Someone To Watch Over Me || {Mikhael}

Damn, it was hot.

With only her long, lean legs and the bottom of her bare stomach poking out from under the sled, Adrienne's body was pouring with sweat. The sled was hot, and Rukbat beating down on the metal machine wasn't helping her cause. To make matters worse, Adrienne still hadn't diagnosed this sled's issue. Mumbling curses under her breath, she reached out blindly to where she thought she'd laid her tools. After feeling each, she discovered she'd forgotten one and, with another muttered curse that would've made Sashike pale, she called out,

"Lynx?! Hand me a rachet."

Almost immediately her bronze had flown down from his perch on Mik's sled and began his search for Adrienne's tool. He'd been trained pretty well, and his recognition of words rivaled most 5 year olds. After pulling and pushing objects out of his way, Lynx picked up the one he thought was right and placed it on Adrienne's exposed, outstretched hand.

At first, Adrienne didn't even think to inspect it, but after a moment she realized it was a wrench. It'd do the job, but a rachet made things so much easier. Calling out again, she told her bronze sweetly,

"Lynx, baby, this isn't the right one. I needed a RA-CHET, not a wrench."

She drawled out the words, hoping to make them more clear. She didn't think he needed a mental picture; after all, Lynx recognized most of her tools by name.

The bronze, after sensing Adrienne's displeasure, darted back to the chest and began rummaging again. When he didn't see it after a few minutes, the bronze chattered anxiously and sent Adrienne a image of his arrangements of the tools; clearly, the instrument she needed wasn't there.

Snarling to herself, Adrienne did what she'd tried to aviod; she pulled herself out from under the sled and walked over to where Lynx sat, looking over the neat lines her bronze had pushed the tools into. When she didn't see it, Adrienne stroked his neck apologetically and said softly,

"Sorry, love. You did your best; it isn't here."

Once she reassured her bronze, Adrienne turned and looked over to where Mikhael was bent over a table with different parts spread across it.

Narrowing her eyes, Adrienne stalked over to him, enjoying the feel of some cool air on her abdomen and upper chest. See, she would've had a shirt on, but again, that was Mik's fault. She'd ripped her shirt as it caught on a metal belt almost immediately this morning, and Mik wouldn't stop pulling at it whenever she walked past. Eventually the shirt was so far gone it was becoming a hindrance as she worked, and thus Adrienne just disposed of it; she was just fine, thank you very much, working with only a sports bra and her pants on. Although, somewhere in her mind she figured that's what Mik had been aiming for.

Adrienne looked over the table before turning back to Mikhael and resting her hands on her hips; her posture made it obvious she was annoyed.

"Damn it, Mik, what have I told you about my tools? If you're going to use it, at least put it back. It's not so hard to do, you know."

Her tone was bold and hid nothing as she waited for him to reply, and Adrienne's pale blue eyes glittered dangerously as she watched him.

"Damn it, Mik, what have I told you about my tools? If you're going to use it, at least put it back. It's not so hard to do, you know."

There was a curse from Mik's lips as Adrienne's sudden voice made his hand twitch crushing one of the vital parts of the engine he was working on. His hand clenched tightly around the ratchet in particular. His hand shook as he tried to gain control, never ever had he lost his temper at her or anyone for that matter. He was always steady, but today with the way she walked around he didn't expect there to be this much effect on him seeing her that way. He whirled around, green eyes flashing dangerously as he grabbed her and pulled her roughly against him. His lips fell upon hers in a passionate kiss before he could stop himself, lords he had wanted to do that to her all day, ever since she had ripped her shirt and he had teased her till it came off. Finally breaking the kiss he looked down at her, his voice husky and low when he finally spoke, for him on a different matter to what she had yelled at him for.

"Dammit Addy, Why do you have to taunt me so?"

Adrienne was totally unprepared for Mik's sudden, bold movement as he reached around her bare waist and pulled her close. Her blue eyes flashed as she tried to speak, but her cut her off, kissing her roughly. For the smallest of moments Adrienne allowed herself to relax into the kiss, but almost immediately after he pulled back she regained her wits. She tried to push away, but his arms around her lower back were restricting and confining, keeping her pressed firmly against him.

"Dammit Addy, Why do you have to taunt me so?"

