A/N: Hope you're all having a lovely day. Here's some fun to ruin it. :P
Xoxo.
The case came unexpectedly, a high-profile tech investor suspected of embezzling funds through a series of underground deals, and Scorpion had been brought in to help gather intel. Easy. Right up their alley. The investor, Michael Ferris, was known for hosting extravagant parties, and tonight's event was no different. The team would gain entry to the party. Easy. Would get close enough to Ferris to clone his access card for the server room. Easy. Would gain entry to the server room and access the server. Easy peasy. Walter and Paige were tasked with going undercover as a married couple, attending one of Ferris's lavish parties to blend in with the wealthy crowd while gathering critical information from Ferris's private server.
Easy peasy… lemon difficult.
The premise was simple: pose as potential investors at the party, get close to Ferris so his server keycard could be remotely hacked, sneak into the server room and extract the data. Simple. But what wasn't simple - what never was, when it came to them - was the fact that Walter and Paige had to work closely together. Too closely. Intimately. And not for the first time.
They had both covered their shock and discomfort at the prospect well enough to not raise alarms, but, the rigidity in their stances, the slightest higher pitch to their voices, and the fully body internal trembling, showed just how off putting Katherine Cooper's assignment had been.
They couldn't argue it. Walter was the only one with the skill to hack the server in such a short time period, but without Paige, he'd blow his own cover within seconds.
As they prepared for the night, Walter found himself remembering another time they had gone undercover together. It had been at an art gala, and Paige had taught him how to dance, her body pressed close to his as she guided him through the steps. He could still remember the feel of her hand on his back, her voice soft in his ear, the way she had smiled at him when he'd finally gotten the hang of it. The way he had sacrificed the success of the mission to spend just a few more moments holding her. That night had been complicated, full of unspoken emotions, just like this one promised to be.
Only that time, neither of them even knew the extent of their own feelings for each other, let alone their counterpart's feelings for them.
The last time dancing with her hadn't come on the heels of nearly two months of dancing around each other, trying to not be anything more than friends.
When Paige stepped out of the hotel room where they had been prepping for the mission, Walter's breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a gown that shimmered like liquid silver under the soft lighting, the fabric hugging her curves in a way that was both elegant and undeniably sensual. The neckline dipped just low enough to hint at the delicate line of her collarbone, and the gown flowed gracefully to the floor, the high slit along the side revealing a glimpse of her toned leg with every step she took. Her hair was swept up, leaving her neck exposed, and her makeup was subtle but striking, accentuating the warmth of her skin and the brightness of her eyes.
Paige was, in a word, stunning.
Walter couldn't help but stare for a moment too long, several moments too long, his brain scrambling to process the sight of her. She looked every bit the sophisticated woman she needed to be for the role they were about to play, but underneath it all, it was still Paige, his Paige. His best friend. The woman he was desperately in love with. The woman who had become the most complicated part of his life. The woman he was already struggling with having fantasies about, before he saw her wearing that.
"I, uh… um, well um… wow. Paige, you uh, yeah."
He had no words. No intelligent ones anyway.
Paige gave him a small, knowing smile, the kind that sent his heart racing in a way he could never quite explain.
"You ready, Mr. O'Brien?" She asked, her voice soft but laced with the nerves that always seemed to linger between them.
Walter blinked, nodding stiffly.
"Y-yeah. Yes. Yes, mhmm. Yup." He stuttered, his voice sounding far more strained than he intended. "L-let's do this, Mrs. O'Brien."
She smirked at the obvious effect she was having on him, some part of it making her feel weightless, but she wouldn't call him out. If she did, she'd have to call herself out for the effect he was having on her dressed to the nines in his tailored tuxedo. The kind of effect he most certainly should not be having on her.
The mission had begun as smoothly as any undercover operation could. Tim and Cabe were busy working with Happy on a more physical aspect of the case, monitoring the external perimeters for any unexpected movements, while Sylvester and Toby stayed in the van, eyes glued to the cameras they'd set up to keep track of everything happening inside the lavish party.
They entered the party arm in arm, and the grandeur of the event was overwhelming. The ballroom was filled with glittering chandeliers and sleek, modern decor. The scent of expensive perfume mingled with the sound of soft jazz music drifting through the air, while waiters in crisp uniforms moved gracefully among the guests with trays of champagne and horderves. It was the kind of place that should have made Walter uncomfortable, but tonight, with Paige beside him, all he could focus on was her, her warmth, her presence, and the way her hand rested so naturally on his arm. It wasn't real, he knew that, but for just tonight, he could pretend.
"Smile, darling." Paige whispered, leaning in close to him, her lips brushing lightly against his ear. To anyone watching, it looked like an intimate moment between lovers, but the gesture sent a shiver down Walter's spine, far more intimate than he could have ever prepared for.
Walter forced a smile, his heart thudding in his chest.
"Right." He muttered, struggling to keep his focus on the mission. But how could he, with Paige standing so close, her body pressed lightly against his? The scent of her perfume, something warm and floral, wrapped around him, intoxicating, and he found it increasingly difficult to remember why they were there in the first place. The way the delicate lighting glinted off of the large diamond ring adoring her finger - a loaner from Homeland for their cover - along with the sensation of the gold band encircling his own, elicited a feeling in him he was not sure how to name.
