Work Text:
It was well past midnight by the time that Waverly concluded the mission briefing for what the next few days would entail for both Napoleon and Illya. It wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary for their wheelhouse—they would have to infiltrate a biochemistry lab co-run by both THRUSH and KAOS and dismantle it from the inside. They were going to be provided the means to sabotage the lab from their contacts from CONTROL that they were to meet the following morning—and infiltrate the lab along with them.
There was a lot on Napoleon’s mind, and that was why, despite Waverly’s instructions for him and Illya to get a good night’s rest in preparation for the next day, Napoleon chose to step outside the U.N.C.L.E. outpost and think.
Illya, who had opted to grab a late-night bite to eat first, eventually found him, still in deep thought outside.
“Here you are,” Illya observed, as Napoleon now lit a cigarette. “So, turning in was not the logical option for you?”
“Didn’t feel like it,” Napoleon sighed, taking a puff. He took the cigarette out of his mouth, and then arched an eyebrow in surprise as Illya reached over and took it. But when Illya just stood there holding it without actually using it, it clued him in that his partner was silently voicing his disapproval.
Admitting defeat, Napoleon turned his attention to the night sky.
“And you’re not nervous at all?” he asked.
“I did not say that,” Illya clarified. “We have more unknown factors in this mission with KAOS involved, plus we have no idea what these CONTROL agents will be like—and we shall have to spend the entire mission working with them.”
“I’m not so crazy about the unknown,” Napoleon admitted.
“A bon vivant adventurer like yourself?” Illya asked.
“Adventure is one thing. Unknown factors in a delicate mission are something else completely.”
“Touché.”
Illya subtly dropped the cigarette to the ground and extinguished it with his heel as Napoleon sighed and continued to look up at the stars.
“Well, I guess some things unknown can be beautiful,” Napoleon admitted. “We don’t know everything that’s out there, for instance.”
“Perhaps that is why both of our countries are in a race to try to find out,” Illya said. “Part of the nature of humanity is to attempt to grasp the form of things unknown.”
“We’ll probably never know all of it.”
“Certainly not, but that should not stop us from trying,” Illya said. He paused. “And one thing I do know is that if we hope to do well tomorrow, we must get some rest—or at least attempt to do so.”
Napoleon nodded, taking one more look into the sky before turning back to his partner.
“I’ll certainly try,” he promised.
Illya nodded in satisfaction.
“And remember, Napoleon, regardless of the unknowns, I shall be there, as well.”
And Napoleon finally managed a smile at that.
“And I’m grateful for it, Tovarisch,” he promised.