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Date Posted: 23:04:17 06/07/11 Tue
Author: asiacheetah
Author Host/IP: ppp-71-128-195-9.dsl.sndg02.pacbell.net / 71.128.195.9
Subject: 15 Days - Chapter 15 - Day 13
In reply to: asiacheetah 's message, "15 Days" on 00:00:02 06/02/11 Thu

Chapter 15 – Day 13

A slight breeze ruffled the curtains, bringing in a scent of magnolia and the faint sounds of jazz playing in a nearby club. Nikita’s attention was focused solely on the man sleeping beside her. She longed to reach out and touch him, but didn’t want to wake him. Instead she feasted her eyes on him, free to do so without being observed by others or by Michael’s too perceptive gaze.

Michael lay on his back with his head tilted facing her direction. His hair was getting longer and it was curling unruly from the humidity and from recent exertion. One arm was flung above his head, the palm exposed upward. She looked at that exposed hand, the artist hand roughened with callus from years of physical training and exercise. She followed the lines of his arm and noted the prominent veins on the muscular bicep and forearm.

She lovingly stared at the muscular shoulders and strong line of his neck up to his beloved face. In sleep, the tension and strict control over his facial expression was relaxed making him look younger and innocent. It was easy to forget how young Michael was when you see the maturity in his gaze forged by years of surviving Section’s brutality. It made her sad to think that Michael must have been as young as she was, or perhaps even younger when he came to Section.

She mentally shook off the melancholy thoughts and took in his beautiful face. She stared love struck at the dark straight brows over deep set eyes with impossibly long, curly lashes, the high brows, straight line of his nose, to his sensual mouth. Without thinking, she brought her hand up to her mouth and ran her finger along her lips, remembering the feel of his lips against hers.

She dropped her gaze down to his broad shoulder, the well defined pectoral muscles, down to the flat ridge of his stomach. Unfortunately, the sheets were drawn up to his lower abdomen, shielding him from her gaze. Unconsciously, she bit her lips as she took in his sleeping form, remembering with relish what’s under the sheets.

“What are you staring at?”

Nikita jumped at Michael’s sudden question, believing he was deep in sleep. She looked up at his face to find him staring at her with a heavy lidded look. Since she’s been caught, red-handed so to speak, she decided to tease him a bit. She tilted her head to the side and replied breezily: “I was just thinking how much older you look in the 7 years I’ve known you. Why I don’t think I would have recognized you at all if I didn’t know you so well.”

Michael’s eye brows shot up in surprise and a hint of amusement glittered in his eyes. He turned to his side and propped himself up on his elbow before replying dryly: “Should I start planning my retirement?”

“Definitely from any and all seduction scenarios. I don’t think the ladies will fall to their feet in worship of you anymore.”

He smiled slightly before replying: “That wouldn’t be so bad.”

Something about the way he said it made her pause and consider him. Tentatively she broached a topic she had always been afraid to ask: “Do you mind playing the role of seducer for Section?”

She held her breath as Michael remained silent; worried that she had hurt him with the question. He finally admitted: “I never liked it.” He paused for a beat before adding: “I barely tolerate it, couldn’t really stomach it.”

“How do you handle it then?”

“I don’t think about it. It’s the only way I could function.”

“And you’ve been successful in blocking it out?”

“Sometimes.”

At her questioning look, Michael continued: “The longer the mission, the harder it is.”

“Harder in what way?”

Michael rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling for a while before meeting her gaze again. “Harder to separate the person from the mission.”

She hesitated for a long while before asking timidly: “Was it hard with Elena?”

Instinctively, Michael sought comfort from her by reaching out and taking her hand in his. He caressed her fingers and palm while he was deep in thought. He finally replied: “I didn’t love her, but I respected her.”

Reading between the lines, she supplied: “You didn’t like hurting her.”

“No. She deserved better than me.”

She reached out and lovingly caressed his face. He looked up and met her gaze as she responded: “I got to know Elena, Michael. She was better off after knowing you.”

“I ended up hurting her.”

“Yes, but she was so happy when she was with you. She told me so herself, that you were the best thing to ever happen to her. She had no regrets for her life with you.”

“It was all a lie, Nikita.”

“She didn’t know that. And it wasn’t all a lie, Michael; I saw the way you were with her and with Adam. You genuinely cared for her and love Adam. Deny it all you want, I believe what I saw with my own eyes.”

“Yes, I cared for her.”

“See, Elena got to live a life she wanted with someone who cared for her. In fact I’m jealous of her.”

“Why?”

“She’s so innocent and so hopeful. She believed in the good of everyone, and you helped reinforce that innocence. Plus she got to spend all those years with you, marry you, and…” She choked back her next words.

Michael looked at her quizzically before prompting her: “And?”

“And she had your child.” She couldn’t conceal her own deepest desire, to be free to live openly with this man and have his babies. Dreams, however, were foolish inside Section. She had thought she had buried most of those dreams, but the longer she spends with Michael and this newfound closeness, the more those desires roared to life.

Michael looked at the miserable expression on her face and commanded her softly: “Come here.”

She hesitated for the briefest moment before stretching out along his side. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair, and laid gossamer kisses on her forehead.

“Let it go, Nikita. Let the pain go.”

She started crying, softly at first, which turned to sobs. She wept, wailing her grief over cherished dreams that could never come true. He held her close, gently stroking her back as she cried over the hand dealt to her. He never let her go as she cried, not knowing that she was crying for more than lost dreams of happily ever after and family of her own. She was crying knowing that soon those strong arms around her would be gone and she would truly be alone.

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Replies:

  • 15 Days - Chapter 16 - Day 14 -- asiacheetah, 23:22:10 06/12/11 Sun
  • Re: 15 Days - Chapter 16 - Day 14 -- Del, 19:15:06 06/13/11 Mon
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