[center][sub][right][b]Timestamp:[/b] Four weeks after the Boston restaurant fiasco[/right][/sub]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220410/96d82ffc6e6e7c48b2a654491dab1e0d.png[/img]

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[sub]A [@metanoia] & [@Venus] collaboration [/sub][/center][hr][hr]
[color=gray][indent][indent]Once Mikhail and Caitlin got into his truck and began their trek down the Edenridge roads that led to O’Halloran’s Creek, it had just occurred to Mika that he was on his way to Godmother to get something to eat and whatever she had in that bag was tempting him. He tried all that he could to turn it off, but then his stomach started to speak for him as it rumbled in an audible way. [color=635687]“So what smells so good in that bag of yours, Blossom? Kinda smells like a meatball sub to me.”[/color]

As the sound of Mika's rumbling stomach interrupted the silence that previously had settled between them, the redhead giggled. [color=C81935]"It's actually a Porchetta Abruzzese sandwich. I got my usual and was planning to swing by the pub with the porchetta to give to Rhett for lunch, but slamming a door into someone's face can change your plans real quick,"[/color] she said with another small laugh, a warm, fuzzy feeling settling in her chest when she heard the driver revert back to the use of the pet name he'd given her back in the day. [color=C81935]"You're more than welcome to have it, though. He didn't know I was coming anyway, so it's not like he will miss it."[/color]

He wasn’t going to even attempt to pronounce what kind of sandwich it was. Mika didn’t know how them Italians did it, but maybe the same could be said for some Russian phrases. Ley sure as hell didn't understand when he cursed at her in [i]his[/i] native tongue. But food was food and all he knew was he needed something in his stomach soon or how much Cece would be able to tolerate him would seriously be tested in no time flat. [color=635687]“Well since you offered…”[/color]

Mika casually reached his hand deep into the bag that was in Cece’s lap. He had to get a little close to her because apparently those Godmother take out bags were larger than they should be. Ten seconds later, he managed to pull it out and he wouldn’t waste any time. Before he even started up his truck, he unwrapped it enough so that he could take a few bites of it. The mix of pork and some spices between the italian roll was enough to send Mika’s senses into heaven. [color=635687]“This is pretty fucking delicious, Blossom!”[/color] Mika said with his mouth half-full. [color=635687]“Poor Rhett, he’s missing out on one hell of a sammy!”[/color] 

Grabbing her own sandwich from the bag, Cece let out a convincing fake laugh. The young woman had never been a fan of lying-- although her secretive approach to relationships and the things she had to do to maintain them might say otherwise. But telling Mika that the extra sandwich she was carrying was for her brother instead of Niles was a foolproof way to avoid sour moods or drama.

The distance from Godmother and, well, civilization in general wasn’t a long one, but the entire drive was spent in mostly silence as they both enjoyed their sandwiches. Mika didn’t know what to say and he was honestly too busy going over what he would tell her once they got there. Between that and the memories of past times spent at the creek, it was a lot to say the least. He knew he had to be honest with her or else this would’ve been a big waste of her time. Mika understood what he did was shitty. That whole hotel incident was kind of a mistake in hindsight, but also not. Without it, they wouldn’t be here. So maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

[color=635687][i]Or maybe that was wishful thinking, Mikhail.[/i][/color]

The bouncing felt in the truck as they drove on the less-than-stellar roads was a familiar feeling. His truck was meant for off-road trails, but something Cece hinted about the roads rang true because it was a lot more bumpier than he remembered. As they traversed, Mika unknowingly had grabbed onto Cece’s hand. Was it out of comfort for him? For her? Who the hell knew, but he held onto it until they arrived.

Caitlin had offered no protests, nor did she make any attempts to pull her hand away from Mika’s. Her sixth sense was telling her that the conversation they were about to have would be emotional, so she didn’t blame him for trying to find comfort in any way he could. On her end, even after the heartbreak and humiliation he’d made her feel, a wave of nostalgia was making her soul ache with longing for times long gone. She couldn’t remember how many times she and Mika had driven down this dirt road: hands intertwined, singing off-key to their favorite songs, roaring with laughter at how every bump in the road made it feel like they were in a rollercoaster ride. Who would’ve thought that, a few years later, they’d be driving down the same dirt road-- being nothing but strangers with a shared past?

