Perfect School

I didn't even get to finish the thought in my head, to feel his lips on mine again, before he was already doing it. It felt different right away, before I had been leading. This time it was the other way around. Placing one hand on his chest I leaned into the kiss.

Jonah:

I didn’t stop. I barely gave her time to catch her breath. I let go of my own thoughts to some degree too. I wanted to enjoy this night as much as I wanted her to. I had wanted this for a long time after all, if under different circumstances. Physically she wasn’t exactly my type, but that made no difference when I had her body pressed against mine. I shifted slightly to be leaning over her, pressing her gently into the bed.

A soft sound escaped me as he pressed me back into the bed. I couldn't fully catch my breath between the kisses and yet I couldn't say I minded. A warmth was starting to spread through me. Slowly, inching it's way. I'd seen more attractive men than Jonah, people I'd watched other girls fawn over and try to show off for. But over the years we'd known each other, there was something familiar about his touch, the weight of his body on mine.

Jonah:

It felt natural to have her like this. In another life we could have been normal teenagers sneaking away to make out. Maybe in each other’s arms we could be normal, if only for a little while. I started to move my hand along the side of her body, reading her body language by touch rather than sight.

This was all new for me. When I'd gone to Marie with my issues it had been handed off to someone else who took care of everything efficiently without the time for me to learn. I tangled one hand in his hair, the other mimicking his movements down my side.

I'd come to terms that being patted or having someone rub my back or shoulders was one of the things I enjoyed, and his hand on my side was much the same and yet different. It felt that much harder to breath, and while I wasn't ticklish there was this tingling sensation that followed his hand.

Jonah:

I moved my lips from hers and kissed instead, down her jawline to her neck. I was familiar with nearly every inch of her body. We had spent years together sparing after all. But this was something new. Something more gratifying. There were no walls.

I softly protested the end of the kiss, a small huff that quickly turned into a hitch in my breath as he kissed down to my neck. I gripped the back of his shirt with one hand, the other still holding onto the back of his head. It took me a second to lean my head away, offering him a bit more room.

Jonah:

I kissed every inch of exposed skin. After a moment I slipped my hand under the hem of her shirt and slid it along her bare side. For a time, we were lost in each other. I went as far as she was comfortable with, and just a notch farther to test the waters. Eventually I pulled back from her lips which I had claimed again.

I looked her in the eyes. I didn’t want to lose her. In this moment I felt the cost of what I was giving up to go through with my plan. If there was ever a chance that I would be tempted not to follow through with it, it was right now.

And then I thought of what I could gain from it and the temptation lessened. If I walked away, we would both be stuck under Marie’s control. It wasn’t a matter of being with Kira or going through with my plan. I wouldn’t get her if I went along with the mission as planned. I could only ever have Kira as my own if Marie was removed from the picture.

When he pulled away I found myself panting slightly. Opening my eyes slightly I squeezed his hand gently, the one under my shirt. I'd grabbed it when it got high enough for his fingers to brush against my sports bra. I couldn't say why I'd stopped him. It had just happened. My lips parted as I searched his face. Touching his cheek a moment I drew in a deep breath and held it to steady myself.

"So that's what it feels like." I murmured softly, still lost a bit within the moment. Our kisses in Vegas while heated had just been to serve a purpose. This was all us. Just us. And I liked it.

Jonah:

I sighed and kissed her again but not for as long. “It could always be like this,” I murmured when I pulled back again. “We could be like this together.” Even though she had somewhat given in physically, she hadn’t said she said she would be with me. Again, because of Marie. She was the root of all our problems.

I sighed into his kiss, and when he pulled back I searched his face again. "Could we? If only it could be that simple..." I murmured back. "What will happen after you get everything you want? I've wondered that what if for a while."

Jonah:

“You could have everything you want too. I could give you that. You wouldn’t have to be anyone’s weapon,” I said softly. For a moment I thought it would be possible to talk her into joining me. Talk her into going against Maire.

"I don't even know what I want..." I admitted softly. "Not anymore. You changed that...I was fine being a weapon. It was a purpose I could fill, now...now I don't know if I can become anything else." Like earlier I felt vulnerable, but this was a different type. One that made a pit in my stomach just a bit. I was sharing my thoughts with him, my worries. Giving them all to him.

