Dinner was to be held at a nice steakhouse, the kind of place that served cuts of meat that cost more than a week's worth of salary and cocktails she'd never even heard of. She didn't choose it or know anything about it, since she had let Hendricks put in their reservation long before she landed in Hong Kong. At least they had a private room where no one could eavesdrop on their conversations, and they didn't have to pretend to be anything they weren't for a night – however, there would be no talk of work, not that anyone ever brought up the name MI6 in public anyway. They were all contractually obligated to stay quiet.

She threw on a dark green dress, not nearly as formal as her work attire but still very modest, and made her way to the hotel bar where she had told Tiago to meet her. Being a bit bored and self-conscious, she sat down and ordered scotch on the rocks. All they had available was Glenfiddich 12 year, which wouldn't have been her first choice, but she nursed it as she waited for her young colleague to join her. Her mind wandered to the Macau mission, and her heart fluttered a bit in her chest as she contemplated her first field assignment in years. The armory was going to outfit her and Tiago with two 9mm Rugers just in case something disastrous were to happen, even though that seemed incredibly unlikely. It would only be one day without paperwork and meetings but she was thrilled to be in the field again.

Despite being deep in her thoughts she heard footsteps drawing nearer and turned to see Tiago walking into the bar. She took one look at him and her jaw nearly dropped.

"No." was all she could say as he got closer to her, "You have to change your outfit."

"What? No good?"

"Tiago, what in the world are you wearing? That is beyond inappropriate."

He grinned, "You don't like it?"

He stopped and did a little twirl like a model and stood with his arms out. He was wearing a satin leopard print shirt which was half unbuttoned and exposed most of his chest, some extremely tight black trousers, three gaudy purple Swatch watches on his wrist and gold rimmed aviator sunglasses. If he didn't look like a gigolo before he certainly did now.

"Oh my goodness, you look like you're going for a night out on the town in Ibiza rather than a nice dinner! Go change your outfit!"

He only grinned wider, "I didn't bring that many clothes, ma'am, and I need the more subdued stuff for the daytime, so what's the issue?"

Olivia sighed and rubbed her eyes, "You're unbelievable, Rodriguez." she muttered.

"Can I get one too?" he asked, pointing to her drink.

"Fine." she said and asked the bartender for another.

Tiago pulled out the stool next to her and sat down, tapping his fingers on the bar and smiling at her expectantly.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked as the bartender sat the drink down, the amber liquid sloshing over the ice and landing on the bar top.

"I just feel like I'm finally living the life!" he said, "This is exactly what I dreamed of when I came to work for you. It's much better than being in some training exercise back in London."

Olivia laughed, "Remind me you said that when you get your first injury in the field."

She could remember when she felt like him, just a young girl so eager to serve her country and have adventures in foreign lands. What she was left with was shrapnel permanently stuck in her ribs and a nasty raised keloid scar on her left hip from when she was once stabbed during a mission gone awry. For what it was worth, she had far less scars than most other former field agents. The one good thing about being a woman was that certain men were less inclined to damage her physically, somehow their chivalry overrode their brutish nature even when confronted with betrayal. Even amongst the men who wanted to see her suffer, none had ever touched her face – it was too taboo to take that from a woman. She knew of some male agents who weren't so lucky.

Tiago shrugged and sipped his scotch, his mouth puckering as the bitterness hit him. "You like this?" he asked.

"It's an acquired taste. Keep drinking it and one day you'll like it too."

He made a face of distaste but took another sip, "It could be worse." he grinned at her again, "You look lovely, by the way."

She was caught off guard by his compliment, and nearly choked on her drink.

"Thank you, but I don't need the flattery. This is an old dress and –"

"The dress is nice." he said, interrupting her, "The color suits you very well, ma'am."

Olivia shook her head but smiled at him, deciding to play along, "Well that's more than I can say about your outfit."

"You really don't think I look good?" he laughed, "This shirt cost a fortune!"

"A waste of money!" she shook her head, "Come on. Finish your drink and let's get going."

