer.
What did he think? That they slept together? He has no idea how much she would have wanted it.
"Well, it was a long time since I slept in a man's bed!" She says teasingly, in a clear joke to break the tension "And in a single bed!".
Neo's eyes are still serious despite her attempt of a joke, and she stares back at him.
"I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't have wanted you to mourn about him all your life,"
She's taken by surprise by his words.
Shit! What is she supposed to say?
She tries to think about another sort of joke, but nothing comes to her mind.
"It's- complicated," she just says instead.
"It's not complicated unless you want to complicate it"
The door of the mess hall gets open again.
"Sorry," Ghost says meeting Trinity's eyes "Morpheus's on phone"
"Yeah, sure," she looks from Ghost to Neo, and then to Ghost again "Tell him I'm on my way"
She turns to Neo as soon as Ghost disappears.
"Please," Trinity's hand touches Neo's chest and he looks down at the exact spot in which he can feel the warmth of her palm "I promise we'll talk about this"
In his seat by the operator's station, Neo's staring at the ceiling, waiting for being connected to the training program. His eyelids are about closing when he catches sight of a figure approaching him. He recognizes her from the sound of her boots against metal actually, but he doesn't move, just following her moves. He would expect her to reprimand Link, or him, for having ignored her words, but she just approaches the console instead, like Link wasn't there, and silently, but very (very) firmly, she presses a few keys aborting the program and turning the screen off. The floppy disk gets expelled from the driver and she just takes it, looking from the 'Taekwondo' label to Neo, and then tossing it on the operator's desk. No word has been spoken, and yet the air between them is so tense that both Neo and Link swallow.
They both know she had given Neo a day off, but, despite a mild headache, he doesn't really feel like taking a day off. And actually he thought it was a suggestion, not an order. He feels sober enough to train or help around the ship.
Link's lips open like to say something, but he closes them soon after. And Trinity looks down to Neo this time.
"Is there something you didn't understand about taking the day off for today?"
She stares at Neo with piercing blue eyes, towering over him, and he stares back.
"I don't-"
Trinity's jaw sets. It's clear trying to reply was a fault, and that she's not leaving space for nothing more to say.
"I don't care if it's taekwondo, yoga or a cooking course. No training. No downloading. No nothing! Have I been clear?"
Neo's lips part again, just a millimeter, but it's enough to put fuel on the fire, and Trinity's eyes flare.
"Your brain was overloaded enough before you decided to add a hangover over it. Last thing your mind needs is being overloaded more than it already is. So… take the fucking day off! And I'm not saying it again!"
Neo doesn't reply and just stares at her instead. His pupils dilate.
… No? Let me tell you what I believe. I believe Morpheus means more to me than he does to you. I believe that if you are serious about saving him then you are going to need my help and since I am the ranking officer on this ship, if you don't like it then I believe that you can go to hell, because you aren't going anywhere else…
Trinity's eyebrows furrow at the sudden glimpse in Neo's eyes, and she gives him a questioning look.
"What? Is something wrong?"
She asks, her tone much softer then a moment before.
Neo just shakes his head.
"No... Fine. I got it" He just replies.
She gives him a little nod, and turns to leave.
"You never gave me a day off after a drunkenness, Captain, does Neo has privileges?" Link teases as Trinity stops on her feet. Her muscles somehow stiffen, and Neo looks from her shoulders to Link like to someone who just choose to risk their life throwing themselves to feed to the lions. The lioness actually.
She turns to glare at the operator.
"You just thank I don't report back to the Army that you still distill that shit, Link. I accept it just in memory of Dozer"
Trinity turns again, not leaving him time to reply again, and leaves, before something compromising can exit Link's mouth. She quickly walks away, and Neo and Link just exchange a look, then looking at Trinity till she turns the corner and disappears.
"Yeah. I know. Quite scaring when she's like this," Link says "but I assure you the girl knows how to have fun when she's not on duty"
Neo just stares back at Link with a thoughtful look, then turning to look again at the corridor where Trinity just disappeared.
Uhm... yeah... maybe 'scaring' can be considered a fitting adjective for the Captain of the Genesis, but, well, actually, it's not the first adjective coming to Neo's mind now.
"She's a total badass. Always been. My brothers-in-law, they used to say she had more balls then the two of them put together!" He chuckles, "If she wasn't such good-looking she would be really scaring! Don't tell her I said this. I'm attached to my balls" He points out, chuckling again "But, she's good-looking, right?"
Neo just stares at the operator without replying. Is he supposed to reply? That's not a question, that's a statement. And actually, no, she's not good-looking, she's gorgeous and totally fascinating and, shit!, fucking sexy. What is he supposed to say?
Link is staring at him with questioning and expectant eyes, and Neo just swallows.
"Er, yes," Neo looks away from Link's interrogative stare "well, difficult to say otherwise. I'm amnesic, not blind" he tries to deflect as Link smirks and nod, apparently pleased by Neo's answer.
Good-looking. Good-looking.
It sounds like the worst adjective to describe the Captain of the Genesis.
Attractive.
