Alicia stared at the figure on the screen even as she handed over the credit card. Every aspect of the simple action of signing her name on the pad felt made her feel all the more conspicuous. She couldn't stop the odd pitter patter of her heart, even as she loaded the grocery bags. As she wheeled the cart out of the supermarket, she couldn't keep her eyes from flickering over the people who were entering. It was hard to lose the old habit of keeping an eye out for the police. For so long she had been on the run, prepared at any moment to disappear. Any time she felt the slightest suspicion that someone was on to her, she would split.
Not any more, she had to remind herself, shaking the worry from her mind. Alicia Ophain no longer existed, and therefore no one could possibly be after her. Division had erased her former identity completely. There was no reason to suspect anyone was after her; there was no one who knew she was still alive. As far as anyone was concerned she was Alicia Linnet, and Alicia Linnet was no wanted murderer. No, she was just your average single young woman out shopping for groceries. Amanda had followed through on giving her a break, and after five nights of ordering in she had finally broken down and gone food shopping.
With a push of a button she had Alfred purring a greeting as he warmed the interior for her. She rolled the cart towards the vehicle, opening the trunk with another push of a button the moment she had reached it. It was dark out, but the lights inside of the spacious trunk illuminated the area in a comforting fashion. Her mind was still in the clouds as she tried to relax herself. Everything was so new to her. Being out in the world was more terrifying than being in a den of government assassins. It was irrational, she knew this, and she tried to focus on the task at hand.
Lifting one of the bags from the cart she moved to place it in the trunk, pushing the brown paper bag up against the wall for support. She'd just started to straighten up when a hand landed on her shoulder. In her current state she acted before she could think. She spun, quickly grasping onto the arm as she went. When the man responded by slipping out of her hold it was too late for her to stop and think.
Her training kicked in and she went on the attack. Sweeping her leg in a smooth movement she knocked the man's legs out from under him, sending him to the ground. He was back on his feet surprisingly fast, and now she lost the small reserve of restraint that'd been confining her to defense. In fact, everything was unfolding at such a quick pace that she didn't have a chance to look at her attacker. As he dodged one of her fists her senses alerted her that he was trained, but it was too late to avoid his grabbing hands.
Strong arms pulled her against a wall of muscle, and her head hit his chest, arms pinned at her sides. The sudden sensation of being restrained enraged her. She hated her small size; she hated that unlike her attacker she could be contained with two arms holding them chest to chest. Instead of letting it discourage her, she found Michael's words filling her mind. Division had trained her better than this. Letting go of the fact she was in a public parking lot she allowed herself to slip out of civilian mode and into that of the Agent she was.
The response was instant. Her muscles sprang to life, body moving on its own. It was like a switch had been flipped and she was moving without thought. She went through the actions that had been instilled in her. Unlike when she was behind a computer everything came naturally. Her body responded to the threat and she soon found herself in the dominate position. One arm around his throat, his body bowing back as she held his shoulder blades flush against her chest. Just as she began to put pressure on his windpipe his voice stopped her dead.
"Whoa!" Birkhoff managed to get out, his hands latching onto the arm that was poised to strangle him. For being such a small girl she was impossibly strong, and though she had stopped increasing the pressure of her hold he couldn't pry the arm away. "It's me," he breathed, chest heaving.
Alicia dropped her hold on him, taking a stunned step back. "Birkhoff?" her voice came out cool. Though she'd released him every muscle in her body was still in kill mode.
He turned on her, holding his hands up in surrender. When he'd approached her he'd meant to surprise her, but he hadn't considered that she'd respond like this. Birkhoff knew that Agents were always prepared for anything, but usually on the outside they were more reserved. Division couldn't very well have Agents out breaking arms every time some unsuspecting civilian surprised them. Michael taught the recruits how to fight, sure, but he also instilled in them restraint. "Bingo," he nodded, eyes doing a quick sweep of her. There was no hint of her usual smile, and it was clear from her posture that, while she'd released him, she was anything but relaxed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, taken aback at everything that had just happened.
