The Assassin (Candira & HeartOfTheDarkness)

It was so surreal. Not all of it really sunk in when he was telling her the story. She just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Christian was a trained killer. He was wanted by the police for being a killer....but hadn't he just said that it was because he'd refused to keep killing? He was having a moral crisis--he'd been hunted for having a conscience. Struggling to accept all this Natasha kept her eyes on him. He was obviously afraid of her rejection. He was hurting because he had to remember it all. But she had to know what she'd gotten herself into.

And then he was telling her that he'd learned how to feel again. Positive feelings. Feelings about love. Love? That was a whole different thing to deal with than the issue at hand. When he dropped the knife, she jumped a little, having forgotten that he was holding it at all. She picked it up and set it on the counter before following him into the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching him. "Please, sit down. I just...I need a minute to let this all settle..." Natasha was harboring a fugitive--an assassin. He was in her home because she'd seen a dying man and wanted to help him. He'd proven to be caring and useful in the time he'd been here. He wanted to be useful. It occurred to her that he didn't want to kill anymore. He was interested in staying with her. In being with her, if his little speech about feelings was any indication.

"Please stay," she said softly. "Don't leave now." Her feelings about him hadn't really changed a great deal. He had grown in her estimation. He'd gone from not having a choice, being raised in an environment that had dehumanized him, to making a decision for himself and leaving that world behind him. She admired that about him. He wasn't proud of what he'd done--he even seemed to regret it. How could she turn a man away to become lost once more? "I don't want you to go."

When she said that she wanted him to stay, he didn't know what to say. He was prepared for her to reject him, to kick him out, to call the authorities. He never expected her to beg him to stay. Did she believe what he said? Did she truly care for him even after finding out he was a killer?

"I don't want to leave." He mumbled to her. "I don't want to go back to that life. Now that I've been able to have fun, I don't want to ever leave here." It was harder and harder for him to hold back tears. He turned back around to face Natasha, and he moved closer to her. Nothing else mattered to him anymore. All he wanted to do was to stay here with Natasha.

Finally putting his arms around her, his tears began to flow. "I want to stay. I don't care what happens anymore, just let me stay here with you."

Who hadn't done things in their past? She certainly had, and she could understand his need to begin again. Christian was easily the most sensitive and sweet person she'd met in years. She wasn't about to turn away a man who wanted to stay so badly. A man who didn't want to go back to what he had done. It was kind of hard to not fall in love with him. Then his arms were around her and he had tears in his eyes. They were infectious and her blue eyes soon misted over.

She held him there, returning his embrace. "I want you to stay, Christian. Please don't go." Isolation, she decided, wasn't what she'd really been after. It had been lonely here without anyone to talk to. She liked that she was self-sufficient, that she was free to live here without others judging her for her past. She'd healed herself here a great deal more than she could have in the city. Maybe that was what he needed, too. But her mind kept circling back to the idea that he'd wanted to stay with her. He hadn't wanted to leave her.

She looked up at him now and reached up, gently wiping away his tears. "Don't cry. It'll be okay, Christian. We'll work it out. I promise you, you can stay here with me as long as you want." She smiled softly, and decided that the moment was right. Gently, she held his face in her hands as she leaned up, kissing him softly.

He was starting to calm down a little, feeling Natasha holding him in her arms as he held her tight. She gave him more love than he deserved, a person like him. He's been keeping her in the dark this whole time, and she still accepted him for who he truly was. When she went in and kissed him, everything he was upset about didn't matter anymore. He started to forget why he got so upset. Her lips pressed against his, it was a feeling he couldn't describe. It was like he was beginning to float, with no more problems holding him down.

He kept her close, not wanting to break their kiss. The tears stopped flowing, he opened his eyes to see her beautiful face. After a few minutes of holding that kiss with her, he pulled his head back slightly, smiling. "Thank you. I love you Natasha." He whispered and went in for another kiss. This time, he gently slid in the tongue. His kiss became a little more passionate as he fell to his knees, bringing her down with him. After pulling away again, he looked at her and smiled. "Are you sure you're ok with a man like me staying with you? I can't guarantee we will be left alone for a while." He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it.

She felt his body slowly relax into the kiss, and his sobbing--the crying--slowly ebbed away into nothing. The redhead stayed in his arms as he held her there, letting him be the one to break the kiss. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, returning the smile he gave to her. When he told her he loved her, she was nearly swept away. He pulled her in for another kiss, this one more passionate than the last. Her tongue played with his as he let his feelings be known more physically.