They got into a cab and she gave the driver the address, fearing what the final fare would be since it was so far across town. She and Tiago didn't say much on the ride, but she noticed that he bounced his knee in excitement and looked out the window in wonder at all the brightly lit skyscrapers. She found his naivete charming, if not a little concerning. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that this boy was about to become a double-0, with a license to kill and a free range wherever he went. The thought was almost unsettling.

When they arrived at the restaurant she spotted Agent Lau standing out front, smoking a cigarette and having a conversation with the Operations Manager who was called Mr. Zhao; he was a rather rotund middle aged man, and clearly not cut out for field work anymore so he had been transferred to overt operations. That being said, he was always professional and knowledgeable, and Olivia was happy that he was the overseer of Station H.

As they stepped out of the cab Olivia could see the look of bewilderment on Lau and Zhao's faces as they caught sight of Tiago's outfit. Suddenly she felt so embarrassed, especially when she saw how good the two other men looked in their subdued black suits. She should have just told him to change! After a moment Lau grinned and put his hand out, "Nice to see you again." he said as he shook Tiago's hand.

Mr. Zhao turned to Olivia, "Ma'am! So glad you could make it out to Hong Kong."

"I'm glad to be back, it's just unfortunate it's under these circumstances."

"I know." he said, reaching out to grab her hand, "Things can only get better, right?"

"Well, I certainly hope so."

After they all made some small talk and Lau had finished smoking they went inside, and Olivia found herself impressed with the venue Hendricks chose. It was modern and sleek inside, with dark red walls and hardwood floors, and smelled of cooking meat and cigar smoke. The private room they reserved was already packed with people, the booze flowing freely with almost a dozen bottles of already opened wine lining the long table. The bill was going to be outrageous, and Olivia thought of all the citizens who had no idea their tax dollars were going to such frivolous pursuits. At least I didn't start this stupid tradition, she thought.

Tiago followed Agent Lau to a gathering of younger colleagues towards the back of the room, and Olivia sighed in relief knowing that she wouldn't have to babysit him tonight. She spotted Hendricks already sitting down near the head of the table, so she went and sat next to him, Zhao following suit and sitting on her other side. It seemed fitting, the three most powerful people in the room all sat together and ready to receive an audience if need be.

The night was off to a good start. There were seafood towers and a number of hor d'oeuvres being passed around, and eventually trays full of champagne began making their way into the room. Hendricks grabbed two flutes of champagne and handed one to Olivia.

"I hope it's alright if I make a quick toast?" he asked her.

"Of course, go ahead."

Hendricks stood and tapped his glass with a fork, the chime of it ringing across the room.

He cleared his throat and lifted up the flute, "Everyone, I just wanted to make a quick toast to our gracious M, who was kind enough to visit us at a moment's notice. We're all very appreciative of you, and hope for many more years of service under your guidance."

There were chants of "Here, here," and Olivia felt herself blushing. She hoped her concealer would hide the extra color in her face, but she smiled demurely and tried to act coy. Hendricks smiled down at her before continuing.

"And I also wanted to make a toast to our fallen colleagues – Agent Chen and Agent Ellsworth, who I wish were here with us instead. May they rest in peace." Hendricks lifted his glass one more time before cheering, "Cheers!"

There was a chorus of "Cheers" and clinking of glasses, and Hendricks sat back down.

"Thank you, ma'am. It seemed only appropriate." he told her as he reached for a cold prawn on his plate.

"No, thank you Mr. Hendricks, you've been handling the situation here so well." Olivia made a mental note that she would have to review his salary and raise it if possible. He was one of her best assets and should be treated as such.

Olivia drank her champagne, and then had a second. The main course was eventually served and she had a glass of cabernet sauvignon with her Wagyu steak – a glass Mr. Zhao was constantly refilling for her. Even the food in her stomach couldn't soak up all the alcohol and she felt herself growing very lightheaded as the night went on.

The room was noisy as it was, with boisterous conversations all around her, but through her mental fog she could hear one voice much louder than the rest. Of course it was Tiago Rodriguez, yammering away, slurring something to one of the other young agents. It was almost impossible to tell what he was saying since his inebriation was making his accent very thick.

