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Chapter Text

Family life in the Forger household wasn't as typical as appears, and although they show to be a very happy, modest family living the high-life in central Berlint.. they hold a secret. Everyone has a secret side to them, and despite the uncanny appearance of a loving family, they're the opposite.

The father, Loid Forger, is a psychiatrist and loving family man; true identity? Spy, working for WISE as the top Westalis agent, Twilight, on a mission to stop the oncoming war by getting close to political party figure Donovan Desmond. This is how the Forger family started. The mother, Yor Forger, is a dutiful civil servant and happy housewife; true identity? Assassin, working for Garden as a powerful asset to kill off traitorous scumbags, which is why she takes on the role as 'mother'. Their daughter, Anya Forger, is a six year old student at the prestigious Eden College; true identity? Telepath, an escaped experimented orphan working towards keeping her family together by hiding their true identities. The dog, Bond Forger, is a happy puppy with dreams of a better life; true identity being a clairvoyant asset proven useful to Anya's endeavours.

Together, they make the perfect family on the outside, but on the inside they're a perfectly crafted family with a secret side.

Recently, Twilight had made a large breakthrough with Melinda, (thanks to Yor), and was celebrating with a batch of Anya's favorite baked goods - chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa. It had been really cold recently due to the winter coming up and figured it would be a sweet celebration winter snack for his family. Despite not wanting to admit it to himself, he was proud of his little family. The image of perfection.

My mission requires both the trust and love of the Forger family, especially if I want to get close to the national unity party's chairman, Donovan Desmond. Thankfully Yor got through to Melinda for me.. I am depending my entire mission on her right now. What a mistake, relying on a civilian, but either way.. I have faith in her. But this family, has become a small weakness. I mustn't sway from my true mission. Twilight thought to himself as he watched Yor mix the three cups of cocoa, which had cooled down a little bit from being on the counter.

The spy sighed to himself, the tempting smell of cookies fresh out of the oven travelling into the living room, immediately rejuvenating Anya's legs into running around the coffee table while the theme of 'Spy Wars' plays in the background.
"Pew pew! Pew pew!" Anya yelled, her stubby legs racing around as she impersonated Bondman shooting his many enemies. "Agent Anya on the case!"

Yor giggled to herself as she grabbed the tray of drinks, carefully walking out of the kitchen.
I'm not a failure of a wife! I'm serving for my beautiful family! Yor thought with a large grin on her face, Bond unexpectedly standing up from his snooze and causing the woman to trip over her feet in a panic. Ruby eyes widened as she tossed the tray in the air, landing on her ass with a shower of hot cocoa and glass landing directly on her.

"Yor!" Twilight yelled worriedly, dropping the batch of cookies to check if his 'wife' was okay. "Are you alright?!" He slid over on the hardwood floors quickly to be by her side, the woman's head tilted downwards with an embarrassed yet saddened expression.
"I'm so sorry.." Yor sniffled, her hands slightly shaking as she picked up the shattered glass. "I-I'll clean up.." she whispered, barely over the volume of a mouse racing around a large, empty kitchen.

Twilight hesitated, watching as Yor got up without a fuss with broken glass clenched in her hands, the crimson color of blood dripping down her soft hands onto her clothes. The spy reached out with a terrified expression, snatching one of her hands.
"Be careful," he stated quietly, his palm getting colored in the bright red of Yor's blood. "Let me run you a bath!" He said quickly, getting on his feet and racing into the bathroom, running a steaming hot bath and pulling out his emergency First Aid Kit in case needed.

Anya was left confused, the tension being left behind causing her little face to worry. Without thinking, she struggled to find and grab a mop just to assist a little bit. Yor's gentle voice carried in from the kitchen, her whispers being just loud enough to be heard;
"I'm such a failure."

Mama is scared.. Anya thought as she ran up to her mother, clinging to her leg tightly in worry. "Mama, it will be okay. I didn't really want the cocoa, or the cookies."
Yor looked down with a small, calculated smile.
"Thank you, Anya." She replied quietly, clenching her bloodied hands to her sides, the red color overpowering the light brown of the cocoa on her clothes.. too bad it was the nice clothes Twilight had gifted her.

"Yor! Please, I ran you a hot bath. I'll clean up out here, just relax." Twilight said with a softened expression, walking out of the bathroom into the hallway. "I prepared some fresh towels for you, just relax. Please."
Yor looked up with watery eyes, hesitantly making her way over to the bathroom without so much as a glance towards her fake husband.
"I'm sorry." She spoke again, her voice quiet, but loud enough to speak volumes in Twilight's head.

She's already been feeling insecure recently, and I have a feeling she's not being completely honest with me about why. Either way, I still hope she releases some of that tension in the bath.. even if I'm using her for this mission, I do worry about her feelings. It's become an unfortunate weakness. The spy thought, his sigh carrying the weight of his personal stresses.

"Will Mama be okay?" Anya asked, her little hands squeezed the sides of her onesie. Twilight softened his gaze, gently patting the top of his 'daughter's hair as he asked himself the same question internally.
"We can only hope.. now help me clean up, Anya. We'll make some dinner together afterwards." The man said confidently, putting on a brave face for the sake of Operation Strix and everything he stands for when it comes to his country.

***

Bond whimpered gently to the side as it had been long since Yor entered the bath.. with clear intentions of not getting out any time soon. Twilight sighed to himself as he stared towards the bathroom door, soapy dishes in hand as he silently worried to himself against his better judgement. Anya was knocked out on the couch, a snot bubble comically peaking in and out of her nose through silent snores.

Twilight placed the dishes on the dish rack, glancing towards the leftover plate he wanted to keep for Yor when she was ready to eat. Gently and quietly, he scooped Anya up in his arms comfortably, careful not to wake the little girl up - it was a Friday night anyways, so the girl could sleep in all she wanted the next morning.
"Bond, come on. It's bedtime for you too." The spy called out, walking towards Anya's room with careful steps.

The clairvoyant canine happily raced into the room, making sure to leap onto the bed and get himself comfortable before the inevitable future Anya would roll around endlessly in her sleep.
"Goodnight, Anya." Twilight spoke softly, tucking both his daughter and his dog in, leaving the room with a small smile plastered on his handsome face. The door closed with a light *click*, and he immediately turned around the face the bathroom.

Loid doesn't deserve me, not after that display of clumsiness. I've really lost my edge.. especially after realizing I- no. Get a grip on yourself Yor.. he's a widow with a daughter! He has no interest. Yor's thoughts consumed her, allowing her to sink deeper into the bubbles with a burning red face. The embarrassment of her harmful display really got to her, but all Twilight was worried about was how she was doing.

"Yor?" Twilight knocked gently on the door, his ear resting against the hard mahogany as he listened for any inkling of his wife's voice. He tensed up at the small noise of Yor mumbling to herself and blowing bubbles in the water like a little kid pouting.

"I'm.. fine." The woman spoke, a little bit of water entering her pipes and causing her to cough a bit from unexpected entry.
"Seriously, are you okay? Are your hands feeling better?" The spy pushed, his hand resting against the bathroom door as if to be reaching out for some closure. It wasn't like him to be worried with matters such as this.. but he couldn't help himself. She lost a lot of blood.

Yor didn't want to respond, just drown in embarrassment with the comical mountain of bubbles around her. Her jet black hair stuck to her face in awkward strands, the flush color of her cheeks complimenting her already reddened eyes.
"I'm just sorry." She practically whispered, sitting upright in the hot water and twisting her body to face the door.

Twilight stepped back slightly in response, his eyes softened in worry, (not that Yor could see him).
"Do you need anything? Anything at all? You don't need to be embarrassed.. I can assure you I've done way worse." He said in an attempt to reassure Yor and hopefully lift her spirits, even just slightly.

"I wanna die." Yor responded in a sulk, her body sinking completely in the water with only the top half of her face and tips of her knees peaking out. It was a display such as one from a pouting child, yet it was endearing.

Is she being serious or making a really dark joke? I don't understand women. Twilight thought to himself as he re-approached the door, his hand hovering over the handle. Boundaries, Twilight. She's still very skittish, this is her first relationship after all and we're not even technically a couple. Not that I'd be in one during such an important mission - or ever.

Without any warnings, Yor opened the door, wearing her signature yellow nightdress with some wet hair still sticking to her face. Twilight stumbled back a little in surprise;
Jeez! I didn't even hear her. Twilight thought as he quickly regained balance and stepped forward to offer some semblance of comfort. "Yor.." He whispered, reaching out slightly as the woman walked by with a saddened facial expression and little frown.

The spy's eyes trailed down onto a small rip at the bottom of Yor's nightdress, taking his wife's arm in his hand and pulling her back a bit. Yor looked back, her face flushed, confused, and cute as hell.
"What happened?" She asked, her head tilting slightly to the side as Twilight found himself pulling his gaze away and looking towards the wooden floor.

"Your dress has a rip."

Yor's eyes immediately watered, her hands shakily forcing Twilight away from her arm;
"I'm sorry for being a terrible wife.. I- I'm just not cut out for this." She stuttered, her glassy eyes painfully reminding Twilight of why he became a spy in the first place.
"Hey, don't say that. Please, Yor, there's a reason I want you to be my wife." Twilight responded, reaching out to her again but getting rejected as she turned away to go into her room.

Shit.. did I say want instead of chose? Twilight hesitated, watching as Yor approached her room with pain in her step. His expression faltered, eyes sharpening and then softening at the sight of the woman shakily opening her door.

"For what it's worth, Loid.. I'm happy you're my husband. You don't make me feel bad about being a screw up." Yor said in a soft voice as she closed the door behind her, the sound of her words carrying into the spy's ears delightfully. Even when she was upset or embarrassed, she always made Twilight feel like he was in a real family, a real marriage.

The man felt sad yet relieved at the same time, he had noticed she managed to wrap up her injured and bloodied hands by herself.
Somehow, the mission doesn't feel in jeopardy. She might just need some alone time.. I know what it's like. She taught me that. He thought to himself, collecting the plate of leftovers and leaving it outside Yor's bedroom door.

***

2100 HOURS;

Twilight skimmed through Operation notes, rubbing at his temples due to the splitting headache forming inside his complicated skull. Donovan Desmond was a difficult target, and it was even harder to rely so heavily on civilians without the background or training he has.. (to his knowledge). Thankfully, he recently had a breakthrough with Yor and Melinda when she commented on having the Forger's over for dinner sometime.

Soon, this will all be over. But.. it is a melancholic thought. The trained spy sighed to himself, leaning his head on his hand as he stared at a Desmond 'family' photo, which looked awfully forced. As if by magic, the family phone rang loudly throughout the quiet and empty apartment, startling the spy into a standing position.

"Shit.." Twilight mumbled, one foot stepping before the other into the darkened hallway to pick up the phone before alerting anybody else (who he assumed were asleep.)
"Forger residence." He said into the phone, his expression cautious yet an awkward side of happiness in case he needed to play the role as 'family man' for whoever was on the other end.

"Twilight!" Franky's voice replied from the other line, carrying the weight as if something had been discovered. "Handler wanted me to relay a meeting to you tomorrow in the morning, it's important. S Rank important."

Twilight stiffened, his grip on the landline tightening considerably. He hadn't gotten an alert like that on his mission as of late.
"Strix related?" He asked, his voice deep and quiet as to not wake his wife and child.

"More than that, dude!" Franky spoke in a strong, yet obnoxious, tone. "It's to do with the missus.. just report back tomorrow and visit me afterwards. Hopefully it's just speculation."

"What is?!" Twilight pushed, being hung up on. The man rubbed the bridge of his nose firmly, placing the phone down with a slight slam in frustration. I guess I have no choice.. it's not like I have work tomorrow anyways. He thought with a small sigh, his body leading back to his room; that sinking feeling returns.

"I'm a failure of a wife.." Yor whispered to herself, still seated at the bottom of her bedroom door on the cold, hardwood floor. She held a small pamphlet in front of her, the title reading;
'OSTANIAN POLITICAL BANQUET' but it wasn't really, she could tell by the Garden symbol in the top right corner. It was the annual Assassins Banquet held by anonymous hosts this year at the Berlint Hall of Opera in a room closed off to other.

I don't want to keep lying to my family.. but.. Yor's hands shook slightly, from both nervousness and the cuts she'd accidentally inflicted on herself from the cocoa incident. I'll talk to Shopkeeper about it some other time.. this is important to me. She looked to the side, letting out a little breath she hadn't realized she was holding in.

I'm going to make sure Loid doesn't regret marrying me! She thought to herself with a determined expression, rising to her feet and opening the door. Her eyes glanced down to the plate with a little note resting on top of the Hamburg Steak.
"Huh?" She mumbled, grabbing the sizeable dinner plate with blush pasting her cheeks. 'Get well soon :)'.

A small smile crept on Yor's beautiful face, her eyes shining slightly brighter from the reassurance she didn't know she needed.

***

"Anya, finish your omelet rice." Yor said playfully the next morning, taking one last bite of her meal and wiping her daughter's face with a paper towel.

Twilight stepped out of his room in his signature green suit, slipping on his blazer and hat carefully while looking towards his family, still seated at the dining table with the food he spent a lot of time cooking.
"Listen to your mother." He commented as Anya turned to face him with a cute little smile. He glanced towards the foyer table, his eyebrow raising at the banquet pamphlet resting there.

He turned back towards where his wife was seated, clearly collecting dishes to wash as she had nowhere else to be that particular Saturday morning.
"What's this, Yor?" He asked curiously, his spy instincts raising eyebrows at the event he hadn't been alerted about.

"Just a work event." Yor replied quickly, placing the dishes in the sink with nervous blush spreading across her cheeks. *Did I seriously leave it there? I don't remember bringing it out particularly.* She thought to herself in a small panic.

Twilight tilted his head, letting out a small hum before pocketing the pamphlet. If Handler was going to talk to him about Yor today, this could be useful information for that.
Just to let my mind at ease.. He thought to himself, clearing his throat quickly before reaching for the front door handle.

"Hey, Loid." Yor called out, approaching him kindly.
I have to get used to the married life. She thought as she reached out with slight hesitation, her hands tightening on the bright red of her husband's tie; she locked eyes with him, gifting him a small, sweet smile as she fixed his tie for him. That, and paired with a tiny, soft peck on the cheek.

Anya's eyes widened in surprise, dropping her fork in shock as her jaw lowered in record time. Twilight was caught off guard, gently touching the spot where she kissed him with his gloved hand; his thoughts running completely wild with confusion and a strange sense of gratitude.. as if he really needed that.

What's Yor's game here? Is this some sort of tactical play? No.. that's ridiculous. Did she just.. want to?! Embarrassingly, his face went slightly red out of his control as he struggled to reply. Instead of using his words, he exchanged her smile and turned to leave with a small pat on Yor's shoulder.
"I'll see you both this afternoon." He stated softly, giving a little wave as he exited the apartment.

Yor felt her face go even redder with embarrassment, her quest in accepting physical touch may have gone a little too off the rails, but her husband was such a good man it was hard not to appreciate him.

I am a spy.. my heroic deeds and acts never coming to light. A hero that casts no shadow and even less of a presence, and yet.. that almost felt like Yor was expressing her gratitude for what I've done for this family. Even if she doesn't exactly know why I assembled this facade.. Twilight smiled to himself, still touching the spot he felt her warm lips. It was the type of thanks he had never expected yet so desperately needed, and it felt nice. It felt nice to be genuinely appreciated, even if his true good deeds would never truly come to light.

The spy sighed to himself as he made his way to headquarters, unintentionally smiling as he walked through to Sylvia's desk for the information Franky deemed as 'so important.'

"Good day, or perhaps, good evening, Twilight." Sylvia spoke, spinning around in her chair to face the greatest spy gaze to gaze. The squeaking of the chair penetrating Twilight's ears in a less than ideal way.
"Why was I called here so urgently? Franky practically gave me a heart attack last night." The man asked sternly, his strong voice almost echoing off the walls as he tried to hurry this up.

"Your wife, she's strayed from her usual routes.. specifically on weekdays. Her path is changing and her moods are off, it's either something you did or there's something deeper going on." Sylvia stated, resting her head on her hands with a sharpened, almost weaponized gaze.
Twilight sighed, shaking his head;
"There's nothing going on, there's probably something on at work." The spy said with a light roll of his eyes to show disappointment.

Sylvia stiffened slightly, her pinky twitching unintentionally.
"Biased." She responded, glancing towards the light red imprint of lipstick on Twilight's cheek. The man quickly wiped it off with a frown, crossing his arms tightly as he looked at his handler.

"If this eases your concerns." Twilight sighed, dropping the pamphlet on Sylvia's desk hesitantly. The fullmetal lady raised an eyebrow, grabbing the paper with her delicate fingers.
"This is expensive paper, and printing." She mumbled, observing the paper with eyebrows tightly knitted together in suspicion. "Where did Mrs Forger get this?"

The spy raised his eyebrow, looking down at the woman with expectant eyes. Why was she so suspicious? They have done five different background checks on Yor already, surely she was in the clear.
"Work party, she's going next week if I'm assuming by the date on the paper." Twilight said with his head tilting to the side in slight worry. "I can have Franky look over it, if that accounts for anything at least."

Sylvia nodded, handing the pamphlet back hesitantly. She seemed to be extra on edge, likely a failed mission on her mind or the lack of spies creeping into her intrusive thoughts;
"Please, something doesn't feel right." She said with a concerned expression on her face, spinning her chair back around and waving dismissively. "Report back to me if you find anything, lying will be *punished*."

Twilight tucked the piece of paper in his blazer pocket, tapping it in a few times before turning away to walk out.
"Yes, yes." He responded, walking off with clear thoughts flooding his mind. I doubt we'll find anything else on Yor, she has a spotless record and it's clear she has no direct ties to the SSS as of right now.. I'll drop this by Franky and go back home. Maybe I'll even grab some peanuts and Yor's favorite cake too.

