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Be advised, I claim no right to ideas/characters/ ect contained herein. I do not claim responsibility for Hetalia, or any affiliated licensed ideas.
I own nothing. Rated M. Thank you for reviewing.
Please note, this is only a STORY, and should not be intended to cause offense in anyway.
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Only those that have ever been in a dangerous situation, where ever move is watched and scrutinized, could understand the stress that comes from bearing the weight of the 'world' on your shoulders.
For Amelia it was figuratively speaking. It wasn't the 'world' but every American citizen. People she would gladly die for, the ones she had sworn to keep safe. She and Toris had heard from the network of fellow spies that were both allied with the United States or citizens thereof, that an Australian man had disappeared under suspicion of conspiracy against the USSR.
Even the suspicion was enough to equate a signed death certificate.
Toris was set to meet at the information drop. It was discussed and decided that they would wait an extra week. It was foolish to tempt fate so close to the heels of other arrests being made. Covertly and under the cover of night. Sometimes they brazenly grabbed someone off of the street.
Per usual, they were not heard from again.
The people did not speak so freely anymore. They whispered when they spoke, half-terrified of who might be listening and from where. Toris had warned Amelia without words that no matter what was to come, the mission came first.
Should only one be compromised, the other was to leave them behind. They would be mourned and honored for the service to the great United States of America. However, millions more were depending on them at home. If the 'cold' war became 'hot', then the world as they knew it would be over.
And, she simply would not take that chance.
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Amelia felt her shoulders tighten, as she rubbed at the muscle in an subconscious gesture of her stress.
Eight days and they still had not heard from the 'home base' on new orders that were supposed to be coming down. It made her agitated. Part of her considered the possibility that their communication line might have been interrupted. If that was the case, then she and Toris would have to fly blind for a bit.
However, they needed to find some information out. As much as she loathed it, she did give credit to the Commies on closing down their ranks, so to speak. They were a tight lipped bunch.
But, she could not tolerate losing or defeat.
She could be far more unforgiving when it came to failing to complete the mission. There was a high probability that she would be forced to resort to more... disdainful... tactics if necessity required it.
Now, however, at the very first rays of the sun peaked out from the darkness, she was already hard at work, trying to keep up their cover story.
Closing her eyes against the heat of the bakery, as Toris went about putting new loaves into the oven, Amelia fought for a breath. She needed some fresh air. With steady hands she wiped at her brow, and opened her eyes to see the back door. It called to her, like a beacon.
"Be back in a moment," she said quietly, in heavily accented Russian.
Toris made no indication of hearing her, but Amelia did not wait around long enough to confirm that he had. She pushed at the back door, and took a deep breath of cold air. It nipped at her face and chilled her lungs.
But, it felt nearly blissful against the sweltering heat she had been in just a heartbeat ago. Amelia wandered a bit further away, to lean against the building and feel the cold breeze filter across her body.
"Heavenly," she muttered as she pushed back a lock of hair and smoothed down some frizz. Even in moments where she felt alone, Amelia was constantly aware to speak only in Russian or Lithuanian. Especially after the reports of that poor Australian man.
She hoped they left him alive. He truly was innocent. But, often in war and intrigue there were innocent victims. Amelia covered her mouth, and yawned as she started to stretch.
It was by sheer good fortune, that she turned her head. Instantly, she was very glad that she'd been on high alert previously.
She saw the man then. Violet eyes staring at her from the shadows. She hadn't even noticed him watching before. Amelia would have tensed, ready for a fight, however, her training allowed her to slip seamlessly into 'Audra'. It was like sinking into the still water of a pond, until she was fully immersed.
Her face flushed slightly, and she gave a timid but cheerful smile. She tilted her head in such a way as to convey shyness as well as uncertainty. Her hand and arm crossed over her body, as if warding off the chill of the early morning.
There was no mistaking the outline. 'Ivan' was back.
Yet, 'Audra' was supposed to be a normal woman, and women usually did not have a reason to linger in a darkened area of the city, with strange men. Slowly, as if the man in front of her was a bear, 'Audra' backed away.
"Good morning," she called softly. A polite tone in her words, as well as a heavy dose of thinly-veiled discomfort.
That part she did not have to act out. Amelia was on edge about the man before her. He was too quiet. The sort that could cause trouble from the shadows. The kind that Amelia truly had to watch out for. Most were content with keeping secrets from their lips, but their faces gave much more away. Such was not the case for Ivan. He was just like a painting on a wall. It never varied, never changed, except into some other crafted expression.
"Good morning," the reply came rolling from the dimness with a smoky edge to his words.
She suppressed the shiver that fought to rack her smaller frame. There was nothing wrong with the greeting, but something about her brushed against her thoughts. It lingered there, nagging at her subconscious. It was a neutral reply, but against her will, her eyes widened slightly.
"Are you... cold?"
"No." Came his calm reply.
