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Root turned around, smiling at Daigo who had been following her behind, “here.” Root took out a small box of chocolate with a little pink ribbon on it.
Daigo was surprised, he could hardly remember what was the last time he received a chocolate from a girl on Valentine’s Day. His life was a mess since the day Root knocked on his door years ago.
“Arigatou, Root.” Daigo smiled at Root, the woman who saved his life more than once.
“It’s time to say goodbye. Again.” Root smiled her usual smile, a smile that fooled people, allow people to believe she was harmless.
“Until next time.” Daigo waved his hand goodbye while watching Root heading into the departure gate.
``````
“Hey sweetie, do you miss me?”
“Root” John frowned and regretted it right away for answering the call, ”What do you want now?”
“I just got back from Japan, and I got something for Harold, hoping you can help me pasting it to him.”
Even through the phone call, John bet the woman was smiling her favourite devilish smile. “And why would I do that?”
Root laughed even louder,”Oh John, or would you like me to track down dear Harry myself and give it to him… by... myself?”
“……”
John closed his eyes, trying to wipe out the image of Root being in the same space with Harold. “Just give it to me.”
“Sure, sweetheart. I will send you the package later, bye.”
John knew he will regret it later, but he just couldn’t stand the image of Root being near to Harold. Even though Root had been working for the machine and sometimes even helping them out with their numbers.
He could never trust Root, especially when Harold was involved.
``````
Later that night.
When he finally had finished the paperwork that he got from shooting the suspects' kneecaps, John received a package from an ‘anonymous’ sender. It was a small package with a handwritten note with it.
“Please unwrap the package with caution. I hope you don’t tear up the beautiful wrapping that I had personally chosen for this special occasion.”
After finished reading the note, John casually threw it into the little garbage can he had near his desk.
Staring at the package for a few seconds, John finally picked it up carefully and examine it with suspicion.
Logically, John knew that Root would never hurt Harold; not psychically, of course. But she would do whatever it takes to achieve her goal, even it meant putting Harold in any dangerous situation, and that’s what John trying very hard to avoid.
No obvious earth solvent kind of smell, but John doubt that someone as sly as Root would send something as straightforward and boring as a bomb to her enemy. That’s just plain stupidity. Root was many things but stupid was definitely not one of those.
What did Root have in mind? What was it that she want it to be delivered to Harold by him?
John was completely baffled by Root’s action, again.
Just like Hersh once said to him. He doesn’t give orders, he executes them. Despite the fact that John knew that there’s a scheme behind all of this, he knew there’s nothing he could do to prevent this. The only choice he had was to deliver the package to Harold as Root told him to, and be ready to face any consequences that came afterwards.
He put the package inside his coat jacket casually and ready to head out.
“Where you going, partner?”
Fuscos who was sitting across his desk rose his head up from the pile of files and asked.
“Day job, Lionel.”
```````
Walking down the stairs, John could hear that Bear rushing up to his direction, ready to greet him. John patted that cute little thing and played with him a little before heading to Harold’s station.
“Good boy.” When he was playing with Bear, John’s eyes saw that one of the screens was showing the familiar door of the brownstone.
John ignored the feeling burning inside his heart and trying to distract himself by playing with Bear, hoping it would calm him so that he could quickly get this done and leave.
“Good evening, Mr Resse.” Harold walked out from his station and greeted John from a distance.
“Finch.”
John replied it without looking at Harold.
“I had Miss Shaw to handle our latest number since it’s related to her side-job.”
“I see.”
John’s mind became calmer when it came to the numbers, their mission, their purpose; but still, he tried to keep his answer short, hoping Harold wouldn’t notice anything unusual.
“I suppose you could have the night off, and finishing up the reports.”
John rose his head and saw that Harold was smiling a little bit.
“Yeah, that. I finished all the reports.”
Finally, John stood up and walked toward Harold. He reached into his pocket and handed Harold the package.
“It’s for you.”
Without knowing for sure, John decided to left out Root’s name.
“Thank you, Mr Reese.” Harold was confused but yet, he accepted it,”What’s the occasion?”
“Nothing important.”
With an interesting stare, Harold opened the wrapping carefully, inside it was his favourite chocolate that he never told anyone to about. “Why do you…”
Before Harold could finish his sentence, a squared card fallen out from the box and Bear picked it up and handed it to Harold.
“Thank you, Bear. Good boy.” Harold smiled at the little guy. Harold took the note with his free hand and continued to read it.
Harold was shocked, “John… I didn’t know… I…”
When John saw that it was just chocolate inside the package, he was relieved. But the whole situation turned into something unknown in a second when Harold read the note and he didn’t know what’s wrong.
What was Root planning?
“You didn’t know what?"
John stepped one step closer to Harold, trying to read the note. But his mind failed to function the instant when he was closer to Harold because all he could see was the redness on Harold’s checks, the familiar cologne that Harold’s wearing, the shivering red soft lips, the snowy white neck of his which turning red……
“Know that…” Harold stared right into John’s eyes, and finished his sentence. “that you have feelings for me.”
Even as an experienced undercover agent, John was taken by surprise, his mind froze and he didn’t know what to do. So all he did was staring back at Harold, hoping the man in front of him, would give him the next instruction as always.
"John?"
After a few minutes of dead silence, Harold whispered.
"Yes."
John tried to smile a little, hoping it would make him look less nervous.
"So...is that 'yes' an answer to the previous question, or..."
"Yes, I do have feelings for you."
John's eyes were still fixed on Harold's but his hand had moved over to the card that Harold now loosely holding in his hand. He took it over and finally read the message on it.
'I LOVE YOU.'
Shit.
It was just the normal message card that comes with any present, but it was hardly a mistake when the package was given by Root.
How does she find out?
Thoughts were popping up in John's mind all at once. He wasn't sure what he was about to do was the right choice but he couldn't think of anything else right now.
Worst come to worst, they could always be friend, as usual, as partner.
John trying to convince himself.
"I'm flattered, Mr Reese."
"John. Call me John, please."
John stepped closer to Harold. He picked one of the chocolate from the box and placed it right in front of the red rose lips that he couldn't take his eyes off for the whole night and said, "Would you be my Valentine, Harold?"
"I..."
John took the chance and lightly pushed the chocolate into Harold's mouth.
Thump thump. Thump thump.
"Hmm." With a lick on the lips, Harold smiled.
"Yes."
Thump thump. Thump thump.
"Yes, I would like to be your Valentine, John."