Nightfall peaked from around the corner, hands to her chest and eyes sharpened in curiosity.
Can't say I never expected them not to find anything on Briar. Soon enough.. I'll be Twilight's true wife, and I'll make sure of it.

***

"Oh no no no no no!!!" Yor squeaked, running around the apartment in record speed trying to find her pamphlet. Why wasn't I told it had a cipher sooner?! If someone took it, I could be busted!

Anya and Bond stood by the door awkwardly, dressed up to go on a walk.. but it was clear there were other concerns to be taken into account of.
If papa took mama's banquet-thingy.. then it could be all over.. Anya thought, her eyes drooping to the ground as her terminally awkward mother ran around the home with a worried expression plastered on her face.

"A-Anya dear.. did you take my paper?" Yor asked, her head tilting as she looked towards her daughter with clear panic in her ruby eyes. Anya shook her head, her little hand holding onto the leash of Bond tightly while she waited patiently.

This is really really really bad! I need to stop by the Shopkeeper to get details on the mission.. Yor sighed to herself, resting her hands on her thighs as she eventually gave up on finding the pamphlet.
"Mama," Anya spoke up, unhooking the leash from Bond's black bowtie collar. "The walk can wait.. I'd rather stay home and watch cartoons anyway." The little girl said with a small smile and pink blush on her chubby cheeks.

Yor stood up properly, her head perking up slightly at the statement.
Maybe I can use this opportunity to see Shopkeeper.. but.. ah- Franky won't be available to babysit if I leave for mission information. The woman thought to herself, unintentionally rubbing her chin slightly with her finger as she looked towards her daughter and dog. Maybe it would be possible to find someone?

"I can stay home by myself, papa lets me sometimes with a big ol' barrier on the door!" Anya added, raising her arms in the air excitedly. "I'll just watch some spy cartoons." That's odd, how did she know Yor needed her to stay home by herself? No matter. She needed to go.

"I'll be back really soon!" The woman said, practically teleporting out of the door with her coat. "Shit, shit, shit, shit.." She mumbled to herself, using her increased sense of speed to race as fast as possible to arrive at the office and eventually Shopkeeper, assuming he'll be there when she is.
What kind of wife loses important information? She panted heavily, sweat beading down her forehead in an attempt to cool Yor's body temperature.

Am I going too far with this? Handler seems extra paranoid.. Twilight's thoughts ran almost as fast as his wife could, the pamphlet between the man's thumb and palm as he looked over the information with watchful eyes. We've done numerous background checks already, there's really no point. But, you can never be too careful I suppose.

"This is paranoid behavior, your wife will probably just be entertaining some business associates and drink champagne." Franky spoke as he snatched the pamphlet away once the spy arrived to the decorative Tobacco store. "Plus, you've had me comb through all her files. She's in the clear." The informant said in addition, crossing his arms and leaning against the wooden counter.

Twilight sighed, resting his back against the store's bar.
"Handler is being extra cautious because more spies were caught in the hunts. We're more understaffed than we already were." The man stated, watching pedestrians walk by with a shaded frown; "she wants to look over anything new we dig up, and that's all I know of she didn't already tell me about."

Franky rolled his eyes, sliding the paper toward him from the counter and placing it in a cabinet nearby.
"I'll look over it, but I can't promise anything suspicious will be found on it. Either way, as long as I'm getting paid."

Twilight nodded, a small scowl on his face as he deeply visited his thoughts. The bushy eyebrow of the informant raised gently, eyeing a small red smudged spot on the spy's cheek.
"Is that lipstick?"

"SHUT UP." Twilight yelled, spinning around abruptly and slamming his hand down on the table with flushed cheeks and widened eyes that made Franky chuckle knowingly. The man aggressively wiped at his cheek to get rid of all the remaining residue from his cheeks, almost comically. "You're of no more use to me." Twilight said as he cleared his throat and straightened his suit, pulling out a hefty stack of cold, hard cash.

Franky shrugged it off, taking the money with a grin and thumbs up before watching the spy walk nonchalantly away with nothing more than a wave of his gloved hand.
Easy money.

***

"You lost.. the pamphlet?" Shopkeeper said with a suspicious raised eyebrow and concerned tone of voice that sent a shiver down Yor's already stressed spine.

"I've been such a wreck lately, as a mother and as a wife.. I'm sorry." Yor mumbled, her hands clasped nervously together in front of her as she awaited either punishment or instruction.

Shopkeeper sighed with his kind smile, approaching the Thorn Princess with a hand held out front, landing it on the assassin's shoulder lovingly.
"It should be okay, as long as nobody from the outside got their hands on it."

Yor nodded with a small grin;
"I'm sure Loid just threw it out on accident or Anya tore it up.. no worries." Her voice was calm and soothing which was a deep contrast to how fast and stressed her thoughts were becoming with time. "What is the plan? What's happening this year?"

The pair made their way to a nearby gazebo, the leaves swaying and flowers combining their fragrances to pleasant Yor's nose.
"Nikolas Den from the Political Unity Party is trying to put together his own army to start an early war with Westalis by infiltrating our annual banquet. McMahon and I decided we'd prefer to quietly take down their guys without alerting the other organizations." Shopkeeper explained carefully, his hands intertwining on the table as he spoke. "The pamphlet had a code of our plans."

Yor listened intently, an intrigued expression present on her face as she processed the information. She knew she was qualified for a mission with such high stakes, especially at an ironic banquet where violence between guests isn't tolerated.

"If we take them down without alerting anyone, there won't be any hostility. If they were to find out, however, bloodshed would ensue and it would be less than ideal for everyone." Shopkeeper added, gesturing his hands to get the point across.

"I see.." Yor responded, getting stuck on her own thoughts. "I suppose I should get going.. thank you for humoring me on my actions. I haven't been the best recently.." She mumbled shyly, standing up properly. Shopkeeper smiled, his eyes softening as the Thorn Princess started walking off with a wave.

"I'll see you Wednesday."

***

Twilight sighed to himself as he opened the Apartment door gently, it was only about midday and he wasn't expecting to see Yor and Anya playing spies together in the living room with Bond. A small, loving smile spread on his face as he watched the silly family run around.

"Look, Agent Papa." Yor said excitedly to Anya, pointing towards the approaching blonde with a big grin.
"PAPA!" Anya yelled with a wobbly run and hug directed to her father. "Me and mama watched Spy Wars together and she played with me!"

Twilight chuckled softly, looking where Yor was patting Bond while he scooped up Anya in his arms;
"You're such a sweet mother." The spy complimented, causing Yor to blush slightly in appreciation to his kind words. Yor was a sweet woman, even Twilight could admit she is a great mother and wife; although, it may be a personal bias towards strong people.

"Thank you, Loid. It means a lot." She responded with a soft gaze, glancing towards Anya who was looking between her parents with a signature smirk.
"Mama and Papa are flirting." The little girl said with a small, mischievous giggle.

"Not!" Yor quickly ran up and stole Anya from her husband, throwing the little girl in the air - where her hair got frizzed up comically. Anya squealed excitedly, clinging to her mother desperately with a large grin on her little face.
"Mama! No murder!" Anya giggled, gripping onto Yor's shirt with her small hands and flushed face.

Twilight smiled fondly, his signature sharp eyes instantly rounding in affection for his little family, even if it was slowly progressing towards falling apart by the second, he still made the most of it when he could. He approached his daughter and wife with a smile, leaning down and reciprocating the cheek kiss from before softly and then hanging his coat up.

Yor stepped back a little in surprise, but eventually turned her attention back to the 6 year old who had dropped from her arms and was running around with Bond.
"Let's go for a walk, Anya. Like I promised earlier." Yor spoke with a pretty smile, grabbing Bond's leash and giving Twilight a small nod and whisper. "Try to relax, I'll take them out for a bit."

The spy sighed thankfully, mouthing the words 'thank you' and patting her shoulder before heading into his respective room.

"LET'S GOOO!" Anya yelled excitedly, running out of the door with Bond in tow. Yor chuckled to herself as she pulled her coat on and walked out with the family keys to catch up with her daughter and dog.

Maybe WISE is taking this too far, I'm relying way too heavy on civilians for the success of my mission.. especially with Yor paving the way for Plan C currently. Twilight rested in bed, staring off into the far wall as he got lost in his maze of complicated thoughts and feelings. I doubt Franky will find anything, there's nothing suspicious about a work event or changing paths. It's not like there's a code in a work pamphlet.

But why does he feel so guilty? Sure, a large part of his mission has included breach of privacy; especially with Anya and Yor's lives. But this felt wrong, wrong enough to make the guilt of doubting her so unbearable. It was a weakness, and spies don't show weaknesses.
This might prove bad in the future if I have to do something like this again. Twilight thought to himself with a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek. I'll make it up to her some time soon.. I just have to be cautious.

If Franky finds something, then I'll go further in my investigation of Yor Forger.

***

0700 HOURS, MONDAY;

Anya giggled cutely as Yor peppered little kisses on her cheeks as a goodbye gesture.
"Mama! I will be safe!" Anya said with a bright smile as Yor gave the girl a big, loving bear hug. "I promise, I'll pull out the killer punches if anything happens!"

"Okay, be good and listen to your teachers." Yor replied happily, flush on her cheeks as she waved goodbye to the girl whom she considered her daughter; even if not by blood or genetics. Twilight watched carefully, his eyes softened and carried with a hint of true happiness underneath the carefully constructed facade of normalcy.

Twilight and Yor waved together as the bus retreated from it's parking spot towards Eden College, leaving the pair of parents with fulfilled smiles.
"I suppose we should be heading to work now," Yor said, turning slightly to talk to her husband. Her ruby eyes glittered underneath the light of the early morning sun, making the stoic spy smile lovingly in return.
"Be sure to tell your coworkers I say hello." Twilight responded with a large smile as he walked off with a wave of his gloved hand. Of course, he was really heading towards his informant's Tobacco store; but Yor didn't know that.

"See you later!" Her voice similar to that of a soothing song to the spy's ears.

Franky dropped the pamphlet on the wooden counter with a sigh, looking at Twilight with an almost solemn expression.
"Keep in mind, this is purely suspicion. It was oddly covered up, similar to that of SSS files." The informant spoke, his face darkened over from the shade of the store. "I was able to crack the code of the title, it just lists 'Plan A'.. which sat wrong with me. The rest of it looks to be one crafted carefully by its own organization."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, leaning against the counter with a concerned expression and suddenly suspicious demeanour.
"Do you at least know which code?"

"I've heard there are ones unavailable to public eye, more commonly associated with assassins." Franky said, gently gesturing his hands as he explained his reasoning.

"Franky, that's ridiculous. What made you come to that kind of conclusion?" The spy chastised the square-faced man, slamming a hand down on the counter in frustration. I came all the way here for nothing!

"Loidy-boy." Franky spoke up, pointing to the top right corner of the page. "I thought so too, until I took a closer look. This looks exactly like the symbol Garden uses to scout out assassins looking for work or to exchange codes through mail. I also noticed.."

He dropped some photos taken of Yor in her typical clothing, just strolling around town with signature necklaces, or even her normal coat she wore all the time; some even from when Franky would visit the apartment.
"She wears this symbol on her in all the clothing you haven't bought for her." Franky added, his eyes widened by his own discovery. "Your wife is either working closely with assassins or even better, is a part of Garden. A one woman army."

Twilight shook his head dismissively, waving a hand away.
"I don't believe that, this isn't complete and substantial proof. I'm not going to jump to conclusions, she's my wife, Franky." The man said sternly, his eyebrows slightly furrowed in frustration. A complete waste of time in his honest opinion.

"I will crack this code, or even better, we'll crack it right now." Franky responded with a sarcastic expression, snatching the paper back and firing up his old computer to prove himself right - although, even if he was right.. that meant Yor was an assassin and that's arguably worse.

Twilight rubbed his temples in disappointment, his eyes drooping from both exhaustion and a sense of annoyance.
Franky is just connecting dots that don't exist, so what if there's a shared symbol? He thought to himself with a doubtful raise of an eyebrow. Franky might have a point, but it all felt like unnecessary paranoia.

"Assassins codes can be hard to crack, piece of cake for me. I'm the number one informant.. there's a reason you came to me with the banquet." The bearded male chuckled egotistically, but in a funnier way rather than complete shallowness. Twilight sighed to himself, letting a light roll of his eyes slip past his 'friend's gaze in order to keep some semblance of sanity.

Franky spent five minutes looking between the bright white screen and the pamphlet printed with paper the same quality as an expensive business card that would make Patrick Bateman roll in his grave.
I have to prove myself right! Franky thought to himself with an undying determination, clutching the pamphlet in his grasp a little too tightly.

"Twilight, I'm not sure if you should take this as good news or bad news." The informant said, a small drop of sweat racing down the man's cheek and jaw. "It is an assassins code alright, this doesn't mean Mrs Forger is exactly aware but.. it has an address I was able to decode."

Twilight's eyes widened with a mixture of emotions swirling in the pit of his stomach. Fear, shock, surprise, determination, and an odd sense of possessiveness that took even him by surprise.
He actually found something? The spy's hands gently shook, raising up to cover his mouth.

"Write down the details." Twilight's voice penetrated the tense air, his hands dropping to the wooden counter and gripping the splinter ridden bar. "I'll investigate this myself."

Here he was, opening up the vault that was Yor Forger.

***

Chapter Text

***

2200 HOURS, TUESDAY;

Yor Forger, loved mother and wife of the Forger family.. and yet even she keeps secrets. Twilight thought to himself with his chin resting in his hands, eyes narrowed and suspicious at the banquet pamphlet resting in his free palm. Although, I can't be too critical of her choice to keep such a side hidden.. that would make me look like a clown. Still, I'm curious as to why she has these connections..

There were a million explanations for why Yor may have ties to Garden; business partners, City Hall connections, or even as an assassin herself. Whichever way it may be, there's no assuming to be involved or else WISE may as well end up in panic. No matter what, this high-profile spy was going to protect his wife.

Keeping the peace between East and West is crucial, and my mission even more to stop any mongering hostility between the countries. For myself, my family, and the health of everyone around.. Ostanian or not. Twilight sighed, his thumb gently rubbing the pamphlet absentmindedly as his thoughts ran in circles about the potential identity of his wife.

Fake wife. He convinced himself.

Everyone has their secrets, but Twilight's job requires him to know everything.. even if that involved underhanded methods and that includes consistently lying to Yor about where her invitation went. More than he would like to while also knowing it's resting in the comfort of his room. Of course, his wife was avoidant on the true meaning of the banquet, causing the spy's suspicions to fly through the roof.

She may as well be a trained murderer, as Franky suggested a little too eagerly, but I hope-.. I hope Yor is safe and knows what she's doing.

He found his eyes straying from the invitation and towards a small, framed picture resting peacefully on his bedside table. It was displaying a family picnic, Yor beautifully in the frame with her signature bright smile as Anya and Bond played together distantly behind her, the checkered picnic blanket and an array of snacks blurred from the photo's view. A guilty expression spread across his face as he stared at the image of his wife smiling happily with her rosy cheeks and long, black eyelashes; she looked so welcoming, so loving, so.. at home.

The epitome of family happiness, and yet out of view from anybody to visit the Forger household - this was a private picture Twilight kept from himself.
For our image, the spy would excuse. But any idiot could see past that; 'Loid's room was supposed to be the guest room to others, and what kind of guest room held a private family photo?

Without a second thought, he snatched a nearby notebook to scribble down some loose notes on his banquet infiltration, he needed to see Yor for who she truly was and also keep her safe. For the mission.

A small huff of air escaped Twilight's lips as he stared at the plan and array of open files he had accidentally sorted through in a disorganized way. What was wrong with him recently? He felt guilty, yet determined to go through with this breach of privacy. Perhaps he just needed some sleep, which is something he would never admit out loud.

***

0700 HOURS, WEDNESDAY;

"Bye mama! Bye papa!" Anya waved excitedly out the bus's open window next to her seat, her little arm flailing around aimlessly in a cute gesture of love. Yor smiled towards her daughter with a softened expression, her own arm extended to wave slowly yet with the intention of proving an undying amount of commitment to her little family.

Twilight stared at his wife with intensity, his usually sharpened and weaponized gaze rounding due to an uncomfortable feeling he'd rather not explore to the extent. The parents of other Eden kids dispersed, leaving the 'couple' in a comfortable silence that spoke volumes to those looking in.

"Loid," Yor spoke up, her head turned to the side to look at her husband, (who seemed to garner attention from lots of single women). "I've got that uh- work event today! I'll probably be leaving right as you get home from work, just take it easy. I can tell you're tired." She spoke with a worried expression, which made the spy feel slightly uneasy.

Since when had anyone cared about his health? He's an expendable agent, not a normal man.

"You don't have to worry about me, Yor." Twilight chuckled, a small amount of blush uncontrollably forming. "But.. I'll take it easy if it helps."
Yor seemed satisfied with that reply, a sense of familiarity was always crackling between them that even other people and pedestrians could see. The endless whispers of neighbours was something Twilight was always satisfied to report to Handler, as it was proof they came off as in love.

Yor glanced around, holding her purse in front of her with a slightly tightened grasp.
Loid is so genuine.. I hope lying about the banquet like this isn't taking advantage of him. Although, I think we're using each other in a way? For our family? Her thoughts raced as her eyes locked back onto Twilight. We have been discussing more PDA together, is that so bad? What is wrong with me..?

Twilight noticed the slight change in demeanor of his wife and pressed a small kiss to her cheek and a pat on her shoulder.
"I'll see you this evening and hopefully after the event." He said with a smile, walking off with a wave of his hand and another little glance. Yor found herself exchanging his grin, waving back with deep meaning.

It may be selfish of me to hope Loid doesn't find true love to continue our agreement.. but it is nice to have a man treat me so well. Even if we aren't in love. She sighed softly, walking the opposite direction as her husband.

