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There was nothing out of the ordinary with Anne showing up unannounced to his office. Nothing with greeting with a hug and a kiss (but he can feel... an odd energy; an anxiety that wasn’t usually there). “Missed you too,” he murmured softly, holding her gently, and not prodding for whatever might be bothering her, even if knowing that something might have bad happened to her (no matter how minor; even if it was nothing more than someone disrespecting her), never failed to throw him off. But he held his tongue, knowing that maybe it might not be something that she would want to hear, and he had to respect that. She wandered to the couch, but he remained where he was, frozen in place from the moment the words come out of her lips. It is impossible not to think of a hundred disaster scenarios, the foremost being that his true identity had been discovered. That she suspected him of being a traitor... What she says, and he feels almost guilty for it being a minor relief, for just a moment, turn his world upside down. He’s not able to keep himself away from her for a moment longer, rushing to the couch and taking her hands in his and squeezing them tightly. He can’t hide the fear in his eyes. There was nothing in his life that could happen that would be worse than losing her. Even being found out and having to flee... but god, as long as she was alive, she was fine... that would have been enough to him. For another man, the word permanently might scare them. In their line of works, that word means only one thing. And he doesn’t bat an eye. He’d kill them with own two hands. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” They are words, absolute: of trust, loyalty, love. He would never wish for her to do anything that could get her in potential trouble. He would take any fall for her. “I’m here for you, Annie. You know that. No one is going to hurt you.” He would make sure of it.

He thought that she might like to go somewhere that was filled with cherry blossom trees. And Alex wanted to get as far away from the United States as possible. He could never really call this place home, no matter how many years he had spent here, even if she was here... His mission would always stick out in his mind. How this place was the enemy. His smiled softly as she uttered his name, always getting lost in the way she said it. But that bliss only lasted a moment. Every alarm bell in his mind went off when it seemed like there was something she wanted to say but that she stopped herself from saying it. It alighted every paranoid nerve in his body. He tensed, his breathing cut short. “What is it?” He asked, unable to keep the worry from his words. 

It was a miracle that they had managed to make it to this point. He’s looking at her rather than the pink petals on the trees. It is their relationship, their future, which was far more fragile than any flower. Threatened by the secrets that he could never tell. But perhaps, much like flowers, their relationship would continue to grow stronger every year. Roots entangled in each other until they were unbreakable. He held her hand, always soothed by her touch. Always at peace when she was close to him. He smiled his usual charming smile which hid the anxiety that lurked behind it. “Hmm,” he mused, leaning forward to press a kiss to his cheek, continuing to hum and kiss her as he thought about places in the world with these beautiful trees. “What about Japan?” What was as far as possible from the United States?

He had been anxious ever since they left. While they were on the plane. And on the moment he had first stepped in Moscow. It was her safety she worried about, rather than his own. He kept her close, refusing to be more than a few inches from her at all times. He allowed the silence to resonate, taking in the snowy city. Despite his repeated insistence that his grandparents were not of Russian descent (of the man whose identity he had stolen), Anne never seemed to give up the idea that he had some long lost ancestry lurking (if only she knew). He wanted to breathe out the truth to her here and now. To just let out a big laugh echo out into the chilly air of how he had survived all these decades as a secret double agent. He leaned over and pressed a soothing kiss to her forehead, marked by a hint of sadness. “Maybe we can pretend that’s the truth.” Maybe they can wander these streets and he can tell her stories. If he just says they’re stories.

[ Text: Anne ] Neither can I. ❤️ [ Text: Anne ] Oh, you... [ Text: Anne ] You’re the most amazing woman in the world. You know that, don’t you?

Her laugh always soothed him and it helped his current nerves in that moment, but he would doubtfully be back to normal until after the Inauguration Day... and perhaps not even then, depending on how things were with their friend. Their new boss... He doesn’t think Silas will completely brush them off, though he can’t be certain about that. It wouldn’t be the first time. People were... unpredictably predictable in that way. As the saying went: power corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely... “I’ll take that bet,” he grinned. Her touch brought him peace and hoped he would never have to let go of her hand. “And the loser has to deliver it... personally,” he added on, with a twinkle in his eye. Truthfully, he thought he was going to lose, but it would give him an excuse to see her. “And how is... the president doing?” To say that she must have been growing unhappier by the day as the inauguration approached was probably an understatement.

He knocked, of course, for politeness, only entering when he was given the go ahead, a friendly smile and a coffee in hand. A friendly smile was set on his face, though it wasn’t forced. He’s gotten along well enough with Susan in the past and he hoped that would continue. “Director Hunter, I hope I’m not interrupting,” he apologized, knowing how busy she must be, though hoped his intrusion wouldn’t annoy her too much. He made sure to use her title, just in case. Alex wasn’t particularly a stickler about that sort of stuff when it came to himself (only to people he disliked). He crossed the room and set the coffee cup on her desk (an offering). “I just wanted to touch base with you about security for tomorrow.” He’s got a folder in hand which he also placed on her desk. “Everything seems to be looking good on my end.”

He picked up the glass of lemon water, his mind working through something to say, lifting the glass up, opening his mouth and lowering the glass, finding nothing to say, and then finally taking a sip from the water. “No, there aren’t any threats to be concerned about.” It was her correction that made him wonder about the dynamics between the three of them. Would anything change now that Silas was vice president? Nothing had during the campaign. It saddened him to think about losing his friend... that things wouldn’t be like they were both. He looked over the paper she provided him with. “You think he’s ready to know about the aliens?” He asked, trying to attempt a smile. He didn’t say that because he wasn’t taking this all seriously, but because he was worried about the future. He reached over to gently place his hand atop of hers, meeting her gaze. It’ll all be okay, won’t it?

Their scheduled meeting is strictly a professional, no-nonsense kind of meeting, rather than the casual excuse to carve out some time during the day to see each other. With a nation divided, there was no telling what might happen on Inauguration Day, and the stakes were personal for him because of the people potentially in the line of fire was his best friend, Silas. To say that he was stressed was an understatement. He riffled through some papers, plucking one out and pushing it towards her. “My department has been following up on all suspected threats. It’s mostly just punks who don’t understand that we will come knocking on their door when they say dumb things,” he muttered with annoyance. 

Some weeks it was easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of work. Between this national security emergency and the next, things could easily spiral out of control where it was just a matter of dragging oneself home, raiding the fridge for leftovers, and then collapsing into bed. He’s not the young man that he once was, who had barely needed a wink of sleep. Her encouraging touch sent a shiver up his spine. Silently, but with a charming smile dancing on his lips, his fingers quickly and skillfully undoing the buttons on her blouse, pushing aside the light fabric to expose her skin to the air. His mouth trailed down until it reached her breast, teeth sinking in deeper, marking her skin, claiming it as his...

[ Text: Anne ] It’s a date. ;) [ Text: Anne ] Yes. [ Text: Anne ] Wait, you mean a real bouquet, right? [ Text: Anne ] How about this arrangement of poppies?

[ Text: Anne ] Hopefully it will arrive soon... [ Text: Anne ] Definitely need to have at least one flower in every colour. At the very least. [ Text: Anne ] Perhaps we can have a movie night when this flower comes? 

[ Text: Anne ] I think they would go nice in our garden... [ Text: Anne ] Always good to have a variety, don’t you think?