Request: Future Fic - WI - Michael/Tara - awkward
As their relationship got further along, Tara found herself wanting to spend more and more time with Michael and not caring that the rest of the world was starting to shun her. She was becoming one of "them"... the unspoken people who went in and out of the skyscraper that no one knew what went on behind the doors.
Her co-workers would question her endlessly on it. They wanted to know who the people were and what they were doing in there. Of course, Tara wasn't going to betray Michael's trust and tell them. So she just alienated herself from them as well until she was fired and left without a job to pay the bills.
But she never told Michael what was happening. She didn't want him to worry about her now that his father was giving him more and more responsibilities with running the Initiative. But when she was given her eviction notice, Tara knew what she had to do.
She gave a lot of her things away - things that wouldn't matter to her if she lost them. The things she wanted to keep went inside of boxes. She had a few days to pick them up, but with the mattress and furniture gone, she knew she couldn't sleep there anymore.
Which was what led her to walk into the building that evening with Buster, a suitcase and a box in tow. She went directly to Michael's room and knocked. When he answered, he looked at her in confusion. "Tara?"
"Hi." She handed him the box as it was starting to slip, and Buster ran past Michael into the room to start sniffing around.
Michael followed the dog with his eyes, then looked back at his girlfriend. "What's going on?"
"I... uh... well, you see. I'm out of a job and lost my apartment, and so I figured I would move in."
"Move in?" Michael blinked, but he moved out of the way so that Tara could come in.
"Yeah, I mean, I've already got clothes here and spend a few nights a week... we might as well make it more permanent, right?" She dropped the suitcase and realized that there was paperwork all over his bed. "Oh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"Oh no, just.. doing some work." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Mom and Dad decided to take a quick vacation. Dad's hasn't looked this good in... well, years. So I don't mind taking over if it means he's getting the rest he needs."
"That's good." She bit her lip. "Michael, if you don't want me to stay, I can find somewhere else..."
"No!" He walked over to her, taking her hands in his. "No, you are of course welcome to stay." He smiled at her. "Sorry, I just was taken back... This was the last thing I was expecting..."
"Are you really sure?"
Michael smiled and gave her a gentle kiss. "Yes, I'm sure."
She smiled into the kiss, bouncing just a bit. "Good. We can go pick up the rest of my stuff tomorrow then." She looped her arms around his shoulders. "And me being here will keep you from getting all caught up in work."
"Oh really?"
"Of course. You're a nerd and would spend all day doing work if I let you. I need to make sure you have some fun now and then." She kissed him again. "I promise I won't get in the way though."
"You can't get in the way..." Michael told her.
"Well, I might." She gave him a mischievous smile. "I mean, your work IS on the bed."
Michael looked over her shoulder, then sighed. "I guess I'll just have to learn to mix work with pleasure then." He smirked back, then kissed her again as he swiped the papers to the ground and leaned her down on the bed, planning on taking a long break from the job himself.
Her co-workers would question her endlessly on it. They wanted to know who the people were and what they were doing in there. Of course, Tara wasn't going to betray Michael's trust and tell them. So she just alienated herself from them as well until she was fired and left without a job to pay the bills.
But she never told Michael what was happening. She didn't want him to worry about her now that his father was giving him more and more responsibilities with running the Initiative. But when she was given her eviction notice, Tara knew what she had to do.
She gave a lot of her things away - things that wouldn't matter to her if she lost them. The things she wanted to keep went inside of boxes. She had a few days to pick them up, but with the mattress and furniture gone, she knew she couldn't sleep there anymore.
Which was what led her to walk into the building that evening with Buster, a suitcase and a box in tow. She went directly to Michael's room and knocked. When he answered, he looked at her in confusion. "Tara?"
"Hi." She handed him the box as it was starting to slip, and Buster ran past Michael into the room to start sniffing around.
Michael followed the dog with his eyes, then looked back at his girlfriend. "What's going on?"
"I... uh... well, you see. I'm out of a job and lost my apartment, and so I figured I would move in."
"Move in?" Michael blinked, but he moved out of the way so that Tara could come in.
"Yeah, I mean, I've already got clothes here and spend a few nights a week... we might as well make it more permanent, right?" She dropped the suitcase and realized that there was paperwork all over his bed. "Oh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"Oh no, just.. doing some work." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Mom and Dad decided to take a quick vacation. Dad's hasn't looked this good in... well, years. So I don't mind taking over if it means he's getting the rest he needs."
"That's good." She bit her lip. "Michael, if you don't want me to stay, I can find somewhere else..."
"No!" He walked over to her, taking her hands in his. "No, you are of course welcome to stay." He smiled at her. "Sorry, I just was taken back... This was the last thing I was expecting..."
"Are you really sure?"
Michael smiled and gave her a gentle kiss. "Yes, I'm sure."
She smiled into the kiss, bouncing just a bit. "Good. We can go pick up the rest of my stuff tomorrow then." She looped her arms around his shoulders. "And me being here will keep you from getting all caught up in work."
"Oh really?"
"Of course. You're a nerd and would spend all day doing work if I let you. I need to make sure you have some fun now and then." She kissed him again. "I promise I won't get in the way though."
"You can't get in the way..." Michael told her.
"Well, I might." She gave him a mischievous smile. "I mean, your work IS on the bed."
Michael looked over her shoulder, then sighed. "I guess I'll just have to learn to mix work with pleasure then." He smirked back, then kissed her again as he swiped the papers to the ground and leaned her down on the bed, planning on taking a long break from the job himself.