Chapter Text
On Monday morning, Yuri entered the room where he, Chloe, and the captain worked. Chloe was already there, and he tapped her on the shoulder.
– Good morning, Chloe. Ready for today?
– Good morning, Second Lieutenant. Ready for what?
– Dinner. Did you forget?
– I didn’t forget. I said I would if you won me over. You didn’t win me over. At least I didn’t feel won over – the girl replied, pretending indifference.
– What?! No, Chloe. You can’t do this to me! I even went to my sister’s house to practice what I’m going to do for you tonight! Tell me what I did wrong, I don’t know! But don’t do this to me!
Chloe was surprised by her colleague’s reaction. She didn’t know he had gone to practice cooking. Seeing her friend like that, she changed her mind.
– Okay, you convinced me. But that doesn’t mean you won me over. Tonight’s dinner will be for me to evaluate you and see if you can win me over.
– Why do you insist that I win you over?
At that moment, the captain entered the room. They were startled and stood frozen facing the door.
– Good morning, Yuri. Good morning, Chloe.
– Good morning, Captain – they both replied.
The captain looked at them standing side by side.
– Why are you both so tense? What were you talking about that made you stop as soon as I came in? Don’t tell me you’re dating?
– No! – Chloe replied.
– Never say that again, Captain! Such indecency!
Chloe looked at Yuri with a disgusted expression. The lieutenant smiled and picked up a folder that was on the table.
– We’d better focus on work. We have a lot of paperwork to organize today.
That interruption made Yuri forget the question he had asked Chloe. At the end of the day, they would go together to the Forgers’ house.
When Anya came home from school, her parents talked to her about the special dinner that night.
– Does Uncle have a girlfriend?! – Anya said, surprised.
– Yes, he does. Isn’t that good, Miss Anya? – Yor replied.
– Poor her. Uncle is clingy.
– Anya, don’t talk like that about your uncle – Loid scolded her.
– But it’s true, Daddy. Does he scream when he sees her, like when he sees Mommy? I hope he doesn’t come here yelling.
– I’ll ask him not to do that – Yor said, smiling.
“Then that’s why Uncle was thinking about the girl named Chloe. But he didn’t seem in love. He looked like Daddy when he thinks a lot before starting to like Mommy,” Anya thought. At that moment she heard her father’s thoughts.
“I hope Yuri does a good job with this fake relationship today and ends up falling in love with his colleague. That way he’ll come here less often and will have someone to think about instead of suspecting me.”
“What?! It’s a fake relationship? Uncle is pretending and Daddy knows? So only Mommy doesn’t know? If Uncle starts liking his fake girlfriend, he’ll stop coming here making noise and yelling at Mommy. Anya is thinking like Daddy now,” the girl thought, with a mischievous look.
Her father noticed and took her to get ready for dinner.
That night, the Forgers were wearing different clothes. Loid wore a green sweater over a dress shirt and gray pants. Yor wore a blue button-up blouse and white pants. And Anya wore a black dress with a ruffle covering her shoulders. Bond wore his traditional bow tie.
Yuri and Chloe arranged to meet at the subway station closest to the Forgers’ address. Yuri wore a red turtleneck sweater and black pants, and Chloe wore olive straight-leg pants, a navy three-quarter-sleeve blouse, and a wool coat.
– I’ve never seen you wear bright colors.
– Ahh, it’s because you said you like red and I told Loid. I figured it would make our relationship look more real to them – Yuri replied.
– I see. That red matches your eyes and your flushed cheeks – Chloe said, hiding her smile with her hand.
– Stop it, or I’ll arrest you!
– Yes, Second Lieutenant – she said while still laughing.
He thought about how cute she looked at that moment. And at many other moments before this, but he had never noticed. Chloe was a very beautiful woman, was the conclusion he reached.
They were getting close to the building when Yuri stopped in front of Chloe and held her shoulders, surprising her.
– Please, Chloe. Don’t forget you have to pretend you love me! My sister has to be convinced that we’re really dating!
– Yuri, I think the one who needs to remember to pretend to love is you. Don’t be so bitter and stop being rude to me. Or I’ll step on your foot under the table – she replied, removing his hands from her shoulders, using her hands like swords cutting his arms.
When Yuri and Chloe arrived at the Forgers’ house, they were greeted by the whole family at the door. Yor was surprised by how beautiful Chloe was, and by how they looked like such a good couple, yet both nervous at the same time.
After warmly introducing themselves, the couple entered and the door closed behind them.
Yor stayed behind the guests and held Loid’s arm.
– Hey, Loid! They look so good together. Chloe is very beautiful.
Loid couldn’t help noticing how Yor looked like a proud mother. It was good to see his wife happy, and he would do anything to make that dinner go well.
