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Gavin worried at his lip, eyes scanning the mission files strewn across their bed. Ryan was splayed out next to him, chin propped up in his hands as he read one of the files for himself.
"I don't like this, Ryan. I don't know if I can pull this off."
Ryan snorted. "You'll be fine."
"I'm supposed to just seduce some random woman?" Gavin retorted, slapping one of the pages. "I'm rubbish at talking to people in general! Why aren't you doing it? You're way better at that sort of stuff."
The older man waved his prosthetic hand rather pointedly. "This is way too recognisable. You will play the part of a self-centred son of a billionaire, while I take on the role of your incredibly charming bodyguard. That way I won't look as odd wearing gloves in the middle of spring." He cocked one eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Unless you think you can pull off the bodyguard look."
Gavin muttered darkly under his breath, snatching up another piece of paper.
"This is absolutely ridiculous. See, what is this?" he wrinkled his nose at the file. "Mark Nutt?" he practically squawked. "What kind of name is that?"
"Well, I'm James Hewett for this mission, so…"
"Mine's way worse," Gavin complained, tossing the paper in Ryan's direction. "No one's going to believe that's my real name."
"Ah, stop your whining." Ryan grinned, tapping another document. "Besides, she's quite pretty. I'm sure you won't have any problems pretending to like her." Gavin glanced at the picture Ryan had indicated, catching a glimpse of a pearly white smile and a smooth swathe of hair that was on the redder side of pink, the name 'Meg Turney' underneath the photograph. "And the way the mission's set up, you shouldn't have any problems sweeping her off her feet, either," Ryan continued. "One of the other field operatives will accidentally shove against her as she's about to cross the road, at the same time that a truck, driven by Michael, just so happens to lose control. You dash in and pull her out of harm's way, and she falls into your arms." He grinned at the distasteful expression on Gavin's face. "Come on, you'll be fine. It's not like you'll actually be trying to get in her pants or anything. The whole point of the mission is to get into her house and for me to sneak a bug into her dad's office while you have her distracted. He's the real target, after all."
"And why can't we just go about this the way we normally do?" Gavin groused.
"Because the security at that mansion is way too tight for us to get through unless we do it this way. Mr. Turney is a very paranoid man. And he should be, he didn't exactly come into his money through legal means, even if no one is publicly aware of that." He eyed the younger man shrewdly. "Have you actually read over these files at all, or are you just being difficult?"
Gavin's eyes slid away, drawing his knees up under his chin. "I really don't know if I can do this, Rye. What if I eff everything up?"
Carefully, Ryan stacked a few of the papers together to clear a path for him to knee-walk to where Gavin was sitting, tucking the younger man against his chest. "You won't," he promised, rubbing soothing circles on Gavin's arm. "You're an incredibly capable agent, Gavin. The Agency considers you as a very valuable asset, they wouldn't squander someone of your level of skill on a mission they didn't believe you would be able to complete. Geoff has faith that you can do this, and so do I. Have a little faith in yourself, okay?"
"You really mean that?" Gavin asked quietly.
"I'd never lie about something like that. I care about you too much," Ryan admitted, giving Gavin a small peck on the hinge of his jaw. The Brit relaxed against him with a sigh.
"Thanks, Ryan. I really needed to hear that." He twisted his head, returning the small kiss, then diverted his attention back to the mission files, a smile creeping onto his face. "I think you're right, actually. This one's going to be fun."
~* * *~
Ryan tugged at his gloves, waiting for Gavin to be done with his makeover for the mission. Ryan himself hadn't required much work - essentially all he'd needed was a suit, an earpiece, and some dark sunglasses resting atop hair that had been slicked back with gel. Gavin, however, was meant to be imitating someone that lived the high life, and as such the Agency's stylists needing to put more effort into making sure Gavin looked the part.
Gavin entered the room after Ryan had been waiting almost an hour, looking almost like an entirely different person. A fitted button-up shirt accentuated the slender lines of his torso, the hem sitting snugly over a pair of designer jeans that hugged his ass and thighs like a second skin, cuffs rolled once above a pair of glossy dark brown dress shoes. Topping off the look was a pair of ridiculously overpriced sunglasses and a new haircut, styled into artful disarray. Gavin spread his arms out, twisting to the side so Ryan could see more. "How do I look?"
"Like a complete tool."
The Brit grinned. "Brilliant. Let's go."
~* * *~
Despite any lingering trepidation Gavin might have had, the first part of the mission went off without a hitch. The field agent tasked with shoving Meg onto the road successfully jostled her off the pathway without looking suspicious and Gavin sprinted across the way as tires screeched and a horn blared, pulling Meg against him and out of the path of the truck barrelling down the road.