From across the room Olivia tried to shoot him a look, but he was oblivious. His raucous voice was really starting to annoy her, since she couldn't even hear what Mr. Zhao was saying right next to her. When he went to pour her another glass of wine Olivia stopped him by placing her hand over her glass, "I think I've had enough." she told him, "Any more and I might be sick."

Desserts were then passed around, everything from little chocolate cakes to macarons to various fruit mousses. When they brought her the bill she had to do a double take, squinting at the small print. The bill was in Hong Kong dollars, but she knew it was going to convert into many thousands of British pounds – and when she handed over her credit card she scoffed internally at the ridiculous expense. At least it seemed as if everyone had a good time, and in these trying times perhaps that was all that mattered.

As the night came to a close the guests all said their goodbyes to her, shaking her hand and thanking her profusely for the delicious meal. Soon there were only a few stragglers left, and Olivia sighed in relief that the night was nearly over. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Agent Lau, who stood with a look of amusement on his face.

"I think I need help with Mr. Rodriguez." he said sheepishly, and pointed to Tiago who was begging one of the servers for another drink, despite the service having completely ended.

"My god." she muttered, before standing up on wobbly legs and making her way over to him

"It's time to go, Tiago." she told him, "Drink service has ended and so has dinner, if you haven't noticed. We must be getting back to the hotel."

Tiago shook his head, "Just one more, ma'am?" he slurred.

"You're downright pissed." she said angrily at him, not caring who heard her, "That's enough, we are leaving."

He blew air out of his mouth, "Pfft." but went to stand, and much to Olivia's horror he promptly fell down, knocking some silverware and plates off the table. The few people left in the room all turned to look at him as he fell with a thud against the hardwood floor.

Olivia was mortified and looked towards the men to help her.

"Can one of you help me get him in a cab?" she asked, and Lau came running to her rescue.

Mr. Zhao furrowed his brow and whispered to Hendricks, "I'm not sure what she was thinking hiring that one." but it was loud enough for her to hear. She felt her cheeks burning, and it wasn't just from the alcohol.

Hendricks also came over, and he and Lau pulled Tiago up at the shoulders, draping his arms around their necks so they could take him outside.

"I'm fine!" he yelled, "Really, I'm fine, I can walk!"

"Let's not take any chances." Hendricks said flatly, and Olivia followed all the men up to the street. They hailed the first cab they could and the two men threw Tiago in the backseat, apparently much to his dismay as he started wailing that he needed another drink.

"Thank you, gentlemen, for helping." Olivia said, shaking her head and trying to hide her humiliation, "I'll see you all tomorrow."

Olivia climbed in next to Tiago in the backseat and told the driver to take them to their hotel. She glared at him and he giggled to himself.

"Tiago, did you have to drink so much?" she says, but her own voice is lilted by her tipsiness and she comes out sounding much less serious than she had hoped.

"I wasn't the only person drinking!" he huffed, "Everyone was drinking!"

"And no one was as drunk as you!"

She can see the cab driver is now looking back at them with concerned eyes, realizing his clients are totally sloshed and now fighting in his backseat.

"It's just a bit of fun, ma'am." Tiago says and then belches, making Olivia reel in anger.

"It's not just a bit of fun! This is a work trip and I expect you to act professionally. Maybe your time at MI6 is over, Mr. Rodriguez, as I've really had enough of you embarrassing me at every turn!"

He shakes his head, "You wouldn't do that."

"Excuse me?"

"You wouldn't fire me. I bring too much to the table."

"You flatter yourself, Mr. Rodriguez, as if there aren't a dozen young men capable of taking your position at this very moment." she tells him, "Who exactly do you think you're talking to, anyway? I can put you on a plane tomorrow morning and be rid of you if I wanted. You're on thin ice, and this is your last shot to prove to me that you can handle this kind of work before you're terminated. There's to be no more episodes like tonight. Is that understood? I've given you every chance to succeed and time after time you fail me."

"Fail you?" he says, "I'd never want to do that, ma'am."

"Well, that's what you're doing with these antics." she says, and sits back in her seat, trying to cool off.