***

Franky smirked on the other side of the Tobacco shop's bar as the spy he gathered intel for,
"Kissing the missus? For PDA?" The informant said with a raise of his eyebrows and a large ear to ear grin. "But.. just for PDA, right? Because you're a sucker for 'missions' and 'cover', aren't you? Loidy boy?"

Twilight looked to the side with a slight scowl, his arms leaning on the wooden counter in front of him.
"I can assure you it was necessary, the neighbours were nearby and you know they tend to think I'm cheating on Yor." His words were convincing, but not convincing enough for Ostania's greatest informant.

Franky gave a cheeky smirk, almost one replicating Anya's. But, of course, he could never pass up an opportunity to tease the infamous Twilight he was so fond of.
"Uh huh, staring at her intently with those blue eyes of yours. Practically undressing her with your mind." Franky chuckled, slamming his hands down on the counter comically in order to make Twilight feel increasingly uncomfortable. "C'mon, buddy. I know how it is with the ladies, huh?"

Twilight's eye twitched in annoyance at the man's bugging interference, even if he knew it was to get on his nerves.
Does he seriously think I'm that gullible? I'm not in love with Yor.. that's ridiculous. Ignorance is weakness. The spy reassured himself, shaking his head in frustration.

"Seriously? Not even going to humor me?" Franky asked with a little snicker, resting his head on his hand out of boredom. "Still, kissing your mission wife is pretty dicey, how did Handler take it when you showed up with a lipstick mark on your cheek?"

"Don't remind me." Twilight responded in a cold voice, sighing slightly at the clear reminder of his carelessness. That was an at-home kiss, it was easy to devise that from after that meeting with the Fullmetal Lady. "She didn't really say anything about it, and I hope I won't."

Franky rolled his eyes playfully, deciding to get back into business as they had already wasted an important five minutes that could've been spent on planning out how exactly Twilight was going to infiltrate an assassin's united banquet, especially when it was to be held that night. Barely twelve hours to spare until it's on.
"In other news, have you figured out how exactly you're getting inside?"

The spy smiled knowingly, pulling out a small, leather, black notebook with the words 'Forger' imprinted on it.
"They have guards around the place constantly, I went and scoped around the hall myself by walking by a couple times. Safe to assume they'll be replaced by SSS agents if your theory is correct. I have the disguise stuff needed if that's the case."

Franky nodded in response, flipping through the notebook himself in order to somehow assist; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity anyway. It had something to do with Garden for goodness sake.

"I'll go in as a guard, as close to Yor as I can possibly get and I'll stay by her the entire time in case she needs me." Twilight said as he glanced around nervously, and there was an undertone of almost fear. "I'll gather as much intel as possible by staying by her side, even if that includes using some underhanded methods. I need to have answers to three major questions;"

"If she works closely to Garden."

"Whether or not she is close to the SSS."

"And her true identity if she has one, (similar to me.)"

Franky listened intently, offering an ear of support to the spy's clear endeavour of curiosity. Pridefully, he whipped out a small listening device, smaller than his usual kind in a type of earbud.
"This will assist you in giving me intel, you can't exactly write things down yourself and I want to know all the juicy assassin details - especially with such a legion of super soldiers. And the possibility your wife *is* a super soldier, other than the scary amount of strength."

Twilight smiled approvingly, pocketing the device with a small nod and 'thank you'.
I suppose this will be useful in noting down important information I'd like to keep on file, especially with Franky keeping intel a secret until I hand it over to Handler; if I do. But either way, I am thankful.

"I do appreciate it, Franky. This is a strange world we live in and I'm not about to give up Operation Strix, even if Yor has something she isn't telling me. Can't do it without you." Twilight spoke, a strange sense of pride bubbling underneath the surface of emotionless attachments.
Yor may be a mission wife, but she's a good woman.. to me and everyone she comes into contact with. That's something not even I can pull off, and in a way I do envy her. She's truly amazing.

The informant felt odd, like the man in front of him wasn't the same as he was over half a year ago when Strix started.
Has married life really changed him? The Twilight I remember would have dropped a woman the moment something suspicious happened. Franky sighed with a slight, genuine smile.
"You're quite the spy." Franky chuckled playfully, his eyes a little more softened than typically.

"I'm Twilight." The spy replied, crossing his arms. "I'd like to request we hold off on telling Handler about any intel we gather, Yor is extremely crucial in my mission and especially for Plan C. If she happens to have some sort of big secret, let's keep it between us."

Franky thought about it for a moment before eventually agreeing, it made a lot of sense; specifically for keeping world peace, and Twilight was the most qualified to ensure the success of Operation Strix.
"Sure, but I expect a hefty paycheck. All the extra babysitting on top of helping you with intel will cost ya."

Twilight reluctantly pulled out a stack of cold, hard cash from the inside of his green blazer. With a quick wave of his gloved hand, he started walking off onto the street to blend in with pedestrians; much to Franky's dismay and inconvenience.
"He's gone sappy." The informant spoke to himself under his breath.

No attachments, no surprises.

***

The day at the hospital went by in a blur, Nightfall's odd demands and the other psychiatrists trying to make small talk with Loid Forger really sped past as all the spy could think about was the inevitability of figuring out something private about his wife's life. No matter what it could be, it consumed Twilight's thoughts more than he cared to admit. Especially since it considered the fact Yor may not be who he thought she was, working with assassins or not.

But of course, every second was one closer to gathering the necessary intel for discovering something he'd rather not know - no matter how crucial to the mission it is.

1700 HOURS, WEDNESDAY;

Yor raced around the apartment to gather some extra things as she applied her lipstick one last time, her beautiful black dress and gold accessories really highlighting her naturally gorgeous features. Anya watched in amazement as her mother skillfully rushed into her signature formal wear, (signature to Thorn Princess), and wore her best golden headband. She was quite the sight.

"Mama so pretty," Anya bounced excitedly as Yor reached for the door handle, causing the assassin to tearfully thank her in return.

I was hoping to see Loid before having to go to this event.. and mission. Just in case the slim percent of me not coming back happens. Yor thought to herself with a grim frown, her hands in front of her clasped together in a clammy gesture of nervousness.

I hope Yor is still inside, maybe things will be alright. Twilight smiled gently to himself as he opened up the front door.

Anya's rounded eyes widened in excitement as she read her parents' minds, her rosy cheeks looking extra bright as she witnessed her papa and mama communicating at the front of the Forger household. Although, to a child, it really just looked like they were being more romantic than they actually were. Either way, Yor and Twilight were pretty engrossed in their own conversation before Yor was forced to break it off.

"Ah..- I am running late already. I'm certain I can make it on time, but I should really get going." Yor sighed with a hint of disappointment, her fingers pointing towards the front door behind her husband. Twilight gave her a welcoming smile, moving out of the way so she could get to her banquet;

"Enjoy yourself," he spoke lovingly, in a way a convincing husband would say it. For the mission, of course. "I'll try and catch you tonight, I don't have work tomorrow so there's no worries." Yor tilted her head, a nervous look plastered on her pretty face.
If I let him see me coming home.. I might be covered in blood. This has become difficult. She thought to herself while her head absentmindedly nodded, her feet moving one before the other to the door.

"Try and have fun!" Yor stated sweetly, giving a little wave before fully stepping outside of the apartment and making her way out of the building.

Time to invade her privacy.. I wonder if there's things I can find in her room if I look hard enough. No, Twilight, it can wait. The spy placed the listening device in his ear, awaiting further instructions from Franky before proceeding.

***

Yor ultimately decided on running to the location as she would get there on time rather than taking the subway, which would have delayed her even more than she already was.
"Sorry for my lateness!" She called out apologetically towards the group of Garden members invited to the banquet, her arm waving in order to catch their attention. Shopkeeper seemed pleased to see her, but some of the other assassins, (Hemlock specifically), looked apprehensive.

Hmm.. Twilight thought, stationed at a respectable distance from the hall that was flooded with guards that looked to be some SSS and highly trained assassins. Was he really going to do this? Yes, this was suspicious and.. the evidence against his wife was much larger than he had initially hoped, but she was crucial to him, and his mission.

How can a woman so awkward and sweet be what Franky theorises she is?

Twilight's hands went slightly sweaty as he opened his case of gear, his signature black mask pulled over his nose as he spied on some of the figures next to Yor, they all looked to be close yet distant - a strange sense of familiarity between each killer despite the belief they're simply tools to be used at their leader's whim. He would have to get Franky to gather more intel on who Garden is run by.

"I have eyes on Yor, she's with a group of people who are taking her inside." The spy reported back to his informant, who seemed to be playing with Anya on the other line.

"Yeah, yeah.. go follow them inside. I can't exactly help with the mission and babysit." Franky chastised, his voice carrying more playfulness than actual disdain. Twilight listened with a serious expression, preparing a quick disguise before approaching the back of the group himself as a guard.

Getting inside was a piece of cake, showing some fraudulent ID and managing to trail just behind the Garden group, his eyes specifically set on his wife.
Please, Yor, you can end this all with one word. Twilight thought as his eyes locked with hers, and it was almost as if she recognized him. Those piercing blue eyes he hadn't bothered to cover up with the realistic mask, they reminded her of someone.

Someone she was married to.

"Thorn Princess," McMahon spoke, causing Yor's suspicious attention to sway and get directed elsewhere. "Our table is over this way, it'll have a name on your chair." The other assassin spoke sternly, his hand pointing towards the direction of a round table adorned in white cloth and champagne glasses.

As everyone entered the hall, it was sparkling from the dim lighting of candles, the middle of the room completely empty for dancing with a large stage at the end where a band of people were playing golden instruments. It was as if a billionaire was funding this event, the tables on the sides clearly meant for different organizations and the assassins of their choice, with Garden heading to one of them in specific wear.

Twilight looked around cautiously, noticing the same symbol from the pamphlet on both Yor's necklace and over top the table they were strolling towards.
Is this.. entire event..

His eyes looked around rapidly, noticing the trading of weapons between suspicious crowds and the evil looks everyone was giving each other.. the darkened gazes of cold-hearted killers grinning as they made shady business deals and showed off every scar they achieved. This wasn't just some work event, or with the appearance of having a few assassins.

This entire event is of assassins!

The Garden members sat down, looking towards each other with knowing expressions, as if there was something much deeper to their appearance in this banquet. They weren't just here for the event, something was going on. Something only Garden members knew of. Twilight's eyes trailed around, landing on Yor again who was staring at him intensely.

Ah.. The spy thought, trying not to let his uneasiness appear on his stoic face. Does she know it's me? Did I do something wrong?

Hemlock suddenly smashed his cane onto Yor's foot, causing her to wince and look back at Shopkeeper, who seemed to simply raise his eyebrow at the reckless assassins and their personal quarrels. The inner feud was quickly fizzled out when three men strutted on stage with confident swagger, grabbing the microphone with a big sense of purpose.

Who are these people? They didn't show up in any of the files Franky gave me.. Twilight's eyes narrowed dangerously in suspicion, unknowingly furrowing his eyebrows carefully as he calculated his next moves.

"Welcome, all! To the annual A-United banquet taking place right here, in the city of secrecy - Berlint, Ostania!"

The room erupted in applause and whoops, the band making their own dramatic sound piece to really nail it in. Twilight blended in perfectly, while his thoughts ran faster than the trains in the West.
A-United? It can't be.. Assassins United? Twilight looked back at the Garden table, his hands growing clammy by the second. So that really means, everyone here, including Yor, is an assassin.

This can't be good.

Gently, he taps on the listening device in morse code, listing that the entire hall is covered from head to toe in assassins and clearly assisting SSS agents, but also making sure to add in that Yor doesn't know it's SSS as otherwise she wouldn't be scared of getting arrested for being single.

Franky lists these down in a notebook as he watches Anya and Bond cuddled up next to him with Spy Wars playing in the background.
"Try and get closer to your wife when you get the opportunity to. Maybe try and get some intel off of her."

Twilight says 'understood' in morse code, his eyes locking briefly with Shopkeeper before trailing themselves back to the stage where the hosts seemed to be communicating with the band. The sound of applause died down as one of the men began to speak again, the killer gazes of assassins seemed to relax and relish in the luxury surroundings of the entire event;

"Enjoy some drinks, and dance with your colleagues, connect over some killer skills, and maybe even make business ties..!" The hosts yelled together excitedly as the assassins started to rise, ready to mingle together - likely for more business or missions. That's usually what spies looked for in banquets such as this.

Before it was too late, Twilight heard the faint use of morse code via the tapping of Shopkeeper's foot, communicating clear plans;

"Take the targets out in secret, don't rise suspicion, Nikolas may be in the building.. await further instruction."

Noted. Twilight thought to himself, attempting to keep his eyes locked on Yor, who had started retreating from the table and into the crowds of dancing killers. She seemed to be trying to scout out certain suspicious figures in order to carry out her own mission. Twilight swiftly moved through the groups of assassins, his path determined by whatever movement Yor chose to take.

Who is this man following me? His eyes have been on me the entire event.. Yor let out a little, frustrated huff as her eyes travelled over a few targets already being trailed by other Garden assassins. She spotted one dancing around in order to blend in, and attempts to move in herself.

"Thorn Princess." Twilight spoke in his disguise, sneaking up behind the woman quietly. Yor's body snapped around in surprise, watching the man in front of her suspiciously.. those damn blue eyes were so familiar to her - it started even freaking her out!

"And who might you be?" She asked politely, her eyes elsewhere as she waited for a response.
"Blade." Twilight lied, trying to peak around into her vision quickly. "I was wondering if you would humor me, perhaps a dance?"
Yor was caught off guard, stepping back in clear surprise as her ruby iris locked right back onto him.

A dance? Who is this man?
"I'm married." Yor shut down, looking back at the target she wanted to move in on hurriedly. The target was looking around suspiciously as he danced, so Yor retraced her steps and reluctantly spoke again;
"Fine." She whispered softly, grabbing onto Twilight's hands and dragging him onto the dance floor.

I'm surprised she's holding her own while dancing.. she's usually awkward. This new side of her is intriguing. Twilight thought as his eyes were seemingly glued to his wife's dancing.. even if her gaze was on another man entirely - as if she were killing that person with her eyes.

"You must be pretty powerful to have been invited here.. with Garden." Twilight questioned, trying to strike up professional small talk with the woman in front of him.
Yor tilted her head curiously, looking back at 'Blade' with suspicion hidden underneath the blood red of her iris.
"I am with Garden, I have been for over a decade." She responded, attempting to be friendly but she was bad at hiding inconvenience on her face.

Twilight tried to fish out more information, but also ultimately knew he couldn't push too hard.
As a spy, I must know my limits.. at least I have confirmation on who she works for.
"You mentioned you're married.. is that for your cover or do you love him?" He eventually landed on, his masterful fake smile plastered on his disguised face.

"It is for my cover, yes. But that doesn't mean I don't love my husband or daughter.. they're quite special. Although, I don't think he's very fond of me." Yor spoke absentmindedly, looking away to keep tracing her target's moves. "It may be selfish of me, but I do hope my family lasts."

She doesn't think I'm fond of her..? Twilight's eyebrows moved to be sympathetic, his eyes ever so slightly drooping from this information. Yes, it's bad that she's an assassin, especially while being crucial for my mission... but I don't want to give her the impression I dislike her. She's a good woman. He didn't know how to respond to the Thorn Princess, a thin layer of sweat forming on his hands and his face. Am I really a bad husband to her?

Yor turned back to 'Blade', looking up at the man with slightly raised eyebrows;
"You have his eyes." She commented, her expression giving away the clear as day fact she missed her husband. Twilight smiled, squeezing her hand without thinking until his eyes locked onto three activated grenades flying towards them from up high.

***

Yor's leg flung up high by instinct, slamming the grenades in a swift kick out of a nearby window. The BOOM sent the assassins into mass shock, moving out of the way of the dance floor while Yor stared towards other Garden members, the hidden targets, and finally the hosts at the centre of the whole thing.
SHIT! She thought, stepping back hesitantly while she awaited something.. anything!

"Well.. seems we underestimated her. Family life doesn't seem to change anybody.. does it?" One of the hosts stepped up, a wild grin on his face with a touch of crazy in his eyes as he stared towards one of the best assassins in the world.

"Mr Den asked for you specifically to be tested, can't have his own war machine be weak.. can he?" Another one spoke up, his arms crossed while he approached. "We don't just want any assassin for the job, Nikolas wants you."

Twilight reluctantly stepped back, his eyes glancing wildly around the room.. what was stopping everyone from just fighting? Bombs. Scaling the roof, walls, and under suspiciously placed floorboards. The other assassins must have noticed, but it became clear to him that Yor hadn't unless he would do something to let her know. She needed a sign.

The spy unclipped the WISE pin from his blazer, tossing it up onto one of the bars holding the roof up, causing a small clink that caught Yor's attention quickly.

Bombs..? I really can't fight or else we'll all be sent sky high.. She thought to herself, struggling to come up with a plan in her head at speeds faster than when she hit that tennis ball towards Fiona. Maybe I just need to go along for a bit, buy Shopkeeper some time to hopefully evacuate everyone or prepare a plan. She sighed, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

"Now, if you'll just come with us." The third host instructed, signalling for some of the faux guards and other targets to step forward and into the highly trained killer. "You know better than to not." He added threateningly, his hand stretched out for Yor to grab herself.. on her terms.

She glanced around wildly before ultimately grabbing onto the host's hand tightly and being forcefully taken out of the room and into a hallway hidden away and blocked off from other assassins. Leftover faux guards kept everyone in place, specifically Garden members to stop them from trying to rescue their Thorn Princess. Twilight looked toward the door she was dragged into, figuring he needed to save his wife.

For her life.. and my mission! He thought while his ears quickly picked onto a conversation Shopkeeper was having;
"Keep a low profile.. I'm sending Hemlock in once we distract the guards.."

Twilight looked around and landed on a coats closet where he quickly snuck away into.. just until he could save Yor from Nikolas Den and his men. He pulled out his supplies, sneaking out of the closet when he successfully adjusted a McMahon disguise on and managed to run into the hallway thanks to a few assassins making a scene with the guards.