Raising her eyebrow, Adrienne looked at him curiously before replying in a mocking tone that did nothing to disguise her annoyance,

"Me? Taunt you? Excuse me, but if I remember right it was you who rid me of my shirt. What would you have me do, cover in a thick fur? It's too damn hot, Mik."

After staring him down for a moment, she narrowed her eyes as she pushed on his chest once again.

"You can let me go, now. Just so you know, I hated that."

Her last sentence was said with the slightest of smiles, and it was obvious she was lying. As much as she tried to deny it, he was a good kisser... but that meant nothing. Obviously she didn't like Mikhael like that. Of course. He was just like a brother to her, nothing more.

Yeah, right.

At the thought, Adrienne forced her mouth out of the smile and into a hard line. She did not like him, and she had to keep it that way; hopefully her face was broadcasting that.

"You can let me go, now. Just so you know, I hated that."

He could have replied to what she had said before, but those words, what she had said next to him. Those words struck him deep, and they hurt, he'd done it again. Like when he had taken her virginity, oh he was a wretched fool, why did he have to keep acting like this around her. His arms dropped and he couldn't keep her anymore, he tried not to let the hurt show on his face and turned away. Taking the ratchet he had borrow from her he handed it back to her, avoiding eye contact with her. Her words if anything had just made him feel worse about himself and thus he had to apologize, he had gone to far this time.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that Addy. I'm sorry I took this without telling you too."

Turning back to his engine tried to figure out how in hell he was going to fix it. If he didn't have it up and running before Thread fell again he didn't know what he was going to do. He had a wing to Lead, and there wasn't a sled free for him to lead it on.

As soon as his arms dropped, Adrienne regretted her harsh words. After all, she didn't like hurting him; being mean just made it easier to deal with him. Her eyes and face softened as he turned away, avoiding her eyes, and a part of her longed to reach out and touch him, if only to wipe the grief from his face.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that Addy. I'm sorry I took this without telling you too."

Aww, hells. Taking the outstretched rachet, she looked at it glumly before laying it on the table and looking back to Mikhael. He still hadn't looked at her; he was busy leaning over his sled in frustration. With a sigh, she walked over and stood beside him, looking down into the sled's engine. Adrienne didn't reach out for him, but she did lean into his side, pressing close in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture. Yeah, she'd been angry, but that had passed as soon as she saw the way he'd reacted to her words.

Leaning her side into the curve of his body, she finally spoke, reaching her long arm down into a crevice as she began fiddling with something.

"Mik, I think the problems here, with the radiator."

It was completely off the subject, but it was a much of an apology as one could expect from Adrienne. Looking up to meet his eyes, she smiled softly, silenting pleading for him to smile back.

"Mik, I think the problems here, with the radiator."

"Of course it is, you made me break it"

Again the harsh words tumbled from his lips, he was still frustrated. Though it was worse now, this was the first time he had gotten angry with her, the fact he hadn't done it since he had taken Adrienne's virginity made it so much worse. He hadn't been with anyone out of respect for her, hoping she would come around to him sooner or later. At it seemed, it was unlikely she was, and her pressing up against him was only making his mood worse as he just about bit himself to stop from thinking about it. Again he apologized, it wasn't right for him; a gentleman to take out his anger on her, a lady even if she didn't seem like one. She was still a lady to him and a very beautiful and tempting one at that.

"I'm sorry, again I shouldn't have snapped like that."

"Of course it is, you made me break it."

Adrienne flinched at his harsh voice, then turned to look him in the eye just as quickly. Gods. She couldn't remember the last time he'd been that mad at her... usually she was the one snapping and he just took it. Until this moment, it had never really occured to her how much he'd put up with over the years, and her cheeks reddened with shame. Her anger completely forgotten, she just stood there, the bare skin of his side burning her exposed stomach where their skin met.

"I'm sorry, again I shouldn't have snapped like that."

Meeting his eyes with soft blue ones, she replied,

"Naw, I should be apologizing, Mikhael. You're all I've got, and I seem to forget that in the heat of the moment."

When a few seconds had passed, she added,

"You didn't do anything I haven't done to you thousands of times."

With that she pressed closer, a part of her wanting more of his flesh melding with hers. With a guilty sigh she rested her head on his shoulder, waiting for him to speak.