Afterwards

New Beginnings

As Gaby sat in the car next to Illya and Solo, she wondered what had happened to her life. Just a week ago she had never met these two men and now she trusted them with her life. Furthermore, she was now a part of a spy organization, which she had always technically been, but with little training and seeing how dangerous it really was, she was a little terrified. 

She noticed a large hand on her knee and looked down to see Illya's palm covering the entirety of her knee cap. She turned her attention to his face and gave him a weak smile to signal that she was okay and appreciated the hand; a hand that had almost not stopped lightly touching her since the fight against Mr. Vincinegerra and destroying the bombs. Illya was touching her like he was afraid she would break, and she was strangely okay with it.

The car rolled to a stop and Solo said something about having finally reached the airport, but the Russian had not yet taken his hand of off her nor had he made any acknowledgement that it was time to get out of the car. He just blinked at her slowly, seemingly asking her if she was okay. She nodded in response and it was obvious Solo was stalling outside of the car as long as he could, careful to give the two their space. After all, he was no stranger to affection. He knew they had been dancing around this idea the entirety of the mission, and he was glad to be out of the car. He could have cut the tension in there with a knife. 

From inside the car, the staring contest between the two was still continuing, but Illya was the first to break the silence. He cleared his throat and Gaby averted her eyes, finding sudden interest in the hand on her knee. Which had not moved the whole car ride. Which she could not deny felt wonderful...but also was possibly the worst thing to ever happen to her. 

It's just the adrenaline. Just the nerves. Just two people who both saw a lot and need to feel anything else but the weight of killing a man. 

She knew she was lying to herself. She loved the feeling of that hand on her knee. That hand that had somehow managed to travel upwards to her thigh, still very gently just grazing the surface of it. She looked up at him again, and she spoke the words that she found hard to say. But she needed him to know, even if she had already told him. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was working with Waverly," she spoke softly.  

He looked surprised for a moment before saying, "Do not apologize again. We are okay. You just did what you needed to do. Do not regret your decisions," he said, squeezing her thigh gently. 

She nodded, and he started to take his hand off of her, but she stopped him. She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. He looked at her lips, wanting so badly to just lightly press his to hers. But this was not the time nor the place. This was too soon after the mission, it would just have to wait. 

She made her move to get out of the car, and he soon followed. They both locked eyes with a somewhat smiley Solo, and then they met eyes once more. At least they would not be so alone on the next mission.