His breaths came out in soft pants as he followed a trail of Yor's heels footprints, sliding out into a hallway where they were taking her.

"Big ol' Nik will be extremely happy when we bring this gem to him!" One of the hosts cackled, his hand slapping against Yor's ass.. big mistake.

Within a blink, Twilight had to hide behind a wall as Yor kicked the guns from out of two of the men's hands and punching them through their necks. Blood squirted onto the clean, white walls in a shape resembling a rose that had the third host trembling from utter fear. Yor grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling him up to face level with the bright red liquid dripping from her face.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now." She threatened, her voice layered in disgust and poison that could send a bodybuilder into a coma.

"We only work for Mr Den! He wanted you as someone to go to war with.. we didn't want any of your colleagues!" The man yelled desperately, his eyes widened in fear at the dominating presence of the Thorn Princess in all her glory - her gaze darkened and threatening.

"WHAT else?" She yelled, slamming the host's head against the wall, drawing a concerning amount of blood. The man's voice quivered as he continued to exchange the information, his face growing sweatier by the second;
"He heard stories! Stories about you and how you look.. so he grew interested. Th-there is no shame in giving into your desires, he really wanted to meet you.. personally. He's in the building."

Yor's eyes widened in disgust and shock, dropping the man onto the cold, tiled floor. Her face went red with rage, kicking the wall beside the man's head, the clack of her heel conveying the variety of emotions that stem from utter disdain.
"I'm a married woman!" She stated loudly, crossing her arms tightly. "A-a very happy marriage in fact..! I love my husband!" She added, slight blush on her cheeks as she picked up one of the loaded, bloodied guns and shooting it through the host's head without a hint of hesitation.

Twilight wanted to go up to her by that point, but her words shocked him to his core. She loved him? Was that an elaborate choice of words to get the man off her trail or was she being genuine? Did she truly love Loid Forger?
N-no matter.. that's simply an inconvenience to my mission. She doesn't love me.. she loves 'Loid.' He thought to himself, his grip on his gun slightly faltering slightly from his racing thoughts.

But.. in the slight possibility she does love me, is that such a bad thing?

Hemlock popped out of nowhere, racing down the hall with impressive stamina to catch up with Yor and the hosts, which he eventually saw were completely massacred.
"Well, I see that's taken care of. Why are you still here?"

Yor turned to face him, pulling out her golden stilettos and spinning them around her fingers with careful calculation.
"Nikolas is in the building, he's probably upstairs.. away from the bombs. We should hurry before the fake guards catch on and blow this place up." She explained quickly, pointing towards a staircase at the end of the corridor. Hemlock simply responded with a nod and turned around to face none other than Twilight, (in his McMahon disguise.)

"We should head there instantly, but I don't think we should kill him just yet." 'McMahon' said, reloading his gun carefully and quickly.
Nikolas Den is an extremely important political figure WISE has their eye on, if he were to die, Nightfall's mission would be useless against an upcoming war. Twilight thought as the trio started racing up the stairs together and into random rooms.

They smashed through doors without splitting up, believing it would be idiotic to do so.

"Here!" Hemlock whispered, kicking open a door with Twilight and Yor following in right after. Inside the last remaining room was an old computer with Nikolas on the screen;
"You made it! I knew you just wouldn't make things easy for us.." Nikolas said on the screen, eyeing the trio carefully and looking especially suspicious at 'McMahon'. "See, all I want is the girl. Well, now it's too late to turn yourself in. For now. I'll keep in contact, Thorn Princess."

Yor stepped back, her hand going up to cover her mouth.
"The bombs.." she whispered, before a loud rumbling took control of their ears. Yor covered them, groaning in the pain of the noises, the ground shaking violently.

SHIT. Twilight thought, holding onto Yor's arm and also onto a pole while bombs went off on the floor below them.
"We need to get out of here!" He yelled, spotting Hemlock holding onto the door frame. Yor grunted as she fell onto the floor, the three of them struggling to get up. It was as if an earthquake were hitting them in the moment.

Twilight panted as the bombs stopped.. but not for long. He got up, helping Yor and Hemlock before racing to the staircase with them.

"It's blocked off!" Hemlock screamed, stepping back and spotting an open window with impressive speed. Yor turned to face them when another bomb rang throughout the building from right below them, launching all three of them into walls with intense injuries.

Yor held onto her arm injury, her face contorting in pain as blood dripped from her head onto her face, scratches labelling her body. Twilight couldn't stand, likely from shock as he hurriedly went to check if his McMahon disguise was still on tight.. which it was. But he wasn't going to remain so lucky if another bomb were to go off. Hemlock panted heavily, his leg completely broken as he attempted to reach out for his cane.

"WE NEED TO GO!" Yor yelled at the top of her lungs, the beeping of another bomb making her jump to her feet quickly.. despite the pain. She kicked off her heels and raced towards both Hemlock and 'McMahon', grabbing them both and slinging them over her shoulders hurriedly.
Please.. I need to make it home. For Loid and Anya's sakes. She thought as pants came out in painful groans, her strength allowing her to run on and launch the three of them out of the second story window.

***

They landed on the ground with each a loud 'mmph!', Yor specifically coughing up blood and ash as the building completely collapsed in front of them. The dust from the rubble added to their injuries as it caved in, the noise overpowering their obvious yells of pain. Twilight, somehow still in his McMahon disguise, laid by Yor's side in pain. Thankfully, his legs were starting to work again.

But seriously, his wife may be a contract killer, and yet she completely saved his life - and likely the lives of many others.
Yor.. His thoughts trailed until the woman noticed blonde hair peaking out from underneath the highly detailed mask of her director. There was a hole!

Yor stumbled up, holding her injured arm tightly as she stepped back from who she thought was McMahon.
"Who the hell are you?!" She shouted, Hemlock quickly catching on but simply widening his eyes in shock. What was going on?

This is bad! Twilight thought as he jumped up, covering the hole on his hairline quickly. His breaths were short and sharp, the cold night air making them visible to the eye. Yor was staring at him with eyes widened in surprise and confusion. What could he do? Make up an excuse? There was nothing he could realistically do! So, instead of straying.. he simply fled.

Despite the painful injuries and dripping blood on his nicest suit, he ran. Not even a glance behind him as he found a place to retreat, ripping off the mask and sitting down to rest.

Yor panted gently as she carried Hemlock over to the very front of what used to be a building, spotting the real McMahon and Shopkeeper speaking with a few other assassins, who seemed extremely injured.
"Director! Shopkeeper!" She yelled out of breath, walking towards them with a salty Hemlock resting in her arms. "It was a trap.. Nikolas was never there. And he wants me."

Shopkeeper nodded cautiously, looking back towards the large pile of rubbed and occasional bloody dead bodies.
"We think there was a hidden agent involved.. we need statements. Did you see anything suspicious?"

Hemlock and Yor looked at each other, their bloodied and scratched faces exchanging a knowing gaze that spoke more than they really needed to.
"They disguised as the Director... they got away." Yor whispered, her voice cracking from the intense pain she was feeling, a lingering ringing in her ears from all the explosives. Hemlock looked to the ground guiltily, his hands clenched in his lap.

"I must head home.. please update me on new information. I will.. uh.. take some days off work." She cleared her throat, handing over Hemlock and looking back towards the path she needs to take. "Don't wait up." She whispered, heading home by herself.. even if it was quite painful to do so.
An agent? At an assassins party? That's bad.. hopefully Shopkeeper is able to collect more evidence. We can't have this getting out. She thought to herself, stopping by a small gym to shower and wrap herself up before walking in the direction of 128 Park Avenue.

***

2300 HOURS;

"Anya's finally asleep.. the little gremlin.." Franky said with a slight grumble, turning to face Twilight with a raised eyebrow; "did you find anything else out about the missus?" He asked finally, quiet enough not to wake Anya or Bond.. it was really late. The spy had only just emerged from the shower, hiding his bandages underneath his clothes.

"Well, she's a powerful assassin alright.. but she shouldn't pose as a threat to the mission. At least not yet, I don't want Handler booting me off the mission and handing it over to some buffoon. It's really important, and Yor has gotten me very far - she's also made it quite clear she loves this family. It's okay." Twilight responded, his arms crossed.
"Not to mention, she saved lives by turning herself in and she took me to safety. She's a good woman, despite the contract killing."

Franky listened intently, walking over to the front door in order to leave.
He truly has changed, but I don't think it's just his mission speaking for him; he's gone smitten, at least for a spy of his calibre.
"Alright, man. It's your call, but you shouldn't hide this from Handler for long. This could be crucial information." The informant spoke as he slipped his coat on easily, "don't let your emotions get in the way of the mission. That's all I want to say."

Twilight watched as Franky left, a solemn expression on his face as the words sunk in.
And yet, despite my lies, Yor loves me. He thought to himself as he picked up a book and awaited his wife's quick arrival. He promised he would wait for her, and wait for her he shall.

***

"Shopkeeper.. did you find anything else damning at the scene?" McMahon spoke up, his face darkened as his superior turned to face him with a dangerous expression and an item in his clenched fist, they had already found the 'McMahon' mask a few blocks from the destroyed hall.. but nothing definitive.

Slowly, Shopkeeper unravelled his calloused hand to reveal nothing less than a WISE pin found in the rubble, shining a beautiful gold underneath the moonlight of the garden.

"Looks like we had a guest." He replied darkly.

***

Chapter Text

***

0800 HOURS (A few weeks later..);

Life in the Forger home had become.. tense to say the least. Yor had just newly come to the realization her feelings for Loid were much deeper than she initially thought, knowing he was an amazing man and loving father really solidified it for her, however, she didn't know what to do about it. Loid, or rather, Twilight, was struggling to come to complete terms with his wife's true identity. She seemed to have legitimate identification.. so 'Thorn Princess' was simply a persona; a part of Yor she simply kept hidden.

Of course, he found it difficult to completely accept, and yet she was such a sweet woman to him. She had no clear intentions other than protecting her country, and most of all, her family.. something even Twilight admired. (He has high standards!)

I hope Yor's extra job doesn't prove dangerous or disruptive to the mission.. either way, she's proven herself to be a good woman and even better mother and wife, to both me and Anya. Twilight thought to himself as he busied himself with a stubborn set of dishes, a small sigh escaping his lips smoothly as his overthinking fully consume his already very full mind. So far, it seems to be a non issue. To Strix, at the very least. I do hope she's safe on her own missions, she seems more than capable but it's still.. scary? Why do I feel that way?

Yor mumbled to herself as she exited her bedroom, rubbing her eyes so strongly she was seeing odd colors and stars when she blinked; her thoughts running faster than an olympic sprinter beating an impossible world record. 
Loid deserves better than me.. I can't even wake up before eight. Meanwhile, he's been distant and doing all the house duties as I'm peacefully sleeping.. he's truly amazing.

Her yellow night dress swayed gently as she stepped into the main living space, her hair sticking up in odd places, yet still looking as ethereal as she does when she's splattering the blood of her enemies all over the walls. At least, Twilight thought so - but even he can admit he knows he's slightly biased. She is his wife after all, fake or not.

"Morning, Yor." Twilight said, but there was an undertone of awkwardness and a hint of deception. It didn't go past the muscle-headed woman, further pushing the idea things weren't exactly normal between them, other than her being in love with him. Or was she? She couldn't even tell at this point;

"Morning.." She responded quietly, like the silence that comes after a mass killing and the gentle travelling of tension across the air between the faux couple. There was definitely something going on with them, mixed with clear feelings of realization and doubt.

Yor silently sat on the couch, her legs giving out from all the work she did at the banquet, as well as almost dying from all the explosives involved. It didn't pair great with the added stress of a mysterious spy figuring out all of the identities of the possible strongest assassins in Ostania, which could prove dangerous. Her mind was running quite fast already, not to mention the awkwardness that came with loving her fake husband and yet feeling too worthless to be his wife.

Anya peaked her head around the corner of the corridor, her eyes glancing around suspiciously;
"Are mama and papa fighting..?" She mumbled, causing Twilight to perk up with a concerned expression. 

Fighting? Is it really that obvious I've been distant..? I've gotten sloppy! Twilight hurriedly dropped his chores, walking out of the kitchen and into their general living space with widened eyes and a small frown. I'm not trying to fight with Yor.. it's just.. complicated..- I need to stop thinking about the mission. I need to focus on.. my.. daughter. He thought to himself, clenching a fist to his side tightly as his thoughts ran as wild as a boar.

Anya sighed sadly, turning towards her mother to read her thoughts instead;

I don't want Loid to hate me.. especially after lying to him for so long about my job. He's such a wonderful man, but I'm not sure if I can do this anymore. Yor thought, tucking a pillow into her arms tightly to recover her body from the stresses of her odd life. Maybe he's already sick of me? Ah.. what am I thinking?

Without control, Anya's eyes welled up with unshed tears, Bond quickly coming to her side to comfort the young girl. Her parents were fighting, and she was in the middle of all of it.
"I don't like it when papa and mama fight.. I love them.." she mumbled quietly, wiping her eyes with her little fists as both Twilight and Yor ran to her in worry. 

"Anya! Yor and I aren't fighting, it's just a tough time right now with our jobs!" The agent lied, yet somehow still telling the truth in a way. "I promise, sincerely.." Yor looked between her family members with a solemn expression, her arms reaching out and scooping her daughter into her arms tightly. The little girls buried her face in Yor's shoulder, her tears gently staining the pale yellow of her mother's night dress;

"I love you, mama. And papa." Anya whispered, clenching the fabric of the pajamas.

Yor's eyes softened, pulling her face back slightly to look down at Anya, her ruby eyes analyzing the little girl with a loving gaze. 
"I love you too. And papa."

"I'm being excluded!" Twilight said dramatically, sitting on his knees next to his little family with his eyebrows knitted together in a calming concern, his eyes betraying his true feelings that he kept hidden under the facade of agent stoicism. His hands rested on the backs of his two girls, his touch comforting and providing an immense amount of support. The support they needed as a family of trauma bonded orphans.

Yor and Twilight shared a glance of understanding, their eyes rounded and coated with a strange sense of love and affection, one only they understood. Anya looked between her adoptive parents, a small smile on her face as she realized the true depth of her parents' emotions and the unrequited love that followed them.

Even if they can't be together.. I'm happy they still are happy- with me. The little girl thought with a sweet little shine in her eyes, reading some buried thoughts between the two adults that she'd rather keep to herself, it was for them to figure out on their own.

***

1100 HOURS;

Melinda hummed softly to herself as she sipped a nice, hot latte on a beautiful spring day. Yor sat on the other side of the table of Cafe Berlint, barely even glancing at the tea she had ordered half an hour ago. Melinda put down her mug, resting her head on her hand as she stared at the woman right across from her - she seemed nervous, almost saddened even, which was unlike such a well carried woman. (Especially one with a psychiatrist as a husband!)

Yor gazed upon the swaying spring trees, her hair gently flowing along the breeze of the cooling wind.
Anya thinks me and Loid are fighting.. I don't want to be fighting with him. He's a good man - he deserves the best! Maybe I should do something to apologize for being so distant?.. ah.. this is hard..

"Yor." Melinda spoke up, gently resting her hand over her friend's with concern etched on her generally motherly face; "is everything okay at home..? You've been awfully quiet and you haven't even touched your chai.." She added, her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her eyes widened in something that said, 'I'm here for you.'

Yor tilted her head curiously, her usually rosy cheeks faded as she truly thought about everything.
"Ah.. just home stuff! I'm not sure my husband loves me as much as I love him is all.." I can't tell her the truth!

Melinda seemed surprised by that, which was shown visibly on her face. It was as if she refused to believe that;
"You're wrong! There's no way!" The woman said, slamming a hand on the table gently yet with enough force to shake the liquid inside both of their highly detailed mug's and catch Yor into a weird sense of shock.

"Whatever do you mean..?"

"Mr Forger is infatuated by you! Really, it's all in his eyes. I can tell, Donovan used to look at me like that before we.." Melinda paused for a moment, gently clearing her throat before speaking again. "My point is, don't overthink everything. He's a good man, and a good husband, and he looks at you as if you're the only woman ever.. the most beautiful woman ever!" 

Yor gasped, her hand resting on her chest as she processed the sudden information that shot at her all at once. Loid looks at her like that? But.. he's never shown any direct interest. Could she have been wrong? Could Melinda be wrong?
"What do you and Loid typically do as a couple? Maybe that's your key to feeling reassured!"

"Well.. we're not particularly affectionate." I can't say that we're an arranged couple.. "Uh- we go on dates? Sometimes.. uhm..- he kisses me on the cheek maybe once or twice..?" Yor stuttered, struggling to tell the truth while also not giving away the true nature of their relationship.

"Yor, you can always tell me what you do, are you picking up what I'm putting down?" Melinda said with a tiny giggle, making a lewd hand gesture that caught Yor completely off guard, causing an unnecessary amount of flush to form on her cheeks.

"HUUUUUUUH??!! We don't do anything like that! I can swear on my life!" Yor yelled with both of her hands slamming onto the nice table, her chai spilling slightly from wobbling excessively in the cup. "I-it's inappropriate!"

The gentle clinking of Melinda pushing her coffee cup away calmed Yor down slightly, soft sighs escaping their lips as they sat in awkward silence;
"Yor.. you're lying to me! I can't believe this..- you've been married for over a year and haven't tied that knot?! Hard to believe! You're not the woman I thought you were!"

Yor panicked slightly, her mouth wobbling in embarrassment. Melinda grinned sneakily, making another intended hand gesture while Yor sipped on her, (now cold), chai tea. The drink showered everywhere as the woman spat and choked on it, coughing excessively.
Is couples doing that really normal?! Do I need to do that in order to make Loid happy? No, that's ridiculous - he's not that kind of man! Maybe I should get him a gift though.. even if he doesn't feel the same way I will do everything I can to make him feel as happy as he makes me feel!