– True, they’re a beautiful couple.
Anya followed them to the sofa and kept staring at Chloe, blinking.
– Wow, Uncle’s girlfriend is so pretty! Can I call you Auntie?
– Well… – Chloe looked at Yuri and then spoke again – yes, you can, dear.
Yuri turned bright red.
– Unkie is embarrassed.
– Stop it, chihuahua girl.
– Are you going to arrest your niece too? – Chloe asked, smiling.
– Shut up or you’ll be the one getting arrested.
Chloe laughed again. She knew he wouldn’t do it.
Yor and Loid went to the living room and sat down. Anya knelt on the floor drawing on the coffee table, and Bond lay beside her.
– It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Yor. Yuri doesn’t stop talking about his dear sister – Chloe said.
Loid restrained himself from rolling his eyes and thought, “I can imagine.”
– Oh, don’t say that. I feel honored to meet you. Knowing my little brother has someone who cares about him and loves him is very important to me.
Chloe couldn’t help looking at Yuri when she heard that. He was turning red and suddenly stood up.
– I think I’d better start cooking.
– I’ll help you, Yuri. You two can stay here talking
– Loid said, getting up and placing a hand on Yor’s shoulder, who placed her hand over his.
In the kitchen, Loid took out frozen meatballs from Saturday and tomatoes to make spaghetti sauce.
– Are you okay, Yuri?
– No, I’m not. I’m so nervous it feels like my head is going to explode.
– How was dinner yesterday?
– It was calm. It was much better just the two of us. I didn’t feel as uncomfortable as before.
– Good. Everything takes time. You’ll see more clearly when things fall into place little by little. Yor liked her as soon as she saw her. And she thought you two made a nice couple.
– Really? – Yuri couldn’t believe his sister liked the idea of him having a girlfriend. In a way he felt sad, like Yor wanted to get rid of him. But at the same time he felt relieved that her worries were gone.
– Yor wants you to be happy, whether in a romantic relationship or with friends. She just wants you to have the normal life she always wanted to give you, Yuri.
Yuri watched them talking and laughing at Anya’s antics in the living room. That calmed him amid the nervousness he felt.
Yuri went to the living room carrying the plates and cutlery and said:
– Dinner is ready.
Yor stood up and took things from his hands. Chloe helped her arrange the table. Anya put Bond’s dinner down and ran to wash her hands.
Yuri went back to the kitchen, and he and Loid brought the meal: spaghetti with tomato sauce, meatballs seasoned with chives, Caesar salad, and sautéed green beans. They served themselves and sat at the table. Anya next to Yor and opposite Chloe. Yuri next to Chloe, facing Yor. Loid sat at the narrow end of the table, next to Yor and Yuri.
The spaghetti looked very appetizing, even more than on Saturday.
– Uncle, today’s spaghetti tastes better – Anya said after tasting it.
– Thank you, Anya… Your father helped me – Yuri said, hesitating as his face turned red.
– Yuri came here on Saturday excited to make this spaghetti for you. He wanted it to have a special flavor – Yor said, smiling.
– Yes. He said you liked the spaghetti with meatballs your mother used to make, so he worked hard to make something similar – Loid added.
Yuri blushed and looked away. – Remember that restaurant near the university? You used to say their spaghetti with meatballs tasted like your mother’s. So I asked Loid for help to make something similar.
– Oh Yuri, thank you for the effort – Chloe replied. When she tasted the spaghetti and meatballs, her eyes sparkled and she slightly opened her mouth. She couldn’t hold back her emotion and said:
– Yuri! It’s perfect! It tastes just like what my mother used to make for me! It helped me relieve my homesickness. Thank you so much, Yuri. Thank you so much, Mr. Forger. Thank you so much.
A few tears fell from her eyes. Yuri took his napkin and offered it to her. She smiled through tears and took it from his hand. Yuri had never been gentle with her like that.
While she dried her tears, she looked at him gratefully. He wanted to comfort her by placing his hand on her shoulder, but hesitated, clenching his fist on his leg instead.
– Don’t be sad, Uncle, Aunt Chloe is happy.
– I-I’m not sad.
– Why are you sad? Is it because I cried? – Chloe asked.
– It’s just that… I’ve never seen you cry like this. The only time I saw you cry was in college. You were sad because you got a bad grade – Yuri replied, blushing again.
Yor looked at Loid with a knowing glance, and both smiled discreetly.
– Ah, back then I think all students cried over bad grades. Except you. You had the best grades – Chloe said, smiling while looking at him.
– It’s true, you studied together. What was Yuri like back then? – Yor asked.
– He was the most annoying student in the class. Nobody liked being near him, and he loved it. He said the only person who mattered was his dear sister.