She's definitely attractive. To him at least. He's not sure of being clear of mind about everything concerning the Captain.
And actually he can't push away the thought of how much he'd like to kiss that smart mouth of hers, savouring her tongue with his.
The thought of her body trapped between his own and the metal wall is enough to make his pants feeling too tight.
Neo has to swallow in a not useful attempt to push that thought away.
"She'll really cut my balls if she hears me saying this, but I lost count of how many from the Army hit on her just to be told to get lost"
Neo gives Link an awkward look this time, and looks away.
"Well, except for her boyfriend"
Neo says, and it's Link's turn to look away, somehow awkwardly this time. His intent was to test the waters, but it's beginning to be a dangerous path.
"Er, yes" Link just says.
"What made of him the "one"?" Neo asks trying to sound nonchalant as Link's jaw drops instead.
The operator looks lost for an instant, and then hurries to pull himself together at the realization of the randomness of Neo's words, oblivious of the 'double meaning' of that 'one'.
"How was he?" Neo presses as Link looks at his own hands instead, suddenly very interesting, and shrugs, looking up at Neo again.
Neo just stares at him as, apparently, the operator seems to think about it and finally opens his lips to say something.
"Er… well, tall-"
"Link," Ghost suddenly appears, followed by Kid, interrupting them, and Neo just looks from them to Link again. Is it just a feeling of him or the operator feels somehow relieved by the arrival of the second in command of the Genesis? "E-mail me and Trinity all the records of Neo's training. You haven't done yet and our Captain seem quite pissed off. What's going on with her?"
"You should be the one telling me" Link replies as Ghost ignores his words instead.
"Does every training get recorded?" Neo asks, in turn interrupting the two of them.
"Yes," Ghost nods "Every training and every access to the Matrix get recorded. For analysis and back-up. We report every plug-in"
"Well, not exactly every plug-in,"
Link giggles, and his tone is smut this time, despite being apparently focused in emailing a large amount of data as quick as he can, and it catches Neo's attention. Even more when Kid giggles in turn. Just Ghost rolls his eyes instead. Enough to catch Neo's attention even more.
"What?" He asks as curiosity beats him.
"Well, let's say you can plug-in for fun, when you're out of duty" Ghost replies, stoic like usual, despite the umpteenth giggle coming from both Link and Kid.
"Only time I envy your plugs, guys" Link says under his breath, letting out a laugh.
Neo's eyebrows lift, and he looks again from Ghost to Link, not having idea what they're talking about, even if maybe he's beginning to get a clue.
"Imagine youporn," Kid giggles "just 3D"
Well, such a thing has… potential. Why didn't he think about something like that? After all technologies is far more advanced that it was in 1999. It makes sense.
"It's not really authorized," Link points out "but not even Dozer's booze is" he winks to Neo, quickly going back to his uploading of data, and Neo holds back a smirk this time "You should be eighteen at least, anyway" he adds as Kid makes a face at the operator.
"I'm old enough to be on a ship, I'm old enough for sex" he says with a shrug, then looking at Neo again
"Never heard of Mouse's red room? He was a genius" Kid asks as Neo shakes his head in a no.
"Mouse was in the crew of the Neb, with Morpheus and Trinity" Link explains, not adverting his eyes from the screen, just to give Neo at least a little piece of information.
"I'm sure he would be delighted to know of being remembered just for having developed a porn program, Kid" Ghost says in a flat tone, clearly ironic.
"Yeah, sorry! But you can't deny that his woman in red delights much more people he'd never imagined. He paved the way for an entire world of -"
"Yeah, we got it" Ghost shakes his head, holding back a smirk in turn despite his renowned impassibility.
"Woman in red?" Neo asks with the look of someone who can finally see the full image from the many pieces of a puzzle "the one of the training program?"
Kid nods and chuckles again, and from his shiny eyes it's clear he got delighted a lot from the 'girl'. He heard about the boy's smartness, despite his apparent naivety and gullibility, and for sure he's skilled enough to fool an age block.
"Such a hottie, right? You can't last three minutes, I assure you"
Neo eyes widen, but he doesn't reply. He's not sure he wants to talk of sexual performances with a child less than half his age. Like every teenager, Kid sounds totally taken with the subject instead. Such taken that he doesn't hear the steps approaching, and he practically jumps at the mild slap which suddenly hits his nape.
"I assure you'll last less than 3 minutes alive, if you don't disappear from my eyes right now"
The kid meets Trinity's icy eyes as she stands behind him, and Vik's amused look as she stands behind the Captain, making her seem smaller than she actually is, but not less intimidating.
Kid's cockiness immediately disappears, together with his ability to speak, and he hurries to walk away, not daring to turn and look at his Captain again, not even when she adds an 'and you better have your homework done for tonight'.
Her words get lost in the total absence of sounds all around, till a thud fills the silence, and Link almost jumps in turn at the folder suddenly throws on his desk. Trinity just stands there, looking at the three men in front of her.