Ryan was mere steps behind him, and he ran over hurriedly, hand on Gavin's shoulder. "Sir, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Gavin murmured, keeping his gazed glued to Meg. "How about you, love?" he asked her softly.
"Oh my God, that truck came out nowhere." Her eyes were wide, her vibrant pink hair in disarray. "You just saved my life." She threw her arms around his neck, pressing against him and whispering 'thank you' over and over again. Gavin's hands settled easily around her. A little too easily, for Ryan's taste, and even though he knew Gavin was just playing the part, the Brit was being so convincing - especially considering his initial reluctance to take on the mission - that it made jealousy start to eat away at Ryan's insides. He'd thought that Gavin having to seduce their mark was funny as a theoretical concept, but in practice it wasn't anywhere near as humorous.
He cleared his throat pointedly. "Sir?" he asked firmly. "Maybe we should see about getting the young miss home. She's had a bit of a shock."
Gavin's arm slipped around her waist as she turned, still clinging to Gavin. "That actually sounds great." She smiled beatifically at Ryan, her face the picture of sincere thankfulness, and he had to struggle a little to continue to hate her.
"Mm. That's probably for the best. James, could you go grab the car for us? We'll wait here." Gavin indicated to some seats at a nearby café, a parking bay available for Ryan to pick them up from a few metres off.
Ryan's lips thinned slightly. "Your father pays me to keep you within sight at all times, sir."
Gavin rolled his eyes and gave Meg a look. "No one's going to abduct me if you're not here for thirty seconds."
"Sir, I'm going to have to insist-"
"So am I." Gavin cut him off. "Go grab the car, we'll be fine."
Ryan forced a smile, loathing the fact that he'd have to leave them alone, even for a short period of time. "Of course. I'll be right back." With a stiff back, Ryan turned around, heading in the direction of the car park.
"Oh God, I'm being so rude, you saved my life and I haven't even asked your name," Ryan heard Meg babble as he walked away.
"I'm Mark. It's an absolute pleasure to meet you."
Her reply was out of earshot, but Ryan knew her name already anyway.
The picture of her in their briefing packet hadn't done her justice; she was gorgeous. Ryan found himself scowling deeply as he strode towards the car, the image of Meg wrapped up in Gavin's arms burned into the forefront of his mind. They looked so perfect together, like they'd known each other for years rather than minutes. Ryan gritted his teeth and yanked the car door open with a little more force than strictly necessary.
The only comfort he could find in this situation was the fact that Meg didn't know a single thing about the real Gavin. Of the two of them, that was a privilege that only Ryan could claim.
He started the car, a sleek silver Audi that they'd been given for the mission. It took Ryan just over a minute to pull out and loop around the block to arrive at the parking spot next to the café, but by the time he arrived Meg and Gavin looked like they'd been engrossed in conversation for hours, laughing and bumping their hands against each other's on the café table. His lips twitched downwards as he got out of the car, but he managed to mask his emotions as he strode over to them.
"Sir, miss, if you'd please," he said, indicating to the car. Gavin offered Meg his hand as he stood, and she took it, their fingers curling around each other. Ryan turned back around abruptly so they wouldn't see him glowering, and opened the rear door for them before getting into the driver's seat.
"Where to, miss?" he asked, fingers hovering over the touch screen of the navigation system.
"You can call me Meg, you know, you don't have to be so formal," she laughed, buckling her seatbelt and smoothing her skirt.
"With all due respect, I would feel more comfortable calling you by your last name, if you don't mind giving it."
Meg deflated a little. "It's Turney," she supplied, then rattled off her address. She leaned closer to Gavin and mock-whispered, "Is he always like this?"
"Absolutely. He's been working for my dad for maybe three years now? And he still won't call me Mark."
"One of us has to be professional, sir," Ryan couldn't help but let his tone become just the slightest bit snarky, eyes on the road as he pulled out into traffic.
Gavin let out a good-natured chuckle, shifting as close to Meg as the seatbelts would allow. "He's just bummed by the fact that I didn't need to work to have money," he told her with a wink.
The two fell into an easy conversation, talking like Ryan wasn't even there, and the older man would have been impressed by Gavin's acting skills if they weren't making him green with envy.
Soon enough, the Audi's tires were crunching along a gravel driveway, after going through two checkpoints where Meg had to verify who she was. The Agency hadn't been exaggerating in Ryan and Gavin's briefing when they said that the Turney mansion was locked down tight.