Somehow, they ended up on their knees and she was practically panting as he pulled away this time. Dazed, she smiled at him softly. This was the happiest she'd ever seen Christian before. She hoped that she could keep that smile on his face--at least for a little while longer. Though she wasn't sure she could call it love just yet, her feelings for this near stranger were the strongest she'd had for anyone in her whole life. She wanted him to be happy and safe and strong. She wanted him to stay with her. She just wanted him.

"I don't care if they come back," she said softly. "I just want to be with you. I want you to stay."

He was smitten after hearing her answer. His tears now gone, he was finally happy that he could tell her how he truly felt about her. No matter what, he was going to protect her with his life. It didn't matter if they sent an army for him, he was going to make sure they won't touch her. He planned on getting stronger right after his wound healed, he'll make sure that nothing can bring him down.

As much as he wanted to continue, he wasn't sure whether Natasha was ready to move it a step further. They were still just getting to know each other. Even though he was head-over-heels in love with her, he didn't really know much about her. Was there a particular reason that she came to live in this forest alone? He didn't want to ask, but he hoped she would tell him her past.

After finally breaking away from their kissing, Christian stood up and helped Natasha up. His arms remained wrapped around her, a big grin on his face. "So, what now?"

He looked relieved now--happy and relaxed. It made her happy to know that he wanted to stay with her. That he loved her. And she was beginning to realize just how deeply her own feelings ran. They had quite a bit of work to do if they wanted to really know each other, though. And she would have to unlock the painful past she'd sealed away in her heart. But they could take it slowly. She believed that. He wouldn't push her, and she wouldn't push him. They would open up to each other in time.

When he asked what was next she smiled at him. The dishes would wait. "We should go to bed," she said. "I don't know about you but I'm tired after today." She stood with him, leaning into him just a bit. "Will you sleep with me tonight?"

Thinking about them sleeping together, Christian turned red. Of course the thought of intercourse when through his mind, and he was sure she would be thinking about it as well. He wanted to do that with her, but was unsure if they would be ready. Plus, he might reopen his wound if things got too intense, and that would just ruin the moment. He took a heavy swallow and nodded. "Yes, I would love to sleep with you. Let's get changed and we'll meet up in the bedroom."

All of his stuff was in the bedroom, so he went in and went through the clothes she got him. There was a comfortable pair of pants to sleep in, so he quickly changed into it and removed his shirt. It didn't matter to him anymore if she saw him. She took care of him while he was unconscious, she probably saw enough for now. Then again, she was cleaning blood at the time so she probably wasn't paying attention. His mind was simply too busy thinking about sleeping with her to realized that the door was open while he changed. The bed was big enough for them both, but what if she rolled in her sleep? What if he rolled in his sleep? Her gorgeous body would be lying next to him, it would be a challenge to not give into temptation.

The minute he turned red, she realized where his mind had gone and blushed a little herself. She had actually wanted to just sleep in the same bed, but she could definitely understand why his mind had gone there. She had thought about it before, actually. But he was still a little weak from that wound, and she didn't want to put any pressure on them. Even though he agreed pretty readily, she could tell Christian was nervous about it. So nervous that he forgot all of her things were there as well. Chuckling she waited for a moment outside of her bedroom as he changed. After a good minute or two she opened the door to see him shirtless and lost in thought.

She took a moment to fully appreciate the lines of his body and the strength he seemed to hold. He was powerful, capable of so much. But he was also gentle, she thought. She took in the sight of him, immensely attracted to it, before she made her presence known. "My clothes are in the closet," she said with a smile. "I'll be right out." Stepping into her walk in, she closed the door behind her and took off most of her clothes. She slipped into a long, somewhat loose shirt she used for sleeping and figured that since they both had sex on the mind, she should put some short shorts under it to sort of discourage that. After all--nothing killed the mood like blood pouring out of a chest wound. She shuddered at the thought and then exited the closet.

Christian sat on the bed and waited for Natasha to come join him. He suddenly started to feel tired, even after worrying about what was going to happen with them while they were in bed together. It must've been a long day for him to suddenly feel so sleepy. When Natasha stepped out of her closet, she still looked beautiful, even while wearing what looked like just a long t-shirt. If she was wearing only that, did she have sex on her mind? Was she planning on making a move on him while they were in bed?

Trying to push those thoughts out of his head, he leaned back and went under the covers. He made sure to leave room for Natasha to get in and join him. Hopefully this'll be a pleasant night for them. He simply tried to hide the fact that he was nervous and smiled at her.

