Rainbow Six: November Sun

58: "NEW COMFORT"

Lera was not phased by the question, because she was not surprised; she had been wondering the same. "Do you think it was?"

"A mistake." It was more of a thoughtful echo than a question, and Natalya propped her head up on one hand. "I don't think so."

"I don't either," Lera murmured. "I needed this. I didn't even know how badly."

Natalya smiled and managed to avoid blushing. "Me too." Her eyes got lost somewhere over Lera's shoulder for a few moments. "I never felt that way with my hus—" She winced at her mistake. "Ex husband."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Natalya was still looking deep into the past, somewhere into bittersweet memory. "I just... I can't even explain it. I always felt self-conscious around him. I was always so... worried, about not being good enough."

Lera nodded, but remained quiet.

Natalya finally waded out of the past. She looked Lera in the eyes, and her features softened. "I never felt like he really knew me. And I never felt like I really knew him, because he wouldn't ever actually tell me what the hell was going through that mind of his."

Lera nodded again.

"But last night...." Natalya's gaze wandered over Lera's body. "Last night was different. It was impossible because—"

"You felt like you already knew me?" finished Lera.

"Yes. I know it sounds crazy."

"No," Lera answered softly. "It doesn't sound crazy." She sat up and gently eased a leg over Natalya, and sank low enough to kiss her heavily. "It was like that for me too."

Natalya rose to Lera's affections. She pressed her body to hers, and the women shared another hour together, their bodies entwined amidst the sheets of the hotel bed. The morning sun trickled in through the window blinds, casting lines of light over their skin as the two embraced new comfort in each other's warmth.

They were finally interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "Housekeeping!" a woman called from the hallway.

Lera and Natalya froze. Their eyes locked in momentary surprise before melting into realization.

"Oh shit!" Lera uttered, and she started laughing. "Uh... occupied!" she called. She turned to Natalya with a puzzled look and mouthed, Occupied?

Natalya snorted with laughter.

The housekeeper muttered something out of earshot, and Lera heard the cleaning cart clattering as it rolled to the next room.

Natalya rolled out of bed and yawned mightily before pulling on her underwear and squeezing into her jeans. "Ugh," she sighed. "Did I mention I need to work out?"

"Come on. You look like you still go NSU, for fuck's sake." Lera sat up and swung her legs over the opposite edge of the bed before stepping into her gym shorts and pulling on a t-shirt.

"Yeah, okay," Natalya scoffed, "Ms. 'I have an Olympian's Body' over here. "

"You're hot, Talya. So stop saying you're not."

"You're too kind. But seriously, how often do you exercise? You're in amazing shape."

"Stop," Lera said again, rolling her eyes. "I don't like compliments." Especially about her body - despite her athletic physique, it was the bane of her existence.

"I think we're beyond that."

Lera fetched cups of coffee from the pot at the mini bar. She handed one to Natalya, who was seated on the couch, and set hers down before drawing the blinds to the balcony window.

Lera gazed out at the city. The noon sun was already shining on high. "What are your plans?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Don't know, actually. Probably go home to St. Petersburg and start packing up."

"How long do you have before they seize the house?"

Natalya watched the steam rise from her cup. "Not sure," she sighed. "I'm guessing a week."

"Seriously?"

"Mm. What about you?"

Lera turned to face her. "I'm kind of on an extended vacation." She shrugged. "I'm not out of a job, but my boss wanted me to take some time to chill."

"Ah." Natalya sipped her coffee. "You fucking hate it, don't you?"

"Oh, my God." Lera tilted her chin up and pretended to scream, coaxing a laugh from her friend. "I'm having so much trouble. My work, my research - it's what drives me. It's why I wake up in the morning." She circled the coffee table and sat down beside Natalya. "Guess that's his point. My boss, I mean."

"Sounds like a good guy."

Lera nodded. "He is. Men like him are rare." She scooped up her coffee and sipped from the mug. "You know, I was having a lot more trouble before I ran into you."

Natalya beamed. "I'm happy to hear it, because the feeling is mutual."

Lera smiled and looked her in the eyes for a long moment. She set her mug down and clasped her hands together on her knees, interlacing her fingers. "So... I was thinking, maybe, that—" Lera's mouth grew dry, and she swallowed nervously. "Sorry. So... don't feel obligated, or like you have to say yes, but, uh...."

Natalya eyed her curiously.

"Fuck. I'm just gonna say it." Lera cleared her throat, sighed exasperatedly, and finally looked up at Natalya. "What if we kept in touch? What if we, um... I don't know." She tried to force the anxiety from her heart. Tried to stop tripping over her own tongue. "I just, I feel like we—"

"Okay."