"The three of you are free to jerk off in a cyber-whorehouse whenever you want, but I'm not the one who should tell you that the kid need to learn how to interact with real girls first, instead of just masturbating in there" She runs a hand on her face in frustration "And please, tell me you weren't really debating your performances with a sixteen year old"
They weren't actually, but all the three of them decide better not to debate with her on that subject.
"Well, Trin, not sure what the boy can learn from the three of them is less useful then the English Literature or the third equations you force him into," Vik chuckles and Trinity sighs instead, not turning to look at her but giving another exasperated look to the men in front of her "Tantra meditation for example," she smirks to Ghost, who rolls his eyes, already foreseeing what's coming "at least he'll learn to last much more than three minutes, something a girl surely appreciates, and," Vik stares at Neo this time "and, well, Neo is the One. If the rumors about you are true, man, the boy has a lot to learn"
"Vik. Enough!"
The blonde seems to ignore her Captain's intimidation.
"What rumors?" Neo instinctively asks, meeting both Vik and Trinity's look. Vik stares back at him, a smug look on her face, Trinity just swallows instead.
"Well, let's say -" she teasingly replies lifting one eyebrows "something about having superpowers even below your belt" she teases once more, giving a mischievous look to Neo's groin and then looking up at his eyes again "I heard of a bet around the Army, right, Captain?"
Trinity struggles between not killing her right here and now, and focusing in not turning the same colour of her sweater (dark red like every Captain' sweater)
She swallows, but doesn't look away from Neo's eyes. And not blushing now it's the most difficult thing she ever did. She turns to stare at Vik, and her piercing blue eyes almost run through her.
"Vik. Enough" She repeats firmly, and this time her tone is so sharp and icy that the woman immediately shuts up.
"Hey, hey. What about me?" Link says out loud, moving the attention on himself "I had quite a reputation too, back in the Academy!"
"Yeah," Vik gives him a very amused glance "back in the Academy! How far ago?" She chuckles as Link glares at her.
Link opens his mouth to reply, but he closes it immediately at the glare Trinity gives him.
"Another word and Oak will thank you for having a week off, Link"
She turns to Vik, who in turn was about opening her mouth.
"And you too"
Trinity's about leaving, or better escaping from what seems like a conspiracy ("what on hell are they doing?"), when Link speaks again, ignoring her intimidation about forcing him into double shifts for a week (and just because she believes much more in the power of extra-working as a punishment than in the pleasant idleness coming from confinement)
"Anyway, talking of women in red," Link's eyes moves from Trinity to Ghost "Remember when Sparks got put into confinement for a week for having told Captain Niobe that, technically, she was a woman in red too?"
Link chuckles and a little smirk plays on Ghost's lips. Neo, once again, looks from the one to the other one without having the littler idea what they're talking about.
"Niobe was the Captain of the Logos, Sparks her operator. Ghost was in her crew too" Trinity explains calmly, her features are serious despite the look in Link's eyes.
"Never seen her getting such nut" Ghost adds, shaking his head.
"Guess why?" Trinity lifts both eyebrows as her blue eyes meet Ghost's.
"It was supposed to be a joke" Link tries "a compliment either, standing to Sparks' habits"
Trinity eyes stays unperturbed giving him an icy look.
And yeah, Sparks is Sparks after all, but there are rank limits none of the crew can cross when they're on duty.
"A compliment," Trinity repeats, her tone clearly sarcastic "just to be clear, I won't try that kind of compliment with this Captain, if I were you" she stares at Link. No need to tell that to Ghost. And about Neo... well, she has to swallow at that thought because, well, he's the only one she'd allow to think to her in that way, frankly.
The idea of being someone's hot dream never affected her, but Neo... Neo is different... always been.
... have you the bare idea what did you make to me in that club?
... Neo's voice is low, his tongue is teasingly circling her lobe as he whispers in her ear.
... "Just whispering in my ear, like this..."
... Trinity tilts her head back at the shivers which run along her spine, and moans, silently inviting him to devoure her neck too, her breathing speeds and he can feel even her heart rate speeding as he kisses her carotid.
... "did you watch me masturbating, knowing I was doing that thinking to you?"
... "I didn-"
... He never knew if she meant to say she didn't watch him, or that she didn't know he was thinking to her... her words got lost in her throat as Neo's tongue found hers...
She can still feel that feeling in her lower abdomen. Her eyes meet Neo's, and she has to look away from his stare this time, like she fears he can read her mind.
Link's about speaking again. And even if they're friends, and she knows exactly what he's doing now, trying to push Neo toward her... it's not something she can afford, not now... not like this.
"Trust me, you don't want to put me on test, Link!"
For an instant is just silence all around as she just stares from the one to the other one. Icy blue eyes which don't give space to any other allusion.
"Well, does anyone here has something better to do? Work maybe?" She asks somehow ironically, giving them another glare before turning to leave.
Vik hurries to follow her, walking as fast as her, but a step behind her.
Before turning the corner, Vik whispers something in the Captain's ear, just for the two of them to know. As a reply she has an elbow hit.
... 'Something tell me Neo's allowed to think about you much more than just naked, right, Captain?'