When the Tacoma eventually came to a stop, Mika noticed his hand still on hers, and withdrew it almost immediately. [color=635687]“Uh…we’re here,”[/color] he stated kind of awkwardly, turning off the truck and hopping out. 

The Cleary girl did the same, unbuckling her seat belt and exiting the vehicle but making no comment about the retrieval of his hand. The short trek to the cherry tree by the bank, with Mika a few steps behind her, was quiet save for the crunching sound of their footsteps on the dried leaves and the faint sound of the steady stream of water over the rocks. When she’d reached a comfortable spot under the shade, the young woman took a seat and crossed her legs. [color=C81935]“Whenever you’re ready,”[/color] Cece said gently, turning her attention to her ex. 

Mika glanced at the tree. It reminded him of the one they first met under the oak tree at the cemetery, when she was sitting in front of David’s gave. That day when everything around them seemed smaller than it actually was. How funny that the worst things in Mika’s life back then were his grades, keeping an average that didn’t disqualify him from the football team, and anyone who he had formed close bonds with ever finding out about his relation to the O’Haras (specifically Cece and the members of the O’Hara--his family--he had grown close to). Nowadays, most of them knew. He and his uncle had a strained relationship (for obvious reasons), and now the worst thing in his life was so far removed from football and his hidden familial ties. Now there was Southside shit to deal with, and his brother being back in his life.

[color=635687]“Right.”[/color] He murmured quietly, walking over to the tree. There was a familiar feeling that passed over him. Maybe it was being this close to the creek or the tree itself, but he took a standing position, leading against the rough bark, arms crossed and folded over his chest, looking out at the creek for a couple of short moments. He was definitely stalling only because he knew he only had one shot at this. If he was going to have any chance of making [i]anything[/i] right between them, even if it meant being back at square one, he’d have to give her the truth.

[color=635687][i]But what truth?[/i][/color] Yeah, that was the million dollar question. He didn’t anticipate doing it ever (at least not when Hyde was still in the picture), but the more he thought about it, maybe it was time she knew for real. [color=635687]“So…the explanation..”[/color] He stumbled on his words, biting the inside of his lip as he felt his stomach start to churn from the tension building within him. [color=635687]“...About what happened. With us and the things I said. I--”[/color] He took in a few deep breaths,almost like there was a part of him that didn’t want to say it. He broke her heart, so she didn’t stick around, but she came back to town on her own. So him trying to protect her, at least for the reasons he had at the time, didn’t seem to matter as much. [color=635687]“--I kind of left some things out when…I said what I said.”[/color]

[color=C81935]“Okay,”[/color] Caitlin answered in that same gentle manner that characterized her, her eyes locked on the crystal-clear currents of water in their southbound travel. As curious as she was to know, pressuring or rushing the nervous-looking Mika wouldn’t get them anywhere, so she just patiently waited for him to continue speaking when he was ready.

He remained quiet for a few slow moments, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he contemplated how he was going to phrase what he knew he needed to say. Just coming out and telling her wouldn’t be right. For how badly he hurt her, for how cruel he was to her, she deserved to know the truth-- consequences be damned.

With a deep inhale and exhale, Mika began. [color=635687]“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Caitlin. A lot that I’ve kept hidden from you…to protect you. The world I grew up in, the violence it has in it, that’s something that nobody who didn’t come up with it as their normal should ever experience. Someone like you.”[/color] His eyes moved to the creek for a few seconds and then he looked down at her. [color=635687]“I thought keeping that part of my life away from you would’ve been enough. I thought if you never knew about it and just had this idea of me that I pushed you away, saying I never loved you, saying anything and everything that I [i]knew[/i] would break you, I could keep you safe. But…”[/color]

Mika dropped to the ground, his back against the tree and half-smiled. [color=635687]“But I know keeping it from you now doesn’t matter. So here’s the reason: I pushed you away and broke your heart because of my brother. Not Rey Rey-- but one of two biological brothers I have. His name is Cameron Hyde. It didn’t matter if he was in prison. He would have found out about us, and I couldn’t risk that. I couldn’t--’”[/color] Mika turned around and looked at his ex, waiting until she did the same. [color=635687]“I could never forgive myself if you got hurt because of me. And I don’t mean a few months of heartbreak, but actually, physically hurt.”[/color] Part of him wanted to reach out for her hand, but Mika resisted and just kept his eyes on hers.