Yuri was about to tell Chloe to shut up when he remembered that wouldn’t be appropriate. So he looked away, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair, his face red with embarrassment. But Chloe began saying things that surprised him.
– Actually, he always tried to repay everything you did for him, Yor. He wanted to be someone you could be proud of. Even today he talks about protecting and taking care of you.
– And now he has someone else to care about. You, Chloe – Yor said.
– I also count on you to help take care of my family, Yuri – Loid said, smiling.
– See how many people are counting on you, Yuri? – Chloe said, ruffling his hair.
Yuri flinched at the touch and blushed.
– S-stop it, Chloe! – he said, pulling his head away from her hand.
Anya watched them and thought about how hard it was to tell whether they liked each other like Mommy and Daddy. But she knew Chloe thought Yuri was very handsome and even cute, and that Yuri was very nervous because Chloe was saying nice things and touching him so close to his face.
– So, how did you realize you liked each other? – Loid asked. Yuri stiffened in his chair and looked at him as if he might execute him right there.
– I also want to know when you started liking each other – Yor added, holding her husband’s arm with a curious look.
– Well… as I said… we recently… met again… – Chloe interrupted, touching his arm to calm him.
– We work at the same place.
– So you also work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? What a coincidence!
– That’s what I thought when I met him there! After 4 years studying together, we met again at work. We went out with colleagues sometimes and ended up getting close again.
– Actually, a familiar face helped me feel more comfortable – Yuri said.
– Were you very close in college? – Loid asked again.
– Not really. I thought he was unbearable. But I always saw him as focused. I think that’s what made him a good student. So sometimes we worked on the same team.
– So that’s why you wanted to be on the same team as me?
– Nobody wanted to be on a team with you. You were so rude. I think I was the only one who could tolerate your bad mood. Even today I still can.
– I’m not moody!
– There you go being moody. – Yuri blushed. Chloe continued: – I don’t want to sound conceited, but I think I’m the only one who can break down the barriers you put up.
– Did you also break down his heart’s barriers, Aunt Chloe? – Anya asked. Yuri turned even redder and everyone at the table laughed, except him.
– You’re still cute, Yuri – Yor said.
Yuri’s face lit up and he thought, “Sis thinks I’m cute.”
– True, sometimes Yuri is cute – Chloe said.
Yuri turned to her, surprised, thinking, “Chloe thinks I’m cute too?”
Anya was paying attention to their thoughts. – “Aunt Chloe really thinks Uncle Yuri is cute? And Uncle Yuri is happy about that? I hope he doesn’t make noise” – the girl thought.
– I was surprised to see how Yuri became someone responsible and committed to work. He’s no longer the annoying little boy from college, he’s an honest man who gives a sense of security. I think that made me feel attracted to him. Besides, he also became a very handsome man – Chloe said, blushing. Yuri also felt his face heat up.
– And you, Yuri? – Loid asked.
– M-me? I think after Yor, she’s the person who knows me best. I have to admit I make it hard for people to get close to me, but Chloe is an exception. Even though she’s annoying and bossy sometimes, I need to hear what she says to keep my feet on the ground. She sees things in me that I don’t even see myself. It’s good to have her around, and I also… – he paused, blushing, and looked away – I think she’s very beautiful. – He took a sip of wine to clear his throat. Chloe was surprised by his words.
Loid and Yor exchanged glances. Yor was very happy to see her brother in love with such a good woman, and Loid realized his plan was working.
– “Uncle Yuri likes Aunt Chloe. Aunt Chloe likes Uncle Yuri. Two secret agents! So cool!” – Anya thought, looking at them.
– This conversation is getting too cheesy – Anya said, breaking the silence that filled the room.
Everyone laughed, and she started talking about her day at school and the activities they had done that day.
After dinner, Anya fell asleep on the sofa and ended up missing that Monday’s episode of Spy Wars. Bond slept at the foot of the sofa.
Yuri and Yor were in the kitchen washing dishes, while Loid and Chloe talked about the jazz performance they had attended the day before in the living room.
– I like her, Yuri! She seems very nice and really likes you.
– You think so, sis?
– Of course! Don’t you think I noticed all the times she looked at you? I also saw you looking at her secretly. My little brother grew up. I’m so proud of you, Yuri. – Hearing Yor’s remarks made Yuri blush.
– Thank you so much, sis. It seems Loidinho also liked her – he replied, looking jealously toward the living room.
– Don’t stay here being jealous. Go be with your girlfriend, and tell Loid I need him, please – Yor said, smiling and pushing Yuri toward the living room. Yuri went to the room with his face red.
– Loidinho, sis needs you in the kitchen.
– Ah, alright. I’ll leave you two alone – Loid said, winking at Yuri, making him blush again.
