The Man From U.N.C.L.E. When in Rome

Chapter 6 - Maybe In Another Life

Solo blinked against the sunlight. A faint, satisfied smile touched his lips. He thought about the evening before and reached for Natalia. His eyes fluttered when his fingers grasped the empty sheets behind him. Solo's eyes snapped open as he felt around the bed, she was gone. The spy sat up in the wide bed and looked around the empty room. Had she given him the slip? Napoleon stood up and walked toward the closet. Her clothes were still inside. There was also a plush men's terry cloth robe hanging beside one of her dresses. Napoleon slid his arms inside before walking out onto the balcony. She was already sitting down for breakfast. Napoleon tightened the belt to his robe and observed her from the doorway. She sipped on her espresso while taking in the view. Napoleon appreciated the angles in her face and the delicate way she drank her coffee. This Natalia was quite different from the Natalia he had the previous night.

"Good morning," his voice was rich and deep. Natalia paused and hid a smile behind her espresso cup. Solo caught it and felt warm with satisfaction.

Natalia turned her head to face him. "Good morning, Solo," she said with a smile. "I took the liberty of ordering us room service. The fruit here is fresh."

Napoleon's eyes flickered over the breakfast table. He took the seat across from her and spread the linen cloth over his lap. "I thought you might have given me the slip," he admitted.

Natalia smirked and took another small sip of her coffee. "Is that what you would have done if the shoe was on the other foot?" Her question was as direct as her gaze.

Napoleon thought about her question. When he was in the thick of it, things like this happened to him quite often. A double cross never bothered him unless he was on the giving end. When Solo woke up that morning and thought she left, he felt... well, he couldn't describe it. There was a bit of anger, but there was disappointment, too. It bothered him that he cared. It bothered him that he wanted their night together to be mutually satisfying. Solo knew sexually they had knocked it out of the park. But good sex didn't guarantee loyalty. Natalia had no reason to be loyal to him. And after today, he feared this was a bridge that would be irrevocably burned.

"I asked first." He tried to sidestep her question.

"No, you didn't. But it's alright. You don't have to answer. Both of us are here now. Let's enjoy some breakfast and discuss our plans for tonight."

Ah, that's right. They were supposed to be stealing the egg together and splitting the take. Solo eyed Natalia over his bite of egg brioche. She looked pensive as she silently gazed out over the city. In the few days that he'd known her, he'd never seen her this way. Solo wondered if she regretted what she was about to do as much as he did. The American spy thought about the file Waverly handed the team before the mission. Maximilian Kirkoff, scientist, engineer, genius. Three months ago, the German scientist appeared out of nowhere with a bomb he claimed rivaled any bombs in known existence. It was supposed to be stronger than the H bomb. Several nations fell over themselves trying to purchase the plans for the explosive, including the United States. According to Waverly's file, the high demand for the weapon gave Kirkoff the leverage he needed to negotiate. He dangled the plans like a carrot in front of a team of horses desperate to get their hands on the weapon. Kirkoff managed to incite a bidding war. Cuba won. But the scientist withheld one vital piece of the plans... the code. He it in a Faberge egg and sold it off. The bomb was useless without the code. The country who retrieved the code first would then have the negotiating power. It was a dangerous game and the team from U.N.C.L.E. was tasked to retrieve the code and neutralize it.

"The egg will be transferred back to the DiMarco family estate at around 3 pm this afternoon. The family will be hosting another party. I have already secured our invitation," Natalia continued.