The balance between being supportive and intrusive is a big task, even more lately. Ghost knows Trinity well, better than everyone else. Their relationship is something none can describe by a specific word... it's a solid bond, made of trust, complicity, understanding, and empathy... and the ability to always know when the other need their space, without pressure, nor invading each other's privacy.
They were just kids when they first met, waking up in a new world, where everything was unknown and scaring.
Going through all of that knowing of not being alone had made their relationship strong and trusted, able to support the weight of their new life. And it never wavered, not even after they encounter with the Oracle. She had been his anchor, and he hers. He had always been there for her, and she for him... like twin siblings, no matter if they don't share the same genetic code.
Ghost glances to Trinity as he walks in front of her office, feigning to be there by chance, and already knowing she isn't going to buy it.
It's his way to tell her he's there for her, if she needs it, and she's free to accept or refuse his help. It's up to her, no commitment.
Trinity's standing in the middle of the room, giving her back to the door, apparently checking some papers on her desk.
"I know you're there," She says, not turning to check the effective presence of someone behind her, and Ghost smirks, bowing his head, but doesn't speak, and he just stays exactly where he is, not moving.
In the total silence around them, he can feel the soft sound of her breathing and the swish of papers, which get flipped too fast to be read. It's clear she's leafing through them without really reading them, lost in her thoughts instead.
"Come in," she says a minute later, with a sigh. And he knows she's not annoyed by his presence, but by having to admit her own weakness.
Ghost enters the room, stopping a few steps from her and studying her features. She was in quite a good mood when he first met her in the morning, and it means something happened after that.
"Any problem?" Ghost asks as she meets his eyes.
"I have a lot of choice" she replies letting out a little chuckle. A bitter one, honestly.
He knows, obviously. From Neo to the baby, from the Council to the Army Headquarter. Half of that it would be enough for anyone else for freaking out.
"I rephrase," Ghost says again "Problems with the top management?"
He's clearly referring to her previous call with Morpheus.
She looks thoughtful for an instant, but she gives him what should be a little smile, but comes out like a flat line of her lips, and a shrug.
"Usual stuff. Morpheus asking how long for having his 'One' back. He can't wait to slam Neo in the Council's face once again" she sighs "He tries to convince me that being back in Zion could be good for Neo's memory,"
Ghost stares back to Trinity as she runs a hand on her neck, massaging it.
"Then he did a mild attempt to remind me that he can order me to come back to Zion, for my well-being, since, in my condition, being on a ship isn't the best choice" she rolls her eyes "and, finally, he gave up, not before underling that, wanting it or not, I'll need to recharge the ship soon anyway"
Ghost frowns.
"What did you tell him?"
Another shrug.
"I told him that Neo isn't some sort of trophy, and he'll have to pass over my dead body for just thinking about using him like that. That he's still human and he needs time, not to be back in a world he doesn't remember, but that will welcome him like a Messiah. I told him there's no need to worry both for me and my ship. I'm perfectly conscious of my so-called 'condition', and I won't be in labor for at least another four or five months, and... I'm better than he was in saving energy so 'my' ship has at least another couple weeks of autonomy"
Ghost smirks, in what is clearly a 'that's my girl', and he shakes his head lightly.
"Was he pissed off?"
"Mmh, I'd better say 'disheartened' by what he calls my usual renowned stubbornness, but, yes, at last I got him to send me to hell"
Trinity bites on her lower lip on the last word, holding back a very little smirk this time, and Ghost gives her a questioning look.
"What?" He teases.
She lets that smirk playing on her face this time.
"He tried the fatherly approach, reminding me that I'll show a baby bump soon, and I'll have to tell Neo anyway, both if his memory comes back and if it doesn't, because people in Zion can do the count, and it will be clear to everyone that the baby's Neo's, so he'll know anyway, and it would be better for him to know it from me" she sighs at how Morpheus just acts like she needs to be told about that... she knows it "I replied that, like it or not, counts don't matter. That I was sorry for him, but the mother is indisputable, the father never is"
Ghost chuckles, shaking his head.
"Don't tell me the rumors about Niobe's pregnancy are true!"
Trinity shrugs.
"From Morpheus' reaction?" She lets out a little chuckle which turns in a minuscule curling up of lips "They have potential"
Ghost smirks in turn, shaking his head, not missing how Trinity's hand suddenly finds her lower abdomen, resting there as her eyes darken.
"What about you?" He asks "And don't sell me one of your 'I'm fine', Sis"
She just stares at him, looking away and then in his eyes again.
"Just tired," she says "really, nothing to worry about, but-"
"But what?" he asks as she hesitates.
"But, when I'm with Neo, my belly clenches, to the point I have to focus in not moaning sometimes"
"Are you sure it's your belly, and not lower, right? He teases her this time, having a rolling of eyes as a reply.
"Such an idiot" she replies, even if she knows he's clearly trying to lighten her mood.
"You're stressed out, Trin. Wanting it or not, being around him like he's a stranger is not good for you"
She stares at him. Her eyes darken and she swallows a sudden lump in her throat.
"He asked me about my boyfriend," she looks away from Ghost "and he said it's clear I still love him"
Ghost's eyes widen.