When they reach their hotel she gives the cab driver a hefty tip and has to help Tiago out of the car. He staggers to his feet and stumbles a bit, but she gets him inside and into the lift without much of a problem.

Once the doors swing open on the 17th floor she can hear a gurgling noise, and as she tries to hustle Tiago out of the lift he stops suddenly, "I think I'm going to be sick." he said, bracing his hands on the entrance of the lift, keeping the doors from closing and the making the buzzer ding over and over again.

And then he was sick alright, all over his expensive shirt and on the skirt of her nice dress.

It takes all her resolve not to scream at him and wake the entire hotel, but when he collapses to the floor she feels panic rising in her chest. She doesn't think she's strong enough to move him and she's all alone with no help.

"Tiago? Get up! Can you get up?"

"Argh," he winces, "Just a second."

After a moment he pushes himself up with his arms, standing to his feet but still shaky.

"You need to drink water, Tiago. Come with me." she says, eyeing her now ruined dress as she opens the door to her hotel room. She grabs a complimentary stryofoam cup and fills it with water from the tap, handing to him, "Now drink." she said.

"Thank you." he says softly, almost a whimper.

"You see what drinking too much does?" she tells him, still feeling the effects of the wine herself, and finds herself stepping towards him an unbuttoning his ruined shirt.

Tiago just looks at her through heavy lidded, red rimmed eyes as she removes the soiled clothing from his body. He doesn't protest, and instead when she's done he sits down on her sofa, removes his shoes and socks, and quietly sips his water. She feels herself soften a bit by seeing how pathetic he looks, like a sick puppy in need of attention.

"I'm sorry to have screamed at you, but I'm at the end of my rope here." she told him, and it was true. She had no idea why she was giving him as many chances as she had, it was not the sort of thing she'd ever give anyone else the benefit of. "You can wash up in the sink. I have some paracetamol if you need it. Why don't you sleep on the sofa tonight? I'm concerned about you being in your room all alone when you're this drunk." she tells him, wondering if he heard any of it because he's just sitting with his head in his hands.

She snuck back to her bedroom and shimmied out of her dress, throwing on an old sleeping gown that was at least very unassuming, and prepared herself for bed in the bathroom. Olivia was also starting to feel nausea rising in her stomach, and hoped sleep might prevent any further issues. With only her bare hands she tried to clean off the fabric of her dress but it became apparent that wasn't working, and unless a dry cleaner could work some magic it was pretty much ruined.

Feeling incredibly drained she went back to check on Tiago one last time, and he was in the same position, just sitting with his head in his hands. She slipped away again and crawled into her bed, switching her lamp off and lying her pounding head down on the cold pillow, hoping sleep would come soon.

A few minutes later she heard her bedroom door creak open, and a loud thump on the floor followed. She bolted upright to see the form of Tiago sitting on the floor of her bedroom, rubbing his temples.

"What are you doing?" she asked, she squinted in the dark at his outline which was only illuminated by the artificial light filtering through her window.

"Ma'am?" he murmured.

"Yes?"

He paused for a moment, still rubbing his head, "Can I join you?"

"What?"

"Can I just lay next to you? For a little while."

"Why? What are you on about? Get back on the sofa. Go to sleep now!"

There was another pause, "I'm just lonely." he said sadly, "Just for tonight."

Olivia's eyes adjusted and she could make him out better in the dark. She had almost forgot how young he was, a boy not even in his twenty first year. He looked like such a mess, sitting there on the floor in only his trousers, his eyes inflamed and reeking of booze. This was the furthest he'd ever been from home, and in this moment she was the only thing he had.

Had she been sober she would have never considered it, but he seemed like such a lost little boy. I doubt he'll even remember tonight, considering how much he drank, she thinks to herself.

"Alright. Come here." she says, and she can barely believe the words have left her mouth.

Tiago smiled softly and staggered to his feet, easing his way into her bed and under the covers.

"Thank you, ma'am." he whispered, and curled up by her side.