"Oh, I see. Did you want to come inside?" She asked politely. "We aren't open for business just yet, but I could make you something hot to drink."
His eyes seemed to light up a bit at her question, but his face remained impassive.
"That is kind, but I am fine."
'Audra' waited patiently as 'Ivan' morphed out into the light from the shadows. His hand reached into his coat, and it took all her will power not to react as if he were reaching for a gun. 'Audra' would have no reason to be suspicious or afraid of Mr. Ivan.
Sometimes it was annoying to have to wait and feel out a situation first. However, it was what made her so very excellent at her job and meticulously calculating. This had not reached a critical state by far, so she stood there -like a lamb to the slaughter- and waited for him to come closer.
A silver case flashed under the dim light. With deft fingers he opened it, revealing something innocuous.
"Cigarette?" He questioned politely, with his hard eyes appraising her.
Her blue gaze glanced down at the offered cigarette, akin to the way that Eve must have looked at the serpent that tempted her with the apple. At first she had been dismayed and distrustful. She quickly recovered, and gave a slight laugh.
"No, thank you." 'Audra' replied with a cheerful smile. "The smell of them gives me a terrible headache."
Something flickered across Ivan's eyes, and the corners of his mouth crinkled upward into a grin.
He tilted his head and put the case back. Amelia noted that he did not take one for himself. Did that have some meaning? Was he trying to sniff out if she was American? Internally her thoughts raced, but externally she could show none of that.
The wind blew a bit too hard, and she shivered under the onslaught.
"You do not have a coat?" His smooth voice rumbled at her.
'Audra' shook her head slightly ruefully.
"I had only planned to come out for some fresh air, I did not think to grab it." She explained which was wholly the truth, so she did not need to control her tone or body language.
He hummed in the back of his throat, and moved to block her from the worst of the chill. Her lips parted in surprise and she flushed at his actions. Well, 'Audra' did. Amelia was busy analyzing the nearest escape route and how quickly she could incapacitate him should things get out of hand.
'Ivan' was starting to look less and less like an old soldier, government official, or lecher. He watched too closely, and those that looked too closely... noticed too much. That was another thing she would have to be cautious about.
She had considered him an opposing agent before, now she was certain he was. The way he held himself, the way his gaze still scanned around occasionally for threats. He was not at ease with their meeting and neither was she. However, her sky blue eyes could not help but gaze into his violet orbs.
There was a saying, in America, that it took like to recognize like. That was what was concerning her the most at the moment. Instinct was a powerful thing that many did not give enough credit to.
"Audra," someone said sharply in a masculine voice.
She whirled, eyes narrowed as she believed for a split second that her cover might have been blown. However, her gaze landed on the frowning face of her partner. Toris. Instantly, her body relaxed.
"Tolys," 'Audra' said in surprise, giving a mock gasp. "I am so sorry. I forgot-"
"Come inside," her partner said calmly, as he opened the back door wider, "it is cold outside."
"Of course, Dear." The dutiful 'wife' replied. She turned back toward Ivan. "Good day to you, Sir."
Ivan tilted his head in acknowledgement, watching the couple closely. Tolys stared at Ivan, looking every inch the picture of a man that was displeased to catch his wife alone with someone else. Even innocently.
"Good Morning. Mr. Ivan."
"Good Morning."
Ivan stared back at the brunette man without wavering. He took one of his cigarettes and placed it to his mouth, his lighter followed, as he blatantly accepted the other man's silent disapproval.
Both of them aware that he should not be alone with Mrs. Rolinitis, but for different reasons.
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He had felt the same stirring in his chest at being alone with the beautiful Lithuanian woman.
Ivan had been unable to shake the feeling that he should continue to monitor the couple. Though it was tempting fate, for he felt his body respond carnally to the woman that smiled to brightly at him.
Audra...
He thought her name, and had tried it once out loud. He enjoyed the way it rolled off his tongue.
It was a bit of a guilty pleasure to speak with her. He had not anticipated that she would come out the back door. He'd been blatantly trying to listen to see if anything out of place. They still spoke with heavy accents, and he noticed that Mr. Rolinitis would slip into Lithuanian when he was frustrated or tense.
But Mrs. Rolinitis, she would laugh quietly to herself and he noticed the way she always touched her husband. A tender touch to the shoulder and kissing the plain man's cheek. A soft blush on her features as she smiled softly at her husband. It made Ivan ache for something similar. Such open displays of affection that were rooted in mutual affection.
Mr. Rolinitis often placed his arm around his wife's shoulder, and it burned Ivan with a touch of jealousy.
However, just now, before her husband had come, there had been a bit of kinship in her sky blue eyes. Almost... almost as if she understood Ivan. As if she knew what he was capable of.
That only served to make him desire her more. But, he was a devout man, and would not shame either of them by perusing what belonged to someone else.
Looking displeased, he took the cigarette from his mouth and squashed it on the cold pavement. No longer in a pleasant mood.