AN: Over on Tumblr I had a request from a friend a while back. I've got to let you guys know that this is all a result of an AU we set up where the A.I's were Agents, in a second, smaller division of the project. All taken in by the Director at a young age, as prodigies, and well, a lot of more complex stuff that I'm too lazy to explain. Anyway, short story shorter, we thought Human!Delta and C.T would make an adorable couple and she asked for this: [Pairing: CT/Delta] [Prompt: CT finally decides that she can't justify staying with Project Freelancer any longer]
It's short, but not much less than my usual. Enjoy!
The thing about what she was doing, was that she had never intended to make friends or form attachments. CT had purposely kept herself away from people and drove them off with a short temper and shouting; she never anticipated anyone helping her. She had never thought that someone would, not only work out what she was doing, but that they would understand why, and help her.
She liked Delta, there was no denying it, as much as she tried to tell herself otherwise. The brunette wanted to believe that when she left, because it was inevitable that she would, she would be able to do so without a second thought.
Many nights were spent together, one of them tapping away at their computer, the other laying on the bed and murmuring thoughts and plans and possibilities.
They both knew things were different that night. CT was quiet, she stared at the ceiling and couldn't bring herself to utter a word. Delta could see this; she was thinking, and as much as he liked it when she thought, because the woman had the most wonderful, vibrant, unique thoughts, he liked the sound of her voice more. He didn't like this crushing silence that fell upon them.
Yet he kept his eyes locked on the screen, watching text flash by as she kept her eyes on the ceiling, fingers dancing across the sheets on which she lay. The only sound in the room was the softest of breaths and the keys on which Delta typed.
"You're going to leave aren't you?" The question was prompted by naught but his own mind.
Her head turned so that she could see him, eyes unblinking.
"I would ask how you know, but I don't think I want to."
"That wasn't a direct answer." He knew the truth, but the exact words had to leave her fine lips for it to be a fact.
Her eyes went back to the ceiling to etch false patterns and shapes. "Yes." She sighed. "I'm leaving." She knew what he was like, the way he worked and that he always wanted direct facts. It was nice to be able to give him just that, one final time.
"When?" He wanted to know how much time they could spend together, how many hours before she could, possibly, be gone for good. There was no excuse for how flat his tone was; he just didn't want to fall into the same trap that she had.
The woman blinked once, holding her eyes shut for a small moment and her fingers clenched around the sheets, knuckles soon turning white.
"Dee…." Her voice faltered once. She had convinced herself she could do this. "Don't ask the hard questions…Please?" He only had to look at her to know that it was as soon as possible. So that meant they had a few sacred hours to just be.
He liked to listen to her breath, feel the warmth of her hand in his and fall asleep beside her. No touching, but just existing together in that moment.
Delta's typing slowed. He hit keys with a finality and shut the computer down. The man stared at the blackness of the screen while CT stared at the grey of the ceiling. They shared that moment of not knowing what to do as they attempted to convince themselves that they would continue on like this, even after she left, because it was the right, normal, real thing to do.
Neither of them had ever meant to feel any sort of attachments to each other or the work that they were doing, but somehow, what they were doing had turned into spending time with each other, and they were happy with that.
The agent moved from the computer to the bed, and it was without words that they lay together, CT moving over to make room for him. It was instant that his hand sought out hers and they laced fingers together.
They liked how simple their relationship was. It was as simple as holding hands and nothing more, but they both felt like tonight should be different, if only for the fact that CT was going to be gone in 24 hours and this was their last chance.
"What is this?" CT sighed and lifted their entwined hands into the air after a few minutes silence.
"Those are hands." His lips twitched closer to a smile.
"and they're holding each other….What does it mean for us? What are we doing?" CT had never liked that she had to be so careful about the way that she worded things with Delta, she liked to work fast and fluid and weave sentences in a more elaborate manner.
"We're holding hand…." He stopped himself at the look she turned to give him. "It means…." He paused, trying to work out whether the next words would be worth anything at all. "It means that I like you, and you like me and we enjoy each other's company?" He was tentative and almost phrasing it as a question and waiting for confirmation from the woman beside him.
They lay still for a few more moments before she sat herself up, breaking the contact. There was only one question she could ask herself, and he had to decide it for her.
"Is it worth staying for?"
There was lip biting and shifting eyes, but the answer rang over the silence.
"You have to leave." Was his answer.
She crawled from his bed, back turned on the man who had essentially rejected her just now, and without looking back, she slipped from the room and down the darkening hall.
That was the last time he got to see her, until Wyoming sent confirmation to the Director of where she was. The small image lost into the nether of the computer systems only days later; it was all that he had any more.
