Sweet Like Arsenic (B. Barnes) ✔

16 | Hydra

"If you want my help, then tell me what you want help with. I can't help you if I don't even know what I'm expected to do." Emerson smiled, a strange expression that didn't quite fit his face.

"Let us see Casper Meyer," Leon demanded before I could reply. I let out the breath that I was holding in.

"Ah, Leon. Helping Donatella, what a kind gentleman. I wonder why he's offering his assistance to his ex-girlfriend." Emerson leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands on his desk.

"I just want to visit my brother, it's not that big of a deal. And I bumped into him and wanted to catch up with an... old friend." I looked over to Leon with a small smile on my face.

"And why do you want to see your brother? To make sure that he's safe because you were sneaking off to Shield, thinking that we wouldn't notice?"

"I didn't 'sneak off' to Shield. My own office was destroyed by Shield, I let them take me, I gained their trust, and yes, I helped them capture Petunia Canto. But I was going to do some simple espionage on the Avengers- it was a clandestine operation."

Emerson nodded, but even I couldn't tell if he believed me or not.

"Did they ask you questions? Interrogate you?" He asked.

"Yes. I fed them dezinformatsiya. All bullshit." I answered, my eyes not leaving his.

"Good. And they ate it up?" Emerson raised his eyebrows, reaching for his cup of tea.

"Like starving dogs."

"Good. I will show you to your brother at noon. For now, we will assign you to a hotel nearby. I hope you don't mind." Emerson stood up and showed us out without another word.

The hotel Emerson assigned us to was an eight-minute walk from the Hydra headquarters. It was your average three-star hotel, complete with annoyed receptionists who haven't had their morning coffee yet.

"Look, my boyfriend and I just need to check into our rooms, we came all the way from New Zealand and we're really tired." I pleaded in an Australian accent, praying that:

a) Australian and New Zealand accents were so similar that an untrained ear wouldn't be able to tell them apart

b) the receptionist bought my accent

c) my accent was so good that it was a mix of Australian and New Zealand. I really hope it was the latter.

She, thankfully, didn't question anything, offering us a vacant room with great efficiency so she could drink her much-needed coffee, I presume.

We were given an average two-persons' hotel room: a queen-sized bed (we couldn't upgrade to two beds), a small balcony overlooking London in pink-hued dawn.

I claimed the single luggage rack to be mine, opening my organised suitcase. It was weaponless- Hydra had the weapons that I needed. I took out a pair of pyjamas, determined to take a nap before meeting my brother. Meanwhile, Leo was organising his luggage, which was placed on the sofa near the bed. He turned when he noticed me watching him.

"What?" He asked before he turned around.

"Nothing," I paused, tilting my head slightly with what I hoped was a small smile on my face. "It's just that I haven't seen you for ages, and now we're back together, in Hydra."

"I mean, we were always working together when you were in Hydra."

I nodded, waiting for him to go on.

"I miss going on missions with your annoying ass nagging me to stop by little corner cafés to, I quote, 'smell the coffee.'" Leo sat down on the bed, an invitation.

I walked over to the bed and took off my shoes, sitting cross-legged on the bed. Close, but not too close to Leo. "Me too. I miss your annoying ass telling me to stop getting distracted by the littlest things."

"Oh, Elvira Donatella Meyer. You have a beautiful name and an even more beautiful face. You don't know how much I've missed you."

Well, this just got pretty weird, pretty fast.

I shuffled on my knees to his side, wrapping my arms around his lean body, feeling his back muscles that he'd spent so much effort to get.

"I missed you so much, too. But I'm glad that we're back together—working together— now."

Leo nodded into my shoulder, his arms almost gripping me too hard. "We're finally back."

I released myself from his grip, eyes softening. "Yeah,"

Hook, line, and sinker.