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"Oh I'd love to see you trying to get someone at 6 to do that job. You'd have to hire someone from outside." Maria laughed, she was just thinking about Gareth trying to clandestinely go to people in 6 for the job and them all shaking their heads. A slight look of fear about them.

“Italian it is,” Gareth muttered, not giving the other flyers another single look as he was already putting them aside again. The Italian cuisine was, in his eyes, the best in the world. There wasn’t a single day when he would say no to a dish of pasta or lasagne; sometimes he fancied a simple pizza. Thankfully, Maria felt the same. “I wouldn’t be so sure about the dessert, darling.” He gave the bags on the counter a side-glance. There wasn’t much left, after all; might as well just order some more dessert from the Italian restaurant. Panna cotta, maybe. Or tiramisu. God, he loved tiramisu.

"Sometimes-" Maria mused, a soft noise leaving her as his lips moved across her skin. "They're very interested in-" She started to speak but then her words trailed off, eyes falling shut as his kisses caused pockets of heat to explode across her skin. Setting her nerves aflame and sending the heat careening between her legs.

His arms snaked around her waist, holding her tight, before he lifted Maria up and off the ground so she could sit on the kitchen counter. Perhaps, he wondered, it wasn’t such a bad thing that Barney wasn’t here at the moment; they had this time to themselves now. They could do whatever they wanted without feeling watched…

It was obvious she knew what she was saying from the way her grin spread across her face when he warned her and explained himself trying to sound stern with her for the barest of moments.

“We are in England, darling. Gentlemen are being called ‘Sir’ at every corner; you don’t need to be a politician to enjoy that privilege.” He hated being called a politician, really. He was neither that, nor a pencil pusher, even though he was sitting behind a desk most of the time. He had had his fair share of active duty, had been in the line of fire more times than he liked to admit, had been shot at, injured, tortured; those politicians he had to deal with had barely ever seen any kind of action, unless you call ‘cutting your finger on a piece of paper’ action.

"Good luck, because you're on your own with that." Maria said, letting out a laugh when he said about getting rid of Moneypenny. "I wouldn't go up against Eve, but if you think you can take her." Maria held her hands up, shaking her head at him.

“Are you crazy?” Gareth chuckled, carrying the bags into the kitchen to give the remnants of the cakes at least a bit of normality – before they were devoured for good. “I would hire someone. Besides,” he turned and walked back to Maria, an eyebrow rising – but not without grabbing one or two flyers from the pinboard, “I’m afraid I need her. She does keep the pesky politicians away when I’m in a particularly bad mood.” And that happened quite often due to things unforeseen, and agents thinking they could do anything and everything they wanted without consequences. Bond. It was Bond thinking he could do anything and everything he wanted without consequences. The man was the single reason aspirin producers made so much profit.

“My--?” A deep frown was furrowing his brow before he couldn’t help the chuckle escaping his lips. Really, where did that man get his delusions? There were only few things actually scaring Gareth Mallory – and Moriarty wasn’t one of them.

"You would absolutely be the first person I'd tell" she vowed, meaning every word. Truth was, she'd dearly love to enable Gareth and Kallum meeting up, for both of their sakes. She had a feeling that perhaps Gareth might get Kal to take his life a bit more seriously, while her brother may be the only one who could get her friend to lighten up and enjoy himself, possibly get over certain things that just aren't meant to be........

"Dont look at me like that!" Alex laughed as she rested her chin on her hands. "I'm allowed to enjoy seeing my name naked in the sun light." She teased. "Even if you are very very pale. I don't think you've ever looked this British before." She pushed off the wall, swimming backwards in the water and floating on her back for a moment, looking up at the sky as she felt her skin absorbing the sun.

Elbows resting on his knees, he watched Alex as she swam for a bit. The sun making the water glisten on her tanned skin. The way her hair splayed in the water. It was great seeing her enjoy herself like this; laughing and smiling and just relaxing. All the stress from the previous weeks – hell, months! – finally falling off her shoulders. They both really did need this timeout.

There was a look of shock when he mentioned Tanner was actually married, before being lost in the increase of her heart beat as his lips found her neck again.

When Wendy jumped up and wrapped her legs around him, Gareth’s hands automatically moved down to support her. Thankfully she was a lightweight! He hummed at her words, pursing his lips as he pulled away for a moment. Thinking. Or, at least he pretended to think about it. “That…doesn’t really narrow it down,” he joked, just before his lips returned to Wendy’s, pulling them into another long, deep kiss.

“I think he’s very lonely. Lonelier than he lets on. Maybe lonelier than he even realizes.”