Is this destiny?

~ Switzerland, Interlaken ~

In the hotel…

Oni had a strange dream: Marija was yelling curses at her and then she ended up in the lake and cursed even louder and Oni thought that Marija looks comical all drenched and with makeup running down her face. In the next scene Marija was not there, but for some reason Oni cried and Michael hugged her and told her that he wants to be with her the most, and they danced and laughed, and it was the best dream ending ever. 

The dream shifted from strange to a happy one, with few last images of Michael smiling at her and holding hands gently and planning for dates (more than one!), and it was wonderful.

Oni grimaced at the feeling of something touching her cheek because she does NOT want to wake up. The dream got to the good part and it was getting better and she really wanted to see how the dates will go. Will they kiss? Oh! The kiss! There is something about the kiss in the dream as well, but she can't remember it and the feeling on her cheek is persistent, distracting her from remembering the details.

She swatted her hand just above her face…

'SLAP!'

Oni's eyes sprang open in horror. Did she just hit something? Her sight fell on the dashing face not far away from hers. 

"Michael?"

"You are a heavy sleeper.", Michael said while rubbing the back of his palm which got a slap.

"What time it is? Why are you waking me up?" Oni's eyes darted around the room for a second before she added questions: "Where are we? Why are we in the bed together? This is not a dream, is it?"

Michael smiled. "It's almost 3 in the morning, time for you to apply medicine on my eyes. This is my room and you slept off and this is definitely NOT a dream. Did I miss something?"

"Your room…", Oni breathed heavily while panic swelled inside her. "…and I slept off in your bed… with you…" She glanced down on herself and observed that she is wearing her t-shirt and she is covered with a comforter and her right hand… Oh, God! They are holding hands! 

She noticed that he is in the t-shirt and sweatpants she got from the closet earlier. When did he change his pants? He was wearing formals before she slept off. Did he change in this room? She was not sure how she feels about missing her chance to see Michael in his underwear. At the thought of Michael undressing in front of her, Oni swallowed her non-existent saliva. "I need a minute…"

She stared at Michael's handsome face and his lips which formed a sly smile. He is obviously enjoying her current confusion, but despite the redness of his sclera she can see that his eyes are warm and not mocking and her sight moved back to his lips and… the kiss! 

"Did we… kiss? Or did I dream about it?", Oni asked reluctantly. 

She remembers the kiss on the dock vividly, and if it was real she needs a confirmation but if it was a dream she just embarrassed herself. But she really-really needs to know if that was real because it felt like so.

"The kiss?", Michael asked softly while his eyebrow arched. "If you forgot, then it was not a very good one."

Oni's eyes widened. "No, no, no… It was amazing!", she blurted out and then pressed her lips into a line while lowering her eyes in embarrassment.

Michael chuckled. "You are cute. Can I kiss you again?"

Oni's mind exploded. What did he say?

She was confident that this is a dream. A long and a good one. It must be a dream… why else would Michael hold her chin and lift her head up and… Oh! He pecked her lips once, twice… and she was too stunned to respond when he gently sucked her lower lip. 

All this is too overwhelming, and Oni didn't realize that she is not breathing. Her lungs complained about the lack of oxygen and she inhaled sharply, allowing Michael's scent to fill her up and startle Oni from her daze. 

'So, what if this is a dream?', Oni thought. 'It will not change the fact that I don't want him to stop.'

Michael was almost-surprised when Oni's hands moved around him, and she returned his kisses. 

He gathered her against him and chanted internally not to get carried away, because they need to take it slow.

"You know that this is not a dream, right?", Michael whispered in her lips.

Oni opened her eyes with difficulty. "If it's not a dream, what is it?"

"It's a reality where the two of us are dating, and you are in my arms, in my bed, testing my self-control because I didn't realize how it will affect me when I acknowledge that you are not a little girl, but a young woman."

Oni observed his expression and she recognized the smile: seductive and predatory, just how he smiled after their kiss on the dock. She wondered if he is aroused. Probably. 

This time, there was no trace of fear inside Oni at this thought. She was excited and happy and a bit proud that he sees her as more than a little girl.

His words sank in and she grinned. He called her a 'young woman'!

"You know…", Oni said while looking at him proudly. "At the party where we pretended to be a couple for the first time, at the White mansion… You called me an attractive young woman, but in the next breath you took it back and labeled me as a kid. At that time, I gave myself a mission that you will stop seeing me as a child." A gleeful giggle escaped her, and she added: "And you just called me a young woman!"

Michael's eyebrow twitched while observing Oni's smug expression. What's with that proud smile? Did Oni just say that seducing him was a… mission? "Are you happy?"

"You have no idea how much.", Oni admitted.

Michael took a deep breath and pulled her closer to him. Their bodies stuck to each other and he buried his face in her hair. "You have zero sense of danger."

They laid in the bed for some time, holding each other and breathing.

"Should I be afraid of you?", Oni broke the silence.

Michael inched away and observed her face before shaking his head in a non-verbal response.

Oni smiled. "Being with you, like this… It makes me feel many things, but fear is not one of them because I believe that you will not harm me. You see, I am watching you for the last nine months. I saw you practicing, learning, adapting, and sharing your knowledge selflessly with the others, me included. You don't put down others and you treat everyone with respect. I observed you while you looked tenderly at Kitty and shared your lunch with her. I know that you are a kind man worth of admiration. You already proved more than once during many missions, that I can put my life in your hands and that you've got my back. And right now, I am in your arms and I am nervous like hell, but I am not afraid."

Michael listened to Oni's bold declaration while holding his breath. Her every word hit a spot in his chest and made him fall for her more. 

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