"Hey.. Melinda? Is couples being intimate.. normal?" Yor asked in a quiet voice, placing down her cup with delicate movements.

Melinda perked up, a small smile spreading across her face as she allowed her eyes to trace her friend's features. Yor was a beautiful woman, her hair always perfectly silky and eyes shining like diamonds dyed a blood-red color; anybody and everybody would turn her heads just to get a glance of a person who held her head so high!
"It's normal for most.. yes. Even me and my spouse used to dabble for fun - I suppose a spark can fade over time, but with me and Donovan.. it's different."

Yor listened intently, her brain working in circles as she processed the information. 
Normal? She let out a small hum, looking to the side.

"You're both attractive people with your own needs, are you attracted to your husband.. Yor?"

Time seemed to slow, and the assassin pondered the question even after leaving the cafe. The gentle clacking of her heels against the hard pavement of the busied Berlint streets paired oddly with her overthinking thoughts, her eyes remaining locked on where she was to step next in order to not fall over.
Am I attracted to Loid..? He is really kind, and smart, and I do.. love him.. even if I struggle to admit it! He is quite handsome.. but I wouldn't want to bother him. I'm not a very good looker, according to myself.

She held a clenched fist close to her chest, as if to cover up these hidden feelings consuming her from the inside out. Jeez.. it was so difficult to be in love!

***

1230 HOURS;

Twilight stared out the sliding glass door that led to the Forger's balcony, his gaze tracing nearby pedestrians and beautifully shaped lamp posts specific to Ostanian architecture. It seemed to be sprinkling quite a bit outside, the clouds slowly growing a darker grey color as the seconds trudged on;
I hope Yor is alright.. That thought was quickly hidden by mission plans and the observing of his daughter watching a spy cartoon show.

The little girl raised her hands enthusiastically, 'Spy Wars' loudly blasting in the background as Bond circled his young best friend and crime-fighting companion.
Papa's feeling sappy! She thought with a signature grin, turning to look at her overthinking father - who didn't even notice her change in demeanor at all.

Twilight found his eyes wandering to random places in the living room, a slight frown present on his, (usually), stoic face masked by his need for world peace and the top priority as a Westalis spy;
Yor and Anya are simply another part of the job, hell, I shouldn't even be getting attached! My wife is an assassin for goodness sake! He silently beat himself up, his hands clenching tightly into fists out of his personal frustration. She's a threat to the Forger family! Although, she has only helped so far.. and she fits her role so perfectly. It's hard to hide something so important from Handler, but Yor is a good woman. She'll understand.

I'm biased..

Anya approached him silently, reaching out her small hand and patting his knee in condolences. She knew what he was thinking, and she also knew how he truly felt. All he needed.. was a small push from his daughter!

"Oh- Anya," Twilight spoke quietly, his hands releasing from their tight hold and his face softening slightly as he distracted himself from his thoughts. Did Anya need something? Was it back to her concern of them fighting? Who knew.
I don't understand children. He thought to himself as Anya looked up at him with knowing emerald eyes.

"Papa.." She said in a small voice, looking at the spy with an almost concerned expression, "I know you and mama get along, and it makes me happy when you two are happy." 

Her hands gently tugged at the ends of her dress shyly as she spoke, clearly nervous.
I'm sorry mama! But for the sake of world peace!

"Do you love mama?" Her tiny voice carrying hesitantly to her father's ears. Twilight was caught off guard, a small, surprised grunt escaping unwillingly as he processed the question his faux child asked him. Was he being that obvious? Or rather, was he playing the part of 'Loid Forger' a little too well? Too believably well? So well even his daughter saw right through him? She was surprisingly perceptive.

"Love?" He mumbled, a bit of rosiness forming on his cheeks as he really thought about it. He's played many roles over the years, been in countless relationships, had to have sex for the sake of world peace despite refusing it face to face. Even if he really would rather not. But love? He can't say he's every truly felt that since his mother passed..

There's no way, she's my fake wife. Nothing more, nothing less. A woman playing a part for me, trusting me, treating me like I'm more than just-

Anya's eyes widened, her eyebrows raising comically high as she read her papa's thoughts. She knew how he truly felt, she could dig through any thoughts that may have even slipped through passing - and even if she largely didn't understand romance, she did understand her parents loved each other despite all the lies between them that built this fake family and their relationship.

"Because.. because.." Anya stuttered, sweat beading on her forehead as she broke the only promise she had with her mother. "She loves you!!"

***

1230 HOURS; (meanwhile)

The sound of baby birds chirping and the gentle swaying of healthy leaves filled McMahon's ears as he observed the Shopkeeper tending to his impressive garden. They had been planning their next move, knowing that the identities of their assassins could be at absolute risk because of a spy from the West; but it seems that Shopkeeper has some unknown plans.

"Are we going to involve the State Security Service? A rampant spy on our tail is quite dangerous." McMahon spoke as he sipped an intricate cup of tea, seated in the shaded gazebo where they typically talked, the old assassin seemed to be simply observing as the garden was being taken care of.

Shopkeeper stopped clipping the leaves, placing his tools to beside him and turning to look over at Matthew;
"It's a difficult situation, but I also trust we can deal with such an issue ourselves. If required, we will get SSS help.. I'm sure they'd be eager to catch a spy from somewhere as talented as WISE. Let me struggle with this matter." The man had responded with such a high head, plans brewing in his unknown mind.

McMahon held the pin in his hand, observing it closely.. as if it held the secrets to the universe. Could this really be all the evidence they have? They did get their hands on some blonde hair from inside the 'Matthew McMahon' mask the spy had worn, but that DNA is useless as spies throw away their identities and constantly take on new ones. Who were they even supposed to test?

"Perhaps it has some sort of identification." McMahon said with a slightly louder tone, allowing for Shopkeeper to take the pin and look through it himself. "We know the SSS has their own numbers, and even in Garden we tend to keep a symbol on us as a way of warding away other assassins. Maybe the pin holds some sort of name or number."

Shopkeeper contemplated for a moment, his fingers moving the pin around and pressing on random spots. He wanted something- anything! He needed leverage for his plans to work. 
"There was no way a spy was able to sneak in, we had extensive security checks. It was clear they found an opening to do with one of the assassins.. maybe even from here."

McMahon stood up, his expression both stoic yet concerned as he really thought about it - Yor did lose that banquet invitation.. and spies tended to be good at codes. They've never had to deal with any sort of spy, not even from such an advanced service such as WISE. Why did they want to know about them? Garden had never been at the top of any concerns for war, they kill traitors not start war.

"Yor Briar." McMahon said, pressing a hand to his chest as if he knew exactly what he was saying, "maybe a spy got their hands on her invitation."

Shopkeeper listened to the assassin intently, nodding along with caution as he messed with the pin absentmindedly, before hearing a soft *click* noise from it. They both stiffened, watching as it swung open slowly with a tiny engraving on the inside. It wasn't a name, or even anything very easy to see, it was tiny hexadecimal code.

"54 77 69 6c 69 67 68 74." Shopkeeper announced in a soft voice, holding the pin up to his eye. "Seems we've found our spy."

***

1400 HOURS;

Yor had been wandering around town aimlessly, the sky turning greyer by the minute as soft rain drops pittered and pattered the sidewalk. She sighed to herself, clutching her purse as she thought about the odd feelings she felt for her husband - he was a good man to her.. she had to do something that made him feel happy, as he always makes her feel that way.

Loid deserves better, to be happy. Yor thought, her heels clacking against the aesthetically pleasing stone of Berlint's streets and already illuminating lamp posts despite the early afternoon. Must be due to the oncoming rain and darkness that comes with full clouds. I'll make him as happy as I can, before he wants to leave and find actual love. He's done so much for me, it's the least I can do!

Her head perked up as she walked past the expensive stationary store, with a specific navy blue fountain pen in the display. Twilight, or rather Loid, had always seemed interested in that specific one; but never got it due to the price of 5,000 dalc. Yor contemplated for a moment, part of her begging to leave and the other the opposite.

"Uh-" She hesitated, pulling her wallet out. She made lots of money from her assassin gig, and had recently started using that more on school funds for Anya, (which Twilight was extremely thankful for as Sylvia was getting up his ass on spending so much of WISE's cash.) 

He has seemed stressed out.. and I'm not exactly going to initiate what Melinda told me to. I'm not that kind of woman. The assassin folded, leaving the store with the absurdly expensive pen and her wallet slightly crying. 

It was a lot of money, but it was worth it - she hoped Loid would like it. 

I'm going to become an even better mother and wife! If not for me, then for them. They deserve so much - and I didn't expect to be so.. infatuated with Loid and so loving toward Anya. I love them both, they deserve me at my absolute best. Yor thought with a smile on her face and blush on her cheeks as she held up the gift box in front of her. She shoved it inside her purse in order to not let it get wet from the rain starting to build up.

Twilight let out a small grunt as he showered, his ears locking in on the sound of the front door of their apartment opening and closing.
Must be Yor! He thought with a smile, quickly stepping out to dry and dress himself. He wouldn't want to be indecent outside of his private spaces, especially with Anya and Bond snoring on the couch.

Yor hung her coat up, humming softly. She felt so much better after having some lunch with Melinda, and a lot more confident in becoming a better wife for a man that made her feel truly amazing.

"Yor." Twilight called out, leaving the bathroom in his typical sleepwear, his eyes locking onto the blue gift box in Yor's hands. She got slightly nervous, glancing around the shared living space before holding the box out, blush present on her cheeks.
"What's.." His voice trailed off as he took the gift.

It was light, yet also had some weight to it. He was a spy, meant to be cautious, but he carefully opened it up and felt his face flush slightly from happiness. The fountain pen! He wanted it for so long as it would be his own (odd) way of having fun during mission preparations - and Yor just bought it for him as if it were nothing. 5,000 dalc down the drain and out of her own money. For him.

Nobody had ever done something so thoughtful of them, not only, but he's never mentioned wanting that pen once.
She must have noticed me take an interest in it.. His hands shook slightly - he knew it was stupid getting so emotional over an expensive pen, but it felt so good to be noticed every once in a while.

Being a hero who is never noticed for his great deeds really does feel both disheartening and fulfilling. But being noticed by a civilian? His wife? That made him happy.

Yor got a little nervous from all the staring and was about to speak up when she was suddenly pulled into a warm hug, Twilight's arms wrapping around her in a steady motion over the shoulders. The assassin was surprised to say the least, her face going a slight red color as she tightly squeezed him back. 
Is this how it feels to have a lover? Someone I can depend on like this..?

"Thank you, Yor." Twilight whispered, his still slightly wet hair sticking to his face in strands, (much to his dismay), he looked like a little kid on Christmas morning. Yor's lips curled into a small grin, pulling back in order to look at her husband's face. He was incredibly handsome, his smile brightening a room instantly as it paired perfectly with his undoubtable charm; Yor was definitely biased however.

Twilight smiled down at his wife, a silly toothy smile that made Yor giggle softly. It really filled the spy with a sense of familiarity and something he couldn't quite put his finger on - but it was weird.
Their faces were comfortably close together until the realization hit the both of them;

This is a fake marriage, nothing more.

Yor hesitantly pulled back, looking to the side in embarrassment as she mumbled wanting to make stew for dinner, with Twilight sighing a little due to disappointment. Anya was always right when it came to the woman, she really knew how to make someone feel safe and cared for; and honestly? That's all a spy needed to be happy.

Maybe looking into Yor a lot is a breach of privacy, she seems to genuinely love me and Anya a lot. The agent told himself, shoving the mission right out of his mind, the logic side of him flying out the window; I need to enjoy this family while I still can.. that's what my mother would want me to do.

Yor is the perfect wife for 'Loid Forger', I won't be removing her because of a speed bump. Part of him wanted to scream that she was perfect for Agent Twilight too, but the voice wasn't loud enough to get through to him. Instead, he was reminded of something else;
"Mama loves you!"

***

2000 HOURS;

"Just get it done quickly, we're having enough issues with Strix and I can't handle more risks." Sylvia stated towards Nightfall, her teal eyes tracing around her paper-ridden desk before handing over a thin file to the spy. "Twilight hasn't been giving me any updates.. I might need to drag him here myself." Sylvia added, rubbing the bridge of her nose in an empty display of frustration.

Nightfall stiffened, squeezing the file closely to her chest, feeling as though the love of her life may be doing something he wasn't supposed to be. Was he really avoiding these spy issues like a child? What was he really up to?
"Are you sure he's kept his role as 'Loid' flawlessly?" Nightfall inquired, her voice carrying softly.

"He's fine." Sylvia said firmly, crossing her arms. She knew of Nightfall's infatuation with the other spy, and she wasn't a disapproving or approving person when it came to colleagues and romance. They were spies, not highschool kids.
"It's best if we leave him to it, his family has proven extremely useful and I'd rather not stress him out as is. Even if he happens to be getting attached."

ATTACHED?! Nightfall thought, trying not to let the anger show on her face as best as possible, was this all Yor Briar's fault?! She thinks it was, at least.. (she wouldn't be exactly wrong.)

"Focus on your mission, I'll brief you tomorrow." Sylvia cleared her throat, spinning back around in her swivel chair, waiting for the clacking of Nightfall's heels to fade before letting out a breath she had been unknowingly holding;
I can't have her interfering in Strix.. even if Twilight is starting to love his family. He thinks I don't notice, and it's best if I leave it that way.

No matter the circumstances, I'll keep the 'Forger' family safe - if not for Twilight's sake than for mine.

Her gaze shifted towards the disorganized paperwork, reaching towards the piles and starting to stack them properly, the peace of the (now) empty office sinking in. For once, she was truly alone for a while. It was nice.

The Fullmetal Lady was relishing in the calmness of the air before being pulled back to reality by the intense ringing of the phone next to her, a grunt escaping her lips when she reached out and grabbed the phone in an evident display of frustration. Now? Why now?
"Handler speaking." She said to the person on the other line, this was a completely private number, and she figured Twilight would be contacting her about updates.

"Control your pruners, 'Handler'." A voice spoke out, oddly calm and yet holding a dangerous, threatening undertone. Sylvia's eyes widened, eyebrows tightly furrowing together as she listened carefully. "Or else the SSS will be at your doorstep in under a day. Be sure to tell Agent Twilight not to dig into anything he shouldn't be getting involved in."

"Oh, and be sure to tell 'Loid Forger' I say hello, I'm sure Mrs Forger would be distressed at the revelation of his true identity."

The line clicked.

***

Chapter Text

***

1100 HOURS;

Twilight burst through the entrance with a unique and rough sense of direction, sweat dripping from every inch of his body; practically showing through the signature dull green of his suit in a damp mess of fabric. He was visibly extremely tense and on-edge as his heavy steps approached his Handler's desk. Veins popped out of his neck as he slammed his fists on the table, eyebrow twitching wildly. He had never experienced something so nerve-wracking or dangerous during the entirety of his career as a spy.

"AN INTEL LEAK?!" He yelled, his white fedora falling off his head from the sheer intensity of his screams, revealing his dirty blonde hairs sticking to his face.. which was wet with thin layers of sweat. He was extremely worked up.

Sylvia nodded, her face clearly trying to remain stoic despite the fury she felt in her blood. She tried to hold back - put on an image of bravado or stoicism but failing as she stared at the 'best' WISE spy they could offer;
"How could you let this happen?! A dangerous group of people clearly know your identities as Twilight and 'Loid'!" She screamed, but with a lot more elegance than Twilight had, definitely seeming more pulled together than she actually was.

It was one of the biggest intel leaks in WISE's history - Twilight, their best spy, got caught and may be compromised from a desperately important mission.
"Have you found anything from the perpetrators? Anything at all?" He asked, his hands shaking from the stresses of knowing Operation Strix will be at an undeniable risk if things turned the wrong way.

"We're trying, but we haven't found much other than it tracking to City Hall. How could you be so careless?" Sylvia stood up from her chair, managing to make even the great Twilight shake in his boots. "The higher ups aren't happy! They got their hands on my work number, directly from here in headquarters." She added, her voice showing slight shakiness as she spoke.

Twilight looked to the side, clenching his hands to his sides tightly, tight enough to draw small amounts of blood.
How the hell do I fix this? I was being sloppy! He thought to himself, feeling his face tense and eyebrows furrow impossibly tight together. I could lose the entire operation! My job! My family!

The only extra mission I've been on was for.. Yor and Garden. Shit. I'm so fucked.

"You got caught during an unauthorized mission! What the hell even happened when you told me you were going to investigate Miss Briar?" Sylvia stated with hatred in her eyes, not directed towards the spy but the clear reality of this situation. The entirety of WISE could go under because of this.

Twilight snatched his fedora from the floor, tossing it on and sliding on his feet to turn around and run back through the elevator doors of the entrance. Pants escaped his mouth while his handler called for him with almost bloodcurdling screams of orders, ranging from 'come back' to 'dammit'. But he didn't care, he didn't care about much of anything in the moment. What mattered was he was going to cause the exact thing he sought to destroy between Westalis and Ostania - war.

Yor is going to find out I'm a spy.. Garden already knows.. My life I've built here is over! His thoughts bordered on desperation and stress, Operation Strix in a Code Red zone as he raced through the intense city streets of Berlint. His feet paced one after the other, landing on the stoned sidewalks at a speed impressive to a professional. 

The rain pattered heavily, wetting his suit further than it already was from the stress sweat. The spy's eyes were widened, retaining scratches on his face and clothes as he cut through suspicious alleyways and pushed through various crowds of people, his thoughts running through.

I'm going to lose my family.

He practically kicked through the front door of the Forger home, his breath escaping in sharp pants and inhales as he glanced around quickly with desperation, Yor should still be home as she only had a half-day at City Hall, he vividly remembers having that conversation just that morning before Anya went to Eden.
His eyes locked onto her, his legs giving out as he closed the front door behind him. Yor seemed to be cleaning before perking up at the sudden noise her husband was making.