"What? What did you tell him?"
She shrugs.
"A part of the truth. That he didn't come back from the mission in which I got hurt, and that, yes, I still love him." Ghost is looking at her with compassionate and empathetic eyes "He told me that surely my boyfriend wouldn't have wanted me to mourn about him all my life"
Ghost can't help the 'shit!' which exits his mouth, and Trinity replies with a 'yeah'.
She sighs, swallowing again, and Ghost runs a hand in his very short hair, not averting his dark eyes from hers.
"Well, in a way it's a good sign, Sis. He wouldn't ask if he wasn't interested..."
Trinity gives him a minuscule nod, which doesn't seem very convinced actually.
"You can't say you don't get he doesn't look at Vik like he looks at you. He's clearly interested in you, Trin"
She sighs heavily this time.
"Interested in what? A one night stand? A good fuck? It's not what I'm after, Ghost"
"You underestimate him"
"I don't... I..." she looks away, and this time, despite the strong woman she is, it's a rush of hormones and tiredness and frustration... and her eyes fill with tears. She curses under her breath at her own weakness, and she looks up, not blinking, preventing her tears from rolling down.
"Morpheus is right. I'm keeping Neo here, but I'm the one not ready to be back in Zion" she runs a hand on her face "I feel like I'm torturing him, hiding him the truth, and his past, just because I can't handle the truth. I can't handle all of this. I-" she stops as her breathing stops in her throat, and she has to press a hand on her belly at what feels like a cramp. She exhales slowly and swallows, glancing to Ghost and talking before he can say something.
"Don't tell me I need to rest," she says, anticipating his words "it's not resting what I need"
"C'mon," he says, taking her shoulders and making her turns, lightly massaging the spot in which her neck turns in her shoulders "Stress, pressure, tension are bundled up forms of energy that need to be directed to flow and create rather than deplete. Understanding that you can use the pressures that surround you to raise your energy instead of leaving you exhausted is paramount"
She lets out a little chuckle despite the tears still trying to escape her control.
"Please, tell me you're not suggesting I should please myself. I already have Vik, reminding me, all the time, of the power of a good orgasm"
Ghost shakes his head in a 'no', but chuckles in turn.
"Thanks God, there's other ways"
Who said having nothing to do is relaxing? Neo's getting bored to death. And since he was dead tired to be confined in his own room, he just wandered around the ship, without a purpose, till he got even more bored, and he ended up playing Solitarie in the mess room.
"Hi Neo, mind if I check that?"
Neo just shakes his head at Kid's voice, then looking at him as he checks a panel, writing down numbers. He checks and then double checks, probably fearing making mistakes.
He checks a third time.
"Do you need help?" Neo asks as Kid gives him a half smile.
"Last month, I made a mess. I better check it more than once, or Trinity won't be indulgent this time"
Neo smirks.
"Yeah, I have this feeling that's better not pissing her off again"
Kid chuckles, and gives a large nod.
"Yeah. But she's a great Captain. I feel honored she let me on her ship. I'll always owe that to her. The stronger woman I ever met, and the braver."
Neo's smirk grows larger turning in a smile.
"Oh-ho... someone here has a crush on the Captain?"... 'and it makes two of us' ... he adds mentally... "Isn't she too old for you?"
Kid turns all the possible shades of red, giving Neo an awkward look.
"No. I mean, yes. I mean... shit" the kid laughs this time "well, I swear I never thought about her that way" he says like to excuse himself, giving Neo a somehow awkward look "and anyway, when I got freed, no one, least of all I, had a chance to compete with... er... her boyfriend"
Neo's eyebrows lift, and Kid hurries to look down at his notes.
"Was her boyfriend such a cool guy?"
Kid doesn't look up at Neo's words.
"Why can't I just shut up..." he whispers to himself instead as Neo bites on his lower lip, holding back a chuckle.
"I won't tell a word to her, you have my word"
Kid looks up, but swallows.
"Well, he was totally into her... and she totally into him..."
Neo gives Kid a stare at the clear try of deflect of the child.
Sure they were totally into each other. She still is, after months.
"Not what I asked. How was he?"
Kids looks away again and shrugs.
"Uhm... tall..." Kid shrugs, giving him just that, and Neo lifts his eyebrows again.
"Tall?"
Once again, just... tall? Neo looks at Kid suspiciously, turning a red eight between his fingers and then placing it on the table over a black nine, then he chuckles.
"Tall? Nothing else? Doesn't sound that cool. I have chances with her then. And Vik has chances with her too"
Kid gives him an awkward look.
"Well..." Kid seems to look for right, but not too compromising, words "smart and clever and, incredibly gifted and talented, but kind, never cocky, the most extraordinary man I ever met..."
Neo chuckles, and shakes his head.
"I'm not sure anymore if you have a crush on her or him," he makes fun of him "and I'm almost regretting having asked you now"
Kid gives Neo another awkward look, going back to his notes as Neo goes back to his card game. He takes another card from the pack of cards and looks at the red queen between his fingers.
...Funny!
"Speaking of women in red" he whispers, still turning the card between his fingers.
