Larry Stylinson ao3 one shots.

The Things You Hide

Written by:LiveLoveLaughLarry

Summary:Louis has been an MI6 agent for four years. Now he wants out. Unfortunately, his superiors have other ideas. Their solution: a 'mission' in the Greek Islands, one that's more vacation than actual work.
Harry is an avid photographer who shows him around the area. He's open and carefree and everything that Louis wishes he could be.
Along the way they fall in love, and maybe Louis learns a little about love, a little about lies, and a whole lot the meaning of home.

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The door slammed open as MI6 Agent Louis Tomlinson stormed into the office.
"I'm out," he said. "I'm done. No more. I quit."
The Director glanced up over his glasses, regarding him calmly for a moment before returning his attention to the papers on his desk.
"Sit down, Agent."
"No," Louis said. "I will not sit down. I am done. I'm done with all of this."
"I understand that you're upset-"
"Upset?" Louis repeated incredulously. "I'm not upset. I'm absolutely disgusted. How could you – you're monsters, all of you."
"And what are you?" the Director asked. His voice was calm, almost curious. Louis shook with rage.
"I am getting the fuck out," he spat. "You can't make me stay."
He waited for the Director to speak, to argue as he usually did. The Director was silent. Louis could feel the fire that he had entered with flickering within him, going cold as the Director forced him to wait upon his whim. Louis hated waiting. He hated that the Director knew exactly how to manipulate people – to manipulate him.
"Sit," he said at last. Louis, caught off guard, obeyed before he could think otherwise. "You have objections to your last assignment," the Director said.
"I have objections to this agency acting on insufficient information from untrustworthy sources," Louis replied. His words were clipped, his voice struggling to remain at a reasonable volume, with mixed success. "I have objections to having critical information withheld, and I have objections to innocent people getting hurt as a result."
"Mistakes were made, I admit," the Director said.
"Mistakes?" Louis repeated, nearly yelling.
"Yes, mistakes." The Director's eyes flashed. So he was human after all. "It is a regrettable, but unavoidable hazard of this line of work. Every effort is made, but some things slip through the cracks. We admit that. We move on. We try to do better."
"Not me," Louis said. "Not anymore." The Director raised an eyebrow.
"You aren't going to try to do better?"
"No – yes – stop twisting my words!"
"I apologize." Louis snorted.
"You're not sorry."
"I didn't say I was."
Louis started to speak again, but pulled back. He took a deep breath, settling himself as he shook his head. "It doesn't matter, he said. "I won't do this anymore."
"I'm sorry you feel that way," the Director said. He shuffled through a pile of papers on the corner of his desk. "If you wish to leave, that is of course your right." Louis waited. A 'but' was coming, he was sure of it. There was always a 'but'.
"There is, however, the small matter of your notice." Louis blinked.
"My what?"
"Your notice." The Director pulled out a thick sheaf of paper and flipped through it. "Your contract states that you must give us three weeks' notice before terminating employment. During that time, you still work for us." He marked a passage on the paper and handed it to Louis. He recognized it as the contract he'd signed when he'd been hired some four years previously. He skimmed the relevant passage. It said what he claimed all right. He checked the signatures, just to be sure (he didn't trust the Director as far as he could throw him), but they were in order. Damn him, damn him to hell. Damn them all.
When Louis had finished reading, the Director continued. "Out of consideration for your service and the... unfortunate experience you have so recently undergone, I would be willing to assign a low commitment job." He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper with "Mission Briefing" printed at the top in big letters. "Elena Goulding, one of our diplomats in Greece, has received several threats recently," he said. "Could be just talk, however there have been rumours of unusual gang activity, and it seems imprudent to take risks. Things are tenuous enough in that country as it is."
"Whatever," Louis said. "So what's the mission?"
"Oh, just keep an eye on things," the Director said. "You'll be joining a long-term operative there – should you choose to accept, of course. She's the head of the operation; you'll just be the backup. An extra set of eyes and ears, and hands in the unlikely event it should come to that. I expect you'll hardly even be working, really. It's just a precaution. But it does fit nicely with your notice." He paused and looked up at Louis, a rare hint of a smile crossing his lips. "And I hear Greece is lovely this time of year."
"Are you ordering me?" Louis' face was hard.
"Am I forcing you to spend a month barely working in warm, scenic, relaxing Greece?" He shrugged. "I suppose you could call it that."
"And if I were to happen to change my mind," Louis said, knowing the answer.
"We would of course be only too happy to welcome you back," the Director affirmed. "You're a good operative, Agent. We're sorry to lose you."
"So this is a bribe." It wasn't a question. The Director said nothing. Louis sighed. "I suppose I must accept, sir." The honorific was bitter on his tongue, and it twisted like an insult.
"Excellent," the Director said, ignoring Louis' sour expression. "The case file is on your desk."
As Louis left the office, he couldn't help feeling like he'd lost. The Director had called his every move before he'd even known it himself. Louis supposed that was why he had this job, and had held it for so long. He was very good at what he did.
Louis hated him.
As he stalked down the hallway, he swore he wouldn't be back.