I decided to start a new fic based solely on jealousy. Basically jealous!Red and jealous!Liz. It will quickly turn to M. A proper warning will be given before.
Disclaimed as always!
"I assure you Lizzie, Rome is an astounding city you will adore. Have you ever heard of the legend of the founding of Rome?", Red asked as they rode in the elevator. "Anyway, the most famous perhaps is the story of Romulus and Remus, twins who were suckled by a she-wolf. They decided to build a city but an argument forced Romulus to kill his brother and so the city got its name."
The elevator doors opened and Red stepped out, carrying their bags, followed by Liz who quirked an eyebrow at Red's story. She was accustomed to those and enjoying his weird stories but sometimes he was just too - weird.
"I've heard about it but it's a myth."
"Now Lizzie, and here I thought you know my opinion about myths and legends by now." He threw her pointed look with the faintest hint of a smug smirk on his lips. He unlocked the door to his hotel room and gave her the key to hers.
"I do but how can I agree with that if no one has convinced me otherwise, yet?" With that she took the key from him as well as her bags and went to her room. She was maybe used to his stories but not to his flirtatious behavior towards her. Red was handsome and attractive, a typical ladies man and a smooth talker. She shouldn't give it any further thought but the more time they spent in close proximity, the harder it was for her to ignore her feelings.
They were supposed to attend a banquet that night, not just for mutual amusement of course since Red always had an agenda. Apparently the room, in which the banquet would be held, lead to a hideout where a document was hidden and Red wanted to get his hands on it since it was significant in order to exonerate her. Memories of the Syrian embassy invaded her mind. She wasn't looking forward to commit a crime but she wanted to expose the Director and the Cabal just as much as Red.
She unpacked her bag and pulled out a strapeless, long, blue dress but she needed to shower first. After a rather quick shower, she got dressed and applied some make-up. She would leave her hair open, knowing that Red appreciated it but she liked it more as well. It was not that she wanted to look good for him, nor did she care what he thought about her outfit.
Viewing her reflection, she definitely liked what she saw and that was a rarity. Her dress hugged her in all the right places, the color emphasized her blue eyes further and her skin appeared paler but not in a bad way. She put on her silver earrings and headed to Red's room which was next to hers.
Soon after she knocked, Red opened the door, momentarily speechless as he took her in. She blushed slightly under his gaze and worried her lip between her teeth. So much to she didn't care what he thought. His eyes spoke volumes. "Lizzie, you look stunning! Please, do come in!"
"Thank you."
He wore his tux and boy, was he sexy. His chest and shoulders seemed broader than usual, his little tummy was perfectly hidden beneath his shirt and jacket, and good god, the view of his butt was one of a kind. His fingers struggled with his bow tie as he watched her through the mirror. "Is something wrong?", he asked when she raked her eyes appreciatively over his backside.
Damn. "No, all is fine.", she replied nonchalantly and inspected the paintings on the wall next to him, hoping that she succeeded in her attempt to hide her staring.
"Good." He turned and buttoned his jacket. "Because we have to talk about our plan again."
"And why is that?"
"We're getting help..."
A loud knock made him stop mid sentence. "Ah, there they are."
They? She opened her mouth to say something in return but he was already on his way to let his guests in.
She heard a familiar voice after he opened the door, a voice that made her skin crawl.
Madeline Pratt.
"Hello Raymond!", she purred and flung herself at him, smooching him audibly.
All she wanted to do was vomit at the sight that greeted her. Her black designer dress made her look elegant and sophisticated, making her feel like - well, like garbage.
"Maddie. It's good to see you!", he said, his hands sliding down her waist to her hips. "My, my, that dress surely suits you very well."
She smiled coyly and tugged on the buttons on his shirt. "Mhmm, just wait until you see what is hidden beneath, or what is not."
This was a nightmare. She averted her gaze from the duo and shuddered at Pratt's implications. Couldn't this wait until they were alone, or had they already forgotten she was there? She folded her hands, a defense mechanism of hers she hadn't any control over, and pursed her lips angrily. Under no circumstances would she work with this woman. Also, where was the other person who was supposed to come with them?
"Madeline, you remember my associate...", Red started but was yet again interrupted. This time by Pratt though.
"Ex FBI Agent Elizabeth Keen, or do you prefer Masha Rostova?", she asked in the most arrogant tone.
"Seriously? She will 'help' us? Are you sure she won't get us killed instead?", she snapped at Red, ignoring Madeline completely.
"Maddie and I are even, aren't we?"
"We are!"
Liz shook her head in anger, balling her hands into fists. He of all people trusted that woman after all she did when he normally killed everyone who dared betraying him. She considered stabbing him an attractive opportunity at the moment. Not only was he aware of her hatred towards Madeline Pratt but he brought them into a highly dangerous situation.
"Okay, after this problem is solved, we can move on to the next.", Red started. "Madeline will assist you in stealing the document. Two thieves are better than one."
"Absolutely not!", Liz snapped.
"Oh, absolutely yes, Elizabeth! Ezra and I will take care of the security in the meantime."
She furrowed her brows. "Ezra? The sniper?"
"Yes, he escaped the FBI's custody.", he explained matter of factly. "He's your plus one!"
Liz let out a humorless chuckle. What a way to ruin an evening. Not that she expected this to be an event for enjoyment but the thought of her and Pratt working together and watching Red and her getting all touchy gave her headaches.
Before she had the chance to reply, Ezra came into the room, wearing a similar tux as Red and regarded her with a suspicious glance. Well, they didn't part on good terms but circumstances were different to what they had been so she had no choice but to cooperate and it could have been a lot worse. Ezra was a handsome man with great eyes and really nice hair.
He closed the distance and stretched out his hand. "I hope you'll refrain from frisking tonight... and calling the FBI.", he said with a thick british accent.
Liz couldn't help but smile a little embarrassed at the memory but shook her head as she took his offered hand. "I guess I will."
From the corner of her eye she saw Red's eye twitching as accepted Ezra's hand which sneaked around her waist afterwards. So, he considered jealousy a base emotion alright. If he could flirt with 'Maddie' in front of her, she could also shamelessly flirt with Ezra.
"Now that all formalities have been discussed we should leave and get it done before we can 'move on' to more satisfying activities.", Madeline said although the latter part was surely meant only for Red who closed his eyes, hummed in agreement and pulled her against his side.
In Red's words; this was going to be a gas.
Tbc... What do you think? :)
