He smiled as he saw the tension drip slowly out of her body language, and her body relaxed against the rock. She wasn't too hard to read for him anymore, she was quite easy now actually. Because they had gotten to thatl evel in their relationship when just a simple gesture could speak volumes. It was amazing in itself, but that was how it was. And Nikita wouldn't have it any other way.

He smiled and shrugged lightly. "I guess it is a male thing," he responded, a smirk upon his face now, "A man thing. I did not think you would say anything else but what you just said." His black eyes traveled to the fingers she crossed for him and back to her face. "Fingers crossed," he whispered as he leaned in and placed a tender kiss to Layla's lips. Just one kiss, as if to seal the bargain.

Nikita laughed softly and rested back against the rock, resting one arm under his head as he did so, allowing the sun to warm and dry him. "No, you probably never will - there are some things in which men and women just never see eye to eye," he commented, in a good-natured way. He turned his head around to look at Layla with a smile on his face.

A chuckle escaped him and he shrugged. "You are far too tempting for me, though - and a kiss is harmless. Is it not?" Black eyes met hers mischeviously from his position on the rock, which didn't really seem or was comfortable but Nikita didn't seem to mind. Actually he was rather enjoying himself right now.

He smirked, then rested his head back on his hand, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the warmth of the sun, lying back on the rock. "It is best that way, don't you think?" Nikita commented after a moments' pause, "How boring would the world be if everyone agreed on everything!" In fact it would have been too boring to live in; Nikita liked the adventure, he liked the adrenaline and of course he liked getting his point across.

Opening his eyes again he looked sideways at Layla, the smile not leaving his face. With his free hand he reached across to her and gently tapped her nose. "If you ever try and forbid me from kissing you, I might just turn back into my old self you know," he teased lightly, "but yes, a kiss can and does mean a lot." His black eyes were tender.

The smirk on her face told him a lot more than her words ever could; Nikita smiled in a sly manner as he rested back against the rock, his eyes fixed upon the blue sky for the time being; he watched the few clouds that had gathered (very few, mind you) drift along by what he supposed was a breeze that blew. Down here there wasn't even a hair's breath of wind, so Nikita felt like it was going to be one hot stay at the island. No matter how long, the climate would take its tool on the survivors, one way or another.

His black eyes turned to look at Layla again and the grin on his face was mischevious. "Think so, poppet? I think it would be easier than either of us knows..." He chuckled anyway, and shook his head. His smile faded slightly as his face turned serious, but remained tender, at her question. In truth, he had absolutely no idea what she meant or how to answer it. "How different?" Nikita asked softly as he sat up again, gently touching her cheek with his fingertips, brushing them along her jawline.

"But of course - what could would I be if I wouldn't give you nicknames?" the Russian asked, the smirk still very visible on his face. "Besides, I think you like it - poppet," he teased, his black eyes gleaming under the sun that filtered down to the rock they lay upon. Her small, sweet kiss took his breath away and it took him a second to recover. Nikita's smirk turned into a huge grin. "You are right - I am at your beck and call, and I have a feeling it will not change too soon." He chuckled, winking at her.

The way she looked down, not meeting his gaze as she spoke, told Nikita that this conversation had just taken a more serious note than previously intended. His fingers traced a path down her neck to her shoulder, and down her arm before they came to a stop, interlacing themselves with hers. Nikita used his other hand to gently turn Layla's face up to his again, so he could look into her eyes. "Every living being is worth to be treated as something more," he said softly, letting his fingers drop from her chin, "you are no different. And...you are special. To me, at least. I do not know about your country, but in mine, in my family, it is considered a disgrace to treat a woman as anything less than she is." Except own family members but he kept that part silent.

"Oh I know it will," Nikita countered smoothly, his smile never leaving his face as he watched Layla and her facial expressions as they changed. She was so interesting to him - all Americans were for that matter, but she was different in a way. And he loved watching her face as she spoke, the tiny little movements of the muscles there that spoke volumes. The way her eyes sparkled when she was happy or mischevious, the way her lips curved into that smile he'd grown to love. Even the smallest movement caused his attention to shift towards it so he could better read her, and be able to tell more about her mood. She was intoxicating to him, and he realised that somehow, along the way, she'd gotten under his skin, and wasn't going anywhere anymore.

A soft smile curved his lips upwards at her words and Nikita felt his heart flutter inside his chest. Was it possible that he was melting because of this girl? That all the barriers he'd put up around him, all the fences, were breaking down? She was doing good work so far, she would continue doing so as well. Nikita wanted to open his arms for her, wanted to hold her, to hide her and protect her, stand by her no matter what. But perhaps, it was too soon - he had no idea how to work with these new feelings inside him. He had to tread cautiously now. Maybe they were dangerous, he had no idea. "I am glad," he said simply to her answer, his black eyes having melted to warm pools of obsidian.