Caitin had quietly listened to Mika’s explanation, analyzing every line said. Being raised in the Northside and under the protection of her father and brother meant she hadn’t experienced anything even remotely close to whatever horrors most Southie kids went through. She’d heard the chilling stories about their substance-abusing relatives, abusive upbringings, the disgusting ways people would take advantage of them at their most vulnerable, the violence that surrounded the area… Even during the rare times she’d traveled to the Southside, her visits were limited to one location, and her ex had gone to great lengths to conceal her identity and ensure her safety. At the time, Cece had chalked it up to Mika being cautious because of the area they were in and who his host family was. She never would have guessed there was something beyond his lifestyle threatening their relationship.

The mention of his brother and what he represented gave the redhead a new perspective on things. A few times after the breakup, Caitlin had been incessantly plagued by the idea that perhaps her deepest insecurities about their relationship had been true after all. That, in the end, Mika was ashamed of her because she didn’t even come close to all of the previous lovers he’d had before her, which is why he’d been so adamant about keeping their liaison a secret. Now, armed with this new knowledge, she felt silly for having those thoughts in the first place.

For a few seconds after the man had stopped speaking, the young woman allowed a respectful silence to settle as she continued to process this new information. [color=C81935]“Cameron Hyde…”[/color] Cece eventually repeated slowly, trying to remember where she’d heard the familiar name before. When the man’s identity finally dawned on her, her blue-green eyes widened with pure shock. Mika-- the goofy, sweet, affectionate man standing in front of her-- being related to someone like [i]that[/i]? [color=C81935]“Cameron Hyde as in the Cameron who almost killed his mom and Aleyda a few years ago?”[/color] she asked him in a hushed manner, as if afraid that speaking any louder might summon the man from the shadows, like the Boogeyman.

[color=635687]“Yeah, that’s my brother: the guy that never fails to make headlines,”[/color] Mika commented somewhat absentmindedly. 

This confirmation, along with the words Mika had said before, posed a new question. [color=C81935]“Why would Cameron want to hurt me if he had found out we were together?”[/color] Cece inquired, a confused, puzzled expression on her face. If there was anyone less capable of purposely committing any actions to upset people, it was Caitlin.

In the back of his mind, somewhere deep in his soul, Mika knew she'd want to know the why. Maybe before it would have been left at face value, but just as he wasn't the same person he was last year (and then some) when they broke up, so was Cece. She seemed to be wiser from where he sat. She could probably handle more than he was thinking she could.

With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Mika continued, [color=635687]"It is because that's who he is. I don't know if it's that he is legitimately crazy or if he just hates other people being happy, but everything bad that you might have endured because of me is nothing compared to what Hyde is capable of. He is a literal Devil, Caitlin. And not the wisecracking kind, but the kind that makes you feel important to him and then rips all that you love away from you."[/color] Mika was shaking with a deeply-rooted anger that he thought was long since buried. 

A scarier, darker thought came to her. [color=C81935]“It was [i]Mary-Anne[/i] who he tried to murder?”[/color] Cece inquired, her blood turning to ice at the mere idea of anything happening to Mika’s down to earth, polite, compassionate mother.

It was only a few seconds later that he registered what she said last. [color=635687]“Wait, what? Oh no, that’s not who he--”[/color] In the back of his mind, though Mika understood the gravity of even telling her about Hyde, he was cursing himself over and over again. He wasn’t anticipating that he might have to tell her about [i]why[/i] he was sent to Edenridge in the first place. 

Or maybe he didn’t have to. Telling her about the world he grew up in was one thing, but explaining who his biological father was and what he did was a mess so complicated that it wouldn’t make any sense even if Mika did try to explain it.