Tonight, Paige was his wife.
As they moved through the party, blending seamlessly into the crowd of wealthy guests, Paige played the part of the charming, attentive partner with ease. She laughed softly at something he said, her hand resting lightly on his chest as she leaned into him, her gaze warm and affectionate. Walter's skin burned where her fingers touched him, and he found himself leaning into her touch without thinking.
"You're doing great, Walter." Paige whispered, her breath soft against his ear.
Walter swallowed hard, trying to focus. But her proximity was overwhelming his senses, overriding every logical thought in his brain, leaving the only thoughts left being of her, of how warm her skin was beneath his hand, the feel of her whisper across his cheek, the sound of her voice in his ear, the comfort of her hand in his, the length of her exposed neck and how badly he wanted to taste it. They were supposed to be playing a role, but every smile, every touch felt far too real, too tempting.
"Thanks." He managed, though his voice came out more strained than he intended. He cleared his throat, trying to focus on the mission, on the fact that Tim was out there, listening in with the others, completely unaware of the turmoil brewing inside him. Walter wasn't this person. He wasn't supposed to feel this way, wasn't supposed to want something he couldn't have. But with Paige so close, so warm and familiar, it was harder than ever to remember why he shouldn't.
Toby's voice crackled through the earpiece hidden in Walter's ear, breaking through his haze.
"Wow, Walt." Toby teased, his voice dripping with amusement. "I gotta say, you're selling it. Almost looks real. But let's not kid ourselves. No way you're this smooth in real life."
Walter gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to respond to Toby's jab. Paige's eyes sparkled with amusement as she gave him a playful look and squeezed his hand assuringly, her lips curling into a smile that was entirely too familiar, too knowing.
"Ignore him." She murmured, her voice low as she pressed a little closer, dropping his hand, to loop her arm around his back, being so close that the length of her body was pressed against his side. "He's just jealous you get to be in here while he's in the van."
Walter managed a small, tight smile, but the truth was, he wasn't sure where the line between their cover and reality was anymore. Everything about tonight felt heightened, every touch and glance between them charged with an unspoken intensity that neither of them wanted to acknowledge. He nodded to her, but the feel of her so close, her voice so soft and intimate, was sending his thoughts spiraling. He wanted to ignore it, to push it away, but every second they spent pretending to be a couple only reminded him of how badly he wanted it to be true.
As they entered the main ballroom, Paige's arm looped through Walter's, she was painfully aware of how close they were. The feel of his body next to hers sent a shiver down her spine, and she hated how easily her heart betrayed her in moments like this. She shouldn't be feeling this way, not when she had Tim waiting for her, solid and steady, listening in on the comms. But no matter how much she reminded herself of that, her thoughts kept drifting to Walter, his warmth, his presence, the way he looked at her as if she were the only person in this room of hundreds.
It was dangerous. Elegant, intoxicating, but dangerous.
The party was in full swing, with the soft hum of conversation, jazz music and the clinking of glasses filling the opulent ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead, casting a warm, golden light over the scene, while the affluent guests dressed in their finest mingled around the elegant space. Walter and Paige moved through the crowd with a practiced ease, their cover intact as they blended in with the elite, searching for their mark.
Paige kept her arm firmly looped through Walter's, feeling the familiar forces between them that had been simmering all night, making her feel unsteady on her feet. The space between them shrinking with the pretense of their undercover roles, but also with the undeniable connection that they both were keenly aware of, and affected by. As much as they were here for the mission, there was no ignoring the spark that had ignited between them once more, regardless of their weeks trying to force it away.
Paige tried to push the feelings away, forcing herself to focus on the task. She was here to work, not to indulge in some ill-timed fantasy. But as she walked beside Walter, she couldn't help but remember the last time they had gone undercover together, the way he had held her when they danced, the way she had felt the world narrow down to just the two of them.
Tonight felt like that, only amplified.
Walter, ever the professional, had been playing his role flawlessly. He was confident, poised, perhaps more so than Paige had ever seen him. But it wasn't just his logical precision that had her on edge. It was the way he was looking at her, the way his hand lingered on her back as they moved through the crowd, or gripped her side, trailed over her arm. It was clear to them both, even under the guise of their fake identities, that something real between them was ferociously bubbling to the surface. He was letting down walls, just for her, disguising it in plain view of everyone else, and she knew it.
And it was making her knees feel weak.
A waiter passed by with a tray of champagne, and Walter gently guided Paige toward him.
"Let me get you something, darling." He said, his voice smooth in a way that made her heart skip a beat. He took two glasses from the tray, handing one to Paige with a small, knowing smile.
She accepted the glass, trying to maintain her composure.
"Thank you, dear." She replied, her tone light but with an edge of excitement she couldn't quite shake.
Walter's eyes lingered on her for just a moment too long, the corner of his lips twitching into the faintest hint of a smile.
"Anything for you, my love." He said softly, his voice so low that only she could hear.
Paige felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and she quickly took a large swig of her champagne to calm herself. They were supposed to be playing a part, but the way Walter was looking at her, the way his voice dipped into something deeply affectionate, the way she felt in her bones he wasn't just acting, it felt far too real.