"Anyway, I know none take me seriously, but, if you want, I can, er, arrange a special date with her"
"Who?"
Kid's eyebrows lift.
"The woman in red" Kid answers, like stating the obvious.
…Yeah. That woman in red.
Neo shakes his head.
"Thanks. No." He just says with a serious look this time as the boy gives him a questioning look instead "Not my kind of woman in red" he says in a low tone which is almost a whisper, as Kid just stares at him once again, looking at him somehow suspiciously this time.
... creak...
They both turns to the metal door as it get open, and they can hear Trinity and Ghost's voices, before they can see them.
"No way, bro"
"Yes, you'll do it.
"No"
"Yes, sissy"
"Don't call me that way. Never been a little sister. I'm not younger than you are"
"You are. 2 months, 22 days younger, sissy"
"Idiot"
A sigh.
And a giggle.
And Neo can imagine Trinity rolling her eyes to Ghost.
When she enters the room her eyes are still focused on Ghost, a hand slap Ghost's shoulder, the other one takes his jaw to put a kiss on his cheek. And he kisses her temple in turn.
She's definitely not annoyed anymore, her features much more relaxed than a few hours earlier.
...Jealousy.
Neo knows he has no right to feel that, but he can't help it at the thought of the effect Ghost can have on her... he'd like to be the one to make her feel that way.
Bright blue eyes suddenly meet Neo's eyes, and she stops on her feet, clearly surprised of seeing him there. Ghost stops near her.
"Hey" Trinity suddenly says, looking from Neo to Kid as self-control comes back.
Ghost whispers something in her ear, and she slaps his shoulder again. Her eyes still on Neo's face as his eyes don't meet hers this time. She follows his gaze looking down at her own sweater in turn, then back in his eyes as Ghost moves toward Kid and orders him to follow him.
It's clearly an excuse of her second in command (and brother) to leave both her and Neo alone, and Trinity has to force herself to not rolling her eyes if she doesn't want to make it clear for Neo too.
They just look at each other in the total silence of the room, the red queen still between Neo's fingers as Trinity glances at the cards on the table.
"Talking about having fun alone," she teases, as her tone leaves him no doubt about the double meaning this time. He smirks, meeting her eyes for a moment, and then looking down again, just in case she can read in his eyes he already had even that kind of fun. And, shit, a gaze from those beautiful blue eyes is enough to make his cock twinge, and he has to look away once more, feigning of focusing on his card game again.
He feels her turning around the table and stopping behind him. She leans on the table with one hand, and now she's so close than he can feel the warmth of her body even if she's not touching him.
"Do you need a hand?"
Neo gulps, turning his head to look at her again, and meeting her blue eyes.
Shit again. Did she really say that?
Neo gulps again, as in this pose he has a glimpse of her cleavage, and of the black plugs on her chest through the neckline of her red sweater.
Trinity lifts one eyebrow and bites on the inner flesh of her lower lip in order not to smirk. She didn't mean at first, but she's definitely not that naive not to notice Neo's reaction at what sounded clearly like another double meaning.
She just silently takes the card from his fingers and places it on a black king.
... with the game. A hand with the game, you idiot. Neo says in his mind.
When she turns her head to look at him, Neo is still watching her intently, and she's the one swallowing this time.
A few months earlier, from this same position, Neo would have wrapped her waist, pulling her on his lap, or he'd just made her sitting down, close to him, on that same bench, so he could run a hand under her sweater as the rest of the crew had breakfast nonchalantly, ignoring his hand caressing her skin, tracing her spine and circling her plugs along the way.
The smirk on Trinity's face turns in a little bitter smile at first, an awkward one, and then disappears completely. And she has to look away.
Neo's about saying something, his eyes still focused on Trinity even if she's not looking at him anymore.
Trinity's features suddenly tense, and her jaw clenches, her lips press together. She hurries to straight her back, and her hand moves on her left side, pressing on it like to soothe an incipient pain.
"Er, I'm sorry... now... I have to go"
She just says, purposely not meeting his eyes. And Neo just follows her walking till the door, an almost imperceptible limp in her pace.
He's about asking her if she's ok, but he knows her enough to know she'd just reply with an 'I'm fine', so he opts against it.
"You'll find me here, doing nothing, if you look for me, Captain" Neo says, ironically, but with the clear purpose of having Trinity's attention again, as she stops on the door.
She turns and gives him a little smile. She exhales slowly before replying, and she seems to focus in order to be able to talk.
"Feel free to do whatever you want" she says with another minuscule smile "it was just a free-day anyway, not a confinement," she adds with a half-amused half-guilty look.
Neo smirks, giving her a nod, which is a silent 'thank you' as his eyes moves on Trinity's hand, which is still massaging her flank, and them up in her eyes again.
"If you're free later, I'll appreciate your hand" he gives her a sort of teasing and mischievous look this time "with cards," he specifies "Vik licked me"
Trinity smirks this time, and she can't say of being unaffected by Neo's choice of words. She licks her lips.
"Let's see what I can do about that"
She says, giving him an amused look before leaving.
