First published Fic!
Yes, I realize that it probably sucks, but bare with me and give some feedback!
Math homework was getting way too frustrating, and this was the only form of procrastination left.
Disclaimer: All this is Ally Carter's. I'm not that awesome.
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He hates her honeypot missions. They make him wish she hadn't grown into her looks, the spitting image of Abby.
While she's away, he sometimes finds himself wishing she looked like a purple potato. (Which would make her taro.) Then she would just get the regular spy missions, despite how contradictory that sounds. Other times he's feeling sorry for Preston, because if Cammie gets a lot of those missions, Macey's assignments only consist of them. When both of them are away, Zach and Preston will get together and feel sorry for themselves, cursing their girlfriends and their spyish tendencies.
But, he gets that she needs to take the missions, just like he needs to play double agent sometimes. So, he tries his best to forget about it and turns the T.V. up really high and loses himself in the lives of angry housewives.
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Only sometimes, like now, he has to watch. Langley had requested both of them on the same mission, so he was doing surveillance while she is seducing some random terrorist. He hates that she has to do this, but he hates more that she's good at it, that experience has made her an expert. Every so often, she catches his eye and shoots an apologetic look at him and he tries, for her, to look nonchalant.
But, honeypot missions still suck, especially when he has to be there. It kills him that she finishes her job quickly, is out in a second and slips her hand in his, quietly, and slips the microchip in his hand. It is a brush pass that makes his love for her swell, so he squeezes her shoulder and plants a chaste kiss on her forehead.
"Let's go Gallagher Girl."
"Okay."
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The car ride is a soft, contemplating silence. It was his first time being there, on one of those missions, seeing her in the zone of get in, get out.
"Zach, this doesn't change anything, right?" Cammie is genuinely curious and slightly worried. He contemplates this, why she would even ask this.
"Nah, it's part of the job, right?" He knows this is what she wants to hear, and he thinks that this is true, that they both have things they don't like about each other's job, but their job makes them happy. Happy that they are protecting their country and sometimes, each other. The happy half-smile on her face makes him smirk, grab her hand, and press her knuckles into his lips.
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Zach thinks that this mission would change things, because even though they've been on missions together before, this one is different and they both know it. And yet, she still falls asleep on the plane, with her head on his shoulder and she still triple-checks her luggage in the airport right in front of baggage claim. She has done this every time she gets off a plane, all four years she's been working. She still goes to the airport Starbucks and gets a grande mocha latte with vanilla syrup, and she still calls Bex up as soon as they're in their apartment.
It startles him, but then he grins that self-satisfied grin that she hates (loves), because this is an obstacle and they just passed it. So, suck it obstacle.
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It takes her a long time to unpack, it always does. By the time Zach's done, she's just getting to her fourth shirt and it's already been an hour.
"I told you not to just throw it all in at the hotel, Gallagher Girl."
"Shut up!" he laughs a bit and settles into a sitting position and starts to help her fold her jeans, smoothing out the creases and carefully making a pile next to him.
"Hey Zach, did you get the new assignments yet?" The question is asked lightly, meant to float carelessly in the air, but instead it sinks to the bottom of his stomach and stays there.
"Yeah." He clears his throat and continues, "It's next week, we're going to Brazil."
It seems that Cammie is still busy folding her clothes to notice his flustered tone, because her, "We?" is still careless and untroubled.
"I'm taking Grant and a couple others from the agency to round up the last of the Circle." This gets her attention.
"The what?" She is bewildered, and he can hear that hint of anger start to rise in her voice.
"Gallagher Girl, I know you don't want me to go, but I promise this is going to be one of the last times you'll ever hear about them again."
"I thought we got rid of then senior year?"
"Err, you got rid of the big guys, but a couple people are still working undercover."
"Why?'' The question is horribly blunt and Zach doesn't have an answer right away. Why is the question he spent his whole life asking, and the best he can come up with is, "I dunno."
She seems to be struggling with something for a moment before shrugging and saying, "Okay."
Zach starts to reach for her shoulder, but then he pulls away quickly as she shoots him a Don't you dare draw attention to this look and goes back to absentmindedly putting away clothes. Years of this crazy, dangerous life has given them the ability to let go of those paranoid thoughts during those times when it's not their job to anymore.
He watches her and when she finally finishes, pulls her up off the floor and they start chatting about the new Psych episode.
"I love the ending, with his dad. "
"Yeah. Hey, I don't think we have the next one set to record yet."
"I'll set it later."
"Good."
He thinks, maybe, he should just leave them be for now, and enjoy his lovely girlfriend, and take the pan off the stove before the building burns down again. He runs off thinking, I hope that smell isn't really smoke.