A kind of real she had feared when Katherine Cooper had arrived with this case this morning, a kind of real she was wholly unprepared for.
Waiter, keep them coming.
They moved through the crowd, mingling with other couples, engaging in light conversation, trying to stay close to Ferris while Sly worked the hack from the van. The mission was always at the forefront of their minds, but the chemistry that built between them was like a jenga game, teetering and unstable, unspoken but undeniable.
Eventually someone was going to pull that one block and everything was going to come crashing down.
Walter, on the other hand, was trying, really trying, to stay in control. But the sight of Paige in that silver gown, the way it hugged her body with an elegance that took his breath away, had shattered what little resolve he had managed to gather. The fabric shimmered as she moved, accentuating the curves he had no right to notice, but couldn't stop fantasizing about. Her hair was swept up in a way that exposed the delicate curve of her neck, and every time she leaned in to whisper something for their cover, the scent of her perfume, floral, warm, coated around him, pulling him deeper into a haze he didn't want to admit existed.
This isn't right, he continually told himself, his logical mind screaming at him. She's with Tim. He shouldn't be feeling this. But the more he tried to focus on the mission, the more impossible it became to ignore the magnetic pull between them.
At one point, they found themselves standing with a group of guests, just to the side of Ferris, close enough for Sly to start the copying sequence. A middle-aged couple were clearly enamored with the idea of Walter and Paige as a perfect, glamorous pair. The woman, dressed in a sleek black gown, smiled warmly at Paige, clearly charmed by the ruse.
"You two make such a beautiful couple." The woman said, her voice filled with admiration. "How long have you been married?"
Paige opened her mouth to respond, but before she could speak, Walter's hand slid to the small of her back, across her open backed dress, and around to hook at her waist, holding her impossibly close, his touch gentle but possessive, forcing her stomach to do summersaults, and her mind to wander to thoughts of other ways she wanted his hands on her body. He smiled at the couple, but his words were clearly meant for Paige, even as they fit perfectly into their cover.
"Quite some time now." Walter said, his voice smooth and confident. "Long enough for me to know that I'm the luckiest man in the room." Paige's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. His gaze was steady, warm, but there was something more behind his words, something she couldn't quite ignore. "She's everything." Walter continued, his voice soft but rich with meaning. "I still remember the first time I saw her. Feels like a lifetime ago. She walked into the same diner I was in, and it was like nothing else mattered. I couldn't take my eyes off her. Still can't, if I'm being honest."
The woman beside them let out a soft, admiring sigh, clearly enchanted by the display of affection. But Paige wasn't thinking about the woman. She wasn't thinking about the mission. All she could think about was the way Walter was looking at her, the honestly behind his words sinking in. He wasn't just playing a role. He was speaking in code, hiding the truth of his feelings within the ruse.
Paige forced a smile, her hand gripping his arm with such force, trying to keep from passing out, trying to keep up the act, but her heart was pounding in her chest.
"You're too kind, darling." She said, her voice steady but her mind racing, the rest of her champagne going down in one gulp.
Walter's eyes gleamed with something unspoken, his lips curling into a small, knowing smile.
"Not at all. You make it easy." He replied, his voice low, intimate.
"Oh, what a charmer!" One woman gushed, tapping her husband's chest. "See, Steven, that's how you're supposed to talk about me."
"Let them get another twenty years in, Diane. Then we can talk, once the excitement is gone and it gets boring." The man joked, and she felt Walter stiffen, recognizing how he didn't always know how to register things like that and how to appropriately respond, questioning if he had messed up.
"Well, I don't know about you, but with this man, I doubt that will happen. From the very first day it's been an adventure, and I highly doubt I would ever get bored of a life with him. The world through his eyes is a beautiful place, and seeing it at his side is not something I take for granted." She wanted to convey so much, to match him at his level, but she knew it would be wrong, so she kept it just vague enough, but knowing that with his analytical mind, he would understand.
He did. She was sure of it by the way his thumb rubbed lazily over her lower back, and he pulled her into him, placing a lingering kiss to her temple. An act. That was all it would appear as. But she knew it was more. So much more. Infinitely more.
She was dizzy. Covertly, she switched their champagne flutes, taking his full one, and giving him the empty glass. She was gonna need it to survive this night.
"See, Steven. It's just a you thing, dear."
"Guys, we got it. You're clear to proceed to the server room." Sylvester chimed out, andbothy both mentally prepared for the task ahead.
The conversation shifted to lighter topics, but Paige could barely focus on what was being said. Walter's words echoed in her mind, each one wrapped in layers of meaning. He was talking about her, to her, in a way she hadn't expected. Every phrase, every compliment had a weight to it that felt too genuine, too real.
As they moved away from the group, Paige glanced up at Walter, her heart pounding.
"You're uh, really leaning into the role tonight." She whispered, her voice just loud enough for him to hear.
Walter smiled, a soft, almost playful glint in his eyes.
He was enjoying this. Enjoying the effect he was having on her.
"Isn't that the point?" He asked, his voice laced with just enough sincerity to make her question whether or not he was still playing a part.
"You're good at it." Paige muttered, trying to shake off the strange feeling in her chest.