A knock on the door forces Trinity to get up from her bed. Once again she's not sleeping and this time she'd like it would be just because of nightmares.
She massages her lower abdomen as the umpteenth cramp fades out, not too strong to ask for help, but enough for keeping her awake. And the truth is that she's postponing to be checked because she's terrified of what she might find out, terrified of finding out that something is wrong with her baby. She's a strong woman, always so self-confident and independent, but there are moments in which she feels the weight of being alone in facing something so different from her military routine like a pregnancy is. She's not used to not having the full control of her body yet. She pushed her limits her full life... now, not knowing how far she can push herself without risking harming her baby is frustrating.
She opens the door before another knock can hit the metal.
"Neo,"
"Sorry, I know it's late..." he apologizes "May I come in a minute?"
Trinity nods, opening the door more for him to enter.
"Sorry, but the stronger drink in here is water and ginger" she makes fun of him with a teasing look as he smirks, making her smirk in turn.
He just looks around and then at her as her hand finds her lower back.
"Mind if I sit down?"
Trinity shakes her head and he sits down on the chair by the desk as she sits down on the bed instead.
"Neo, what's up?"
He looks down at his own intertwined fingers and then again around. There's something familiar in here, most of all the way in which her scent permeate the full room. It's not some sort of perfume... it's soap and metal and... her.
"I cracked Zion database"
He says, out of the blue. Trinity's eyes widen, and she suddenly stands up again.
"YOU, WHAT?" She runs a hand in her hair and glares at him as a 'shit!' and an 'are you out of mind!' echo in the room.
"Fuck, Neo! It's a fifth level security system!"
Neo gives her the same look she had given him on that night club, when he had asked her if she had been the one who cracked the IRS database.
"How?" Her eyes shines "Just for entering the first level access you needed-"
"I cracked your code for the mainframe"
...Yeah, sure. Every Captain has the code of Zion mainframe.
She glares at him with a so piercing look that it almost runs through him. But, well, actually she'd like to say she's furious with him... she's just... shit!… proud instead.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted the answers you refuse to tell me"
Trinity's lips open, but she doesn't speak. Her hand finds her lower abdomen, and she has to sit down again at the umpteenth cramp. Neo's eyebrows furrow and he stands up, suddenly on alert.
"Are you ok?"
He asks as Trinity closes her eyes and swallows. She doesn't answer, and just opens her eyes on him again.
There's something in Neo's tone now that she can't explain, and she gives him a suspicious glance.
"Yes,"
Neo is still worryingly eyeing the hand on her stomach, and she hurries to move it from there to her lower back.
"Neo," she scolds him with an accusatory tone this time.
Neo sits back down, but he's clearly still on alert.
"Shit!" Trinity can't help cursing at how Neo's looking at her now. Because, shit!, she knows him. And from the look in his eyes it's clear, it's perfectly clear that he knows something about her... something he shouldn't. Does he know she's pregnant?
Piercing blue eyes stare at him.
"Did you crack my file?" Trinity gives Neo a bitter glance, shaking her head lightly, and standing up again "Shit, you obviously did! You wouldn't be that worried for a mild stomachache otherwise"
Neo just stares back at her. Actually he can't understand if she's more angry or upset or hurt now.
"No! I swear I didn't!" Neo shakes his head, standing up in turn, giving her one of his puppy look "but..."
"But what?"
His hesitation is like an admission of guilty as they still stare at each other. He looks down for an instant and then back to her.
"I know you're expecting a child," he adds in a low tone as Trinity runs a hand on her forehead, closing her eyes and sighing. She swallows.
"How then?"
Trinity gives him a questioning and not very convinced look and she sits down again, eyeing him, and letting out a long breath, clearly trying to calm down this time.
"I'm sorry," Neo apologizes, and his look seems sincere. He glances at her desk, where there's just papers now, and then his eyes look around stopping on Trinity's nightstand.
He silently reaches out for the bottle of pills on there. He turns it in his hand, and he throws it toward her as she catches it.
Her prenatal vitamins.
"You left it on your desk the night I slept in here. I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to stick my nose in something that doesn't concern me,"
Trinity swallows.
... I didn't mean to stick my nose in something that doesn't concern me...
Fuck, this hurts. He has no idea how much those words from his lips hurt.
He obviously can't even image.
"Uhm… yes… sorry, I guess I'm the one who has to apologize, then," Trinity's voice is low, and she doesn't meet Neo's eyes this time "er, well, not that I will be able to hide it long anyway"
She eyes him this time, realizing he has known it for a couple of days and she didn't notice.
"I don't know how it works," Neo awkwardly says "I suppose I should congratulate"
Trinity forces herself to hold his look this time.
"Please, don't"
...Don't...
She's not sure she can stand this from him... not from him.
She has to inhale deeply, and she looks away from his eyes. Fucking hormones!
"It's the reason why you said it's complicated?" Neo asks, staring at her, like he had been waiting for doing that question from the beginning.
... "I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't have wanted you to mourn about him all your life,"
... "It's… it's complicated!…
Trinity's eyes meet Neo's again.
