A Day Off Work

Candlelit Dinner

He has a talent for recognising patterns and predicting behaviour, and he knows her better than anyone else. It's no surprise to him that she is indeed carrying her beach bag when she leaves the safehouse, heading towards the town square. She won't return to the safehouse until the evening, probably trying to get the most out of her rare day off, which means he'll have enough time to get everything done.
Just as he predicted, but still, he feels some kind of relief that's usually absent when people who aren't Diana act or react exactly the way he expected.

There's also the slight worry that doesn't want him around. What if she'd rather be alone? This could be a mistake, but he can't turn back now. Aborting the mission is unacceptable, always, and he spent weeks planning and preparing for this.

As soon as she's far enough away, he leaves the lingerie store and lets himself into the house, using the key he always carries with him, even when he's not in Sapienza. He stopped finding an explanation for that a long time ago; simply knowing that this key is in his pocket gives him some sense of home. It's fine, most people have their quirks, and even if he doesn't see himself as most people, it's not like carrying an unmarked key with him is a dangerous weakness he should try to get rid of.

Seeing her personal things in this safehouse makes him smile, even though he feels like he's invading her privacy. It's not too late, he could still leave, she would never know he was here. 'What if she doesn't like this surprise' is a terrifying thought, but 'what if she does' overrides the fear of being rejected, and so he decides to push his hesitation aside and gets to work in the small kitchen.

He starts with doing the dishes and wiping the small kitchen table and one of the chairs clean. Everything has to be perfect for her birthday, she deserves it.

Luckily, both the table and the chair can be folded, and so it's easy enough to carry them through the small bathroom out onto the roof terrace. 47 leans them against the wall while he sweeps the floor. A clean slate is usually best to work with, Diana would probably agree. It's why she chose him, back when he was only an initiate, and she's just started with the handler program. They've come a long way, both of them.

Once the roof is clean enough, he places the table at the perfect spot, to allow her the privacy of enjoying her dinner hidden away from curious eyes while still offering her a perfect view of the sunset and the sea.

The table looks much better with a crisp white tablecloth and a tapered candle on it, and the surroundings are quickly decorated with more candles and lanterns, and some flowers he ordered from the flower shop down the street. Their delivery is reliable today, thankfully, and once everything is in order, he retreats to the kitchen to prepare the three-course meal he's planning to give Diana as part of her birthday gift.

Each time he steps out onto the roof terrace to see if she is still at the beach, it gets harder for him to take his eyes off her. She seems so free, full of life and naturally comfortable in this situation. It's obvious that she's enjoying her day at the beach, she's not just pretending or blending in, she's living it; something he couldn't even aspire to achieve.

The worrisome thoughts from earlier return from time to time, 'what if she doesn't want him to be here because he's awkward', but he keeps reminding himself that empirical evidence shows that she doesn't mind him being the way he is.

A soft breeze almost makes him shiver; the sun will be setting soon, marking the approaching end of Diana's beach day.
One last glance to make sure that the terrace looks the way he imagined, before he retreats to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready for the finale.

The clothes he picked for tonight would be fitting for a fancy restaurant, and he's indeed very satisfied with the results; the midnight blue suit looks stunning on him, and he thinks it'll be a great match with the midnight blue dress he chose for Diana. It should be the right size for her, he has an eye for details. He also has an eye for Diana, but that's a thought he can't allow himself to spend too much time on, now.