Walter's gaze softened as he looked at her, his hand still resting on the small of her back.
"Well, it's like I said. You make it easy." He said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Paige's breath hitched, her heart stuttering in her chest, her brows raising in shock. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Toby's voice crackled in over the comms.
"Guys, just a reminder… this is a mission. You're not actually married, in case you forgot."
Paige and Walter both stiffened slightly, the spell between them breaking as the reality of the situation came crashing back. Paige swallowed, forcing herself to nod.
"We know Toby." She said dryly, more to herself than to Walter. "It's just part of the cover."
Walter nodded as well, though his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer.
"Just the cover." he repeated, though there was something in his tone that suggested otherwise. "You want us getting kicked out before we even make it to the server room?"
"Oh, do please carry on, I am finding this all to be top notch entertainment." Toby ribbed, making them both debate on removing their comms just to ignore him.
They made their way toward the back of the ballroom, inching closer to Ferris's private office. The mission was far from over, but the desire to never let it end, to stay like this forever, was powerful. The physical desire surging between them was becoming unbearable, with each touch, each heated glance at one another, they both knew they'd be powerless to overcome this if they weren't working.
As they approached the hallway that led to the server room, Walter's hand slipped from her back, and Paige immediately felt the absence of his touch. The warmth he had provided was gone, replaced by the cold reality of the task at hand. The moment of intimacy they had shared was gone, but the feelings, the pull between them, remained, stronger now than ever.
They reached the back corner of the ballroom, close to where the private server was hidden in Ferris's office. Paige leaned against Walter, her lips brushing against his ear as if whispering sweet nothings, but her words were far more serious.
"We're almost there. You ready?"
Walter nodded, but his gaze lingered on her lips as they moved against his ear, the sensation sending a jolt of desire through him.
"Yeah…" He replied, though his voice sounded strained even to his own ears.
They moved on the direction of the office, their bodies pressed together as they navigated through the crowd. Walter's hand rested on the small of Paige's back, the feel of her warm skin through the thin fabric of her gown making his pulse quicken. Every brush of her fingers against him felt intentional, intimate, as if they weren't just acting anymore, or maybe he just hoped they weren't. He knew he shouldn't be engaging himself this way. Knew she had told him that it was hard for her to be around him, and he had tried to be respectful of that, he had, but he couldn't control himself tonight. And he could easily say it was just the ruse.
Paige turned her head slightly, her breath ghosting over his skin.
"This is going well." She whispered, though there was something in her tone, something more than just professionalism.
Walter's heart hammered in his chest as he looked down at her, their faces inches apart. For a moment, the noise of the party faded, the mission forgotten. All he could see was her, the way the soft lighting danced across her skin, the way her lips parted slightly as she breathed, the way her eyes seemed to darken as she held his gaze.
It was just like before. When they had danced at the gala. When her hand had rested on his chest, and he had felt that pull, that undeniable connection. But tonight, it was even stronger. It was all he could do to keep himself from closing the distance between them, from letting the act fall away and giving in to the feelings that had been keeping him up at night for far too long.
He knew Paige felt it, too. She was leaning into him just a little more than necessary, her hand lingering on his arm longer than it should. Their movements were slow, intimate, as though they were locked in their own world, separate from the mission. To everyone else, it was just part of their cover, a romantic couple playing their roles. But to Walter and Paige, it was something far more dangerous. The line between pretense and reality had blurred, and the feelings they had been trying so hard to suppress were dangerously close to boiling over.
As they stood there, so close they were almost breathing the same air, Paige's lips curved into a soft, almost bittersweet smile, and for a brief moment, she pulled out her ear comm, watching as Walter did the same.
"Walter…" She whispered, her voice low and intimate, to which he gulped. "We're supposed to be pretending, but it doesn't feel much like pretending anymore, does it?"
Walter's heart stuttered in his chest, his eyes locked on hers.
"No." He murmured, his voice rough. "It doesn't."
They were on the edge, teetering between the mission and the feelings that neither of them could deny any longer. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and for a moment, it felt like they were about to cross a line they couldn't come back from.
But just as the tension between them reached its peak, the sound of someone approaching pulled them back to reality, and they both put their comms back in, back in work mode. Ferris was making his way toward them, and they had seconds to slip back into their roles, to remember the reason they were there.
Paige gave Walter one last lingering look, her smile fading as she straightened up, her professional demeanor snapping back into place.
"Showtime." She whispered, though the underlying disappointment of her words, of their moment of privacy being cut short, was clear.
Walter nodded, his jaw tight as he forced himself to focus. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the memory of her warmth, the feel of her so close. He couldn't forget how real it had felt.
And neither could Paige.
They reached the edge of the ballroom, nearing the hallway that would take them to Ferris's private office. Paige shifted beside him, her body pressing lightly against his as she leaned in once more, pretending to whisper sweet nothings for the sake of their cover.
"I'll distract Ferris or guards if necessary." She murmured, her lips brushing his ear again. "You'll have about ten minutes to get the data. We're almost there."
Walter nodded, trying to focus, but every time Paige spoke, every time her breath tickled over his skin, it sent a jolt of electricity through him.
