The distant sound of falling water droplets tapping against the metal bowl of the sink barely reached Athena's ears, ignored for the time being. There was a certain tension in the air that she found it difficult to place, but easy to sense. Blinking, she stared absentmindedly at her ECHO device, feeling the temptation to once again press the Play button to listen to the voice mail sent earlier that day.

As she finally considered her options and reached out to press the square button, the sound of the front door unlocking shook her from her thoughts and paused the action. Normally, the sight of Zer0 walking through the door, Thanatos jogging past him to get into the house, would bring a smile on her face and a "Welcome home" to her lips. Now, all she felt was something negative forming in the pit of her stomach, a choking feeling surge in her throat, and a bitter taste in her mouth.

Zer0 turned and locked the door, stuffed the keys into one of his thigh pouches, and turned to look at her. Though she wasn't able to see it, she felt him smiling cheerfully under his mask as he looked over her. As soon as she felt those eyes reach her face, and him notice the almost stressed and over analyzing look on her face, she felt the smile disappear.

"Is there something wrong?" Zer0 asked, walking over in two long steps and sitting down across from her at the kitchen table.

Athena didn't know how to respond, so she simply reached over and pushed the Play button on her ECHO device.

"Athena, darling!" Aurelia's shrill voice burst through the tiny speakers. "Time is money- and you, as well as all of the poors of this wretched city, know that I have a lot of money- so I will cut to the chase so you don't waste my valuable time. I require a bodyguard to join me on a trip to open new factories located on a few unimportant planets. While I would normally send one of my trusted advisers to do it for me, it appears they have all died of ricin poisoning!" She chuckled softly before continuing. "Anyways, I ask that you join me for my protection and your financial gain." Her voice suddenly took on a menacing tone. "After all. We both know you need the money." Just as quick as it changed, it reverted back to her obnoxiously cheerful tone. "The trip shouldn't take more than two months. Contact me with your decision, darling! Ta-ta!"

For minutes, they sat in silence after the message had ended. Athena reached over, turned off her ECHO to rid it of Aurelia's profile picture, and clipped it onto her belt. She leaned back in her chair and looked up from the table, gazing at Zer0 from across the table. He sat silently, rigidly, as if made of stone. The only way she knew he was alive was the rhythmic tapping of his finger on the surface of the table. She couldn't tell if that was a good or bad sign.

Before she could question him about it, the table suddenly scooted forward a bit as Thanatos attempted to climb on top of it beside her, but failed hilariously when he dropped back down to the floor. The small stalker let out a screech of irritation and tried once more, claws scratching shallow impressions into the worn, polished wood. Smiling slightly, Athena reached down and picked him up in one hand and scratched the back of his neck with the other, feeling his body suddenly go slack and seeing his eyes close.

She looked down at him, not meeting Zer0's gaze as she asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking what you're thinking."

Athena narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what to think, honestly. It's a very generous offer, but two months?"

"Two months isn't much," Zer0 pointed out.

"I know, I know." She sighed as the painful memories resurfaced. "Atlas would usually force us on tours or missions that could take over a year to complete. This shouldn't be anything different or new to me, but…"

"But…?"

Athena closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking her time to exhale. "But I don't know if I want to go that long without seeing Sanctuary. Without seeing Thanatos." She finally looked up to stare into his blank mask. "Without seeing you."

Zer0 didn't respond for a few long moments, sitting silently in his chair as all movement stopped. Finally, he sighed heavily, reached up, undid the clasps to his mask, and set it on the table, running a hand through his hair and over his eyes.

"I have the same thoughts," he admitted, dropping his hand to the table.

Athena looked uncertainly into his eyes. "Well, what do you think I should do?

Zer0 rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "You shouldn't ask me, 'Thena. It's your decision."

Her lips pursed. "That's not really helping me, Z."

"I know." He grinned wryly at her.

Sensing the conversation was over, he got up, chair scraping against the floor, and walked over to their bedroom, mask in hand. The door closed and she heard the sound of him undressing behind it, each piece of individual armor dropping onto the concrete floor.