Still talking animatedly all the while, Meg led them up a set of broad, sweeping steps and down one of the spacious wings, before going into a large bedroom with a giant bed on one side and a TV almost the same size on the other, various consoles set up on the stand beneath it. Gavin's eyes lit up. "You're a gamer?" he exclaimed. "That's awesome!"
Meg beamed sunnily. "Oh yeah, I'm a huge nerd when it comes to video games."
Gavin cast a glance over his shoulder at Ryan, one eyebrow raised and a grin on his face. "Why don't you wait outside, James? I'm sure this'll just bore you."
Ryan dipped his head in agreement, having to remind himself that Gavin didn't want him to leave so he could spend time alone with Meg, he was providing Ryan with the opportunity to sneak into Meg's dad's office and plant the bug. "Of course, sir. Just call out if you need me."
Gavin's grin grew wider, looking at Meg askance. "I think we'll be just fine."
With another nod, Ryan left and closed the door, making his way down the stairs. He quickly checked through about half a dozen rooms before ending up in one that couldn't be anything but Meg's dad's office. He crossed over to the massive, elaborately carved desk, fishing the tiny listening device from his pocket and slotting it into a small gap created by one of the carvings on the desk's edge, where it was completely hidden from sight. Calmly but efficiently, he walked back up to Meg's room, standing post outside the door.
The walls muffled all sound leaving the room, but Ryan could still hear them talking, even if he couldn't pick out any of the words. Ryan gritted his teeth as the sound of Gavin's laughter, lower and infinitely more seductive than usual, echoed in his ears. His fingers dug so deeply into the sleeve of his jacket that he actually tore the fabric slightly, and he had to calm himself down to prevent himself from completely ruining the jacket.
He took several deep, slow breaths, then his head shot up suddenly at the sound of the front door opening, a single set of footsteps clacking against the floor as a deep and disgruntled voice ranted about missed business opportunities, presumably into a phone. The clacks turned to stomps as the man reached the stairs. Ryan opened Meg's door to warn her and Gavin and froze.
Meg was on top of Gavin, their lips locked in a heated kiss, Meg's fingers halfway through unbuttoning Gavin's shirt.
"Excuse me, miss, but there's someone coming down the hall." He was amazed at how indifferent he managed to make his voice sound as he stepped into the room, shutting the door with a quiet click.
"Oh crap, it's my dad, he must be home early," she replied hastily, scrambling off Gavin without a trace of embarrassment at being caught and hauling the Brit to his feet, dragging him to a plush lounge pressed against one wall. "Sit here, do your shirt back up, and if he asks, we were just talking," she instructed, dashing back to the bed to straighten the slightly rumpled covers before rejoining him. She gave him a quick smile, fixing her hair with her fingers as he redid his last button. "Sorry, he's just really protective of me," she explained, then started up a conversation about something completely random, letting out a delicate peal of laughter just as the door opened.
"Dad!" Meg cried, all smiles as she leapt to her feet, bounding across the room to wrap her father in a hug.
He looked singularly unimpressed by the fact that there were two strange men in his daughter's bedroom. "Sweetheart," he rumbled, the words vibrating through his big barrel chest as he glared at Ryan and Gavin from under sinister eyebrows, "who are these people?"
"This is Mark," she indicated to Gavin, "and his bodyguard. Mark saved my life, Dad."
Her father looked Gavin up and down, seeming sceptical. "Did he, now."
Meg nodded enthusiastically. "I was in town and I was just about to cross the road when this out-of-control truck just came screaming down the road out of nowhere. It would've hit me if Mark hadn't been there and pulled me out of the way."
"Hm," her father grunted, walking up to Ryan and sizing him up. He didn't seem at all daunted by the fact that Ryan was almost a whole head taller than him. "I trust that boy of yours hasn't been making any overtures towards my daughter?" he challenged, jerking his thumb in Gavin's direction.
"It would make me incredibly uncomfortable to watch my employer's son be intimate with your daughter, sir. I can assure you, Mr. Nutt and Miss Turney have only been talking."
Mr. Turney seemed to accept Ryan's words, turning his gaze to Gavin. "Bit of an odd last name you have there, son."
"I want to have it changed, but my dad won't let me. Only kid he has to carry on the name, and all that."
"I can understand that," Meg's father told him, holding Gavin's gaze pointedly. "Meg's my only child, after all, and I'm very protective of her. She means the world to me."
Gavin nodded seriously. "Of course, sir."
"Was there anything else you needed?"