Yor noticed Twilight quickly, her eyes coated with worry as she immediately dropped the duster to go support her husband. Her voice carried through the home carefully;
"Loid!" She yelled, running over to him and holding him up with blush on her cheeks and concern plastered on her pretty face. Twilight looked at his wife, feeling an extreme sense of comfort - one similar to when he was with his mother as a child. No wonder Anya felt so safe with her mama..

Everything between us will be ruined. Platonic or not. Twilight pushed these intrusive thoughts down, wrapping his arms around Yor tightly as he searched for even a semblance of safety or reassurance. He knew she was the only woman who could provide that for him; she's been nothing but good to me, I shouldn't have pushed and found out more.. now I've put the both of us at risk.

"Are you okay?" Yor whispered softly, wanting to make sure the spy was at the very least comfortable enough to talk about what was troubling him.

"Yes... yes.." Were the only soft pants she got.

The assassin tilted her head, pulling back from the hug slightly to look up at her, (clearly stress out), husband, who has seen better days. The stench of rain water and sweat came off of him, indicating he ran home in the rain. But what for? Was he really alright? Did he have to lie?
Is he lying to me? She thought to herself, a frown slowly appearing on her very concerned face, which pushed Twilight to the edge of the dam that was already on the verge of completely bursting. It had been so for months.

"No matter what.." He whispered, his hands shakily holding onto this woman; "I want you to know I've always thought you were a wonderful wife and mother. You deserve to live as happy a life as possible, and I'm not going to get in between that.. I would never lie to you about how amazing you really are. Thank you, Yor. For everything you've done for me and the Forger family."

Yor's eyes took on a hint of underlying shock and an overwhelming amount of emotions swirling within her.
"Loid.." She responded softly, her eyebrows tightening together as she tried to hold back some much needed tears. "Are you okay..? I promise I'm not going to leave if that's what you're thinking!" 

If she knew my true need for her and this home.. she'd backtrack. Twilight thought as his own emotions seemed to really shine through, clearly appearing on his facial expression.. in his eyes. [REDACTED] showing up more and more in his faux identity. What is it that this woman and their daughter did to him? He's gone soft.
"You would leave if you knew who I truly was."

Yor felt her head immediately shake, stepping back from their hug and crossing her arms tightly as a firm message;
"No." She stated adamantly, tapping her foot on the hardwood floor enough to make it shake - Twilight still had his arms held out in shock, wondering what was going on with her. 
"I wouldn't leave, not if you were suddenly turning into a frog or some government agent. You're my husband, fake or not, and I have no intentions to leave my role as your wife. Or as Anya's mother." She said that with sadness, as if she felt something was wrong. Her intuition had proven useful before.

Twilight placed a hand on his chest, shakily clenching at his shirt as her words triggered something deep in his brain, something [REDACTED] kept hidden away. Was she telling him the truth? Maybe the mission isn't in jeopardy.. because of her and what she shows him.
"Do you mean that?" He asked, his voice soft and yet holding some sort of genuine affection he couldn't yet push away.

"With all of my heart. We made vows." Yor replied, a smile on her face and blush dusted on her cheeks delicately. "Come on, you need to relax. I'll run you a bath and make you some tea." She added softly, walking to the bathroom as the spy stood there.. completely stunned and silenced.

Did she.. really..? He found himself smiling, a genuine smile as he thought about everything she had just said to him. She really does love me, not Loid. Me.

My mission might be able to be salvaged, if Garden doesn't go through with leaking my information as a spy. It's a risk, but a risk I'm willing to take for this job. For this family. For her.

Twilight sunk into the steaming back Yor had run for him, his muscles instantly relaxing at the sensation of hot water to scarred skin; his tea sat on a little table Yor brought in for him, accompanied by a little note that said she appreciated him. He had to just let go, not think.. even if it was only for a few seconds. This woman was taking care of him, not out of selfishness but because she truly loves him.

"Fake or not, you're my husband." A smile spread on his face, a bit of blush settling on his soft cheeks.

Yor pulled on her City Hall uniform, snatching her purse and putting on a bit of lipstick 'Loid' had bought for her recently - it really complimented both her skin tone and eyes. He really knew her, maybe even more than she knew herself as she could've sworn he can read her mind. Even the things she chose to keep completely hidden from everyone she ever knew.

"What an amazing man." She said to herself, holding a hand to her chest as she thought about it again. I'm going to help him relax, maybe even ask Camilla for tips..? Her and Dominic have been going strong for a few years now. Her feet trudged on over to the front door of the 'Forger Household', the name feeling foreign yet correct. She reached for the door handle, and is if on queue, Twilight raced out of the bathroom in a robe just to say goodbye to her. It was a small gesture, but felt so meaningful.

"I'll see you tonight." Yor smiled warmly, holding onto her leather black purse with a sense of comfort washing over her. Twilight waved happily, managing to call out a few 'thank you's before she completely left.

An unexpected thought popped through Twilight's head as his wife left the apartment with her signature v-shaped smile and welcoming eyes.
I don't want her to stop loving me all because of some intel leak. And that was something that even left [REDACTED] surprised. He had never felt.. that way before about anybody. And he's been in countless relationships for the sake of his missions.

***

1200 HOURS; 

Becky skipped down the hallways of the prestigious Eden College while Anya watched with an expression that read, 'what are you doing?', not bothering the Blackbell girl in the slightest. The corridor was adorned in art and intricate designs meant for only the best of the best in Berlint.. maybe even Ostania as a whole. Of course, Becky was blabbering on about the newest aired episode of 'Berlint in Love', which had Anya extremely disinterested.

"Ohh, Tommy was inconsolable that episode!" Becky squealed as she rocked her head back and forth with her hands. Anya gazed at her friend with a confused expression, unable to keep track of the oncoming lore she never asked for in the first place.

"What is the deal with romance anyway?" Anya asked innocently, walking normally as her friend skipped around her in obsessive circles.

"It's beautiful! The only thing that truly brings an unstoppable pair together!" Becky responded with an almost actress worth performance, enough to even get the wheels in Anya's head turning. What made it so interesting to a 6 year old?
Seems lame. The pink haired girl thought, her eyes looking to the side in a clear dislike for such shows.

Becky looked towards Anya in confusion, tilting her head;
"Are your parents in love, Anya? I mean, you say you love them and we know my sweet Loid loves your mama's strength.. but what else?"

"What do-ya mean what else?" The telepath wondered, her arms swaying at her sides while they strolled through the almost endless halls. Seriously, when were they going to arrive at class?
"I just mean, you know, my parents are in love and love each other.. does Loid love his sweet Yor?"

"Papa is extremely sappy. And mama does her killer punch on him if he gets too close." 

Becky let out an almost blood curdling gasp, grasping onto Anya's hands tightly; stopping them dead in their tracks in the hallway. Anya let out a small 'huh' while her friend began a long, (and boring), speech about relationships and needing to push her parents closer together. Or maybe, even set them up at one of the school events later in the year. 

"Hey, Sy-on boy.." Anya called out as Damian walked by with his buddies, Ewen and Emile. Would he like it if her parents were in love? "Do your parents love each other or is it a big lame time?"

"HEY! Shut up, uggo. What is your business asking me something so crude?!" The Desmond boy yelled with clear distaste in his tone, which masked the messages of embarrassment he attempted to bury. "I bet my parents are more in love than your stupid feelings doctor dad and violent mom!" He added, sticking his finger in the air stiffly, as if he were trying to prove a point that was clearly not there.

Anya looked at him with a stupid expression.
He's such a jerko. I hate him.

Becky stared at the two before snatching Anya's arm and dragging her away further down the echoing corridor. Damian was being a stupid boy, the both of them couldn't deny that much. 
"Maybe mama and papa are in love. I know mama loves papa, and papa is sappy with mama. He's so uncool."

"Don't talk about my sweet Loid like that!!!!" Becky squeaked, her stomps seemingly so tiny as she's only a 6 year old - she's not achieving much with that display of anger and frustration. As if by magic, Professor Henderson appeared and started to speak.

"Tardiness is extremely inelegant, girls. And especially to dwell on such matters as romance between parents. Please, keep the talk to school related subjects or you might as well be toppled by elephants." The professor spoke authoritatively, watching as the two kids ran off in terror. Am I really that scary? Or perhaps I'm the inelegant one?

Are children supposed to be in love at this age?!

***

1200 HOURS; (Meanwhile)

The gentle clacking of multiple office type writers filled the air, the gossip of female coworkers conversing with other female coworkers could barely be heard over the buzz of phone calls and stressed managers struggling to get their hot tea from one room to the next. However, it was exactly the kind of atmosphere Yor had gotten used to over the past few years. It oddly reminded her of home, in her own sort of way; even if it didn't exactly make sense.

Camilla leaned over to Sharon, her hair gently covering her face as she spoke.
"Is it just me or does she seem happier than usual? Did she finally divorce the hunk?" The blonde woman asked, her head tilted as she switched gazes between someone she considered a 'loose thread' and a respected coworker.

"No clue, she's probably just happy." Sharon replied, blowing a puff of smoke out of her mouth as she refused to engage in meaningless gossip. They were at work - going through files and assisting the managers, they just didn't have time at the moment.

Yor looked up from the type writer, her eyes widened innocently and a curious expression taking over her features as she caught what they were saying.
"Me and Loid have just been going on more dates is all, things have changed a little recently- i-in a good way!" She assured with a happy smile, lifting her hands from the keyboard and waving them around a little.

"Huh. I never took you for the romantic type, Yor." Camilla spoke with a surprised tone, trying to milk more out of her without completely speaking; keeping their interactions to a respected minimum. "Do you guys do anything other than dates?"

Yor's eyes took on a slightly confused look as she took in the information. Other than dates? What else are couples supposed to do? A small 'uhhhh' escaped her mouth as she thought about it.
"What else are we meant to do?" She asked with a bit of sweat forming on her cheek. She wanted answers without seeming weird.

Sharon eyed Camilla with something that really spoke, 'don't you dare', but before she could butt into the conversation, Millie quickly jumped in with a suggestive yet excited grin;
"Camilla is just asking what you guys do at home, like bathe together or even cuddle in bed after a long day of work! Maybe more!"

Yor tilted her head slightly to the side, tapping her chin with her finger gently. Would Loid like that? I never took him for a very physically affectionate person. He always seemed like the gift-giving type or words of affirmation.
"How could I make him feel more appreciated?" She asked innocently, kicking her feet under the table like an impatient child. "We do dates, but that's pretty much it. Sometimes we give gifts, but what's something men like receiving?"

Sharon shrugged nonchalantly, looking away as she continued to smoke her cigarette and think about her kid. She didn't have time to dwell on such an endeavour as this odd conversation.

"Dominic likes it when I dress up for us time." Camilla replied, trying to steer Yor in a direction of something the woman clearly didn't understand. Dressing up made no sense, why make so much effort for something that's just at home?

"Men are strange, that's why you can turn them on so quickly. I'm sure even walking around is enough for your husband if he married you." Millie spoke with a soft tone, clapping excitedly as Yor took in the information.
What the heck are they on about? The assassin thought, her mind running through possibilities more involving murder rather than the type of intimacy her coworkers were referring to. Maybe she shouldn't keep asking them for marital advice, they're not exactly reliable.

"Mrs Forger." Matthew McMahon called out, gesturing for the woman to go with him. Camilla and the others perked up curiously as Yor began grabbing her purse and approaching the director with a clear underlying confusion. She walked over without a word, McMahon shutting the door and walking down the long corridor.

"We have information on the leak." The director spoke quietly but firmly, catching Yor's undeniable attention. There was more information, which meant that they knew as much as they could. Assassin's identities could be at risk, not only at Garden but at any other assassinations organization that was attending the banquet - not only, but now they also know about the conflict between Garden and Nikolas Den, (a high-rising politician part of the P.U.P.) 

McMahon led the Thorn Princess into an empty office, placing some files down that had as much proof and information as they could gather. This included photos of the pin, the samples of blonde hair, informatics on WISE and potential motives, as well as connections between WISE wanting to stop Nikolas as well. 

"WISE?" Yor asked with a soft voice, going through a few different pieces of paperwork in order to get as much information as she can before it's taken away. "Who are they?"

The director sighed, it sounded disappointed;
"Westalis Intelligence Services, East." McMahon said firmly, pointing at a paper with strictly WISE information - motives, disposability, and their plans to end war. "Garden has no issues with them, our motives don't clash at all and we don't get in the way of each other's line of work. However, this is a direct attack on assassins in Ostania, they could know all of our identities by a simple glance.. and they got more than that."

Yor listened intently, her hands slightly shaking. Could her life be ruined because of an intel leak? Who the hell jeopardized everything?!
I could lose my job and my family because of spies..

"But, we also know they've been actively hunting Nikolas Den, who is in conflict with us. That is a possible motive but it's hard to tell, Shopkeeper directly contacted WISE with threats. Twilight is the one who spied on us, their best firepower." McMahon spoke in confidence, looking out a bright window with his hands behind his back. "We want to speak to them directly. We know their spy's identity, they know our assassins identities. Trade for trade."

The woman grew uneasy.. her eyes glancing around the paper before reaching for one that was clearly top secret. McMahon slapped her hand away from it, snatching it quickly.
"This is the identity. We know who it is, but I do have a request for you just to be sure."

Yor was surprised momentarily, before instantly standing up in order to follow out such a requisition;
"Anything." She said, her breaths heavy and hard to push out. Her identity was at risk, and she wanted to be sure her family would be safe. No matter the cost.

"We need Loid Forger's hair."

Anything but that.

She grabbed the file off of McMahon, putting it delicately in her purse with a reluctant, "okay." And a clear rush of getting out of the room. The tension was too much to handle, how could her husband be a spy? 
I mean, he doesn't look anything like Anya.. and he doesn't have a previous wedding ring at all! Or pictures of his late wife in the home. Is he really a spy? Is that possible? It shouldn't bother me if it's no conflict but- he could know my identity!

"It's done." McMahon said into the phone ominously, with clear appreciation coming from the other line where Shopkeeper was.

***

1530 HOURS;

Twilight's head spun with countless possibilities of losing his job and his family, staring directly at the ceiling from the comfort of his bed. It was almost as if there were shapes moving and words telling him to 'watch his back'. Although confusing, he couldn't stop himself from chastising every little bit of his previous actions; the self deprecation was unreal.

I hope Yor can forgive me.. there's no doubt she'll know soon. I need to make it up to her, I need Operation Strix to be a success- or else I'll lose everything over again. His thoughts ran wild, his hands tensing and shaking as he took in the sheer reality of his situation. Would they really sell his information to the SSS? What is their motive with that? Or was it an empty threat to not have their own information leaked? He has no motive for that.

"Papa! I'm home!" Anya yelled throughout the apartment, throwing her bag to the side and instantly getting pummeled by Bond; who was just excited to see her. 

Twilight sighed, exiting his room with a dad-like smile on his face as he walked into the shared living space. He was clearly stressed out, but only Anya could be so intuitive with the help of her telepathy;
Intel leak.. PAPA COULD LOSE HIS JOB AND FAMILY??!! Panic struck on her little face, running over to her father and squeezing his legs as she wasn't much taller and able to properly hug him.

"Uh- what's this for, Anya?" Twilight said in surprise, gently touching his daughter's soft pink hair from the top of her head. "Is everything alright?"

"I love you and mama.. a lot!" Anya responded quietly as she hugged her papa even tighter. I don't want you to leave.. she couldn't go back to her previous life, not in the orphanage where she felt unloved and unwelcome. She loves her mama and papa, and she would do anything to keep them together as a happy family.

Twilight felt the disappointment circling within his body, knowing things would either dip completely upside down or it'll be loosely okay. Operation Strix had to succeed, or else war would break out.. and his family had to get through this rough patch or else he would lose them too. It was all up to fate, and there was nothing he could realistically do about any of it.

If I had never become a spy.. where would I be now? Still in the army..? Would I have a real family at this point? Would I still love Yor and Anya..? Would they..- still love me?

Anya tugged on the spy's pant leg, tears welling up in her eyes as the reality of their family almost falling apart really settled inside her. There was everything to lose if either WISE or Garden lashed out into a conflict, with her parents being forced into divorce and their family being split directly down the middle. Sure, neither of her parents were perfect, but they were her's.

Twilight went ahead and sat on the couch with a cup of steaming coffee, watching as his daughter watched 'Spy Wars' silently and to herself as Bond continued napping lazily in the corner of the room. The spy had pulled a pillow over his lap, eyes staring at nothing in particular as he suddenly got lost into deep thought. He was a spy, an emotionless agent that stopped war. Stopped children crying. And yet, ironically, had to make a child cry when his mission was to come to an end. The image of Yor and Anya in grief because of 'Loid Forger's death brought something deeply unfamiliar to him; he didn't want to leave. If it was up to him, he would pick both his job and his family.. but everyone, including himself, knows he cannot.

Mother. He thought, he had long forgotten the sound of her face and voice, but still loved the woman as if she was still alive and present. Sometimes, he feels her eyes on him, proud of him. Like she loves his little family as much as he does. Ignorance is weakness- He chastised himself before the noise of Anya making blasting noises at the tv snapped him out of his trance.

That's incorrect.. His hands clenched the pillow impossibly tight; I'm allowed to love. Even if Yor knows about the real me in due time, even if my mission comes to an end sooner than I'd like- nothing can stop the undeniable feeling of loving people who love me. Not Loid, not Twilight.

His coffee grew cold with time, a smile gently spreading across his face as his daughter ran up to him for cuddles; Bond's begging puppy eyes eventually convincing him to also let the dog into the family time. He was allowed to enjoy this while he can. What else was he meant to do? For the mission, but also.. for himself. 

Twilight's arms wrapped around the small girl and much larger dog, his eyes shutting after the relaxation of the moment came over him. He might lose his job, his family, his every reason to live - he was going to let himself be happy before it eventually crashes down onto him. After all, he had no control over his current situation. This was for himself only.