Olivia wanted to recoil at first as she felt him lay his head against her shoulder, and she gasped audibly when he swung his arm around her middle. Against her instincts she let him settle into her. His breathing was ragged from intoxication, but there was a little smile on his face. She waited mere minutes before he was snoring, and she hoped that while he was deep in sleep he would not throw up on her again. She disengaged herself from his arms and rolled on to her side, trying to pretend that Tiago wasn't in her bed so she could at least attempt to get some sleep. It wasn't long before she passed out, too exhausted and too drunk to keep thinking about the predicament she was in.

When she awoke she felt a hot breath on the back of her neck, and when she turned over sure enough there he was, still lying next to her. Last night had not been a dream.

His hair was askew and his mouth was hanging open, but even in his hungover slumber he was still so handsome. Olivia took a few moments to just stare at him. She wanted to reach out and touch his neck but stopped herself.

She glanced at the alarm clock and sucked in her breath. It was 9:26 AM and they were supposed to be at a meeting by 10 AM.

Olivia then started shaking him, "Tiago? Wake up, we're going to be late!"

"Huh?" he said with a start, rubbing his eyes, clearly still out of sorts, "What's happening?"

"Get out of bed! We have a meeting. I have to shower - you go back to your room and get ready! No leopard print today!"

He sat up, rubbing his hand over his face, "A meeting?"

"Yes, a meeting! Go back to your room now!" she yelled, jumping out of bed and nearly running to the bathroom.

She turned the shower on to let it warm up and dumped the contents of her makeup bag out on the vanity counter, all the while the sounds of Tiago's pained moans filled her ears.

"I don't feel good." he almost whimpered, "My head hurts!"

"Then take some paracetamol and get yourself together!" she yelled from the bathroom, "I mean it! Go get ready!"

He huffed and dragged himself out of bed, shuffling out into the hallway and letting the front door slam shut. Olivia sighed and shucked off her pajamas, jumping in the shower and soaping herself up as quickly as she could. Truth be told she was also feeling quite terrible, and she had a dull ache that settled in behind her eyes. The only thing fueling her right now was adrenaline, and as she rinsed herself off she found herself wishing to be back in bed, even if that meant having Tiago next to her.

Once she was rinsed off, she hopped out and got dried and dressed in record time, throwing on her makeup as quickly as she could, and by the end of it she felt like she looked fairly presentable. After putting on her heels and grabbing her purse she left in search of Tiago's room, only to enter it and be greeted with a huge cloud of Drakkar Noir looming in the air. She coughed violently, "Tiago, are you ready?" she called to him.

He emerged from the bathroom while trying to tuck his shirt in and pull up his trousers, his shirt unbuttoned and hair barely combed.

"We're going to be so late!" she yelled, but found herself rushing towards him to help button his shirt up.

"I need a drink." he said, rubbing his temples as she tried to help him, "Hair of the dog."

"Not a chance in hell." she told him, finishing up his buttons, "Put a tie on! Do you need me to do that, too?"

He frowned, "Not necessary, mother." he said, and went to his luggage to retrieve the said tie. Olivia shook her head as she waited for him. He tied it around his neck, then put on his shoes at a snail's pace.

"Tiago, this is so unprofessional." she muttered.

"Oh, come on." he whined, "I wasn't the one who bought all that wine."

"You didn't have to drink it all!"

Tiago shook his head, grabbed his wallet and watch, and then grabbed her by the elbow, "Let's go."

Normally she would yell at a subordinate to unhand her but didn't have it in her this morning. Olivia looked down at her own watch which read 9:49. There was not a chance in hell they were making this meeting.

They made it down the hall and into the elevator, where a well dressed man was already inside. Olivia noticed him eyeing Tiago up derisively, probably due to the overwhelming stench of his cologne. She felt the stinging feeling of embarrassment again but tried to ignore it. When the elevator opened on the ground floor she felt Tiago pulling her forward, and before she had time to respond she realized he was dragging her to the hotel bar.

"Tiago! I said no!"

Tiago continued dragging her along anyway and made her saddle up near the cash register. Since they were the only people there at such an early hour, the bartender walked over and asked them what they wanted.

"Give me two screwdrivers." Tiago said, handing him a wad of cash.