Birkhoff's eyes scanned the parking lot quickly before meeting hers. He'd waited until she was out of the range of the super market's cameras before approaching her. While there were no cameras about he couldn't say the same for eyes. If anyone had just witnessed the little scuffle there was the chance they may still be watching. "Give me a hug," his voice was low as he caught sight of a man rolling his cart towards them. While he couldn't be sure that he'd seen anything, it was clear from Alicia's stance she was being defensive and he wouldn't be surprised if that was enough to make the man intervene. If Birkhoff had been in the man's place one look at her wide eyes and even he would have stepped in. Alicia was too stunned by his request to process it. While she didn't move an inch Birkhoff closed the distance between them, taking her into his arms. He held her close, stooping his head to whisper into her ear. "I'm not that scary, am I?"
She couldn't help but let out a little laugh, feeling comfortable in the arms that just a moment ago had her attacking. It still didn't answer what he was doing here, nor explain the odd demand. "What on earth is-"
"Civilian," he cut her off, voice still a light whisper, "six o'clock." When her eyes flickered in the direction he'd indicated she noticed the man who was indeed watching the couple. He'd stopped three cars down, unloading the contents of his cart into the back of his truck. While he wasn't exactly staring, he made no effort to hide the fact that he was interested in what was going on between the pair. "Act natural," he advised before releasing her.
Alicia had no idea how on earth she was supposed to do that. Every single aspect of the situation was new and confusing to her. She stepped back, running a hand through her auburn waves as she stared up at Birkhoff. For a moment she hesitated, before remembering what she'd been doing when he'd snuck up on her. "Easier said than done," she huffed, under her breath before moving towards the abandoned shopping cart.
With a smooth step Birkhoff blocked her path, a smile playing on his lips as he cut her off. "I'll get those," he grinned when his words caused her to purse her lips, "you just get in the car."
"Birkhoff-"
"And give me the keys," he cut her off, "I'm driving."
Her eyes narrowed in on the hand he extended her way. What the hell is going on here? She wondered, begrudgingly handing over the keys nonetheless. "Fine," she allowed him to take control of the situation. After all, he was the only one who knew what he was doing there.
Birkhoff watched as she climbed into the passenger seat, unable to hide her confusion at the situation. When he turned to the cart he frowned. He'd planned to surprise her with a visit, having followed the progress of her tracker to the grocery store. There had been no missions to hold him at Division tonight, and the only thing that he wanted to do was see Alicia. He wasn't sure when the next opportunity would arise, and he'd gotten right on it. Her reaction hadn't been one he'd expected. Normally Alicia was lighthearted and had an easy air around her. More than that, she was well trained. Being caught off guard shouldn't have resulted in the tussle that it had. In fact, Birkhoff had been caught off guard by her reaction and had no time to calm her down before things had escalated out of hand.
The moment Alicia heard the trunk close, signaling Seymour had finished loading her groceries, she angled herself in the seat to question him. He'd barely closed the door behind him before she was firing the first one off. "What's going on Birkhoff?" she asked, unable to contain her confusion.
"Not happy to see me?" he responded with a question of his own. When she furrowed her brow, eyes flickering from his face to his hand as he slipped the keys into the ignition, he smiled. "I'm not needed for the night, and figured I'd pay my favorite Agent a visit," he informed her in an easy tone.
The smile this comment usually would have drawn out of her wasn't present. Instead she only looked all the more bewildered. "How did you know where I was?" Alicia questioned. Though Birkhoff's eyes were trained on the road he was now driving down, he flashed her glance, eyebrows raised as if to say you know how. One look from the man and it clicked. "My tracker," she exhaled with a little nod, "right." Her hand reflexively found its way to the spot where the tracker had been implanted just above her right hip bone. "I'm not used to being so easily found," she admitted.
"You'll get used to it," he shot her a reassuring smile.
While she didn't know if that would ever be the case, she couldn't stop herself from giving a weak smile in response. She understood why Division had to track her; they couldn't very well let trained assassins out loose in the world. It was a necessary security measure. As Amanda had explained upon Alicia graduating; the tracker had many purposes. Say, if a mission were to go awry, Division needed a method to locate captured Agents. But if Birkhoff could pull up access to it at any instant so could Division. They'll know we're together, realization donned on her like a hot poker. "Birkhoff," she paused, worry already creeping up on her, "what about your tracker?"
From her tone of voice Birkhoff could sense her apprehension. He was glad that she was so perceptive. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one paying attention to the little details. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked, mischief lacing his voice.