Paige glanced up at him, her eyes catching the light just so, making them sparkle with something that felt far more intimate than it should have. For a moment, their gazes locked, and the rest of the room seemed to fade away. It was just them, standing so close, the tension between them crackling like static.
This is wrong. Paige reminded herself. Tim is out there. He's listening. He's her boyfriend. But no matter how many times she repeated it in her mind, the pull toward Walter was irresistible. His presence beside her was steady, grounding, and yet at the same time, it made her heart race in a way she couldn't explain. Her rational mind told her that she shouldn't be feeling these things, but her body, her heart, disagreed.
Walter, for his part, was doing everything he could to maintain control and stay on task, but the closer they got to Ferris's office, the harder it became to ignore the way Paige felt against him, the way her hand held onto him just a little too long. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Not about her. Not when she had Tim, a man who could offer her everything that Walter couldn't. Stability. Emotional availability. A relationship without the chaos that always seemed to follow him. But no matter how much he tried to tell himself that Paige belonged with someone else, his heart wasn't listening.
"We're almost there." Paige said again, her voice a little softer now, more intimate. She looked up at him, her eyes dark and full of something he couldn't name, something that made his pulse quicken.
"Yeah." Walter murmured, though his gaze was locked on hers, and for a brief, forbidden moment, he forgot why they were there.
Suddenly, Ferris and what appeared to be a member of his security team appeared in the doorway ahead, and Paige straightened, slipping effortlessly back into character. She gave Walter a warm, affectionate smile, the kind a woman would give the man she loved. But this time, it didn't feel like acting. It felt real… too real.
"Let's stay close, darling." Paige whispered, the words meant for their cover, but they hit Walter like a punch to the gut.
Over the comms, Tim's voice crackled in, completely oblivious to the storm raging between them.
"You guys are doing great. We've got eyes on you." He said. "Stay sharp. We're counting on you two."
Walter's chest tightened at the sound of Tim's voice, the reminder that Paige wasn't his. She belonged to someone else, someone who was out there, trusting him to get the job done. Trusting him not to feel what he felt every time he looked at her.
But as Paige moved closer, her hand slipping into his once again, Walter felt the ground shifting beneath him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep pretending this wasn't real, how much longer he could fight the pull between them.
Because no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much logic told him otherwise, his heart was already in too deep.
"Alright, you're clear for entry. Go, go, go!" Happy called out, monitoring the movements of the security team and Ferris. With a nod to each other, Walter used the copied key card and opened the door, slipping in and pulling Paige in behind him.
The server room, just inside of the office, was cold, the dim glow from the monitor screens casting long shadows across the metallic walls. Walter's fingers flew over the keyboard, decrypting the files they needed while Paige kept a lookout by the door. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but the tension between them hadn't let up for a second. Every accidental brush of their arms, every whisper passed between them was charged with the weight of their feelings, the ones they were trying so desperately to ignore and failing at.
Paige stood by the door, her breath steady, but her heart was racing. She kept replaying their conversations from earlier in the evening in her mind. The way they had gotten so close, the way her body had reacted to him. Stop it, she kept telling herself. This is for the mission. Nothing else.
Just as Walter hit a key on the server, an alert popped into his earpiece in the form of Toby's voice breaking through the silence.
"Uh, guys? We've got a problem. Someone's coming your way."
"There's nowhere to hide." Walter quickly scanned the small room.
"Well you better come up with something. You get caught in there and you're dead!" Cabe jumped in.
Paige's heart jumped into her throat. Her eyes darted to Walter, and he looked up at her, his expression sharp but fearful, waiting for her cue. Footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder, and there was no time to think.
Paige's mind raced for a solution. She couldn't let them get caught. Walter couldn't be discovered at the server. There was only one way out of this without raising suspicion. At least with Ferris. Before Walter could even process what was happening, Paige grabbed him by the lapel of his tuxedo and spun him toward the wall. His eyes widening in surprise. Looking around frantically, she pulled him out of the server room and into the office, pressing him down into the office chair with a surprising force, pushing his tuxedo jacket down his shoulders, and pulling his bow tie loose.
"You've got maybe ten seconds before he's there guys!" Toby screached nervously.
Walter's eyes were wide, startled and confused by her movements, and also, extremely aroused by them, but before he could say a word, Paige tousled his hair, and pulled the pin from hers, shaking her updo down into disheveled curls, hiked up her dress and climbed atop his lap. He was a goner. Every fantasy dulled in comparison to this.
And then with one last look to the door, her lips were on his.
It was not a soft, hesitant kiss. It was fiery, urgent, full of passion. Her hands gripped his shirt and his hair, and her body pressed so close to his, pinning him to the chair, feeling every bit of the heat coming off of him, and the arousal he was not able to contain.
For a split second, Walter's brain short-circuited. He couldn't think. Couldn't move. His entire body was overwhelmed by the sensation of her lips on his, the heat of her against him. His hands instinctively moved to her her hips and her exposed thigh, and though the kiss had started as part of the cover, it felt anything but. Walter's mind raced, caught between the mission and the overwhelming sensation of Paige being so close. He could feel her heart racing against his chest, and the warmth of her breath on his skin sent a shiver down his spine. It was like everything they had been avoiding was surfacing all at once, the heat between them too strong to deny.