"Two? First off, we don't have time for this and second off, that's way too much for this early in the morning!" she told him.

He rolled his eyes, "Well one is for you, obviously."

"What!?"

Before she knew it, they were served two screwdrivers with a skewer of orange wedges and cherries as a garnish. Tiago picked his up and motioned towards her, "Salud!" he said, and downed the whole thing in one long gulp.

Olivia was frankly appalled.

"For God's sake, Tiago, I don't need you drunk for this."

"I'm not going to be drunk, it's just to take the edge off. Now drink this or we'll be even later." he said, while picking up her glass and handing it to her.

She couldn't believe this was happening right now. She took a large gulp and put it down. "I can't finish it." she told him.

Without missing a beat Tiago picked up the glass and downed the rest of her drink. He smiled, "Let's go now."

As they hurried out the lobby doors to hail a cab, Olivia couldn't help but scowl at him.

The day hadn't gone as badly as she thought it would despite being so late. They were briefed on what to expect in Macau and given their ferry tickets, not to mention getting a rundown of Casino Lisboa which included a floor plan and some chips to use on the casino floor. They had got their guns and a few rounds of bullets, and Olivia had nearly forgot how powerful she felt with a gun in hand, despite being an all around terrible shot. Tiago had pulled himself together and remained professional all day, keeping his mouth shut for the most part and following orders. She was glad to see him finally doing the one thing he was hired to do.

After they were finished Olivia went back to the hotel while Tiago decided to explore the city. Truthfully she was glad to be rid of him, and enjoyed some hours of solitude, trying to prepare herself for the day that lie ahead. She made a call to Matthew and vented for a short time, and once she hung up she realized that she missed him terribly. The only thing she wanted was one of his strong bear hugs, but he was almost 10,000 kilometers away. For a bit after the phone call she sulked, sitting and drinking some herbal tea, letting homesickness wash over her.

But, as was becoming customary, there was a knock at her door around 19:00.

She knew it wasn't anyone other than Tiago, and she huffed under her breath as she went to the door. He stood there with a box in hand, smiling widely at her.

"I just wanted to apologize."

"Is that so?"

He scrunched up his face, "Yes - for not being able to hold down my liquor last night. I'm sure I embarrassed you. And I'm sorry about, erm, vomiting on your dress."

She sighed, "It's water under the bridge."

"Anyway," he said, "I brought you some lotus seed buns to try and make it up to you. I went back to the noodle house to pick them up, you seemed to really like them the other night."

Tiago pushed the box towards her and she hesitantly took it.

"You didn't have to do that but thank you."

"It was the least I could do." he said, "Do you mind if I come in?"

Olivia froze, "Why?"

"Oh, so we could chat for a bit. It's a bit boring being stuck in my room, I'm not in the mood to read and it's too early for bed."

She looked down at the box of pastries in her hand and figured maybe she could subdue him with the sweets.

"Alright." she said warily, "But not for long. We have a big day tomorrow."

He came in and took a seat on the sofa, and Olivia placed the box of buns down on the coffee table, opening the top and taking one for herself. "Feel free." she told him, and she sat down on the farthest end of the sofa, as far from him as she could get.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" he asked as he grabbed a lotus bun for himself.

Truthfully she was excited, but she wasn't about to let him know that.

"I'm just doing my duty." she said stoically, "If a job needs to get done, then one needs to rise to the occasion."

He nodded, "Yes, that makes sense."

He was about to relax back into his seat when he spotted Olivia's two passports on the coffee table. One read Helen Garcia, but she always had her real passport as backup, the one that read Olivia Mansfield and had all of her factual information on it.

Tiago picked them both up and fingered through them.

"You've been to quite a few places, Miss Olivia." he joked, her name rolling off his tongue in that damned accent of his, sounding much more sensual than it should.

"Please don't call me that." she was quick to say, "I'm just M to you."

"Or Mommy." he said grinning.

"You're incorrigible, Rodriguez." she said, rubbing her forehead, "Do you have to make everything a game?"