He had her interest, as he knew would happen, and she momentarily lost the look of concern. Her green eyes met his, curiosity sparkling behind them. "Of course I can," she remarked, "I am a secret."
"According to my tracker I'm safe and sound back in my apartment," he paired the information with a devious grin.
This news took a second to sink in, and when it did Birkhoff was rewarded with Alicia's astounded smile. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?" she marveled.
He chuckled, feeling comfortable in her presence. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he was safe when it came to sharing the aspects of how he was able to sneak around with her, without feeling paranoid. They were both at risk if they were caught together, and Alicia knew that. Despite the danger their interactions held she trusted the steps he was taking to keep them secret, and that was a good feeling for Birkhoff. Trust wasn't something that one ran across often in their line of work. When his eyes left the road to take her in, he was reminded of the incident in the parking lot. "Almost everything," he commented, "I didn't count on you going all Kill Bill on me back there."
"Sorry about that," she muttered, clearly embarrassed by the episode.
"What happened?" Seymour inquired. He'd been able to tell the moment she had released the choke hold on him that she was shaken by her actions. "You seemed out of sorts."
Her initial reaction was to shrug off the question and reply with some vague answer. But the second she met his navy eyes that thought evaporated. As thankful as she was to Division for giving her a new life, it had also changed everything. Alicia felt like she was constantly wearing a mask. While she could still smile and laugh naturally, it didn't hold the same substance as it once would have. The only time she felt truly at ease was around Birkhoff, and she didn't quite know the reasons behind it. Something about him disarmed her, and she felt a flicker of her old self was still alive. So when she took in the genuine interest in his gaze she decided to answer freely. "I was on the run for years, and in that time I was pretty paranoid," she admitted. "Now that I'm back in the real world," she paused, "well, it's kind of intimidating."
Birkhoff was aware of how she'd lived for the six years leading up to her arrest. She'd lived under the radar, leaving no paper trail and never staying anywhere long. That type of lifestyle took a lot of looking over your shoulder and covering your tracks. While he desperately wanted to know more about Alicia's past, he didn't want to press for information. There'd come a time where they could talk about it, or so he hoped, but now wasn't it. "Six years is a long time to run," he said softly, giving a knowing nod.
She let out a breath, relaxing into the seat. Talking to him about it was oddly comforting. "Paying with a credit card, signing my name. . ." she shook her head, "it all just felt so wrong. Everything in me told me to get out of there, even though I knew that nothing was going to happen." Alicia watched as Birkhoff's eyes left hers long enough to type in the access code for the parking garage of her apartment. She didn't bother asking how he knew where she lived, or how he knew the code. It was Birkhoff after all. Instead she returned his sly smile with one of her own. "You know, for a techie you're pretty strong," she couldn't resist teasing him.
"Techie?" he scoffed, as she knew he would. "Babe, I am the Shadow Walker."
Birkhoff couldn't stop from smirking when he met her smile. "Well, Shadow Walker," Alicia looked out of her tinted windows towards the elevator door, "mind using those muscles to help me carry up groceries?"
He just laughed, putting the car into park before climbing out. She took that as a yes and followed suit. As she made her way to the trunk of the car she heard him open the back door, and watched as he pulled out what could only be a computer case. After slinging the bag over his shoulder he clicked open the trunk, looking up to her. "Catch," he chimed.
In a smooth move she snatched the keys he'd tossed her direction from the air, tucking them quickly into the purse slung over her shoulder. "Hey," a thought occurred to her, "where's your car?"
"Cars," he corrected her with a grin that would rival the Cheshire cat, "and they're at home. I took a taxi."
She didn't know what to do with that tidbit of information. Alicia knew that Division took care of their Agents, the credit card in her purse was proof of that, but she had the sneaking suspicion that Birkhoff had another means of money. While he could have easily covered his tracks when buying the laptop, she had a feeling that it hadn't been purchased on a Division issued card to begin with. He'd had something to do with Alfred and the apartment they were now about to go up to, and that had to be an expensive endeavor on his part. While she hadn't thought too deeply into it when he had owned up to the grand gestures, she found herself wondering about it now.