Paige reveled in the feeling of his hands roaming her body, of his tongue dueling with hers, of their bodies wrapped up in one another. It was so wrong. So very, very wrong. But, it was just part of the act, and effort to keep from getting caught. That was all. At least thats what she would tell herself later. But for right now, she would speak in every last second of forbidden love with the man who had her scrambling for breath for months.
"Oh my…" Toby drawled out over the comms, which normally would result in them backing away, before for some reason it only enticed them further.
Paige quickly deepened the kiss and began unbuttoning Walter's shirt. Her breath was hot against his lips, her fingers dancing over his chest with her swift movements and all he could do was sit there, stunned into silence, his heart pounding in his chest, following her lead.
The door opened behind them, and Paige didn't pull away. Instead, she kept the kiss going, tilting her head slightly as if to keep up appearances. Walter, still dazed, tried to stay in character, but the intensity of the moment had left him breathless.
The man who entered the room cleared his throat awkwardly, and Paige pulled
back just enough to glance over her shoulder, her lips curling into a playful, slightly embarrassed smile.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, breathless, her voice dripping with false surprise. "I'm so sorry! We, uh… well, we just couldn't help ourselves. It's been a long week and, you know, a night away from the
kids..." She giggled, glancing back at Walter with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"She always gets like this after a glass of champagne." Walter, trying to steady his breath, added, his voice slightly shaky, but managing to hold it together.
The man, clearly uncomfortable, muttered an apology, his eyes darting around the room as he stepped back toward the door.
"I-I didn't mean to intrude." He stammered with a chuckle, grabbing a file from the desk.. "Carry on. I'Il just... leave you two alone."
As soon as the man shut the door behind him, Paige jumped off of Walter, smoothing out her gown and taking a deep, steadying breath, her cheeks a deep shade of crimson, her heart rate painfully fast. The air between them was thick with the aftermath of what had just happened, and the only sound was the soft hum of the server.
Walter stared at her, still pressed against into the chair, his lips parted in stunned silence. His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. He could still feel the heat of her kiss, the press of her body against his, the swelling of his own lips noticeable. It had started as a quick-thinking move for the mission, but there was no denying that it had been far more than
that.
For both of them.
"That was… for the cover." Paige said, her voice soft, trying to explain away the intensity of the kiss, but needing to convince herself more than anything.
Walter nodded, though his mind was still spinning.
"Yeah, for the cover." But they both knew there was more to it than that. The kiss wasn't just an act, it was an outlet for the tension that had been building between them for so long.
They stood there for a moment longer, neither of them sure what to say. The air was thick with unspoken words, emotions that had been carefully suppressed. But now, in the stillness of the room, everything felt raw, exposed.
Paige straightened up, running a hand through her hair as if to compose herself.
"We should… finish the mission."
Walter nodded again, moving back toward the server, though his mind was still clouded by what had just happened. As they got back to work, the memory of the kiss lingered, a reminder of everything they were trying so hard to resist.
For the moment, the mission was the priority. But they both knew things between them had just changed, and there was no going back.
Toby's voice crackled in through the comms again, his tone full of laughter.
"Wow, guys. That was some top-notch acting. If that guy took any longer, we could have been looking at a Scorpion baby!" The two exchanged an uncomfortable glance, realizing just how much they'd thrown themselves into each other.
Sylvester chimed in nervously, "You two really sold it. l'm just glad it worked."
Paige gave a short, breathy laugh, turning away to look at the server, her cheeks flushed, though whether it was from the kiss or the situation, she couldn't tell.
"Yeah," she muttered, brushing a hand through her hair as if nothing had happened. "That was a close one…" They both knew it was not the staffer walking in she was talking about.
Walter was typing furiously at the server, but his mind reeling from what had just happened. His lips tingled, his thoughts scrambled. Finally, he forced a small, awkward smile, his voice coming out shaky and unconvincing.
"She, uh, always gets frisky after champagne." He added weakly, trying to play along, make it just another Scorpion teasing, dispel any suspicion that may have arisen. His hands trembled slightly as he typed, givino himself away to Paige on how he really felt, trying to regain some semblance of composure.
Everyone else seemed to buy the performance, everyone except Walter and Paige. They knew. The entire fiasco, while it had started as an act, had become something else entirely, if it was ever even an act at all. The pull between them, the chemistry they had been fighting against, had ignited like a wildfire.
The jenga tower had come falling down.
She was playing with matches and like a moth to the flame, she was drawn in.
And now, standing in the aftermath of that kiss, both of them knew that pretending it had only been part of the mission was a lie they wouldn't be able to keep up for long.
Paige didn't look at Walter as he worked the server, finishing what they had come to do. But even with her back to him, she could feel the weight of his gaze on her, the tension between them building once again, stronger now than ever.
Walter, still trying to process the kiss, couldn't stop thinking about the way her lips had felt against his, the way her body had pressed into his. He wasn't sure how much longer he could pretend. He wasn't sure he even wanted to.
The line between them had been blurred…
No, it had been erased.
And there was no going back.
They were in big trouble.
--
Back at the garage, the team buzzed with the satisfaction of a job well done. The mission had gone off without a hitch, thanks to Walter and Paige's seamless undercover work, and now they were all basking in the glow of their success.