"Uh, no, I don't think so." An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a few seconds, then Gavin cleared his throat. "Well, guess I should get going then. James?"
Ryan nodded and opened the door for him. Meg quickly darted from her spot standing beside her father and wrapped Gavin in a hug. "Thank you, again," she said simply, giving him a slight squeeze before pulling away. "Call me," she whispered, slipping a business card into the pocket of Gavin's button-up before moving to stand beside her father once more.
"Lovely to meet you," he replied with a smile, allowing Ryan to usher him out the door. Both of them held their breath as they made their way to the front door, only letting it out once it clicked shut behind them. Ryan led them over to the car and they climbed in, Gavin choosing to lounge in the back, and headed back out through the check points, the guards there recognising them from earlier and letting them pass through.
Ryan pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Jones, we're clear, bug is in place," he reported.
"Good to hear. Sure took your sweet time getting it done, though."
"Hey, it's done, isn't it? What more do you want?"
"Yeah, yeah." Ryan heard a few clicks over the feed, presumably Michael's computer mouse. "Alright, you're done for the day. You can drop of the car at HQ and head home."
"Thanks, Jones." Ryan continued along the road he was on for several minutes before taking an exit, winding his way through the streets with practiced ease until they arrived at the underground garage at HQ. Ryan took out his earpiece as they switched to their own car, Gavin hopping in the front passenger seat this time.
The drive was short and silent apart from the music drifting from the radio, leading them back to the apartment they shared. Neither of them spoke until they were inside, but Gavin had assumed the silence had been companionable.
"Meg's a very beautiful girl," Ryan said, face blank.
"She is," Gavin replied happily, not noticing the extreme passivity of Ryan's expression.
"I'm sure you'll be very happy together," the older man continued evenly, looking straight ahead.
Gavin actually stopped in his tracks. "Wait, what?"
Ryan shot him a look that bordered on a glare, through with pretending like Gavin's actions hadn't affected him. "Don't play dumb with me, Gavin. You two were all over each other when I walked in."
To his credit, Gavin did blush at the reminder, but overall he just looked confused. "Well, yeah, but I couldn't just not let a gorgeous bird like that kiss me if she wanted to. It would've blown my cover if I said no."
"You definitely looked like you were more concerned with enjoying yourself than with the mission," Ryan shot back, shoulders hunched.
Gavin gawped incredulously as it clicked into place. "You're jealous?"
"Of course I'm fucking jealous!" Ryan seethed, eyes thunderous as he threw up his hands. "She practically had you undressed when I went to tell you guys her dad was there." He locked eyes with the younger man, anger suddenly draining away. "How far would you have let it go if I hadn't interrupted?" he asked softly.
"Not as far as you seem to think, obviously!" Gavin retorted, mortified that Ryan thought he'd have had sex with Meg with only a wall between them and Ryan. "I would've fed her some line about not wanting to take advantage of her, or something. I wouldn't have shagged her with you just outside."
"And if I hadn't been there at all?" Ryan challenged, rage slowly creeping back into his words. He was surprised when Gavin's face became furious, shoving at the older man's chest - so surprised, in fact, that Ryan didn't resist the motion at all, letting himself thump solidly against the wall.
"Of course I wouldn't have!" Gavin fumed, eyes blazing. "I'm with you! How could you think I would ever do that to you?" he snapped, hands balled into fists, chest heaving with angry breaths.
Ryan looked at him, shocked. Even on their more dangerous missions, he'd never seen Gavin this intense. "I'm sorry. You're right, I know you'd never do that. I just… I hated seeing you with her like that, you made it look so effortless. I should have known better than to think you'd do something like that, let alone accuse you of it. I'm sorry. Forgive me?" he asked, a hint of pleading to his tone.
Gavin's fists unclenched and the harsh set of his face smoothed out. "Of course I forgive you, you dope. If I was okay with you shooting me through the bloody leg, then I'm okay with this." He stepped closer and placed a soft kiss on Ryan's lips, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Just have a little faith in me next time, yeah?"
Ryan smiled sheepishly as his own words from the day before were fired back at him. With a grin, Gavin turned and headed for the bedroom, adding a little extra swing to his hips with the knowledge that the expensive clothes he was still wearing left next to nothing to the imagination. He paused at the door, grin growing wider as he caught Ryan staring at his ass. "You know, my feelings are still a little hurt, but you could make me feel better with some bloody brilliant shagging." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm expecting your top form, Agent Haywood," he teased, smacking his own ass and disappearing into the bedroom.
"Happy to oblige, Agent Free," he murmured, pushing off the wall and following the younger man inside.