[color=635687]“Hyde--that is to say, [i]Cameron Hyde[/i]-- isn’t my maternal older brother. He has no relation to my mother. We are half-brothers through my father.”[/color] That tense feeling in his stomach was at an all-time high. [color=635687]“My father, Ivan Zima, is as bad as they come. He’s a violent man who has a lot of enemies. My father who, for all of my life up until I moved here, had also made a lot of friends. Powerful friends -- Big Rey Gonzalez being one of them. When the threat of his work came too close for comfort, he shipped off my sisters and I to Edenridge. I stayed with Rey and my sisters, under a new name…Capek, stayed with a family relative in Pinehurst.”[/color]

At his last words, the young woman’s mind immediately went back to the family photos she’d seen on the walls of Mary-Anne’s place. [color=C81935]“Your sisters… As in Katie and Stacy?”[/color] Cece pieced together, thinking back to the two nice, beautiful girls she’d met during dinner back when she and Mika were at the peak of their situationship. They’d been introduced to her as his cousins, but the resemblance had been too uncanny, yet she hadn’t wanted to pry into it.


Mika nodded. He’d come this far, so keeping that small piece of the puzzle a secret didn’t seem like such a big deal. [color=635687]“Yep, those are my darling, sometimes infuriating sisters.”[/color] Mika chuckled only at the fact that every single sister he has, adopted or blood related, were a major pain in his ass in their own way.  

The redhead smiled at Mika’s remark, reminded of the entertaining rounds of good-natured banter and bickering Mika and his sisters frequently engaged themselves in during her visits. The love and deep bonds they shared with one another were obvious in their every interaction. It had been one of the many things that had strengthened her feelings for him. [color=C81935]“You love them, though,”[/color] she teased, grabbing a few leaves from the ground next to her and playfully tossing them in the man’s direction.

[color=635687]“For better or worse,”[/color] Mika chuckled, just thinking about how there were slim pickings for reasonable brothers for them. He was really the best one they had, though even VIctor had times when he wasn’t a total asshole. [color=635687]“It’s kind of hard to believe that between me, my asshole brother Victor, and the literal devil himself that those two actually ended up with normal personalities and even more common aspirations for their future. Katie wants to, and I quote ‘change the world through politics and looking good doing it’, while Stace just wants to be a cheerleader.”[/color] A smile popped on his face. Mika hoped their future wouldn’t be tainted by their relation to him or any of the bullshit their father had brought into this world.

Another question came to Cece. [color=C81935]"Since you all share the same father, do the twins know about Cameron?"[/color] she asked him, curious about whether all the siblings shared the same terrible relationship with Hyde as Mika did. [color=C81935]"From what you've told me, if he truly hates seeing people happy, then not meeting Cameron would be the best thing to happen to Kate and Stace-- they're so happy and sweet and full of life."[/color]

[color=635687]“[i]No![/i]”[/color] A part of Mika snapped even at the thought of them ever knowing him. Or if Cameron ever caught wind of their existence. Realizing just how sudden the change in his demeanor was, Mika expelled a deep breath, [color=635687]“Sorry. I-- No, they don’t know about him and he doesn’t know about them.”[/color] He was calmer, but it was clear in how he spoke that Mika was still on edge. [color=635687]“It’s not just that he hates people being happy. He has this…idea of family. It’s twisted and wrong and not what you might think of when you think of family. If he ever knew they were here, let alone my mother--”[/color]

At this point, his own fear took hold of everything from his stomach and upward, gnawing at him from within. That fear about Hyde’s dark side and how anything that could set him off. And if he ever knew that Mika kept this from him…

[color=635687]“Cece…”[/color] Mika unknowingly had reached for his ex’s hands. Grabbing them, squeezing them with a shaky grip. [color=635687]“Nobody can ever know what I just told you. Please…”[/color] As he was looking down, Mika met Caitlin’s gaze and they were starting to get watery. He bit his lip, then gritted his teeth, swallowing down the wave of emotions that were begging to come out. [color=635687]“You have to promise me that this stays between us. I shouldn’t have told you, but I did. I did and now [i]please[/i], you have to promise. I know I don’t deserve it, but this isn’t about me. My sisters, my mom -- he can’t ever know.”[/color] 