"It's not just this... you- you can't underst-…"
Neo looks at her... he wasn't expecting this answer.
"Yeah, I can't understand, I know, you made it clear!" Neo's tone is still understanding despite his terse comment "I understand a baby is a forever bond with a man, but they're not an excuse to not going on with your life"
Trinity doesn't reply this time, and just stares at him. It's a path she doesn't want to take, not now. She doesn't feel well, and she's not clear enough.
The more she's tense the more her cramps get worse. She should be supposed to rest and relax and instead, in this right moment, she feels so tense she could explode.
Neo seems to study her reaction. She's still an enigma to him. He'd pay to know what's in her mind.
Her blue eyes are still in Neo's dark eyes...till she has to look away to focus in exhaling slowly to soothe another cramp.
"Trinity, how bad is it? Should I call Esc?"
Trinity's eyes widen this time, and her piercing eyes glare at him.
"NO, NEO!" Her tone is sharp this time, and her eyes shine "I am stressed out by all of this!" She sighs heavily "So maybe you should have avoided adding fuel to the fire and making me risk even the martial court too, because of your stunt!"
Neo just stares back at her... he knows she's not saying it for real. Is she, right?
But, shit!, maybe he should have really avoided to crack Zion database using her access code. He didn't mean to put her in trouble.
Neo gives her an apologetic look as guilty burns in his stomach.
But, even like this, piercing him with her icy blue eyes, and mad at him, she's anything else than incredible. And it's incredible how she can shift from a moment of vulnerability to the usual badass attitude in the time of a few seconds.
"Trinity…"
The sound of her name from his lips acts like a balm on a burn, and she sighs, calming down.
"Forget it, I'll find a way to fix it"
Trinity stares at Neo and he at her, and Neo can't help the little smirk which plays on his lips despite the tense and awkward situation they are in.
"What?"
Trinity's eyebrows lift, her features still serious.
"Your mood swings are scary!"
He makes fun of her, fully aware he's risking much more now, pissing her out, than in front of a martial court.
Trinity stares at him serious at first, then she smirks in turn. A smirk that grows larger, and turns in a smile and a giggle.
Neo's quick in catching the pillow which suddenly gets thrown toward him.
"Blame my hormones!" She makes fun of him in turn "And you haven't seen anything yet!"
They exchange another smile and this time Trinity settles better on the bed in a cross-legged sitting position. Her hands on her bare feet. Her features definitely more relaxed now, like the air around them.
Neo throws the pillow back to her in the exact moment in which she reaches out to take another pillow to place behind her back. She bites on her lower lip, giving him a little smile which is a silent 'thank you'.
Her look is warm now, like her voice when she speaks once again.
"Did you find what you were looking for? In Zion database"
Neo moves his head in a more or less.
"I downloaded only my files" he looks up meeting Trinity's eyes "I was looking for something about my previous life, about what I made as the One"
Trinity nods.
"There's a lot about that in the storage, but I think you already know it by now. Recordings from the Neb... every entry in the Matrix got recorded and saved there"
Neo nods.
"I watched a few videos and read your reports. We were in the same crew" he says looking at her. She just nods.
She tries to remember what he could have found in her reports... actually there are just mere descriptions of facts in there and nothing about their personal relationship. And she always omitted personal details in her reports. There's no trace of the personal Oracle's prophecies in there or of the exact words Persephone told them for example...
... you love her, she loves you, it's all over you both...
... she'll do it, she'll kill us all, she's in love...
She's still thinking if he could have found something about their 'death' in the Machine City, but if he would have known something like that he would have asked immediately. She obviously never wrote a report about that, and none knows what really happened there, except for the two of them.
"I found no video recordings about that Persephone you told me"
Trinity just stares at him.
"Because it was a back door. It's been very hard for Link to localize us on that time. And what we have on video recordings is just what the operator can see on the screen, nothing more" Her voice is calm as she explains to him, and Neo just nods.
"Were you there then?" Neo asks.
"Yes"
Neo seems to ponder her answer, but he doesn't ask anything else.
"I watched myself being shot and dying... just to destroy that same agent a few minute later" he stares at Trinity "what happened in those few minutes?"
Trinity swallows, but doesn't look away.
... I told you that I love you...
"You were right, anyway" Neo says, awakening Trinity from her thoughts before she can ponder an adequate answer.
"About what?"
He gives her a sad look this time, shaking his head.
"I watched myself fighting during Morpheus' rescue, fighting agent Smith, coming back from death..." Another shake of head "and it's like watching someone's else life" Neo eyes her "... I should really drop that life, and just living mine now"
Trinity tries, but she can't hold Neo's gaze this time. And she has to looks away in order not to let him know how much his words affect her. She feels again like in front of that telephone box... too scared of a rejection to tell him that she was in love with him.
Neo stares at her, and her features betrays her tiredness this time, her skin seems suddenly paler.
"I'd better go," he says as she looks up at him "I already took too much of your time… and you need to sleep"
He whispers a 'goodnight' and she just nods, hiding behind her usual stoic features the lump in her throat which prevents her from wishing him a goodnight in turn.