***

1530 HOURS; (Meanwhile)

"What is the point of this, Shopkeeper?" Hemlock asked, holding his cane tightly in front of his person. He knew of it all - the intel leak, the potential dangers, the spies, the governmental issues. However, this had nothing to do with him; he had no control over anything to do with Garden, or WISE, or the SSS. "Couldn't you simply contact SSS with these leads? I'm sure they'd be happy to take this off our hands."

Shopkeeper neglected his garden, turning his undeniable attention onto one of his assassin's. 
"Too risky, this is a... domestic matter." The older gentleman spoke, his frosty hair waving gently in the direction of the softest breeze. "I'd rather not let the State Security Service know. A lot of good can come from this, if we ignore the crucial information that comes with them knowing our identities."

Hemlock tensed up, tossing his cane to the side as he responded in a frustrated, almost angry tone;
"What's stopping them from making their move, huh?! They could be selling our information right this second and we would have no idea until it's too late!" He was clearly upset, his entire job was on the line - all of their jobs were on the line simply because of a banquet message screw up.

"They won't." Shopkeeper reassured, his voice was always calm but had an almost dangerous undertone that always threw people off balance.

"How can you be so sure? All of our lives are on the line because of some Westalis government service. How do we know war won't spark from this?" Hemlock said that authoritatively, slim eyes sharpened and a clear crease between the eyebrows.

"Because we know the identity of Twilight." The gardener responded sharply, dropping his tools to the side and looking at Hemlock threateningly. "They won't make a move because they know we're with SSS. They know we won't make a move because they have our information." A small, sadistic grin spread across his wrinkled features;
"Neither of us have the upper hand, but I'd still like reassurance Twilight isn't out for blood. Maybe he simply wanted Nikolas, or maybe he wanted to find out his wife's true identity."

Hemlock stopped in his tracks, the initial anger being replaced by complete concern and a hint of confusion. Wife?
"You're not saying..-"

"I am. I want you to keep an eye on them, you're one of the only one's who can sneak around without a spy even noticing you or your malice. We aren't making a move, I just want reassurance Thorn Princess is safe with such a man." Shopkeeper gently picked up his tools, keeping his eyes locked onto the young man with concern etched into the deep browns. "All we know is that he's Twilight, McMahon was in charge of sending that message to Yor. Things will look up in no time."

Hemlock's nerves relaxed slightly, but not enough to completely help with the shock of learning the Thorn Princess managed to marry a prestigious spy. This was either a coincidence, or a calculated move she, (or he), made. And it was his job to find it.

"I'll watch, but I don't believe Thorn Princess would have married a spy willingly. We'll figure this out." The younger assassin said with a respectable reasoning. There was no way Yor Forger found such a well-known and secret spy and married him with the thought of betraying Garden.. it was barely even a possibility. But, even if, he was determined to find out himself.

"I'll contact Twilight's handler again, this time on a more.. positive note." Shopkeeper stated with a calming grin, "maybe even strike up a deal.. who knows? One wrong move and the SSS will be at their doorstep.. one wrong move from us and our entire operation will be shut down. Quite the delicate situation, but I have free will and I choose whether or not State Security Service hears about this."

Hemlock listened as he began walking off, promising to himself he was going to dig up as much information as he can.

***

1700 HOURS;

The sun was just barely setting over the horizon, street lights beginning to flicker to life and light up the busied Berlint streets. Yor's hair gently swayed in the wind as she walked home, her heels making small clacking sounds each step she took. Her eyes were directed downwards as she got lost in her thoughts; at this point, she wasn't very surprised. Her life was crazy, but accidentally marrying such a well-known Westalis agent? That wasn't on her bucket list.

It almost seemed too impossible a coincidence, too comical even. How did this even happen? She knew she shouldn't have married someone off the street, even if he turned out to be an amazing man. But.. was it all a lie? Was he only doing it as a way of manipulation?

Who had she really fallen in love with?

It's all a lie.. isn't it? She thought to herself, trying to hold back the tears that were set to inevitably fall as things progressed. What is my life..? Why did I have to love a spy of all people.. shit. Her face flushed with sadness as she pulled out a handkerchief in order to dry up any snot running out of her nose or tears attempting to escape the confines of her upturned eyes.
He will never love me back.

As she approached the front door of the apartment she shared with her 'family', she promised to herself she'd retrieve the hair later and look through more of those files when everybody succumbed to the bodily need of slumber. Her hand raised to open the door, attempting to walk in with some semblance of dignity left - everything was about to go wrong.. and she knew it too.

Her eyes locked onto her husband and daughter cuddling on the couch, long cold drinks resting in the mugs on the coffee table while reruns of 'Spy Wars' episodes played in the background. A soft sigh exited her lips, the comfort of the home truly sinking in.
It may be selfish of me.. but I just want to enjoy this while I can. Family life is really nice. Even if my husband is a lying spy.

Anya read her mind and gently opened her eyes, the emerald green shining underneath the singular light that seemed to be turned on.
"Hi, mama!" She said excitedly as her little arms remained wrapped around Twilight, who had also opened his eyes. His gaze remained on his absolute goddess of a wife; even when she looks tired.. she's still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. It really showed on his face.

Papa is sappy. Anya thought as Yor came and joined them on the couch. The little girl held onto her mother's hand, a bright smile stretching from ear to ear as she looked at the woman. 
"Papa is being tired and lame."

Yor chuckled quietly, kissing Anya's cheeks and forehead with maternal love.
"Loid is just exhausted," the assassin said, unable to react when her husband kissed her jawline lovingly before snuggling into the crook of her neck, dragging Anya down with him into the big family hug.

"I'm not tired, you're tired." He mumbled, not wanting to trade this moment for the world; it was something he had always dreamed of having despite being a spy for WISE for over a decade at that point. It felt really nice to be loved.

Anya giggled as she slapped Twilight's face multiple times with her little hands, causing a series of grunts from the tired man. Yor smiled softly to herself, even if her husband was some elaborate lie for an unknown reason, she still fell in love with him and she would not forgive herself if she left without saying anything at all. He was just doing his job, as is she.

"I'll make some hot drinks." Yor smiled, slowly separating herself from her family. (Not without some protesting groans from her husband).

"Are we going to be a family forever..?" Anya's tiny voice spoke up, a visible expression of sadness washing over her face as if she was being baptised. Twilight snapped out of his sleep-like state, quickly sitting up and holding his daughter closely to his chest. Of course, neither parent could give a difinitive answer, or one Anya wanted to hear, but they had one;

"We'll try our hardest, Anya." Yor replied softly, the brewing of the kettle making a loud hissing sound as her husband comforted the little girl as much as he could without wanting to lie.

"I promise we're doing our best." Twilight whispered, rubbing his daughter's back soothingly. Of course, the thoughts running through their heads did nothing to comfort her. Things were bad, and they had limited time before things may turn completely South. There was nothing this trio could do to keep this family together, it was all up to the future.

Anya felt tears well up inside her eyes, her hands clutching at her father's white button-up as tightly as possible - as if he would disappear if she let go.

"Ah-.. Anya.." the spy whispered, feeling his shoulder get soaked in tears, and it was almost enough to draw them from him as well. He didn't want to lose this family either, and when Yor came over with hot drinks.. it really drove the reality deeper. He loves this family. Yor loves this family. Anya loves this family.

Things are really difficult on her right now.. she's really intuitive. Yor thought, a saddened frown on her face as she went over and hugged both her husband and her daughter tightly; not tight enough to break their ribs.. yet. Twilight felt his gaze lock onto hers, a few silent messages exchanged between them with a clear understanding of each other - as if telling each other 'I know'.

"We should.. do more stuff as a family.." Anya whispered with a few small hiccups, sitting down properly on the couch with the cup of hot cocoa in her hands. The brown liquid sloshed around as she moved to become more comfortable.

Yor and Twilight perked up, sitting beside each other and watching the little girl closely. 
"What do you suggest?" The spy asked, his face visibly worried and still holding onto those thin slivers of affection he was allowed to give. Maybe, instead of focusing on being Twilight, he would focus on being Loid.

"More baf-time with mama.. and more family ootings.." Anya spoke quietly, sipping at her hot cocoa as she kicked her legs back and forth as she was not quite big enough to touch the floor from the couch. "And I like it when mama and papa cook together with me." Yor and Twilight exchanged a small, soft smile. Their eyes reasonably rounded with unspoken love.

"Sure, let's do that..!" Yor responded, chugging up the rest of her tea and standing up with a determination unmatched. 

***

1800 HOURS;

Sylvia strutted around headquarters with her eyebrows furrowed together and lips pursed due to the stresses of having such an intense intel leak, one that almost comes outmatched in the whole of WISE's history. Agents and higher ups rushed around hurriedly, trying to gather more of the limited information they already have, all while the handler storms right over to her desk. With a large SLAM, she shoots a stack of papers onto her own table, sitting down roughly in order to go through it all.

"Sherwood! Have you found anything else?" An older man called out with even more paperwork than Sylvia currently had. 

"Nope!" She yelled, rushing through files and paper as if her life depended on it - which it did. Because of the leaks, the entirety of WISE was under strict lockdown as they tried to figure out how exactly to go about something so unbelievably dangerous and risky. Of course, they could speak to Garden, but that was almost impossible unless they made first contact.

I need to find out what happened when Twilight followed Mrs Forger. The handler thought, beginning to dial the 'Forger Household' in order to schedule some sort of coffee meeting between her and the spy. Clearly, he dug into something he shouldn't have. Her veins practically popped out of her neck and forehead, her hands completely tense and firm with the stress that would kill a horse. Intel leak. Twilight intel leak.

"I'll figure things out with Twilight, you need to try and contact Garden. By any means possible." Sylvia ordered some of the agents, who would relay the messages up the chain of command as well. Things were only going to get messier, she had to figure out what to do.

The Forger family were simply cooking a large meal together, laughing and messing around like a small family would do - as if they were real. Not a part of a cover, or a mission, just a family of three, (four if you include their clairvoyant dog), having fun together. The loud, obnoxious ringing of the household telephone broke the veneer of peace and messing around;

"I'll get it!" Yor said loudly, her voice as sweet as ever while Anya got seasonings everywhere and Twilight cooked everything to absolute perfection. After all, only the best for his family.

Yor has seemed a lot happier since initially coming home, maybe she really values family time like this.. The spy thought, a smile coming to his face as he thought about the woman he would marry over and over again.. despite the deadly indications of her secret second job. I'll be sure to give her some more attention. She deserves it.

"Forger household." Yor spoke into the phone, blush on her cheeks as she glanced back at her extremely kind and attentive husband. God, was she lucky, even if he happened to be some secret agent for the West. He's a good man.

"May I speak to Loid Forger?" Sylvia responded from the other line, trying her hardest to keep her composure and not blow up before Twilight comes to the phone to speak and set up a potential meeting place. She had no time to sort such a matter out in public, it had to be done as soon as possible - this intel leak would prove really crucial.

Twilight approached Yor with a handsome smile as she said it was for him, giving her a small and gentle hug before grabbing the phone from her;
"This is him." He cleared his throat, code for 'what do you want?'. After all, it was almost strictly prohibited to contact his place of home in order to not garter suspicion from his faux family. Of course, some points of contact being allowed.

"Tomorrow, eleven in the morning, Cafe Berlint." Sylvia replied authoritatively, her hand gripping her phone so tightly it might as well shatter. The tenseness in her voice was easy to be heard, so Twilight knew it was either extremely important or desperate.

"Got it." The spy barely acknowledged before hanging up the phone, looking back towards his family who were dancing around silly and pretending to shoot each other with guns as the sizzling of steak on the stove barely made noise in the background. It was both a comforting sight, and one that brought an intense feeling of dread. He was going to lose his family most likely, sure, but he didn't want to. And that's what surprised him most.

Even if things don't go as planned.. I will protect them; if not for their sake then for mine. Twilight let himself relax, the comforting feeling of being loved consuming him almost completely - he almost forgot Operation Strix even existed in the first place.

***

Chapter Text

***

1800 HOURS;

The gentle snipping of the hairdressing scissors in Yor's hand added a pleasant noise to the otherwise loud silence between her and her husband in the bathroom. Of course, Twilight was due for a little trimming on his undercut.. plus it posed as a great cover to snatch a small sample of his hair for a certain Matthew McMahon; just for reassurance. Yor hummed softly, a small lullaby the man in front of her remembered from his childhood. God, this woman was the death of him.

Do I really need this hair sample? We have plenty of proof already.. this feels like an invasion. The assassin thought to herself as she continued the delicacy of taming her husband's wild hair. She wasn't good at a lot of things, but she learned to do hair from Yuri's endless requests as children.

Twilight kept glancing his sharp blue eyes as far as he could in order to steal small peaks at his wife, who seemed to be in her own little world as her gentle touch brought him a sense of ease and comfort he hadn't felt since he was a child;
I need to be building my walls.. not breaking them. Get a hold of yourself, Twilight. Yor probably er- harms puppies! Yeah. I can't really say kill people as she does that for good..... hm. She's not very different from me. He stayed perfectly, stiffly still.

He never thought he'd be so calm on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor - this was a faux family. A facade. Why did he feel so comfortable despite the freezing stiffness of tiled flooring.

Yor's true feelings for me.. I could use it to my advantage. But that's unfair, she deserves better than a liar like me..

Yor felt the thickened tension practically enveloping her, so despite the awkwardness of her trying to be completely comfortable... she did what she didn't expect most. She spoke with a high head and an elegant demeanour...-
"My coworkers asked me if we'd ever been sexual."

Twilight choked on his spit, tugging his hair away from his wife's hands and looking at her with widened, visibly shocked eyes. That was... unexpected to say the least. But also, what was she meant to say?! The spy slapped his own cheeks in order to dissipate any remaining redness on his face that he felt was there, Yor staring at him with innocent eyes and scissors in one hand.

He cleared his throat, stuttering slightly before even responding;
"D-did they? How did that come up?"

"I asked to be a better wife! I dunno, I didn't even know if that was appropriate work talk.." Yor mumbled, looking off to the side with reddened cheeks. "Is it normal for a husband and wife to be so intimate? I don't know a lot about romance." She admitted, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand.

Twilight chuckled at the woman's innocence, shaking his head with a laugh that could make a thousand women faint or grovel at his feet. Seriously.
"Not for us, we're not exactly a traditional couple." He replied with a sweet smile, a bit of remaining flush on the direct corners of his cheekbones. It was subtle, but just noticeable enough for a housewife to notice.

"I mean, Melinda and Donovan aren't intimate. She told me that herself, their spark dispersed over time I suppose..- she doesn't like talking about him." Yor said as she tapped at her chin, really digging inside her brain. She was both incredibly smart yet incredibly air-headed and naive; either way, it was cute.

"Donovan, huh? Never took him for the family type." Twilight responded earnestly as he leaned his head back against his wife's thighs that were elevated by the tiny stool they kept in there. It gave her a better view of his blonde hair. The snipping continued as it did before, their conversations flowing and slowly shifting as they discussed politics. It was clear Yor didn't know as much as he did, (expected), but she was smart. And she very evidently loved peace.

Those kinds of thoughts made the trio of 'Loid Forger', Twilight, and [REDACTED] happy. What a sweet woman - that kills people.

"You know what's unfair..?" Yor spoke up gently, her voice a soothing noise as Twilight found himself relaxing a little more under her touch.

"What?" The spy inquired, knowing this was a very likely gateway into personal beliefs and conversation. Perfect for him, maybe even relieving for Yor if she really needed to talk about something like this.

"Politicians like Donovan Desmond or even Nikolas Den just.. just want Ostania to dominate. They watch from up high in their cushy mansions while people like us suffer from the war." Yor said with a surprising amount of calmness with an undertone of suppressed grief and anger - it was safe to assume the war, despite being a little over a decade gone, had really effected her and most probably her brother as well.

"Why do we have to suffer for something they won't be affected by?"

She was exactly right, everything from start to finish was an on-point observation spies had been asking themselves even before that major war between the East and West. Twilight couldn't help but smile, this did mean she didn't kill for the fun of it.. it would go against personal morals! She only kills to protect her country.

He respected that immensely.

"Yor, you know I'm a psychiatrist.. you can always talk to me about your life. Confidential and non-judgemental." Twilight spoke up, feeling the absence of Yor's touch when she completed trimming his undercut hair. I feel bad for lying, but this will allow me to get to know her better as a person, wife, and mother!

Yeah.. psychiatrist. She thought as she tied some of the loose blond hair in a small rubber band and sneaking it inside her pocket. Quest completed, guilt unable to override the need for reassurance.
"I appreciate you, Loid." She said with a sweet grin, and despite being lied to, she really liked this man. He was so attentive, even if it was a role.

Anya suddenly ran her little legs into the bathroom with an excited squeal, diving into the giant bubbly bath Yor drew earlier for her. It was still really warm, and it felt nice to have a family so relaxing yet so dangerous.
Mama and papa were flirting. She grinned as she swam around in the mountains of bubbles with an immeasurable amount of joy.

"My hair now, Mama!" Anya yelled, leaning against the wall of the tub so her mother could help wash her hair. She was technically five after all, still learning to get these things done by herself despite the stubby arms and legs she was often made fun of for.

Yor let out a loving, maternal giggle. Her hands moved swiftly between the soapy water and light pink hair of her adorable daughter. Related or not, they were a beautiful mother-daughter pair that neither would trade in for the world. Anya's happy hums echoed throughout the bathroom as Twilight watched the parental display with a hint of affection and admiration.

This little family was all he had at the moment, he was going to keep them safe goddammit.

The domesticity was enough to almost prickle tears in the spy's eyes; he had to kill off 'Loid Forger' eventually. No matter how much he really didn't want to. Not now, not ever, not when this family needed him almost as much as he needed them. He forgot about all of [REDACTED]'s previous dreams of a loving wife, curious child, no particular family pet. He threw those away when he became a spy, but that didn't stop his intrusive imagination.