The love he had for his family, for those completely oblivious and innocent to anything connected to Hyde, came through-- in his voice, in his eyes, and in how he desperately clung to Cece’s hands. He knew he didn’t deserve it, but he had no choice. Mika had to ask her to keep this a secret because if this got out, it wouldn’t hurt just him, but people who were pure. In all the dark shit that happened to him and in the world he grew up in, Katie and Stacy were the light. 

The sheer terror and panic radiating from Mika made Caitlin’s heart ache with understanding. She knew what it was like to keep a loved one secret for their protection, and the endless worry of what would happen if the secret got out. With so much on the line, the potential consequences to be faced and the individual enforcing said consequences, it was no wonder that Mika was crumbling like he was. She could only imagine how much this weighed on him daily-- especially with nobody to confide in and lessen that burden. Seeing his struggle, vulnerability and honesty firsthand made the young woman want to help in the only way she knew how: with her softness and compassion.

Motivated by her need to comfort Mika, Cece freed one of her hands from his shaky grasp to cup his face, tenderly caressing his cheek with her thumb in the same way she used to when he needed his soul to be soothed. [color=C81935]“Shhhh, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay…”[/color] she cooed gently in an attempt to console him, locking her eyes with his so he could be certain that she meant her next words. [color=C81935]“I won’t tell anybody about this-- I promise. No matter what happens between us, your secrets will always be safe with me.”[/color]

The storm inside Mika was still brewing, wrecking every calm composure he wished his mind maintained. The terror of anyone, especially his brother, finding out and giving Mika a lesson by hurting Cece, or anyone he was ever close to almost broke him. The very thought of it almost broke him, but when she held his hand, it took him a second. And then another series of seconds went by and his hands ceased to shake. The thoughts kept pouring out, like venom poisoning everything good around him. That’s when he felt the soft touch of her thumb. Memories of better days, no matter how small, took hold of every negative emotion, her voice like the ray of light he needed.

And then Mika’s intense, short breathing slowed, hearing her repeat and repeat ‘it’s okay’. And as he looked at her, her beautiful face. The pale skin, her eyes that quelled the hurricane that flooded his mind. Every time he had ever looked this close into her eyes, in times past it was always followed up by a kiss that showed her through actions, not words, how much she meant to him. Circumstances have changed between them, but the way he felt for her and how never did.

[color=635687]“Cece, I--”[/color] He was struggling to find the right words, so he would do it through actions. He brought his hand up to her thumb, caressing it as she was doing to his cheek. His blue gaze lingered on her compassionate eyes and in the next moment, took her into an embrace as he leaned forward. His arms, though still shaky, were finding comfort in holding her. Was it a good idea? He didn’t know, but it felt…right. 

[color=635687]“Thank you…”[/color] Was all he said, wanting to savor the moment. How long it would last he didn’t know, but for right now, he didn’t want it to end.

The logical thing to do, as a taken woman, would’ve been to politely pull away from Mika’s embrace as soon as possible. But instead of letting go, Caitlin allowed herself to sink further into their hug, hoping to silently transmit her thoughts and feelings to her former lover through her touch. Truthfully, she needed this hug as much as he did, and she would be lying to herself if she denied his arms still gave her a sense of comfort and peace-- her safe harbor in any storm.

[color=C81935]“Thank [i]you[/i], for taking care of me,”[/color] she said gratefully, holding him even tighter in her embrace. Letting her go so she could be safe, even with the deep feelings they shared for each other at their peak, was proof that Mika truly cared about her after all. He cared about her so much, he was selfless enough to sacrifice his happiness to ensure her safety. It was something she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to repay, but something she could be grateful for. [color=C81935]“I promise that, in any way I can, I’ll protect you too.”[/color]

Protecting each other at all costs: it was a promise that, right then and there between each other’s arms, Mika and Caitlin both vowed to keep.[/indent][/indent][/color]