Her eyes took in the man at her side, brown grocery bags in his arms as they strolled towards the elevator. Birkhoff was a mystery to her. The man was a genius, clearly had a great deal of money and was crucial member of a secret government organization that bred assassin's such as herself. Yet here he was, helping her with a normal domestic task. While seeing him type in the passcode that opened the elevator didn't come as a surprise, the fact that he was with her was. What's he doing? She wondered, scanning him out of the corner of her eye as they sidled into the elevator. He could be anywhere he wanted to be right now, and he's with me? Alicia couldn't understand it, just like she couldn't understand the happy buzz that she felt at realizing the hoops he'd had to jump through to get to her.
Something about Seymour made her feel real, made her feel alive. His playful attitude, his eccentric ways and the way he addressed her so casually was like a breath of fresh air. He was something different; something special. So, when he typed in the code for her apartment and the doors slid open, she wasn't surprised that he let himself in. It felt natural to have him in her home and she followed him into the kitchen. They rested the bags on the island counter before finally looking at each other. "I'm going to put this stuff away," the words left her lips without a second thought, "make yourself comfortable."
"Don't mind if I do," he flashed a wink before waltzing into the living room. Birkhoff went straight to the couch, setting down his computer bag on the large L shaped couch. His eyes danced over the apartment as he went about setting up his computer things on the coffee table. Amanda really spared no expense, he couldn't help but think with a little frown. While he knew the layout of the spacious apartment like the back of his hand, the furnishings were all new to him. They were all high end and clearly expensive but that wasn't what bothered him. He could feel a hint of Amanda in everything in the apartment, and at the same time it all reflected what Alicia would enjoy most. The mixing of the two didn't sit well with him. Amanda paid enough attention to Alicia to understand her tastes and it made him worry once more for the young woman.
From her spot in the kitchen she could see Birkhoff in the living room. It didn't surprise her to find he'd somehow smuggled some computer things into the back seat of Alfred. He'd played a hand in getting the vehicle, and she had a strong suspicion that he more than likely had his own set of keys. Alicia tucked a box of cereal up into the cupboard, finishing the task of stocking her kitchen with the food she'd purchased. "I was going to make something to eat," Alicia's voice carried across the room, breaking Birkhoff's attention away from the screen in front of him, "are you hungry?"
He turned to look over his shoulder and his eyes landed on her, lost in the moment. She stood, hands on the island counter that separated the open kitchen from the living room, her eyes trained on him. Her hair fell over her shoulders in long auburn waves, green eyes sparkling. It was as much the question as the beautiful young woman asking it that made his heart skip a beat. "Ah-" he caught himself, clearing his mind, "yeah that'd be great."
When she went straight to work, going through the cupboards she'd just stocked moment ago, he returned his eyes to the screen in front of him. While he didn't have any missions for the next two days, or at least none scheduled, he knew he wasn't off the hook. Outside of Division he didn't have much of a life, and it wasn't exactly a secret. Even when he was in the comfort of his home, or apartment according to his tracker, he would slip in a few hours of work. It would have looked unusual for him to be at home all afternoon without having logged onto the server to monitor things.
The moment they'd arrived at Alicia's apartment he'd gotten straight to business. He ran his routine checks on the system, going through the motions of his usual activities. Seymour was a man whose life revolved around little details. Everything he did was precise and thorough. When he did a job he did it right the first time; that included making sure that his and Alicia's relationship remained a secret. Relationship, the word caused him to raise his eyes from the screen. In the large windows that formed the eastern wall he could see the reflection of Alicia hard at work in the kitchen.
Look, don't touch, his mind rang out. But as his eyes tracked her every movement he knew it was far too late for that. He'd gotten to his feet before he realized what he was doing, and this time he didn't stop himself. With resolve he quickly closed covered the distance that separated him and Alicia. His feet carried him all the way into the kitchen and right up to her. She heard him approach and looked up, one hand on the frying pan that sat on the stove, the other tucking her hair back behind her ear. Alicia's mouth opened to say something, but it never made it out.
Birkhoff's arms were around her before she had the chance to react. The food she'd just been cooking forgotten, the only thing she was aware of any more was the way that he dipped her back as his lips closed in on hers. The moment their lips met her mind went blank. She was frozen for a moment, trying to process what exactly what happening. Before she had a chance to Birkhoff pulled back, his navy eyes shining as he stared down into hers. "I've wanted to do that for a long time," he said, voice surprisingly smooth.
