Chapter 1448 - Assistants (another Talk) (2)

Michael, Haru, Oni, and Nala are walking toward their apartment building in silence.

"What do you think?", Oni asked Nala while they walked toward their apartment building.

Nala paused her steps and turned to Oni. "I love it. You?"

Oni observed that Michael and Haru didn't stop and she thought that this is a good chance for a girl-talk on this topic.

Instead of answering Nala's question, Oni asked her next one: "Why do you love it?"

"Sarah asked if we could make a five-year commitment, and I can answer that question with a confident 'yes'.", Nala said enthusiastically. "Of course, I will talk to Haru about this, but he seems excited about the possibility of working with Aiden."

"What if he does not accept?"

Nala thought for a second before responding. "If he does not accept, I will still go with it. I love spending my time with Haru, but this is more than a job. I will get to learn a lot of things. I've changed drastically in a year since I'm with Sarah and Aiden, and I can't imagine what all I will achieve in five more."

"You are not afraid that it's too much?"

"Too much work?", Nala asked and when she saw Oni nod in confirmation, she answered matter-of-factly: "Right now, Sarah is handling all of it by herself. As an assistant, I will get to help her take some of that load off. I will learn to manage employees and properties… just thinking what is in Boyle Heights neighborhood: the club and gangs in the area and apartment buildings and employees and the selection process for new recruits, is making my head spin. Sarah and Aiden own properties and have employees all over the world, and I will get to travel with them and meet fascinating people, and if at the end of all that I learn to successfully juggle all the tasks Sarah does, that will be my gain. Are you not interested?"

"Of course, I am. And the possibility of both of us working with Sarah makes everything more appealing. But just like you, I want to talk to Michael."

"I thought that Sarah and Aiden spoke about this with you previously.", Nala could not believe that Oni and Michael didn't talk about this already.

Oni confirmed. "Yes, but it was after their wedding. After that, I was swamped with exams and other work and we didn't get time to talk."

"Well, now you have the time. Our exams are officially over, our internship at White corp. starts on Monday, and until then we can take it easy." Nala grinned and wished Oni good night before going to join Haru who was waiting for her on the side.

…

In Oni's and Michael's apartment.

"You are unusually quiet tonight.", Oni said while taking her seat next to Michael on the sofa in the living room.

"Should I talk about something?"

"Everyone else did.", Oni stated the fact.

Michael nodded in understanding. "This is about the assistant thing."

Oni confirmed. "You are already doing a lot of things with Aiden. Why are you reluctant to commit? Don't tell me that you have other plans I am not aware of."

"It's not that simple.", Michael grumbled.

"Tell me…", Oni urged him.

Michael gazed into her dark eyes and contemplated if he should share his thoughts with her. He does not want to keep things from her, but this is about his fears and he finds it uncomfortable to talk about them. But her sincere curiosity made him realize that if he denies her this, he will hurt her feelings.

Michael inhaled slowly and spoke: "When you ask me about my plans for the next few years, I end up thinking about a few years back. Five years ago, my life was very different. Since then I lost everyone I cared about, and everyone who cared about me. In the last month I admitted that I care about you and I feel that with that gate being open, other people got in as well and…"

Oni remembered that Michael lost his whole team while on a mission, and he was hunted to the point that he had to abandon his previous life, and he was separated from his family, and she realized why Michael is avoiding to commit. "You are afraid that you will lose me? And Sarah and Aiden and what we have here?"

Michael pressed his lips into a line and his troubled expression answered Oni's question.

Oni moved to sit in his lap. "Michael, the only thing that happened one month ago is that you realized that you are surrounded by people who care about you. Life is not about keeping things the same, it is a journey during which some people will leave you, while others will enter your life. It is natural."

"I don't want to lose you.", Michael admitted.

Oni was surprised to hear this. "Why do you think that you will lose me?"

"I am bad luck."

"If you believe that you are bad luck because you lost everything at some point, then I am bad luck as well. Before coming here, my future was grim." Oni cupped his cheeks and gave him a light kiss on the lips before continuing: "Maybe we are two bad lucks and if that is the case, I choose to believe how two bads are negating each other because with you I am happy. And I am confident that this place has enough good luck so that we can move on with our lives and look forward to tomorrow, together."

Michael observed Oni's smiling face and recognized it as the one which is brightening up his life in the last few months. That smile broke through his darkness and made him believe that he survived the trap while he was with Shadow Ravens, and the assassins, and the time in the mine, with a purpose which stretches beyond revenge. That smile gave him hope that he can make someone happy, and that he can be happy as well.

"Oni, you are the most amazing girl I've ever met."

"I most definitely am. How else can I be your girlfriend?"

Michael stifled a laugh at her cheeky response and pulled her to lean on him.

Oni melted into his embrace and rested her head under his chin. His hold was firm and gentle, and his scent filled her lungs and with every passing moment, Oni realized that anxiousness inside her is increasing.

"Michael?", she called after some time.

"Hmm?"

"About the assistant's job…"

Michael took a deep breath before responding: "You said it: I am already working by Aiden's side. It's just a matter of making it official."

"You can commit to five years?" Oni wanted to confirm.

Michael shrugged. "At this point, I have no other plans."

Oni smiled and tightened her hold on him. With this, her last spec of reluctance disappeared. She can't wait to talk to Sarah and to tell her that she wants to be her assistant. But she will wait, because right now she is sitting in Michael's lap and his arms are around her and she has no intention to move.

"Michael?", she called after some time.

"Hmm?"

"My exams are over and… I'm not tired.", she said shyly.

Michael arched an eyebrow and craned his neck to get a better view of her face. "What are you trying to say, my girlfriend?"

Oni bit her lower lip and tried to ignore her heart which thumped against her chest violently. She practiced this so many times in her mind, why is she this nervous now? Isn't this what she wants? Oni inhaled a shaky breath and lifted her head so that she can see him properly while forcing herself to maintain eye contact. "I don't need a date with dinner and flowers, we can do that anytime. Later. I want you to show me what it means to be yours. Completely."

Michael swallowed hard. He knows that she is talking about them making love, but he wanted to make it special and also… she is young. But she is also inviting and willing and he is fighting against his lust and he is not an angel.

He told himself that it does not need to be all the way, they can stop at the foreplay. Maybe.

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