Athena set Thanatos on the floor, sent him off with a pat on the backside, and rested her forehead on the cold table, sighing in relief as it helped ease the pain of a forming headache. Despite it suggesting otherwise, the choice between going with Aurelia or staying in Sanctuary was much harder than she had anticipated. On the one hand, it could provide her and Zer0 with enough money to not have to worry about their financial situation for the near future; on the other hand, who knows what could happen while on the trip. During her time with the Lance, she often heard stories of a few of the smaller ships on the outskirts of the armada being pillaged by pirates, or a banquet or party of an important soldier being raided.

Plus, that didn't even count the inability to see Zer0, maybe even talk to him, for a long period of time. Then there was Thanatos, the little runt. He'd never had one of his "parents" away for more than a couple of days, and would surely miss her. However, with their current situation, they would need all the money they could acquire. Thanatos wasn't getting any smaller, and they had their own basic needs as well. It would be difficult to decline any opportunities, especially one that would guarantee a large paycheck upon completion. Breathing out loudly through her nose, Athena began to grind her teeth in frustration.

As soon as she made the final decision, one that made all the anger inside her dissipate, the bedroom door opened and the thud of Zer0's footsteps got closer to the kitchen. As he rounded the doorway, his gaze was immediately upon her, his black and white eyes staring into her own light blue ones with curiosity.

"I'm going to take Aurelia's offer," Athena said with certainty.

Zer0 nodded. "That is a wise choice."

"Were you going to say the same thing if I decided not to go?"

He winked at her. "Maybe I would have, 'Thena."

She rolled her eyes, but reached for her ECHO and turned it on. A moment passed and she felt Zer0's warmth against her back as he leaned over to inspect what she typed out to send to Aurelia.

I'll take up your offer.

Ω

After a second to check over the message to make sure there were not any spelling mistakes, she sent it. "And that's that." She grimaced. "The waiting's always the worst part."

"You know the outcome," Zer0 pointed out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for a hug from behind.

Athena smiled and grabbed his forearm, inhaling deeply as they sat in the quiet that covered them like a blanket; not too heavy or light. The scraping of small claws against the floor caught both of their attention, and they looked over to see Thanatos walking into the kitchen, looking up at them with a decidedly curious expression on his vicious little face. As he reached his destination, he began to climb up Zer0's leg with his sharp, small claws, causing him to inhale sharply, release Athena, and lean down to pry the stalker off the fabric of his pants and presumably skin.

"All right, Than, all right," he mumbled. "I think he's telling us to sleep."

"Is it really that late?" Athena asked, honest surprise on her voice.

"It's the evening." Zer0 tossed his head to the side to indicate the door, shuffling Thanatos into one arm as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "The sun is setting."

Athena stood up, reaching out to rest a hand atop the small stalker's head. "How about we go out tonight?"

"You mean go to Moxxi, right?"

"'Course I mean that." To emphasize her next statement, she rubbed Thanatos's head. "We can bring him too."

Thanatos sat up in Zer0's arms and, after a brief struggle, dropped to the floor with a soft THUMP! and scrambled over to the door, breathing out excited little cries along the way. Before she could follow him, Zer0 reached out quicker than she had time to react and pulled him against his warm body. Athena sighed against his chest, wrapped her arms around him, and smiled into his shirt, breathing in deeply.

There was a gentle sway in their stance as they held each other, all time seeming to pause in that moment. Athena could feel the pressure of his fingertips as his hands slid down to her lower back to reach up under her shirt and massage her aching muscles. The sound of his breathing against her ear sent shivers down her spine and caused goosebumps to form on her arms, only inducing her to crush his body against hers.

Before any other actions could be made, Thanatos maneuvered between them and pushed them apart, screeching at the top of his lungs. They both looked down at him, unable to show annoyance at his intrusion before looking back up at each other.

"Someone's impatient." Zer0 couldn't help but smile.

The same smile mirrored on Athena's face as she leaned down, picked up Thanatos, and walked towards the entrance of their apartment, hearing Zer0 walk back towards the bedroom to put his armor quickly back on.

They both ignored the new blinking light on Athena's ECHO device.

(A/N): This little short story is something I cooked up in about three weeks. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading. Beta'd by CGAdam.