Alicia didn't know what to say, what to do. Every instinct was screaming out that it was a trap. Lesson One: don't get attached. Every member of Division had this pounded into their minds from their very first day. It wasn't a secret that, while Agents were allowed to have physical relations, having an actual relationship was strictly off limits. If it wasn't for the purpose of a mission or part of your cover then it was potentially dangerous. Those who didn't follow the rules were punished, and Division was not an organization that was afraid to make that punishment death.
"Birkhoff-" she breathed, faltering as she tried to find the words to say. Once more he lowered his lips to hers, shutting out whatever she might say next. This time when he kissed her she let go. She allowed the sensation of his arms around her, holding her up as he dipped her, to override the worry. Birkhoff could feel her return the kiss as she relaxed into his hold. He slowly eased her back up, head bowed as he kissed her.
A hissing noise caused the two to pull apart, their eyes snapping to the source of the sound. On the stove the abandoned pan sizzled from the food that it held. On instinct Alicia moved to tend to the pan before the stir fry she'd been preparing could be ruined. Birkhoff withdrew his hands from her, taking a slight step back as he watched her snatch up a wooden spoon and stir the contents of the pan. His eyes darted over her face, taking in the composed expression she wore as she focused on the slow stirring of the food she was now engrossed in. "That smells good," he said softly, not sure how to go about handling the situation.
"Thanks," Alicia responded easily, turning her face to flash him a small smile. As much as she wanted to behave naturally she knew that the smile hadn't reached her eyes, and she quickly averted her attention back to the stove. All of the control she usually held over her emotions had dissipated and she knew it had everything to do with Birkhoff. The man broke down her defenses, and that was something that had never happened before. The lighthearted attitude she always possessed allowed her to seem free with people, but in reality it also allowed her maintain a safe distance emotionally. She'd never had to read into the smiles she gave people because, well, she smiled at everyone.
"Hey," he reached out and placed his hand on her arm, stopping her from stirring the food any longer, "talk to me."
Her eyes flashed over to him, a nervous feeling taking over. The familiar prickle of dread danced in her veins and she couldn't let it go. Birkhoff had kissed her, Birkhoff had kissed her and she had wanted it. The simple revelation ruined everything. But staring into his eyes she couldn't hide behind a smile. "Of course," she muttered weakly, eyes flickering away.
His eyes danced over her face, a level of frustration growing as he did. He didn't know what he was supposed to say. This wasn't something he'd seen coming, but now that he'd done it he couldn't very well just leave it be. "Well you haven't slapped me yet," Birkhoff sighed, "I guess there's that."
"I don't know what to do!" she breathed before she could stop herself. The moment the words left her lips she knew she couldn't leave it at that. Seymour was still standing close, and the feel of his eyes on the side of her face was too much to ignore. "I don't even know what just happened!" she turned her eyes on him, shaking her head in exasperation.
The expression on her face said it all, and Birkhoff quickly realized that this was something that needed to be discussed. He'd kissed her on impulse but he knew that it was something he'd been fighting against himself with for a long time. "Alicia-"
"Don't," she groaned, "you don't have to say anything."
"Have it your way," he shrugged, a hint of a smirk already on his lips. In a smooth movement he closed the already small gap between them. His hand quickly found the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair, and he tipped her head back as he pressed his lips to hers.
She hadn't expected him to kiss her again, and her initial response was to push him away. Her free hand rose up to his chest, preparing to do just that, but it never happened. The moment her hand landed on his chest something happened. She could feel his heart beating, the heat from his chest radiating through the graphic tee he wore. Instead of pushing him away her fingers instead splayed out over his chest, wanting to take as much of his delicious heat as she could. His mouth worked against hers and this time she couldn't relax. Rather, she matched his pace, her own lips accepting the kiss he offered.
Birkhoff's arm slipped around her slender waist, pulling her closer up against him, trapping her hand between their chests. The wooden spoon she'd been holding clattered to the floor, her hand gliding up his arm to rest on his bicep. The pent up tension they'd both been ignoring broke free and the kiss quickly turned passionate. Tongue exploring her mouth Birkhoff took her in, a little growl forming in his throat. He bent forward, shifting his arm down to hook beneath her ass. Without breaking his mouth away from hers he lifted her feet from the ground, stepping forward to set her on the counter beside the stove.