Toby, as usual, was the first to offer his congratulations, clapping Walter on the back with a grin.
"Nice work, Romeo. I'd say you really sold the whole devoted husband thing tonight. Maybe you should consider a second career as a spy."
Walter gave a small, tight smile, his hands still fidgeting with the loosened bow tie around his neck, remembering the feel of her haphazardly pulling it off. He was trying to play it cool, but his mind was elsewhere, and every few minutes, his eyes flicked over to Paige, as if drawn to her without permission. Even now, standing on the other side of the room, he could still feel the weight of their moment in the server room.
"Yeah, maybe. I'm just glad everything turned out okay."
Paige, for her part, was doing her best to keep up appearances. She laughed lightly at Toby's joke, nodding along as Sylvester muttered something about the efficiency of the operation, but her heart wasn't in it. The mission might have been over, but her mind was still back in that room, her lips still tingling from where they had pressed against Walter's. She could feel the heat of his gaze, even when she wasn't looking at him. She didn't need to. She never did. The awareness of him, still dressed in his tux, his bow tie hanging loose, the top few buttons of his shirt undone, was a constant, terrifying, alluring presence in the room.
It was taking everything in her not to steal glances at him. But every time she did, every time their eyes met, it was like the world tilted for a moment. The tension between them hadn't lessened. If anything, it had only grown. Denying him before feeling that passion from him had been hard enough, but now, she felt like she was falling from a space capsule with no parachute.
The fall was enthralling. But the landing was bound to kill her.
One by one, the team began to filter out. Happy and Toby were the first to leave, their playful banter echoing through the garage as they made their exit. Sylvester lingered a bit longer, offering Paige a small, reassuring smile before heading out with Cabe.
That left only Paige, Walter, and Tim.
Tim had been watching her throughout the debrief, his expression softening as the others cleared out. He stepped closer to her now, his presence solid and steady, just as he always was.
"You did great tonight." Tim said, his voice warm with admiration as he reached out, his hand resting lightly on her arm.
Paige smiled, but it was tight around the edges.
"Thanks, but it was a team effort." She murmured, forcing herself to focus on Tim, to ground herself in his words. But it was hard, impossible really, when she knew Walter was still there, watching her from across the room.
Tim leaned in, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek.
"You must be exhausted." He said softly. "It's late, and I'd ask you to come over, but…" He trailed off with a small, apologetic smile. "I'm heading up to San Diego on a red-eye for an appointment with Dr. Hendricks." She had completely forgotten. His evaluation. Now she felt even worse. "I'll miss you, but I'll be back in a couple of days."
His words hung in the air, innocent enough, but they sparked something in Paige that made her chest tighten. Danger. That's what she felt. The danger in him leaving, in how vulnerable she already felt after what had happened tonight. The danger of how close she had come, how close she still was, to crossing a line she couldn't uncross.
Her lips still tingled from the kiss in the server room, and despite her best efforts to shake it off, the memory of it, the feeling of Walter against her, of straddling him, his stunned silence, the way the heat between them had felt so blazen, was still seared into her mind. Tim's kind words and steady presence felt like a lifeline she couldn't quite grasp.
"I'll miss you too. Have a safe flight." Paige replied softly, her voice just a little too steady, a little too controlled. She could feel Walter's eyes on her, and she didn't dare look in his direction. "Good luck in San Diego. You're going to do great."
Tim smiled, leaning in to give her a quick goodbye kiss on the lips, but it was gentle, easy. Nothing like the intensity that had passed between her and Walter earlier that night.
"Thanks." He said, pulling away. "I'll see you soon."
And with that, Tim gave her a warm smile before heading out of the garage, leaving her standing there, still trying to make sense of everything that had happened.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Paige let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The garage felt too quiet now, the oppressive silence pressing down on her. She finally dared to look up, her eyes locking onto Walter's from across the room, biting her cheek as she gave a crooked smile.
He was still standing there, leaning against the edge of his desk, his tux jacket discarded somewhere, possibly still in that office, the bow tie hanging loosely around his neck. His collar first few inches of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the olive skin of his throat and chest, and Paige's breath hitched in her chest as she took in the sight of him. His hair was still slightly tousled, his posture relaxed, but the intensity in his eyes, the way he was looking at her, was anything but, a nearly hidden smirk also playing at his lips.
They stared at each other for a long moment, the tension between them palpable. Walter's lips parted slightly, as if he was about to say something, but he hesitated, his gaze flickering with something he created saying.
Paige felt her pulse quicken, her mind spinning. She had kissed Tim goodnight, but it was Walter she couldn't stop thinking about. It was Walter whose presence made her heart race, whose words from earlier in the evening still echoed in her mind. The way he had spoken about her at the party, the way his hand had lingered on her flesh, the way he had kissed her back in the server room, held her to him… she was sinking. So many times in childhood she had been warned about the dangers of quicksand, but no one had ever told her it would come in the form of six foot tall, olive skinned irish genius.
And now, standing here, alone with him, she could feel the pull between them more strongly than ever.
Walter cleared his throat, his voice rough when he finally spoke.
