Who: Elektra Yaxley and Micah Savage What: Lex broods, Micah gets her to talk, and words are said When: Sunday, 24 Sept Where: Savage Yaxley Cottage in Montrose Warnings: kissing.
“Lex, I’m fine,” Micah called from the couch in an exasperated tone as he heard her rustling around in the kitchen for the nth time in about twenty minutes. “I’m not an invalid - if I need something, I can get it. Just come sit here with me for a bit.”
Lex let out an incomprehensible noise before coming back into the living room, carrying a tray with biscuits, some of Gabi's cheese bread, whiskey and tea. She set it down on the coffee table before sitting on the edge of the couch next to Micah and running a hand through his hair. "You sure there isn't anything I can get you?"
He used his good arm to reach over and run his blunt nails up and down Lex’s back, and rested his head against her shoulder. “Positive.” Micah replied, and placed a kiss on her shoulder blade before stealing a cheese ball from the plate and laying back down against the pillows. “Talk to me, babe. I can see the gears in your head moving like all the time.” He had a feeling he knew exactly what was on Lex’s mind, but still, he needed her to say it. Or rather, Micah would be good for them to talk about it, and the conversation would likely go better if she owned up to it first.
She let out a sigh as she took a sip of whiskey before curling up against Micah, careful to avoid his injured arm. "It's nothing," she lied, closing her eyes and wrapping an arm around. She'd argued with MG about it, and with her mother, and she didn't want to argue with Micah about it. "I just need to do better next time, that's all."
“You will,” he replied encouragingly, placing another kiss to Lex’s forehead, keeping her close to his side with his good arm. Micah added gently, but firmly, then, “You also need to stop blaming yourself, though. Dibble decided to take me out with him. That’s on him, not on you.”
"I should've seen it though. I saw the way he was flying and I've played against him before. I should have predicted it," she protested. She didn't want to go into what her mother had said, but she did blame herself - rightly in her mind - and she'd just have to work hard enough to play better next time.
Micah shook his head. “You can’t always predict what people are going to do - and what, would you’ve just let him get away? Of course not. If you had to make that play again, I would’ve wanted you to do just that.” He said seriously, though he booped her nose with his injured arm to lighten the mood just a bit. “Only thing I’d want you to do different is...remember that I’m not the only one on the team that matters. We can’t lose our heads when someone gets injured - we have to come together and play even stronger. You know that,” added Micah, seeing the beginning of an argument forming on her lips.
“I know it’s harder, now, seeing one of us get injured, but we told ourselves - and Coach and Shona - that nothing on the pitch would change. We have to make sure that stays true.” He said this to remind them both. “And the team, honestly. If we fall apart like that every match, it won’t be good.” Micah made a grim face, and wish he’d been present to see the rest of the match so he would be able to address the team with exact moments they needed to have acted differently.
"Micah…" she started before trailing off and resting her head on his chest. "It's not just that we're shagging. You know that. You're captain… and Angus wasn't out there.."
She'd hoped that when quidditch started up again, things would go back to normal - to how they'd been before the war. But it wasn't that simple. She knew that. "I know. I… know I just … you know my mother felt the need to lecture me about it?"
“It’s not - yeah.” Micah started to say something but then thought the better of it, and gave Lex a sympathetic grimace. “I can’t say I’m surprised. The whole ‘don’t throw away your career for a boy’ spiel, yeah?”
"The problem with your mother being an owner is that you get lectures about the match at Sunday supper." Lex made a face. "On the plus side, it was one of the first times she said something good about my career?"
Lex pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I just want it to go back to how it used to be."
Micah made a face, the one he made whenever it sounded like Quidditch and politics were about to mix together, because frankly, fuck that. “Yeah, but unfortunately, just saying that isn’t enough to make it happen.” He smiled wanly, and then glanced at Lex a bit more tenderly. “I dunno, though. I like how we are now. I wouldn’t want to give that up just because we have to maybe add a few more things into the equation.” Micah went to hide his face after saying that, and did so by tucking Lex’s head underneath his chin, where she fit perfectly, and where she couldn’t see the color rising in his cheeks. They’d never been ones for big declarations of love.
Lex closed her eyes, sliding a hand under his shirt. She didn't want to say how part of it was easier when this was their little secret. "I like this too.. I just didn't think there would be so many complications."
“They’re frustrating,” he sighed in agreement, and covered Lex’s hand on his chest with his own. “And there’s far too many for my taste. We’ll get through this, though.”
"As long as you whip us into shape, Captain, and are out there for the next match. I don't want to fly without you." Because despite what her mother said, it wouldn't be the same flying without Micah. Not just Micah though. Lennox, Angus, Micah, Jason, her - they'd flown together on the Magpies for so long that it felt wrong if one of them wasn't there. She wouldn't tell him not to get hurt, after all, it was quidditch and both of them knew the risks.
Micah leaned back to look Lex in the eyes, his expression pained. “I can’t promise that I will be, Lex. I’m going to try my damned hardest to be ready to go, but in the event that I’m not, I need you to step up and rally the team to victory. We said our relationship wasn’t going to get in the way, so we need to prove that. We need to prove that we can handle it when we’re playing with different teammates, even though it’s hard and we’d rather just have Lennox and Angus and Jason like old times. Promise me, Lex.” He took his hand off of hers to angle her face up to his.
That was the rub. As long as they were both on the pitch, their relationship didn't matter. It strengthened them, even - made them a better team. They'd made comments about not playing without the other - but that had always been phrased in terms of retirement, not necessarily injury. "I don't want to play without you, Micah. You know that. This isn't me giving up my career for a boy, but me seeing the writing on the wall. Quidditch isn't going to last forever. We're not twenty anymore. And when our quidditch careers are over, I want to be with you, whether we're washed up has beens drinking at the pub or managing or whatever."
Lex took a deep breath, and leaned up to kiss him. "But we're not there yet. I fucked up - let me own that - and I will work my tail off in practice so that it doesn't happen again. Because we're going to prove everybody wrong."
“All right,” nodded Micah, in regards to Lex needing to acknowledge her own shortcomings in their recent match. He smiled after she drew back from the kiss, and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I love you so much.”
Lex blushed at the comment. Neither of them were big on public declarations of love. She ducked her head against him, closing her eyes as her hand stroked his chest. Love was a big word, but she'd declared it to her mother and she owed Micah the same honesty. She took a deep breath and tilted her head up to look up at him. "I love you too," she whispered.
He kissed the top of her head, and held her close enough that Lex would be able to hear how fast his heart was pounding, and hoped that would be enough of a reply, because he just wanted to enjoy this moment without further discussion. This was good. Minus the whole broken arm thing, this was perfect.