Alicia's legs spread open, making room for Birkhoff to step up between them, bringing their bodies close as he continued his heated assault on her mouth. Moving on their own accord his hands moved, finding their way to her love handles. Her hands were now in his shaggy hair, mouth moving against his. She could feel the heat from his skin as his hands crept under her shirt, meeting the soft skin of the dip in her waist. The impulse to work her hands up his own shirt overtook her, and she started to mover her hands to do just that when she realized what she was doing.
Breathless and dizzy she drew her mouth away from his. Just as she looked up his blue eyes snapped open, burning just as brightly as her own. For a minute she was lost in those eyes. She'd never imagined the passion that was contained in the man, and it seeped into her like some sort of drug. It took her a moment to catch her breath, watching as a hungry smile took over his lips. "Birkhoff," she breathed, coming back down to earth "this is crazy."
Her words only made him chuckle. "I can do crazy," he moved to kiss her again.
She inched her head back, trying to give him a scolding stare. "I'm serious Birkhoff," her words still came out all breathy.
"Seymour," he corrected her, voice a purr.
"Birkhoff, Seymour, Shadow Walker-" Alicia managed to draw up a serious tone, "whatever the name, it doesn't change the fact that this is-"
"-crazy," he finished for her with a little nod. Seeing that she wasn't about to let him kiss her again he let out a slow breath. He knew what it was that she was trying to say. Just a few hours ago he'd been thinking the same thing. And yet he didn't care anymore. He couldn't turn around and take it back now and frankly he didn't want to. So instead he eased his hands out from under her shirt, placing them instead on the counter top on either side of her legs. "It is," he agreed. But he didn't pull away; he remained in front of her, peering steadily into her eyes.
A million panicked thoughts raced through her mind. She didn't even know which one to start with. "We can't be doing this," she whispered instead, mortified at all the ideas of what could happen if they were found out that bounced around inside her head.
"Why?" he questioned, tilting his head to the side. His shaggy hair had slipped out from behind his ear, and a few strays fell against the side of his face. "Let me guess; Division?" he threw the answer out for her.
"Yes Division," she agreed a groan. When he only smiled she couldn't help but think he wasn't taking things seriously. "If they found out-"
"They won't," he cut her off, "I won't let them." When she opened her mouth to object he silenced her with a finger to her lips. The way her eyes narrowed was irresistibly cute and Birkhoff couldn't help but smile. "This is Shadow Walker you're dealing with babe," he assured her, lowering his finger from her mouth, "I built the system that would catch us."
Alicia stared at him, going over the words. From what she knew of Birkhoff it was true; he had built the system. While he wasn't the one who sat around and monitored it, he was aware of what it was that they kept an eye out for. She knew that he wouldn't be standing in her apartment if he wasn't positive that no one would find out he was there. He was a man whose entire life was ruled by exact precision. Every aspect of his work required attention to the details. If he said that he could make it so they were undetectable than it was the truth.
Even knowing this it didn't remove the sense of foreboding in her veins. He could see the hesitation in her eyes. "It's more than that," she let out a heavy sigh. Why am I the voice of reason here? She wondered, shying her eyes away from his.
"What is it then?" Birkhoff pressed for an answer. From the kiss they'd shared he knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. There was not a shadow of doubt in his mind that she felt the same invisible pull.
She scrambled for a way to put it into words. Why, her thoughts cried out, why did I have to meet him now? It seemed cruel that after years of living off of couches she met the one man who made her feel alive at Division. While she owed her life to the organization, quite literally, it restricted her in ways she'd never experienced before. Alicia didn't have time to answer before her nose picked up on the scent of smoke. "It's burning," she realized out loud.
"What?" Birkhoff asked, the answer confusing him.
"The food," she shot back. Moving quickly she got to her feet, sending him stumbling back a step. Even as she did smoke began to billow up from the food that burnt in the pan. Snatching it from the burner she held the pan in the air for a moment, watching as the grey plumes rose from the food.