"Paige…" His voice trailed off, his eyes searching hers as if he wasn't quite sure how to finish the thought. He shifted slightly, running a hand through his hair, and Paige could see the strain in his posture, the way he was trying so hard to maintain control.
But the truth was, they were both struggling. The line between them had been blurred tonight, and now, standing here with only the quiet of the garage between them, it felt like there was no going back.
Paige swallowed, her throat tight.
"Walter… what happened tonight--" She started, her voice barely above a whisper, but she didn't know how to finish. She didn't know how to make sense of the confusion, the feelings swirling inside her.
Walter shook his head slightly, his gaze intense.
"It wasn't just the mission." He said quietly, his voice full of meaning. "You know that."
Paige's breath caught, a lump forming in her throat, and she didn't know how to respond. Because he was right, it hadn't been just the mission. Not for either of them.
The tension in the room was thick, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words. Walter stood there, his eyes fixed on Paige, searching her face as if he was trying to decipher what was running through her mind. But beneath the intensity, Paige could see something else. Hesitation. The internal battle he was fighting. He was struggling, just as she was.
Walter shifted slightly, his fingers brushing against the loosened bow tie at his neck. He looked away for a moment, as if trying to gather his thoughts, then took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more controlled, and she knew he was deliberately trying to rein himself in.
"Paige…" He started, his gaze dropping to the floor before he forced himself to meet her eyes again. "I know this… everything that happened tonight, it wasn't just the mission for either of us. I may not be the most cognizant of these things, but even I know it wasn't the cover." She swallowed at being called out, her eyes saucers as she listened intently. "But it doesn't change the fact that…" He hesitated, his jaw tightening for a second. "That you're with Tim. And I… I don't want to make things harder for you."
His words hung in the air, filled with the weight of everything unsaid. Paige could hear the strain in his voice, the way he was trying so hard to keep his feelings in check. He was doing this for her, trying to protect her from the very thing that had been swirling between them all night. But in that moment, she wasn't sure she wanted to be protected from it, or completely give in to it.
"Walter… I--" She stopped. She had no idea what to say. No idea what she wanted.
Walter took a small step closer, his movements slow, deliberate, as if he was trying to maintain some invisible boundary. He let out a quiet, almost self-deprecating laugh, the sound filled with a mix of regret and something softer, something vulnerable, sad.
"For a night…" He said softly. "...it was nice to pretend."
Paige's breath hitched in her chest at his words. There it was, the quiet confession buried beneath the surface. He was trying to downplay it, to brush aside the intensity of what had happened between them, but she could hear it in his voice. It hadn't just been a role. Not for him. Not for her. He wanted the real deal.
Walter's eyes softened as he looked at her, his expression more open now, the careful walls he had been building all night slowly starting to crack.
"You were…" He paused, his voice catching for just a second before he continued. "You were beautiful tonight. I mean, you always are, but… tonight, it was… different. The way you walked into that room, the way you carried yourself… I couldn't stop watching you."
Paige's heart skipped a beat, her pulse racing in her ears. She had heard Walter compliment her before, in his own awkward, matter-of-fact way. But this was different. This was direct. No bizarre analogies. No pretenses. The way he was looking at her, the way his voice dropped to something low, intimate, it felt like he was telling her something he had been holding back for a long time.
She swallowed, the words she wanted to say caught in her throat. She knew she should say something, anything, to diffuse the moment, to bring them back to safer ground. But she couldn't. The intensity of Walter's gaze, the raw honesty in his voice, it left her completely disarmed.
Walter shifted again, his hands flexing at his sides as if he wasn't sure what to do with them. He took another deep breath, his eyes flicking away for just a second before returning to hers.
"I don't want to make things more complicated for you, Paige." He murmured. "I don't. But… I just thought you should know. You were incredible tonight. Not just in the mission, but…" He trailed off, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know how to explain it. But you made me feel like… I don't know, like for a night, like I could be someone else. Someone better. Someone worthy of having someone like you as my wife."
His voice was quiet, almost wistful, and Paige felt a lump forming in her throat. He wasn't just talking about the mission, or the role they had played. He was talking about everything, about the way being with her made him feel. And as much as she wanted to push those feelings away, to pretend that nothing had changed, she couldn't. Because she had felt it too.
Paige took a small step closer, her breath catching as she met Walter's gaze. She could feel the heat sizzling between them, the pull that had been there all night. The chemistry, the connection, it was all still there, simmering just beneath the surface. Undeniable, unbreakable. But the weight of her reality, her relationship with Tim, was at the forefront of her mind, making everything feel impossibly tangled.
She smiled softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as she leaned up, brushing her hand over his cheek, her lips lightly brushing against the other in a soft, forlorned goodbye to the night they had shared.
"I really loved being your wife..." She admitted, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked up at him. "For a night… you were a great husband."
Walter's lips twitched into a faint, almost bittersweet smile. He nodded, his eyes still locked on hers, the unspoken feelings between them hovering in the space they shared.
"Yeah." He murmured, his voice rough, as he ran the back of his knuckles down her cheek, needing one last feel of her.
The silence stretched between them, but neither of them made a move. Neither of them crossed the line.
Because as much as they wanted to, they both knew that pretending, for a night, was all they could allow themselves.
For now.