Old habits die hard.
Even if the room was surrounded by darkness as they lay awake in the middle of the night, Michael could already feel her watching him as he stared ahead at nothing in particular. They had had the meeting with her boss earlier on in the evening, had dinner with him, and after giving him his answer he and Alena had been left alone again. It as then that Alena had suggested going to a bar for a drink. One drink led to another, and another, and before he knew it they were in a bedroom of a hotel in Manhattan. The last thing he had expected, or even wanted, was to go back to the relationship that he and Alena had had so many years ago, but with each kiss and each touch it was hard to ignore that he suddenly wanted her as much as she seemed to want him. Or maybe they didn't want each other, they just each needed companionship. A one night stand between each other didn't seem strange, and it wasn't a big deal - it almost seemed...normal, even.
"I still can't believe you said yes," she suddenly said in a low voice, her fingers starting to trace small patterns along the bare skin of his chest. "I thought you'd fight it and that I'd have to find a way to convince you, but..."
Michael closed his eyes and sighed. "Do you ever stop thinking about work, or should I expect another hour long discussion about how great it is that I'm working with you again?" Opening his eyes once more, he reached over for her and caressed her cheek. "It's just a one time deal, Alena. Nothing else."
"Are you finally going to tell me why you're doing it? I'll drop the discussion until lunch tomorrow if you do tell me."
With another sigh, Michael sat up, suddenly feeling annoyed. So what that he had accepted the offer for work? Did it matter? "There's a kid's life on the line," he finally said after a minute, his voice low. "Your boss' client fucks up and his kid's kidnapped. That's not fair for the kid. He needed someone to get him back, and I can do it. No problem. Case closed."
Alena watched him before kneeling on the bed and wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind him. "Since when do you care about that?" She placed small kisses along his shoulder, moving up along his neck until she reached the side of his jaw. "Is it because of your own kid?"
He didn't answer, though; that was answer enough. He still didn't understand why Alena couldn't just hire somebody else, but the explanation had been simple: that Alena trusted Michael to get the job done, and her boss trusted Alena blindly. And since Michael was a 'freelancer' now... There was still a part of him that was sure he had done the wrong thing, in accepting the job, but it was too late to turn back now. Hell, he didn't want to turn back.
"I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job," she finally murmured before she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You always did."
"Aren't you worried that I'll turn on you and your boss, just how I turned on Jack?"
A small laugh, followed by another kiss. "No, darling. We'll keep you happy enough so you won't do that." Even if he couldn't see her through the darkness, he could already see the smirk on her face nonetheless. Before he could ask how, though, she moved to sit on his lap and framed his face in her hands as she kissed his lips. "Things will be different, Michael," she promised once she pulled back very slightly. "You'll see. There are so many things in store for you. You just have to trust me," she said softly before kissing him again, this time lingering there for a moment. "Come now, let's not talk about work anymore."
Michael was about to protest, but he chuckled quietly at what she said. "Even if you started it?"
"I did. But now I'm ending it," she responded, a light playful tone in her voice. Moving from his lap, she rested back on the bed, in the spot she had been in. As she watched Michael just sit there, as if contemplating everything that had happened with them, and earlier in the evening, she started to wonder if maybe he'd change his mind about things. If he did...she'd be back to square one, and then all the plans that had been made would have been for naught.
But Michael didn't get up. He just turned his head towards her, watching her through the darkness, before he laid back down next to her once more. He knew that he should probably leave, go back to Elise's place and sleep there, but he didn't want to. He'd go back to what, laying awake all night thinking? He might do that the next day, but tonight it seemed pointless to do so. So, with that in mind, he let Alena curl up next to him, the sense of familiarity about the whole thing making it even easier for him to stay there next to her.
"I still can't believe you said yes," she suddenly said in a low voice, her fingers starting to trace small patterns along the bare skin of his chest. "I thought you'd fight it and that I'd have to find a way to convince you, but..."
Michael closed his eyes and sighed. "Do you ever stop thinking about work, or should I expect another hour long discussion about how great it is that I'm working with you again?" Opening his eyes once more, he reached over for her and caressed her cheek. "It's just a one time deal, Alena. Nothing else."
"Are you finally going to tell me why you're doing it? I'll drop the discussion until lunch tomorrow if you do tell me."
With another sigh, Michael sat up, suddenly feeling annoyed. So what that he had accepted the offer for work? Did it matter? "There's a kid's life on the line," he finally said after a minute, his voice low. "Your boss' client fucks up and his kid's kidnapped. That's not fair for the kid. He needed someone to get him back, and I can do it. No problem. Case closed."
Alena watched him before kneeling on the bed and wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind him. "Since when do you care about that?" She placed small kisses along his shoulder, moving up along his neck until she reached the side of his jaw. "Is it because of your own kid?"
He didn't answer, though; that was answer enough. He still didn't understand why Alena couldn't just hire somebody else, but the explanation had been simple: that Alena trusted Michael to get the job done, and her boss trusted Alena blindly. And since Michael was a 'freelancer' now... There was still a part of him that was sure he had done the wrong thing, in accepting the job, but it was too late to turn back now. Hell, he didn't want to turn back.
"I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job," she finally murmured before she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You always did."
"Aren't you worried that I'll turn on you and your boss, just how I turned on Jack?"
A small laugh, followed by another kiss. "No, darling. We'll keep you happy enough so you won't do that." Even if he couldn't see her through the darkness, he could already see the smirk on her face nonetheless. Before he could ask how, though, she moved to sit on his lap and framed his face in her hands as she kissed his lips. "Things will be different, Michael," she promised once she pulled back very slightly. "You'll see. There are so many things in store for you. You just have to trust me," she said softly before kissing him again, this time lingering there for a moment. "Come now, let's not talk about work anymore."
Michael was about to protest, but he chuckled quietly at what she said. "Even if you started it?"
"I did. But now I'm ending it," she responded, a light playful tone in her voice. Moving from his lap, she rested back on the bed, in the spot she had been in. As she watched Michael just sit there, as if contemplating everything that had happened with them, and earlier in the evening, she started to wonder if maybe he'd change his mind about things. If he did...she'd be back to square one, and then all the plans that had been made would have been for naught.
But Michael didn't get up. He just turned his head towards her, watching her through the darkness, before he laid back down next to her once more. He knew that he should probably leave, go back to Elise's place and sleep there, but he didn't want to. He'd go back to what, laying awake all night thinking? He might do that the next day, but tonight it seemed pointless to do so. So, with that in mind, he let Alena curl up next to him, the sense of familiarity about the whole thing making it even easier for him to stay there next to her.