He snatched it quickly from her grasp the moment he made sense of the situation. With a few steps he was at the sink, pouring the burning food into it. Birkhoff turned on the water, dousing the ruined dinner. Following his lead she took the empty pan back from him, shutting off the burner as she placed the frying pan away from the heat. For a second they were silent, just staring at each other, before he ran a hand through his tousled hair. "If it's not about getting caught then what is it?" he asked, not allowing himself to be distracted.
She couldn't meet his eyes. Not with the thoughts going through her mind. "It's the job," she admitted quietly. Everything always came back to Division.
"Tell me and we can figure something out," Birkhoff tried at a small smile, "I am a genius after all."
"You know better than anyone what I do on missions."
He furrowed his brow, not understanding why she was worried about that. "Some people have to die," he shrugged, "I know you're just doing your job."
She met his eyes, wondering if he was actually taking this seriously. He has to know, she thought, frustrated that she had to say it out loud. "I don't care about killing people," she groaned, exhaling a frustrated breath. Alicia couldn't help but think how it would be so much simpler if he just took a second and thought about what he was proposing. "I have to seduce people Birkhoff," she threw her hands up in frustration. "One word from Division and I could be sent out on an Operation for months," the words came tumbling out. They'd been the only ones keeping her back from looking too deeply into the bond quickly forming with her former IT instructor. "What then? What happens when I have to shack up with someone as part of my cover?"
The words sunk into Birkhoff's skin and burrowed there, making themselves at home. She's right, his conscious pushed at him. He got aggravated every time he had to watch one of the missions where she had to seduce a target. Amanda had pegged her as a clear favorite, and the type of missions she favored often had to do with emotional espionage. The image of the lemon yellow dress flitted into his mind, and he met Alicia's emerald green eyes. All it took was one look at those wide eyes and he knew that he was a goner. It was too late for him, too late not to feel the familiar tug of jealousy at picturing her with anyone else.
He'd known what her position at Division entailed ever since the first day he'd teased her about the yellow dress. It hadn't stopped him yet, and he wouldn't let it stop him now. Like he'd told himself all that time ago: She's just doing her job. His job was to watch over and made sure nothing went wrong, but it'd become more than that. All the words he whispered into her earpiece were as much for him as they were for her. "If that happens then I'll be right where I've always been; watching over you and whispering in your ear."
Before she could question his sincerity his hands were on either side of her face, pulling her in for a chaste kiss. He pressed his lips to hers, driving the point home, before pulling back to look into her startle eyes. "Nothing is going to change when it comes to work," he assured her. "If anything it'll make things better," he gave her a small smile. "When the bastards have their paws on you I get to be smug knowing you'd rather be back home with me."
The way his navy eyes gazed into hers pierced deep into her soul. It was crazy, it was insanity, but it was something that she desperately wanted. She'd never had a home, and she most certainly never had anyone to come home to. Now, looking at Birkhoff before her, she felt like she just may have found it. He was right after all; he'd always been watching over her. While they hadn't admitted it up to this point, neither could deny that they'd always been thinking about the other during Operations. "I've never been in a relationship," she admitted weakly, her final line of defense.
"Never?" he breathed, slightly taken aback by this information.
Alicia gave a little embarrassed nod. The incredulity in his voice wasn't lost on her. "I was never in one place long enough," she breathed, "so I just avoided them altogether."
"There's no way a stone cold fox like you could be a virgin," Seymour couldn't refrain from making the remark.
Her cheeks picked up a lovely red hue. "I never said I was," she huffed, reaching up to ease his hands away from her face. "I've just never been in a relationship," she tucked a rouge strand of hair behind her ear as her eyes flickered away from his in embarrassment. "I wouldn't know where to start."
If anyone had told him that this young woman was a lethal government assassin, and he didn't know better, he would have called them crazy. The look on her face was priceless, and he felt no need to resist the urge to take her into his arms. She quickly pursed her lips in frustration when he smiled a wolfish grin down at her, and he had to refrain from chuckling at the sight. Alicia was simply adorable and he realized that while she controlled her emotions so well at Division around him that guard was lowered completely. He'd do anything for one of those smiles of hers he loved so much and he knew just how to get one. "How about we start by ordering some food," he teased, "I'm starving."