NEW BEGINNINGS
By
Ashleigh Anpilova
Napoleon has reached the age of retirement for field agents and everyone expects Illya to take over from him as Head of Section Two.
An established relationship story.
Written: October 2007. Word count: 350.
"Do not even attempt to persuade me, Napoleon. I have made up my mind." Illya spoke without even looking up from his desk.
"How did you know –"
"That you had returned from seeing Mr. Waverly? It was simple." Now Illya did look up; he did not, however, elucidate.
"But it's promotion, Illya. A new beginning for you."
Illya frowned. "Promotion does not interest me, as you should know. As for a ‘new beginning', I believe we will have that, will we not?" His gaze softened. "Unless you have changed your mind."
Napoleon shook his head. "Oh, no, partner mine. You don't get away from me that easily."
A faint hint of color touched Illya's cheeks, his lips twitched upwards slightly, and his eyes softened. However, he said nothing.
Napoleon held the gaze for a moment before smiling broadly. "Actually, I told Mr. Waverly you meant what you said," he said nonchalantly.
The frown returned to Illya's face. "Then why –"
"Did I let you think I was going to try to persuade you?"
"Da?"
Napoleon merely shrugged, then winked at Illya and sat down at his own desk.
Twenty minutes later he signed his name at the bottom of the final report he'd make as Head of Section Two, sat back in his chair and looked at Illya. "Of course I know the real reason you're retiring from field work now," he said idly.
Illya raised his head and cocked an eyebrow. "You do?"
"Yes. It's just that you don't trust anyone else to perform the eleventh hour rescues that I have to make pretty much every time we let you out alone." He hid his laughter as Illya's mouth fell open.
For a moment or two Napoleon watched his ‘I-speak-several-languages-fluently' partner struggle to find a come back.
When it came though, it wasn't quite what he was expecting.
Lowering his voice and narrowing his eyes slightly, Illya leaned forward and said, his tone deadly with silkiness, "Wait until we get home tonight, Napasha, then we will see just who needs rescuing."
The remainder of the day went very slowly indeed.
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