– Did I do well? – Chloe asked.
– Sis said we look very much in love. So I think we were convincing.
– They’re watching us from the kitchen, and it looks like they’re talking.
– Yor likes you.
– Really? Then we can pretend like this every time we meet them.
Yuri looked sadly at Chloe at that moment, while she looked toward the kitchen and smiled at her fake in-laws, nodding. The word “pretend” made him remember that it was all just an act.
– Your brother-in-law is a nice guy. I don’t understand your dislike for him.
– You were even won over by Loidinho? Unbelievable!
Chloe smiled. Yuri continued speaking.
– Um… what I said earlier… about you… about having you around… is true.
– I know. I mean, I know I know you well and can snap you back to reality, I just didn’t know you like my company.
– I spend a lot of time with you, so it’s easy to explain that – he said, looking away, his face red.
– What I said is also genuine. You really have changed a lot, I think it’s the maturity you gained over time. You still need to improve, but you’re just a brat.
– Don’t call me that! I’m not a brat. I’m a man now, and you said so yourself.
– That’s true, I did – Chloe replied, laughing ironically. She managed to provoke him again. She liked that. Yuri was cute in those situations.
Neither of them admitted that the part of the conversation where they praised each other’s appearance was genuine.
In the kitchen, Yor and Loid talked while washing dishes.
– Loid, I’m so happy for Yuri! He was jealous because you were talking to Chloe. I never imagined Yuri would fall in love with someone. My little brother has grown up.
– She must really like him, right? I’m also very happy for them – Loid replied with a smile.
Yor prepared containers with food for them to take home. They thanked her and left. While watching them go down the hallway, Loid put his arm around Yor’s shoulder, hugging her. Yor wrapped her arm around his back and looked at him. They were happy because the night had gone very well—Yor because the dinner with her brother’s girlfriend had worked out, and Twilight because he managed to provide a distraction for Yuri and could now spend more time at ease with his wife while continuing Operation Strix.
– Want to walk home? – Yuri asked Chloe.
– Want to burn off the calories we ate?
– Actually, I wanted us to talk a bit.
Chloe was surprised by the sincerity in his voice.
– Sometimes it’s nice to see you like this, normal.
– I am normal. Just because I get irritated easily doesn’t mean I’m not normal.
– Look at you, being honest more than once in the same night. You’re earning points with me.
– Does that mean I’ve managed to win you over?
Chloe didn’t want to give in so easily. She liked torturing Yuri. And maybe he deserved it.
– No! You still have to try much harder to win me over.
– I still don’t understand why you want me to win you over. It doesn’t make sense if it’s just pretend.
– True, I didn’t tell you the reason for that condition. Did you enjoy this past week?
– Enjoy it? I lived anxiously, worried about how today would be.
– And do you think everything turned out well?
– I think so.
– And did you enjoy today?
– Despite feeling embarrassed many times, I did.
– See? If I had just accepted your request to pretend to be your girlfriend, you wouldn’t have experienced everything you did this week. You challenged yourself this week doing things you’re not used to.
– Wait, you wanted me to enjoy it?
– No, Yuri. I wanted you to see things from another perspective. Not as an obligation. I know that in the beginning you forced yourself to do some things. But every time we went out, you ended up acting more like yourself as the night went on. It was very good to see you improving the way you interact with people who aren’t your sister. And it ended up not being that annoying.
– I think it was because it was you, Chloe. You’re the only person who challenges me.
– You’ve had everything so easy and were always spoiled by your sister. Why should I spoil you too?
– I don’t want to be spoiled by you!
– That’s exactly why my verdict is that you didn’t win me over, Yuri.
– Wait, so I’ll have to keep up the act?
– Well, you can end the act when we’re not in the presence of your family. But you can keep trying to win me over – Chloe said, lifting her chin and walking faster.
He ran after her. He didn’t want to give up. – Wait. What do I have to do?
She took his hand, turned his palm upward, took a paper from her pocket, and placed it in his hand. That paper looked familiar.
– Huh? Another ticket to a jazz performance on Saturday?
– My proof that you failed. And your ticket to keep trying to win me over. – Chloe’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him. Those pinkish-brown eyes that held Yuri’s attention at that moment. She could hear her own heartbeat and hoped Yuri couldn’t hear it.
Yuri smiled, feeling that nauseating sensation return. But now he accepted that it wasn’t something bad. He might not have managed to win Chloe over, but he knew she had entered a small space in his heart.
– I think we should do this more often. What do you think?
– So you’re accepting my challenge?
– You know I like challenges.
– Yuri Briar is inviting me out more than once?
– Take it however you want.
Yuri would keep trying to win Chloe over, unaware that she had already done so, until those challenges became part of his routine.