By the time Gaby woke up, Illya usually managed to get out of bed, jog, come back, take a shower, have breakfast, and possibly, start playing chess. When she would finally show up, she was sure to find a cup of strong coffee (sometimes, plus an aspirin and a glass of water if she'd spent the previous evening with her best friend vodka) waiting for her, and the usual smile on his lips when he would look up and discover her dishevelled look. This morning was, almost, no exception.

Yes, he was playing chess, and the cup was here, but not the smile. When she delivered her joyful "Good morning", he mumbled something back, and kept his eyes focused on the chess board. Well, grumpy Illya was back, for no apparent reason. They had spent the last two weeks alone : Solo had been sent to Spain by Waverly to accomplish a mission that did not require the presence of the whole team, and Gaby had never seen her Russian friend more relaxed than during these fourteen days. And yet, on their last morning, he seemed on a particularly bad mood. Or at least, not in a very good one.

In front of such indifference, Gaby decided to play while sipping her morning coffee and stared at her silent partner. He had never been the chatty one, but still, she didn't want to start her day like this.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked as she casually slumped on the couch facing Illya's armchair. He nodded, but didn't say a word. She shrugged and rolled her eyes at his unsurpassable gift of showing no interest in a conversation when he didn't want to.

"I slept quite well, thanks. The night was hot but I left the window ajar. I thought the streets would be a lot noisier than that," she explained as if he asked her to, but he remained quiet. "Illya ? Are you only listening to me?"

"Mhm," he said without an inch of real interest in his voice. If she let him go on with this attitude, this day would be a nightmare, and she couldn't even think about it. He wouldn't waste it, and promised her some days ago that they would finally take the time to visit New York. Four months had passed since Waverly showed them UNCLE's headquarters, and this was the first time they could really enjoy it.

So, in order to save the day, she got up, walked around his chair and stopped behind him. Then, she reached for the newspaper stuck between the chair's arm and Illya's thigh, grabbed it and suddenly, kissed his neck as noisily and slimy as she could, circling his shoulders with her arms when doing it, and breathing in his bewitching smell. But, unexpectedly, something was different, and it made her frown.

"Did you change so-"

"No."

He made some progress, and finally started to speak. However, the start was also the end obviously, and he got back to his mutism. Except this time, he couldn't avoid Gaby's curiosity. Taking another breath all around him, she was now sure he changed one thing.

The scent, it was not the usual one. This one was too strong and extravagant for quiet and classic Illya, and definitely out of character. It was too much everything, and from the moment she smelled it on his skin, she didn't like it. Yet, it was familiar, although she couldn't quite put a finger on it. As she thought, and smelled, and thought, and smelled again, a loud bang resounded in the whole apartment.

Surprisingly enough, Napoleon Solo stepped in the room moments later. When he did, Gaby immediately parted away from Illya, trying to look as natural as she could, the newspaper still in her hands.

"Good evening folks, hope I'm not interrupting," Solo smiled as he hung his coat on the hook next to the door. As always, he looked dapper in his tailored suit, not especially disturbed by the obvious jet lag.

"How was Barcelona?" Gaby asked as he joined them and shamelessly took a sip of her coffee. He raised his eyebrows, but was too busy emptying her cup to answer with words. As for Illya, he didn't move much, but still observed the American, certainly disapproving of him stealing his woman's beverage.

"Can't say much for the moment, Waverly is waiting for me to debrief the mission," he said as he set the cup back on the table. "Have you done with it?"

His finger was pointed towards the New York Post Gaby was still holding, and with a quick and skilled move, he took it without waiting for her answer. If she did want to keep it, she would have surely fought for it. When Solo grabbed the newspaper, the same scent than Illya's invaded the air, and while Gaby was figuring it out, Napoleon had already exited the room.

She sat back on the sofa, and looked at her Russian counterpart with insistence, and a tiny bit of defiance. This time, he had no choice but to gaze back. He knew that she knew, or at least that she guessed the most part of the story. And she waited for the other part, right now.

"Aftershave bottle was empty this morning. Had to borrow Cowboy's," he admitted, his shifty eyes set on the chess board. He really looked ashamed and embarrassed by the situation. Furthermore, he knew exactly what Gaby's reaction would be like, and had wanted to avoid it.

It started with a smile on her lips, a charming one, then a giggle, which quickly evolved into a noisy and particularly irritating laugh. Illya pinched the bridge of his nose as he was facing Gaby's most expansive hilarity he's ever witnessed. Her laugh was filling the room, and if she didn't stop, Solo and Waverly would soon show up and ask them about all this noise.

In order to escape to this unwanted and unpleasant moment, Illya stood up and grabbed his own coat.

"Where…a-are…you going?" Gaby asked in a shaky voice, unable to control herself as she doubled over, trying to calm down, in vain.

"Shopping."

Thanks a lot for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it. Posting is the only thing I really like to do on February 14th, so let's say your reviews (if you want want to leave some) will be my Valentine's Day treats ;)

For those who celebrate, have a happy time !