Lastly (L.T.)

Chapter 57

Thankfully there weren't any security cameras above the elevator, so no one other than the drunk men would know that Louis and I had even been at the scene of the man's death.

We had gotten through the massive baggage check without any fuss or anyone looking in our direction. By the time the police arrived to talk to the group of drunk men, we were boarding the plane.

We sat nearer to the back this time, trying not to draw too much attention to ourselves and practically holding in our breath until the plane took off.

I knew that what Louis had done was astronomically stupid, but at the same time I understood. It was the same thing I had wanted to do to those men for making fun of him. Only I would not have been as smart about it as he had been. He had been reckless and stupid, but the way he had gone about his stupid decision was incredibly intelligent.

It was a one way flight to New York and Louis's knee was bouncing next to me, the anxiety of flying setting in.

I wanted to distract him and I also knew there was a conversation we needed to have.

We had discussed that we would try to compromise whenever we had a disagreement but we had said nothing about trying to control our reckless behavior. We had managed to drop two bodies unnecessarily in the space of one mission. We had gotten into a phase of caring more about one another than our own lives or the lives of anyone else or the success of our mission.

Simply put, our attraction had made us sloppy, and if we were to remain as successful as we had been when we worked solo, we needed to get our shit together.

"Lou?" I said quietly, leaning into him to make certain no one could hear us even though the sound of the planes engine was loud.

He raised his eyebrows in question, leaning down towards me as well.

"We need to be more careful, we're getting sloppy." I cut right to the point.

"I know." He responded, "and I don't want to be, but like I said love, you will always trump whatever bullshit mission we're on."

I nodded, I knew that already and I knew that my feelings for him would also always be more important than whatever evil weapon we were hunting.

"But what happened in the airport wasn't part of our mission. We gained and protected nothing by killing that man. We only did it to protect each other."

He looked down at the floor of the plane, pondering my words.

I was right and he knew it, the only question was whether or not he would admit it.

"I know."

Well would you look at that.

"And I'm sorry that I jeopardized your safety, but I wasn't going to just sit around and let someone treat you like that." He continued.

I shook my head, "but how I deserve to be treated and what to do about it is up to me and not you. And you also need to be wary of your own safety and not just mine, you're important too, you know."

He then shook his head like that was something he was allowed to disagree on, "but he.."

I cut him off, "no. I can take care of myself. And you are also important."

He already knew I would be mad if he tried to disagree with either of those facts so he shut his mouth, staring at the floor again.

He couldn't put mine and his family's safety always before his own. I knew he valued my and Harry's lives more than he valued his own and it made me sad.