Callen was sitting on the couch, absorbed in the study of a map of the Nasarovo area. The computer screen reflected a blue light on his stern face.
From the entrance of the room, Anna was looking at him intently, leaning against the doorframe.
She had mixed feelings for this man who had volunteered for a mission that carried a great risk.
On one hand, she felt remorse and guilt, as the end goal of the expedition was to rescue a man who had done very little to deserve it. One the other hand, she felt safe and secure with him by her side. Safe for this mission and more generally speaking… like a woman with a man. She hated that mere thought!
Her entire life, she had made a point to stand by herself only. She had become a fierce and dreaded fighter, a skilled agent accustomed to dangerous and undercover missions. And here she was, feeling secured by a man, wanting to be protected even!
And by a man who was a complete mystery, starting with his very own name – which he could not tell her as he did not know it himself.
- Why are you not sleeping?, she asked him from across the room.
His usual self, he replied with a flat voice - Sleeping's never been one of my strong suits.
- Are you not cold? It's freezing in here" she added, draping the blanket around her shoulders as she sat next to him.
- No, I'm good.
She scouted nearer to his side, looking for the warmth of his body.
- What is this?, she asked, pointing at the photo on the computer.
- You remember you wanted to know about a plan B? You may be looking at it.
He looked at her a little longer. Her hair was tousled and her gaze sleepy, her full lips were pursed into a pout, giving her a worried, almost fragile childish look.
He had always considered her as a strong and independent woman. And a very attractive one too, which made her even more dangerous. But never fragile.
All of sudden, he felt the urge to take her in his arms and forget about the on-going mission.
He had the gut feeling that there was more than a physical attraction between them. Maybe the resemblance in their personal stories: their Russian origins, growing up without a father, working solo, being convinced to be "a tribe of one", "lone wolves".
He suggested she returned to sleep. She cut him short with a nod, asking him instead to go over the details of his plans.
As he leaned back against the seat, she joined him and listened to his monochord voice going over the different steps. Before she knew it, her eyes were shutting down and she dropped her head on his shoulder. Callen smiled, taking in the moment, enjoying the warmth of her breath in his neck. He gently gathered the blanket on her shoulder, and rested his head on hers.
They were safe in this apartment, with Sam in one of the rooms. For once in a long time, Callen felt the need to lie down and rest.
He got up, gently holding Anna's head, and scooped her in his arms. She tightened her grip around his neck; Callen walked to her room and dropped her on her bed. He lied next to her, in his clothes and dragged the blankets on top of them. Anna scooted close to him, passing her arms around his waist and one of her legs in between his. He breathed in heavily in her hair, taking in her scent and her warmth, and felt asleep in a few minutes.