Excitement—no, exhilaration inundated through every fiber of Nata's being as she waited for Alek to walk through the security area of the airport. The last four days had seemed so slow, and she was anxious to see her boyfriend.

It's weird to call him that, but that's what he is.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she saw his tall, dark form walking her way. Grinning, she maneuvered through the crowd and threw her arms around him before he could even drop the bags he was carrying. But she felt him return the hug, howbeit awkwardly, and she relaxed.

"Alek, hi. How was your trip?" she inquired as she stepped back, aware of how he wasn't too fond of public displays of affection. Nata didn't care, but she tried to be mindful of him.

To her surprise, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before responding, "It was good. Uneventful, which is rare for me."

If she hadn't been so caught off guard by the kiss, she would have chuckled. But the moment passed as Alek continued, "These bags are all I have. Let's get out of here."

She quickly agreed and tried to take his laptop case from him. But he waved her off, taking her hand instead with his free one. Again, she was a little startled, but not in a bad way. Briefly she contemplated bringing it up, but then decided against it.

I'll just enjoy it. He's obviously missed me a lot.

Nataliya's home was an hour drive away, but they spent the time catching up with each other. Even though they talked nearly every day, there was so much she was still learning about him, and she enjoyed every second spent with him.

"Is anyone here? I thought Irina was coming in this morning," Alek commented as they pulled into her driveway.

"Complications. She'll be in late tonight."

He nodded, then let out a tiny yawn. "I might need to catch a quick nap then," he said, then added, "But I promise it will be quick. I know we don't have much time this weekend."

Nata tried to keep her tone even as she replied, "We'll make the most of it."

They walked silently up the sidewalk and into the house that Nataliya had called home for the last two years. Once she decided to retire from her life as a double-agent, she had chosen to relocate just outside of Saignon, a small community in France. The people were friendly, the area beautiful, and most of all, it was quiet. Nata's house wasn't the grandest or largest, but she had tried her best to make it homey and warm; somewhere where a person could relax and forget about the world outside. Alek had only been here once, but mentioned before he left that it felt like a secluded paradise.

Now, taking in the circles under his eyes, she was glad that she had chosen this area. He needed to get away, and lately she had felt a little concerned at the amount he had been working. Before she could think about it too much, she reached over with her right hand and brushed the circles, then trailed her hand down over his cheek, resting on his lips. Her heart picked up its pace, and she swiftly withdrew, looking towards the stairs. "You can get settled if you want. I know you ate lunch on your layover, but I can make us some hot chocolate."

"Okay," Alek agreed. "I'll be right back down."

She waited until she heard his footsteps on the stairs before heading to the kitchen, intent on helping him relax for the next little bit.

—

Alek tried to hurry and unpack his things, but his movements were sluggish. What was wrong with him? Normally, even with hardly any sleep, he was sharp and could push himself. But since walking in—no, since seeing her, his brain was so relaxed and for once, his body was in agreement.

She relaxes me, she always does. There's just something about her presence that allows me to slow down and let down my guard.

It was a good thing, but still unnerving. Glancing around the room as he finished his unpacking, he smiled at the decor. Nata was excellent in this area (though she denied it) and he liked the light Tuscan tones of the room, the open windows, and the charming paintings that graced the walls. Normally he wouldn't care about those things, but it was a reflection of her, and he loved it.

You're so whipped.

He ignored the warning and continued his task, trying to make himself hurry so he could get back downstairs. Though the bed looked inviting, he wanted to spend some more time with his girlfriend before he took a nap.

When he entered the living area a few minutes later, she was nowhere to be seen but the fireplace was on, indicating that she had been in the room. Alek sat down on the couch, and it was only seconds before she appeared, a tray in her hand. He started to get up but she waved him back down, then placed the item on the coffee table in front of him. He eyed the tray's contents. Not only had she made hot chocolate like she promised, but there were also cookies and small sandwiches too, and his stomach rumbled.

She must have heard it because she suddenly grinned at him.

"Hey, lunch was a few hours ago," he reminded her.

"I didn't say a word."

But her smirk said it all, and as soon as she took a seat by him he pulled her over to him, putting an arm around her while the other one lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "You always speak with your eyes. And they were saying that you think it's cute that my stomach growled. And I'm not cute."

He was referencing a personal joke between them. Nataliya had called him cute once when he had been angry, and it had rendered him speechless—both her words at the time and the way she seemed not to be intimidated by him. It hadn't been long after that incident that they had started dating. But ever since then, she had called him that off and on, mostly just to get a rise out of him.

Instead of her eyes taking on a teasing glint like he expected, they held something else, something that he had spotted earlier when she traced his face with her fingertips. Just like then, his heart started beating a little faster, but this time, he gave into temptation and captured her lips with his. Unlike the kiss at the airport, this one was slow and unrushed, the way he liked it. Moving both hands to her face, he enjoyed feeling the softness of her skin there as he kissed her again and again, drinking in the familiar taste of vanilla. He tasted chocolate too but didn't dwell on that, keeping it up until she let out a soft moan and pressed up against him. Then he told himself to slow it down. Though they were adults and had been dating for almost a year, they hadn't done anymore than kiss. But they had both discussed their need to take this relationship slow, and he didn't want to mess things up.

So he tried for a light subject when he pulled back. "Why do you taste like chocolate? Have you been sneaking food without me?"

The impish grin that he had been looking for earlier crossed her face. "I had to taste-test the hot chocolate."

Alek moved his gaze to the tray again—probably the safest place for him to look right now—and eyed the mugs.

"Here, take one." Nata handed him one, and he saw that it was garnished with a peppermint stick.

"You remembered."

The grin didn't fade from her face. "Of course I did. It was only last week that you mentioned that chocolate and peppermint was one of your favorite combinations."

"In passing," he pointed out, but secretly was touched that she had been paying attention to his fleeting comment. She only shrugged, then turned to face the fire, which was fine with him, it gave him a chance to stare at her without her noticing. For some reason, it embarrassed her when she caught him, and she would pretend to be annoyed. But Alek knew that she secretly was flattered, she just didn't know how to handle the attention.

It's crazy. She should be used to it, as beautiful as she is.

His eyes landed on the dark hair that was falling over her shoulders—making him think of midnight waters—and took note of how the light sweater she was wearing flattered her figure. Finally, he allowed his eyes to roam her face. She was concentrating now on one of the large casement windows in the room, her brow furrowing at the rain that was starting to fall, probably turning into ice as they sat. Her hazel eyes flickered with life as the smile returned to her face and he coughed, deciding that she had been ignoring him long enough. When she glanced over he leaned forward and kissed her brow. "I'm so glad I'm here with you."

Nataliya seemed taken aback by his statement. "Uh, m-me too. I mean, I'm glad you're here of course. With me."

He grinned at her stammering, took a big gulp of hot chocolate, then returned to his own side of the couch, stretching back and reclining against the soft pillows. Now that the rain was picking up, the sound was making him sleepy. That, along with the sounds of the fireplace and the warmth coming from it had his eyes closing. Even though his stomach was still empty, the feeling of exhaustion momentarily trumped anything else.

"I might fall asleep," he heard himself admitting.

"That's okay. Go right ahead," came Nata's voice, as soothing as a waterfall's cascade.

Alek tried to smile, but didn't have the energy, finally allowing himself the luxury of slumber.