"Oh, well, I can say it makes life more fun that way." he said and bit into his bun, the custard once again getting all over him. Olivia cringed and looked away, not wanting to see his tongue trying to lick the substance off his lips.

"It makes everyone very uncomfortable." she said.

"And by everyone you mean you." he retorted.

Olivia has no comeback for that one.

"Would you like to play an actual game? I brought playing cards, we can try some Blackjack?" he asks her.

"Blackjack?" Olivia looks at the clock again, "Well maybe a few rounds. Not too late, remember?"

"Of course!" Tiago gets up and makes his way back to his room to get those cards he claimed to have. Olivia put her face in her hands while he was gone, wondering why she put up with him at all.

When he returns he insists that she be the dealer, even though Olivia hasn't played Blackjack in years, let alone with only two people. As they get few a through rounds it becomes apparent that Tiago is quite good at this game. So good that Olivia hasn't won a single round since the second hand. With the deck nearly gone she huffs as she loses again, when the truth dawns on her.

"Are you counting cards?" she says in a very accusatory manner.

He grins like a little boy who's been caught red handed.

"Tiago! You can't let your boss win once in a while?" Olivia throws down her remaining cards in mock outrage and smacks him on the shoulder.

"Forgive me, it was just too easy!" he laughs, "If we play again I'll play fair, alright?"

"You had better or you're in hot water!" Olivia says, gathering up all the cards, "You're the dealer this time, I'm done with that."

The next round goes more in her favor; and the round after that, and the round after that. When Olivia looks at the clock it's nearly 23:00 and she gasps.

"I'm sorry, Tiago, but it's really time you head back to your room. It's far later than I realized!"

Tiago pouts, "Is it alright if I stay here tonight? It's so lonely in my room."

"Oh please, last night was just because you were completely pissed."

He shrugs, "I know, but I liked waking up next to you."

Olivia unintentionally bit her lip as she imagined him in her bed again. There's really no reason for them to have a repeat of last night, but she feels a strange sense of guilt telling him to leave.

"You – you can sleep on the sofa if you really must. And you have to stay there." she concedes, "I'm going to get ready for bed."

She gets up and pads over to the bathroom, feeling her stomach flip at the thought of him sleeping in her room for another night. As she's brushing her teeth she can hear her front door swing open and slam shut, and wonders if maybe he changed his mind and went to his own room after all. Olivia changes into her pajamas, a set of shorts and a shirt made of blue cotton fabric, nothing special, nothing sexy that Tiago could misconstrue. As she finishes dressing she hears her door open and close again, and figures he must have gone to get something.

When she comes back out to check on him he's splayed across her couch with nothing but a pair of gym shorts on. Feeling as if the wind is knocked out of her she tries to keep her eyes off his bare, muscular legs and the expanse of his chest and abdomen. She trains her eyes on his face, "My alarm is set to go off at seven o'clock tomorrow. I expect you to be up as well. Goodnight."

He smiles and fluffs up the velvet green throw pillow under his head, "Goodnight, ma'am."

Olivia heads back to her bedroom, an image of herself slipping a hand down the elastic waistband of his shorts pops into her mind. Not this, not now, stop it.

She hops in bed, and surprisingly, sleep takes her easily. As soon as her head hits the pillow it's as if all the lights have been turned out.

It feels like mere moments later that a stirring on the side of her bed rouses her. She glances at the alarm clock – 1:43. She feels the bed sink and the warmth of a body next to her own.

"Tiago? Get out of here, go back to the sofa."

"It's too uncomfortable, ma'am." he says, "This is much better."

"You have your own bed, Tiago! Go to your own room if it's too uncomfortable!"

He rolls over and looks at her, his exhaustion written all over his face. He doesn't say anything at first and his eyes are starting to flutter closed, his long lashes twitching as he relaxes.

"Just for tonight?" he says weakly, his voice fading as he says it.

Olivia rubs her eyes, "That was what you said last night. Get the hell out of here!"

When she looks back at him his eyes are already closed, and she can tell that not only did he not hear what she said, but he wouldn't care anyway.

"Tiago?" she asks, but there is no answer. He's already asleep.

Well fuck me, she thinks, who the hell does he think he is?