Chapter Text
“You have to find out what he’s up to.” Player had told her before she entered the hotel.
Carmen splashed the water from the open faucet on her face. The redundancy of washing her face after she already had taken a shower not lost on her. But something had to ground her to her next mission.
“VILE staying probably means they’re already on the next step of whatever they’re planning.”
Carmen’s little finger stayed on her lips.
They’d kissed. She’d kissed him. He’d kissed her back.
“If VILE-”
Carmen caught her face turning red in the mirror.
Carmen yanked a towel from its cozy little pile and sighed deeply into it before forcing herself to focus on drying her face off.
She couldn’t think to herself she didn’t mean it, mean any of the kisses or that they didn’t mean anything to her. She did mean it and they did mean something. Carmen couldn't help it. It was already al too important. Especially the kiss where it almost felt…hungry, before becoming sweet again. She could feel the moment already coloring her affection for him; strengthening the old and birthing new curiosity in her.
Kissing him had felt…right.
But she couldn’t forget what else mattered.
She knew Player was right about that at least.
—-----
“I’m assuming this is your handiwork.” Gray said dryly at his crackle rod dissected on the table.
Carmen exited the bathroom, clad in the complimentary purple bathrobes of the hotel and nodded happily. Gray chuckled, bobbing his head back at her reflexively, before yanking the office chair in the room to the table, plopping down and looking at the work she’d done just before he woke up. It hadn’t been easy cracking the handle open and laying out its components without losing all the bits but it was worth it for his bewildered eyebrows to furrow in resigned respect.
“Ivy shows me the ropes sometimes. Gotta keep myself caught up on detail work.”
“Surprised you didn’t just chuck it down the garbage.”
“Thought about it but decided it was pushing our truce a bit far.” Carmen plopped down on the bed and frowned as Gray continued to focus on the disrepair job.
“And me having to repair this on the spot isn’t?” He snorted, as he took some tools from the table and started to fix it. “Hell you might as well just have cracked it in half.”
“I mean-” Carmen outstretched her hand. He glanced at it and shook his head.
“Not serious mate.”
He was grousing but none of it had any bite. He was in a good mood. Carmen bit her lip in an attempt to keep the smug little guess on why. She tried to bask in the mood instead. How…familiar it felt.
“So…there's a washing machine here?” Gray asked lightly, eyes traveling from her outstretched hand over her, before meeting her eyes in amusement.
“Yeah, “ Carmen answered. “Its tucked in the right side of the closet, you can-”
Gray raised a brow at her and she trailed off. This however was not entirely familiar. Soft, teasing, asking her to be a bit more aware.
Satisfied that the awareness was dawning as a slight blush, Gray turned back to his work “Maybe later. I don’t have a change of clothes. ” He rolled his eyes in irritation, probably at his VILE colleagues, “but I don’t want to stay in the same clothes and a shower sounds great.”
“Soooooo…”Carmen drawled, folding the unfamiliar feeling into the tranquil atmosphere, liking the new warmth, but getting ready for the questions she needed to ask. “Gonna tell me what’s on the agenda?”
“Well I was gonna go on an errand…” Carmen sat up at that. The errand for VILE? He was still doing that? It was today? Here? Her eyes narrowed.
“What -”
“However! I think that might be pushing our truce.”
“Not sure keeping it a secret bodes well for it either.” She replied firmly.
“Thought not,” He said, his voice again laced with a lightness that came out as a short laugh. It was hard not to relax around him. But-
“Operative Paperstar to meet Agent Crackle for a little package.” He stopped some of the minor reassembly to pull out a box from his suit and settle it on the far end of the table.
Carmen’s stomach dropped and she went to grab it. She had been too relaxed, hadn’t bothered to check him, they were in the same bed and-, what if VILE had gotten this -this…
She looked at him working, not making a move to take the box back from her hands. or when she opened it and took out a small cluster of green leaves. she snapped the box shut and looked him curiously.
“Mind illuminating me on what this is?”
He shrugged. “Probably a special delivery to Lady Dokuso. Or Maelstrom. They’re usually the ones who can stand working with Paperstar for missions like this. Can you imagine Countess Cleo letting her handle anything of hers without backup? Knowing how she treats backup?” He snickered, finally meeting her eyes so she could join in the joke.
“So you’re not going?” She asked.
He tilted his head to look at her, his eyes softened. Carmen’s heart swelled as he shook his head slightly.
“And you’re not…going back. Are you?” She asked, quieter, scared and hopeful for the answer.
He shook his head again.
She sank back down on the bed and beamed at him. He wasn't going back, he was on her side, he was finally...hers.
She texted a photo to Player and waited for him to confirm that he would work on it right away, sending the redheads to go and get her with the plane.
Then she frowned at the crackle rod on the table.
“You could just leave it alone,” she pouted.
He laughed. "I could...Alright then Carmen.” He said, twirling the chair towards her, taking her in with a soft look deadly contrasted with his light voice. “What's on the agenda?”
She grinned back. “Think you’re gonna need an emergency wardrobe. Up for a shopping trip?”