Jonah:

It wasn’t wholly my doing. Her family had been the ones to push her over the edge. I had just paved the way through tireless work. “I would help you. You would be with me. By my side, Kira. You wouldn’t be alone. And you could be with your family.” I wanted them too.

Kira:

His offer was tempting, laid out on a silver platter like this. And yet I hesitated, I glanced away. For the first time as I felt the strings Marie had bound me to her begin to tug and pull, I didn't like them in the slightest. And yet I was still drawn by them away from the world he was offering.

"As much as I want it...it isn't something that will happen."

Jonah:

And thus the spell was broken. There was not chance of her coming to my side. Not before tomorrow. I touched my forehead to hers for a moment. She wasn’t mine. She wouldn’t be until Marie was gone. After a moment I rolled off her to lay on my back, pulling my hand out from her shirt as I did so.

Without him over me and his hand on my skin I suddenly felt cold. A new sensation as the room itself wasn't that way. I let the thought linger as I crawled under the covers beside him. It didn't quite help that empty cold feeling on my body, but it was enough that I could finally set it aside. I curled up on my side facing him, my gaze tracing what I could of his face. I wondered if my answer had disappointed him again. He had been displeased by such words in the past. And yet Marie was such a strong constant, I didn't see how she could be removed so easily.

Jonah:

I didn’t get under the covers for some time, instead I laid in silence next to her not even turning to look at her though I knew she was looking at me. There was nothing else to do now but plan the rest of tomorrow in my head. If we had been in a different situation perhaps I would have persisted in trying to convince her. But it didn’t matter now. Nothing but a full change of allegiance would make a difference now.

Kira:

I drifted off after a time, before he got under the covers. That he never looked again made me feel like I was right in my guess. So I simply rolled over away from him but scooted until my back touched his side. I normally didn't dream, but tonight was a night of many different firsts. The dream held my family, my friends, and Jonah. It was simple, with laughter and good times. I hated to leave it even after my internal clock started to wake me up in the morning.

Jonah:

I forced thoughts out of my mind after I got under the covers. Kira once again curled against me in her sleep but this time I didn’t make an effort to hold her. My arm was simply loose on the other side of her. She moved and twitched during the night but still I didn’t hold her. In the morning I got up when she stirred and promptly got dressed.

Kira:

Sitting up I watched him dress for a moment before going over to my suitcase and grabbing stuff to change into. First goal was to drop our stuff at the boat then the mission itself. I took a moment in the bathroom to mentally prepare myself, pushing aside any thoughts of last night or the dream.

Stepping outside I started a few stretches, "Ready?"

Jonah:

“Yes,” I said, looking at her fully for the first time this morning. Tomorrow at this time, everything would be different. With our bags rolling behind us, and our weapons and gadgets hidden on our bodies, we set off for or boat.

When Kira was distracted on the ship, selecting a few last minute things, I sent a text from the dead man’s phone saying that there would be a team of Chinese trying to get onto the island today. It would be enough to get more people out and alert, but it wouldn’t immediately draw attention to us. What I mainly wanted was for there to be trouble when we tried to leave with our target.

With our gear stowed away, the driver ready, and the stowaway area prepared I checked over my guns one last time. Satisfied with ammo, knives, and gear I stepped back out onto the dock. Tugging at the hem of my shirt a moment I looked up at the city. After tonight, everything would go back to normal with Marie.

And perhaps after tonight I could try pursuing something more...substantial with Jonah. I glanced at him on the boat after that thought, nodding my head to him to let him know I was ready for the mission ahead.

Jonah:

I would be the one to go in and get the target because I would be able to carry him out when Kira wouldn’t as easily be able to. She was supposed to be in charge, but I had influence on all the plans. We didn’t speak about what happened the previous night, it was purely about the job now.

As we moved into the city it became very apparent that they had added to security. There were more people around clearly watching for trouble. None of them made notice of us.

Kira:

It was slow going, maneuvering through the city. So many eyes and ears were on the lookout for the slightest threat. Something had gone wrong. And only one thing made sense. The man we'd killed, the one who'd recognized me, had been found missing.

Things were going to be difficult, but not impossible yet. It was only a missing person. And the island was small. Jonah had said he'd taken care of it, I trusted in his ability to both hide a body and to make it unrecognizable without extra work being put in. Work that would take far longer than we would be here.

I let him leave me, taking up a perch where I could keep a look out for him. The easy part was almost over. The hard part was getting the man back to the boat. And yet I already felt a sense of unease.