She smiled. "It's been a long day," she said with a little yawn. "Let's just sleep for now, okay?" And with that, she slipped into bed next to him. She curled around him, resting her head on a pillow as she put an arm around him, her warm, soft body pressed into his side. Comfy, she closed her eyes and smiled softly. "Good night, Christian," she said softly. And then her body became heavy and her eyes didn't want to open again. She slowly slipped into a deep sleep, her red hair falling a little into her face as she slept with him. She hoped that he had pleasant dreams.

She certainly was.

After Natasha fell asleep, Christian's eyes began to grow heavy. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around Natasha, unsure of where he was grabbing, and pulled her close to him. The feeling of having her pressed up against him was definitely arousing, but he was too tired to really want to try anything. As his eyes finally closed, he gave Natasha one final kiss before drifting into sleep. In his final thoughts, he wondered what was in store for the two, now that they knew their feelings for each other.

He had fairly pleasant dreams, all having something to do with Natasha. Some were sweet, others were kind of dirty, but all of them were pleasant dreams to him as he held Natasha tight, keeping close to her warm body.

The next morning, Natasha woke with a happy sigh. Her dreams had been so pleasant, but she wasn't sure what they were all about. It was hard to remember them all. One element was pretty common though. Christian had been in all of them. She opened her eyes to find him laying on his side next to her. He was still asleep, and she couldn't help but smile at him. He was a sweet man, and he looked so innocent in his sleep. It was hard to believe that he'd been a hardened killer in the past.

No, that reality was separate from this one. Thoughts like that didn't belong here. He was different now--a different person. With his arms still wrapped around her, she could feel warmth radiating from him. Yes, he was different now. Squeezing him a little in a hug, she smiled. Her body was still firmly pressed against his own, and it felt wonderful. Her legs were a little more exposed now than last night since Christian had tugged the shirt up when he pulled her close, but she didn't mind.

She wasn't sure she'd mind a lot of things when it came to Christian. She blushed softly as she imagined giving him more than just kisses. But he was still a bit weak to be doing anything like that. His wound would need at least a few more days before he could risk it. Gently, she pressed her lips to his and pulled away. "Wake up, sleepy head."

Christian woke up, feeling Natasha's lips pressed against his. It was a nice change of pace, to wake up facing a beautiful woman. Having his arms wrapped around her, her body pressed up against his. So much better than waking up alone. "Morning." He went in and returned the kiss, but more passionately. As their lips locked, he pulled her on top of him. He wanted her badly, but he knew his body wouldn't be able to handle doing something like that without reopening the wound.

"So, what's the plan for today?" He leaned up from the bed, with Natasha still on top of him. His wound was still hurting, but now it was a slight sting rather than the unbearable pain from a couple of days ago. He hoped that his wound would heal up soon, so he can finally train to get back to his usual stamina. If he wanted to keep Natasha safe, he'll have to keep his body in shape.

She returned his passion through the kiss, surprised but happy as he pulled her on top of him. Smiling into his lips, she stayed perfectly close to him. Lying on top of him made her ache for more than she could really give him, though. The temptation so early was a hard thing to resist. When he finally broke the kiss she chuckled. "Morning, yourself. Plan? Well, since you're still hurt and those men were looking for you, I think you should stay inside the house today. Maybe if you rest more, your wound will close up faster." She kissed him again.

"I hate to deny you, Christian. But your health is important." She smiled and leaned up a little more, her hair falling around her again. "If you want to do something to help, you can clean today. I'll be installing those solar panels on the roof," she said. "It's a good day for it."

It was disappointing that they couldn't go further, no matter how much they both wanted it. Damn injury. Christian helped Natasha off of him before getting out of bed himself. She did have a point, who knows if they're watching her to make sure that he's not there. It's probably best for him to stay inside, at least until his injury is gone.

"Ok, I'll clean. Just be careful when you're putting those panels up. I don't we can't have you hurt too." It was funny how he was already acting like they've been together for years. He was so madly in love with this woman, he didn't care what else happened, but he couldn't live with himself if anything were to happen to her.

She smiled at him, pleased that it was already so easily falling into place for them. He cared so much. It was hard not to care in return. She smiled and stood up after him. "I'll be careful. Try not to worry too much. If you finish up early, you can come to the attic and help me get all the wiring done." She grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek before she left him to get dressed in the closet. No need to tempt him even more with what he couldn't have.

She came out dressed in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. Nothing fancy, but it fit her well. It would be easy to do work in. "Alright, I'll be back in a little bit." She smiled and grabbed a bit of sweet bread from the counter on her way to her tool kit and solar panels. The ladder would be in the shed waiting for her.

