Reunion

Hours passed.

The room around her had faded back into a blur, and every nerve in her body screamed in agonized ecstasy. Blackness crept in near the edges of her vision. She sighed, her lips curling up in a smile.
Metal clanked as he dropped the bloodied scalpel back onto the tray.

“That is enough for one night.” He spoke.

She collapsed into his arms as he unclasped the shackles. He wrapped an arm around her waist and adjusted her weight in his grasp, scooping her up gracefully. The concrete floor was cold against her flesh as he set her gently down in the corner by the shower head. He made quick work of their clothes, hands as quick and dexterous as a surgeon. The water spat and hissed for a moment as it kicked on, and steam floated to the ceiling before he picked her back up.

As he washed the blood off of their bodies, her vision cleared a bit further. She was able to see the hard planes of his face again as he tended to her. Tears crawled slowly from her eyes as she smiled. Gentle fingers brushed strings of wet hair from her brow. His palm rested against her cheek with the perfection of a puzzle piece.

“Mishka.” He almost smiled, a real smile, but the expression died before it could bloom.

As he washed her hair, she regained her ability to stand, even though she was still a bit unsteady. She braced herself against the wall with her palms, letting the water and his hands work out the tangles from her hair and the knots in her neck. She melted under his touch, sighing as his palms slid over her skin, like he was inspecting a sculpture, checking for any lingering roughness to polish away.

Before she was ready, the water was shut off. Ivanov left Nikki's side for a moment, and she whined softly, unable to help herself. When he came back, she saw a black towel wrapped loosely around his hips, and another in his hands. She was swaddled carefully but tightly in the shadow he carried, and her world faded to black.