Archive of Our Own

"You can't rush perfection, Nile." Booker steps out of the en suite, resplendent in a maroon suit and burgundy shirt. "How do I look?"

Nile curses Nicky's sense of fashion. He picks outfits for Booker to torture her.

"You look good, Book. You'll knock 'em dead." Nile hands him his comm, and Booker hooks it to the wire he's wearing. "You good on weapons?"

"Boot gun, various knives, and several tranquilizers, just in case." Booker squares his shoulders. "Are you worried about me, Nile?"

Nile shrugs. "Nope. Just making sure. Run over the plan for me."

"I go in, meet Ms. Danvers, woo her with my 'obnoxious French charm,' to quote you, and get her alone and talking. Get as much info on her husband as I can, get in, get out." Booker waggles his eyebrows. "Do what needs doing."

Nile scoffs and smacks him in the arm. "Fucking rude. Go on, get, before she gets to the bar."

"Will do." Booker winks. "You got my six?"

"Always, you asshole. Go."

Nile gives Booker a head start, checking her own weapons (shoulder holster for her Glock, thigh knives, etc.) and pulling on her suit jacket to cover everything. Nicky and Joe have their eyes on the building from the front, so she's on bar duty.

Yay.

Booker is leaning on the bar when she walks in, so Nile posts up at a high-top table with a clear view.

The target enters, a beautiful woman of around forty-five in a slinky green dress. She's clearly on the prowl, and Booker is easy bait.

"May I buy you a drink, mademoiselle?" Booker asks, accent thicker than usual.

You can tell that she's American, because she finds the title endearing instead of insulting.

"That would be lovely, thank you." She holds out a hand, wedding band conspicuously absent. "Natalie."

Booker kisses it instead of shaking it. "Sebastien."

"He is so good with women," Nicky says in Nile's ear. "I will never understand."

"That is because you are an old gay man, habibi."

Nile shushes them and orders a drink. She's going to need it if she's going to watch Booker flirt.

"Do not frown, cara. You look too pensive."

Nile sticks her tongue out in the direction of Nicky's sniper scope. No one fucking asked him.

"So, what brings you to town?" Natalie asks, crackling in the wire.

"Business," Booker says. "My firm is closing a deal with a new client, and they wanted me here to help tie up loose ends."

"Are you in advertising?" Natalie asks, perking up. She also leans in, pushing her voluptuous bosom in his direction.

Nile knows exactly what she's doing. It's quite distracting. Booker's gaze drifts down, and Nile grits her teeth.

The conversation gets flirtier and flirtier, all the way until Booker says something about having-

"A whole suite to myself, because my business partner was unable to join me. It's a shame, the room is beautiful." Booker sips his drink. "It's wasted on me all by myself."

It isn't subtle. He isn't trying to be.

"We can't have that," Natalie says, fluttering too-long eyelashes. "Would you like some company? You can show me this beautiful suite yourself."

Hook, line, and sinker. Booker is damn good at his job.

Nile is grateful that he doesn't run point on honeypot stings more often.

"Get in, get the information, get out," Joe reminds him over the comm.

Booker nods slightly, making eye contact with Nile over Natalie's head as he guides her out of the bar and toward the bank of elevators.

Depending on how much this bitch talks, how much information Booker is able to get, they might be able to make an early night of it.

…

Two hours later, Nile has given up on standing in the adjoining room and is sitting against the door between the suites.

"…and it's been months since he's taken me out. He's constantly on business trips, Dubai one week, Moscow the next, Hong Kong, DC, Rio." Natalie sniffles. "He always brings me gifts, diamonds and furs and things, but nothing is as good as the attention I would get if he loved me."

"It's the diamonds," Nicky says. "Andy was right, he's hiding the money in his wife's jewels."

Thank fuck. After this long, surely they have everything they need.

"You deserve to be treated well," Booker says, gentle and genuine.

The sap has gone and empathized with the wife of a known criminal. Nile knew he was too soft for this.

"I cannot offer you a better marriage," Booker says. "But I can care for you tonight."

Nile grumbles as the comms fill with kissing noises. Fucking hell.

Miracle of miracles, they're interrupted by Natalie's phone ringing.

"Hello? Oh, yes, dear. Yes. You're coming into town early? You've got a present for me?"

Nile rolls her eyes, and she imagines Natalie doing the same.

"I can't wait to see it, my love. Yes, I'm out with the girls, but I'll be home in twenty minutes to meet you. Okay. I love you too. Twenty minutes. Goodbye."

Thank whatever deity is listening.

"Sebastien, you've been more than lovely." Kiss. "But I really must go." Kiss. "You've put up with so much shit." Kiss. "But he'll be mad if I'm not home."

"You should go. I don't want you inflaming his temper." Fabric rustles as Booker helps her into her coat. "Remember, you deserve better."

By the time he finally gets Natalie out of the suite, Nile is on her feet at the adjoining door, waiting with arms crossed.

Booker barely looks at her when she opens the door, already shedding his waistcoat and pulling the wire out from his shirt.

"Jesus, that woman knows how to talk. I know more about her life after two hours than I've known about actual romantic partners in the past." Booker loosens his tie further and opens his comm link. "Did we get it?"

"We got it," Nicky says. "Joe and I are signing off. Good luck."

"Good luck? What does he mean by - " Booker finally looks at Nile straight on. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh. I wasn't a fan of the gratuitous noises over the wire. You didn't have to kiss her."

"You didn't see her face. The poor woman is caught up in more than she realizes." Booker pauses, and something seems to click. "Oh. Oh. You're jealous."

"Pft, no. I just don't appreciate jobs being any longer than they have to be."

"This is more than that." Booker unbuttons his cuffs, and Nile forces herself to stand her ground. "Would you rather be in her position, ma belle?"

"Don't start shit you won't finish," Nile warns. "Don't tease me."

"I'm not teasing. I'm asking a valid question. Would you want to be in her position? The object of my flirtations, my… amorous attentions?"

"You are a pretentious asshole," Nile declares as she shoves him against the wall. "I hate your fucking face sometimes."

She uses the height advantage her shoes give her to kiss his dumb, smirky mouth.

For all his teasing, he wasn’t expecting that. It takes a second for his brain to catch up, but when it does his lips move against hers, his hands go to her hips, pulling her flush against him.

Even immortals have to breathe eventually, but Nile doesn't go far. She rests her forehead on his, arms wrapped around his stupidly-broad neck.

"If I had realized this was all it took, I would have taken Joe's duty as bait years ago." Booker laughs.

"Shut the fuck up," Nile says, breathless. "You're the worst."

"I may be the worst, but you love me for it," Booker says offhandedly, a throw-away line that Nile can't help but pick up.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Nile kisses him again, claiming his mouth. "I love you and your dumb fucking face."

Later, they’ll have to tell the others, there will be congratulations and surely some money will exchange hands. But right now it’s just them. And they have a hotel room to themselves for the rest of the night.

"You should show me your beautiful suite," Nile teases, unbuttoning Booker's shirt. "Would you like some company?"

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Never. Prepare for an eternity of teasing."

"With you? Happily."