"Alright. I'll be sure to do that when you're done." He smiled as she got dressed and went to work. Christian got dressed himself and began fixing the bed. It was a simpler job than what she was doing, but then again, she currently had the body for it. If only he wasn't hurt, he wouldn't have to worry about her.

Once he finished the bed, he began working on the dishes. It took a little more work, some of the food dried on to the pots. After some tough scrubbing, the dishes were clean and his hands were all pruney. He hoped that Natasha was about done with her job, that way he'd have something more to do.

Natasha spent a decent amount of time on the roof, carefully installing each solar plate so that they would have a good amount of exposure to the sun. She made the proper incisions and sealed everything properly before she was all done. Sighing, she wiped her forehead. "I wonder how he's doing," she said softly. It had been awhile since she'd come out to work here. She wondered if Christian was finished cleaning yet, or if he was having trouble. Carefully, she climbed down her ladder and put it back into the shed. Before long she and her tool box were back inside. Slipping out of her shoes she started to look around for Christian. "I'm back."

Christian was simply sitting down and having a glass of water. He got thirsty and got a drink. After cleaning up the house, there wasn't much to do, so he simply relaxed. It would've been easier to relax if there was something to help. A book, some music, a tv, anything. Hopefully getting these solar panels will help out with that. When she came inside, he went to her like a dog greeting it's master. "Welcome back. I assume that the solar panels are done and we can do the wiring next?" He put his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss. It was nice to be able to casually show his love to her like that.

Natasha chuckled as he came to her, smiling into the kiss. It was nice to come home to someone who wanted to see her. Her arms wrapped around him and she kissed him again, lingering this time with a slow burn. "You are correct. Let's go take care of it, shall we?" She handed him some tools and took some of her own before coming up to the attic with him. There, she explained how to do everything, demonstrating and then watching him so that she was sure it would work. It took less time than the roof installation, and when they finished, she was hungry and thirsty.

"Well, food is first on my agenda after we give the electricity a test," Natasha said with a smile. "Then we can find something more entertaining to do."

They worked on the wiring, and since they were working together it didn't take too long for them to get the job done. Christian shocked himself a couple of times, but it was all just a slight tingle more than anything. When they finished, they made their way out of the attic. Once she mentioned food, he started to feel hungry as well after remembering that he didn't eat much in the way of breakfast. Lunch sounded great to him.

His face turned red when Natasha said something about them doing something more entertaining to do. His mind quickly went to something dirty, but he tried to forget that and try to think of something an ordinary couple would do. "Something entertaining? Like what?" He asked her, a little curious about what she might have in mind.

"Well now that we'll have electricity to work with, we could watch a movie or listen to music together. We could talk for awhile and learn more about each other." She smiled softly and chuckled at his reddening face. "Maybe we'll find something else to do together. Who knows?" she said with a smile. He might not be able to have sex like he normally would, but she was sure that he could experience a few other things. Maybe they would give that a try later on. "In the meantime," she said, flipping a light switch and watching the bulbs light up. "We have power." She smiled brightly and then turned the light back off, hugging him. "Let's get something to eat, huh?"

And with that, she set to making them some sandwiches, figuring they were fast and easy.

They finally had power and he felt so accomplished for being able to help her so much in that. He was a bit relieved to know that she wanted to just relax with him, as a couple. When she made the sandwiches, he sat down with her and began eating. It wasn't much, but it was delicious as usual.

He began to think, she has been asking about him and his past, but he very little about her. What was her past like? Doesn't she have a family that worries about her? Was she running from something too? While eating his sandwich, he looked at her, a little shy about what he was about to ask. "Um, Natasha? I was wondering, since you've wanted to know about me, would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself? If that's alright with you." The last thing he wanted to do was to dig up old wounds, but since they were together, he wanted to know more about her.

She stopped eating for a moment. Normally, she didn't like to discuss her past--it was too painful. Christian's question, however, had been so mild, it was as though he could have gone on without really knowing. Even though they were together, he didn't want to pressure her. Frowning, the girl sighed. She owed him at least a portion of her past, after he'd opened up to her. She hadn't killed anyone--at least not that she knew of--but she'd certainly hurt a lot of them.

"Well...I don't like to talk about it," she said looking up at him. "But since we're together now, I think you deserve to know. I can only tell you a little at a time, though. It's hard for me, you know? It isn't really fair, but I think I can get through it better that way. Is that alright?"

The redhead watched Christian and forced herself to continue eating, though she didn't quite feel hungry anymore.