He didn't want a family with anybody else, these orphans were different.

Even if he had to leave, he knew he would visit them. Even if they didn't know it was him or never even noticed such an insignificant presence. He knew WISE would keep them safe, but he wanted to do it personally. For him, and his little family.

Yor let herself relax as she moved her fingers throughout the little girl's hair, her eyes occasionally glancing back at her faux husband who had some sort of strange look in his eye that really screamed volumes despite the absence of any specific sound other than the small giggling of the girls.
Maybe I should look into quitting as an assassin, it's too dangerous and I really want to take care of Anya if Loid really is a spy. Her thoughts ran, but her mind remained steady as she focused solely on her daughter.

No distractions were allowed, but she certainly let herself love her family. There was nothing essentially stopping her, other than the constant threat Hemlock may pose to this family. Either way, she knew 'Loid' was going to leave eventually, but she really wanted to talk to him about his job before any big jumps like that.

***

1100 HOURS; (The next day)

The chirping of relaxing birds as well as the atmosphere of friendly coffee meetups between coworkers or grandparents really proved to be comforting, despite the threats of war upon them. The tranquility was even enough to make Twilight, WISE's best spy, smile from ear to ear. If only it would stay like this forever.

"How's Operation Strix moving along? I'd like to get an idea before I got into the leak." Sylvia spoke calmly as she stirred her tea with a delicacy that she seemed to always carry; (other than in her own home). Twilight looked at his Handler, leaning his head on his hands as he shifted to stare off into the distance, even she knew that he was having second thoughts about the mission. She could see him loving his family, even if he didn't see it himself.

"Well." The spy responded curtly, his foot tapping against the stone pavement. "Anya and Becky have been training more with Yor, getting better at a lot of sports. Especially since Yor has been going out more to play volleyball with Melinda, their relationship seems to be progressing."

Sylvia smiled, nodding along. Operation Strix had been sailing suspiciously smoothly over the past few weeks, but there was no way anything bad was going on - especially with Twilight seemingly at a lot of peace with his family. It was endearing. However, they had more important matters to discuss that didn't include how well the current assignment was moving along.

The Handler sighed, taking a long sip of her steaming hot tea;
"We're working on contacting Garden, they spoke with me last night. We want to come up with some sort of deal that will avoid any intel leaks or harm to secret identities. You won't be more compromised than you already are."

Already are? Twilight thought, his head perking up slightly as their conversation shifted uncomfortably.

"Good idea, we have too much to risk. Is the SSS getting involved? Franky told me that Garden and the SSS have some sort of.. arrangement." The spy inquired with the slight tilt of his head.

Sylvia seemed hyper-fixated on the flowers, yet still processing everything being said to her. She shook her head gently, taking another sip of the herbal tea she seemed to always order from this specific cafe.
"No SSS, they seem to just use Garden assets occasionally. I doubt we'll be busted, especially with their best assassins identities on the line too. They wouldn't risk it, even for WISE to go down."

Twilight hesitated, arguing with himself in his mind on whether or not he tells his Handler who Yor truly is. Would she be angry? Would she demand a divorce between Yor and 'Loid'? Would Nightfall and him start Neo-Strix no matter how much he internally didn't want to?
I have to tell her, this is an extremely important piece of information she may need.. ah-

"Spit it out, your deceptive skills have really dulled since becoming a father." Sylvia said with a stoic expression, knowing something was clearly up. Twilight was definitely struggling to learn to be a loving father, thankfully he has Yor as such a good role model for him and how he should strive to be.

"Yor is an assassin who goes by Thorn Princess, one of the tops of the chain." Twilight replied in code, to any outsider he seemed to be talking about his beautiful wife. Of course, he did absolutely believe his wife was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on, even if not genuinely admitting it out loud to some. Sylvia didn't seem too surprised or angry at the information, just upset at Twilight.

Her eyebrow twitched violently as she slammed her mug down on the table;
"You kept this from me?! We could've used this, you know!" Her voice carried loudly but most pedestrians didn't seem to notice or care enough to focus on the conversation.

Twilight winced, taking the verbal beating with a bit of guilt in his system. Forgive me, Yor!

Sylvia let out a sigh, calming herself down internally before wanting to speak again, in case she said some things she would regret later.
"It's fine, I understand. Mrs Forger has been extremely helpful with Strix so far, especially as a mother and wife and with her connections to the Desmond Family. Giving up on her now is an idiotic move." She took a small sip of the tea she accidentally spilled slightly from slamming it down on the table. "Continue as normal, I'm sure her real profession will prove useful. I might have to take this to the higher ups."

"She's perfect for the role." Twilight replied in agreement, hoping that revealing such information won't slap him in the face later on. After all, you're not really meant to admit secret identities - but this might need to come out sooner rather than later.

"I'm meeting with someone from Garden later in the night, so thank you for telling me." Sylvia said with her typically calm demeanour, placing her half of the bill on the table before collecting her purse to go attend to her own business. Sometimes Twilight forgets she is, in fact, her own person and doesn't exist to just be a spy handler.

"All the luck to you." Twilight spoke, drinking up his coffee. He had been taking it more with milk recently, family life really changed some of his personal tastes. It was less harsh and more forgiving to his body overall anyway; plus Yor preferred her occasional cup of coffee with milk and even he could admit he liked reflecting things she likes. It gives them more to talk about.

Family life has really changed me, the spy thought as he curiously eyed the cup holding the lighter brown of his softened up coffee. Not necessarily a bad thing, but still.. surprising. Would Yor forgive me for telling someone about her identity..? Maybe I should talk with her about it tonight, there is a chance she knows about me. This is difficult.

Sylvia walked through the streets of Berlint, her own mind running with personal questions about the supposed Forger Family and their future as well as the future of herself and WISE with a potential alliance on her hands.
*Yor Briar-Forger. Thorn Princess could be rather useful to us if Garden agrees to something like that, perhaps I should try and sneak that into the deal. She knows Twilight on a personal level, and we can use her for Desmond intel if we really need to. Maybe even a great ally if things progress differently.*

***

1200 HOURS;

The noise of loud chatter and the moving around of objects was permanently dulled by the closed off room known as Director McMahon's office, with Yor standing by on the opposite side of the desk as he was. McMahon was positioned at his window, staring out of it while the female assassin's words flew towards him. Of course, there were certain things Yor didn't want to be a part of when it came to Garden Assassination Syndicate.

"I want to be kept out of WISE and Garden personal business, the intel leak doesn't have much to do with me other than involving my husband." The woman spoke softly, looking at all sorts of ways things could turn to shit. She didn't want to be involved more than she already was.

McMahon turned way from the brightness of the window to look at Yor, his facial expression unreadable but she could tell he was neither pleased nor displeased.
"I understand." He replied, pushing his glasses further up his face. "But I also can't confirm we won't have your involvement later on.. keep an open mind. Loid Forger is, of course, not a real identity. He infiltrated Garden, so this has lots to do with you."

"I don't plan on leaving him." Yor said in response, putting her hands behind her back nervously. Her hands fiddled with each other out of habit; "unless he's directly trying to start a war, I'd rather not put our agreement on the line.." Her words spoke volumes for somebody who was naturally quiet.

She pulled out the little lock of hair she collected from last night, sliding it across the table to her manager with slight reluctance, but she just needed to be sure - even if she reviewed the already collected evidence. It was true, her husband was Twilight and yet she seemed to accept it. There was no real feelings, on the outside at least. On the inside, she was hurting. Hurting a lot.

"Why did you need his hair again?" She asked with the slight clearing of her throat.

"So if things go south, we can biologically prove it's him with his DNA if we have to. I highly doubt it, we're striking up some sort of proposition with WISE tonight at 11." McMahon responded, putting the hair in a plastic bag and storing it inside a filing cabinet in order to not get caught with such a thing. I mean, what kind of manager collects his colleague's husband's hair?
"How come you don't want to leave your lying husband?"

Yor glanced to the side, feeling herself shift slightly out of discomfort. She did have a definitive reason, she loved him - that was the selfish part of her that she didn't let come to light;
"It'd be hypocritical. I'm lying about my own profession.. why do I get special treatment?"

McMahon processed her words with understanding, nodding along. Technically it was true, and he couldn't exactly object to that reasoning. Still.. he knew she was lying to him.

"Consider leaving the Forger's behind if things don't go well. Have an open mind." The older man said stoically, cracking his fingers before turning back away to the sunlight seeping through the large window of his office. "After all, some of us aren't ready for such an intensive role that could very well ruin everything you've built up."

Yor nodded reluctantly, opening the file in front of her and staring at the sharpened features of what she thought was just a widowed single father. He looked different, his eyes slanted in a way that spoke threateningly, an evident frown across his face, and he looked like he had just murdered himself - which wasn't too far off to what he really did to his past self.

It was different. Different to the way he stared at her, the way he would glance at her when he thought she was distracted. Sometimes, even pulling her into long hugs that made her feel really fuzzy inside - and although she could admit she loved him, part of her uncontrollably resented him for the mountain of lies he told despite it being extremely hypocritical of her.

At least she never lied about loving her family, and that was something that couldn't be compared between Thorn Princess and Twilight.

"How do you truly feel about your family, Yor?" McMahon cleared his throat, noticing the way the female assassin's gaze kept drifting to the photo of such a prestigious spy, one she just so happened to have married.

"I'm not going to lie, I do love them." The woman looked up at her director, grabbing the photo of her husband. "He's a good man, Anya is a very well-behaved daughter, and our dog is quite lovely." She smiled, blush on her cheeks; "but of course, I also value my job and place in Garden. Take that as you will."

Yor closed up the files and put the relevant ones inside her purse - the ones she needed to talk to Loi..sorry, Twilight about his real job. Some things just can't be hidden, or fixed. It's all about accepting each other, no matter what. 
Contrasting ideals may be a deal-breaker, but if he wants the same thing as me, I can only hope things lead further into the future. I am just another part of whatever mission he may be on, but I'm going to be the best wife I can be for him.

Her thoughts progressed, more so into territory that included the 'what-if's of the Forger Family future.

If being a spy's wife will put an end to the igniting of a war, I'll do it. Even if it is.. partially because I'm being selfish. He'll have to leave eventually, but even if, I'll give Anya the most fulfilling childhood possible. She's innocent in all of this craziness.

***

1800 HOURS;

Twilight glanced down at his watch while the evening air breezed through the busied street right outside City Hall, his cheeks dusted with a little bit of blush from the cold. He had invited Yor out for some drinks to talk to her about something, with Yor agreeing as she had something to talk to him about. They were different people, yet so similar in a way it felt comfortable and nerve-wracking.

"Ah-" Twilight stuttered, his eyes locking onto Yor, who had a sweet smile plastered on her face. She seemed so at ease, her pink coat dressed right over her typical work uniform. The spy cleared his throat, his gaze softening on his wife. God, she was so wonderful.

"Hi, Loid." Yor spoke up, walking towards him with her nose going a slight red color due to the temperature. The nights in Berlint were generally pretty chilly, with the days being neither hot nor cold specifically. "Is Franky taking care of Anya while we go out?" She asked with a smile, gently taking his hand in hers much to the man's surprise. On the outside, they were a very cute couple.

"Yeah, I had to pay him to shut up." Twilight chuckled, gently squeezing his wife's hand as they started strolling down the lit up streets, the occasional gust of wind flowing by as their conversation continued as pleasantly as possible - especially since they both had to talk about something. I know Yor harbours feelings for me, but will that really change if she knows about me as Twilight?

Do I even want that to change?

His eyes trailed across his wife's face, who seemed to be looking at all the beautiful lights above them. She was always perfect for Strix, even if she lacked talent in some 'traditional' ways; Twilight never cared about something as trivial as that though. All he cared about was keeping her safe and happy.
I'm being ridiculous..

Endless chattering of other couples eating and drinking filled out the entire space of the dimly lit bar, the smell of bacon sizzling and fryers crisping up food while the assassin and spy found a booth to get themselves comfortable. Reluctantly, Twilight let go of his wife's hand to sit across from her in the comfortable seating.. he could hear her soft hums and it brought a hidden sense of happiness back into his dark life.

He didn't have to wear the mask he had crafted to perfection, she always saw right through him. To [REDACTED].

Although the couple always seemed to work perfectly in sync with one another, there was an underlying sense of unease between them - the room was thick with tension and unspoken truths that seemed to peak beneath the surface of the Forger couple. They were on edge, walking across egg shells or even thin pieces of broken glass.

This place is too public.. Yor thought as she frantically glanced around for cameras, they seemed to be completely hidden from sight. They didn't want to be busted now, did they? I just want to get it out in the open.. there's no doubt he already knows about my identity. I just hope he doesn't want to replace me.

"About us-" They both said at the exact same time before chuckling, blushing awkwardly as the world around them seemed to disappear. This was extremely anxiety inducing. "I just wanted to say-" They also mirrored, their faces growing a little frustrated. "I KNOW ABOUT-"

Yor gripped the table tightly, the hardwood practically bending to accommodate her impressive strength. 
"I'm going to protect Anya at all costs, Loid. Whether you're here or not.. because.." Her body tensed up, keeping her volume quiet yet it was enough to shake her husband to his core. "I love this family.. even if it's all a facade. Even if you're not- er..- you."

Twilight stared at her, his expression dumbfounded and almost hurt at the exact same time. This woman was going to give up everything for some faux family he created, and he felt guilty. Both guilty, and unworthy of both her and the rest of this ficticious Forger family. His hand goes to pull out the Thorn Princess proof before suddenly getting interrupted by a way too jolly waitress.

"May I take your order?" The teenager said with a smile large enough to make things even more awkward.

The couple got their fill of food and drinks, and even Twilight found himself getting a little tipsy despite the otherwise high alcohol tolerance.
I'm so compromised. The spy thought, chugging a glass of scotch as Yor seemed lost in her mind, staring down at the dark wooden table they were seated at. His thoughts really trailed from how to save the mission to how to keep Yor in love with him

How was that relevant? - It wasn't, he just wanted her to. 

The couple picked up more bottles of alcohol to go, barely making it home by 9, while Franky chastised them for getting home drunk. Anya seemed to already be resting in bed with a full stomach of fast food.. as evident by the table full of ordered goods. Yor collapsed on the couch, sniffling to herself as she continued to drink.. she really just wanted to keep her mind off of everything.

"Something on your mind?" Twilight asked with a slight hiccup, sitting beside the woman with loving eyes. The type that 'Loid Forger' would have, but it was really [REDACTED] peaking out from under the surface, and although the spy didn't catch it happening - Yor did.
"I can always help ease the pain, Yor." He spoke softly, placing a gentle hand on hers.

"I..-" The woman hesitated for a moment, her eyes trailing up to her husband. "I know about.." She pulled out a few files with shaking hands, pulling her body away from his. This conversation had to happen eventually, but her way of coping really was just distance.

Twilight couldn't speak, he opened up the file, his gaze softening as he locked onto the undeniable proof of his espionage. Before he could really react, Yor was making her way to her room, stumbling inside blindly from all of the wine she consumed. She had to sleep it off, much to the dismay of the spy. 
She knew, but she's staying? He stood up, holding onto his face nervously. Is she.. are we..?

How are we meant to move forward?

***

1100 HOURS;

With only the occasional noise of a car driving by, Sylvia sat on a hardened cold bench, her red hair swaying gently in the wind of the night. Sat six feet from her was Shopkeeper, his gaze kept professional and forward. This was a completely private conversation, between two people who simply wanted peace between Westalis and Ostania. 

Barely above a whisper, they were conversing;
"Why are you going through such lengths with WISE for contact?" Sylvia spoke up, anybody from even a few steps away wouldn't have been able to hear her. This was to be between them, other than some hidden agents and assassins standing by just in case. This was a crucial meeting.

"We were infiltrated by Twilight, we had no choice. By doing our own research and contacting, I am protecting the identities of my pruners." Shopkeeper mumbled, his eyes empty as he stared towards the flickering street light. "Identity for an identity."

Sylvia's eyes moved over to where Shopkeeper was seated, her voice as steady as she could manage it. It was quite an unfortunate situation, all she hoped was for them to come to some sort of agreement.
"Twilight is our best."

"And Thorn Princess is an esteemed assassin with a reputation. I take it you know who she is?"

"Yor Briar. Or rather, Forger. I must say, she's proven extremely useful for Twilight's mission, we're looking to douse the ignition of a war between East and West." 

Shopkeeper turned his head towards Sylvia, his facial expression visibly intrigued. 
"Yes, she's a good woman with our best interests in mind. We may execute our methods differently, but we're leaning towards the same side. With our fierce loyalty to Ostania, and WISE's clear intentions for peace.. I think we can work something out to perfection. Wouldn't you say?"

"We have no intention of keeping records of any of your assassins, nothing to tie you to us or us to you. All your identities will be kept hidden, especially from the spies in our organization... other than Twilight who has already memorized it." Sylvia said softly, her eyes locking onto Shopkeeper's. They had their best interests in mind for this. "Nobody will know of Thorn Princess other than those we deem trustworthy or important. In the event it's known, we will eliminate anybody involved and provide compensation."

She paused for a moment, her eyes sharp and calculating;
"However.. we'd like her assistance on Operation Strix, and perhaps for WISE... on her own accord of course. She's got a close relationship with Twilight already, and we could really use her help on something so crucial for national peace."

Shopkeeper nodded along, listening carefully in order to catch any deception. It wasn't there.
"Understood." He had a deep, calming smile that caught even Sylvia off guard. "Twilight won't be known among Garden unless absolutely necessary, as long as he isn't weakening the Thorn Princess.. I don't mind his presence. But he had better keep out of our business - no more spying on us."

Sylvia gave him a singular nod, pushing over a piece of paper for the Shopkeeper to sign, as he did unto her as well. With some intensive reading and the signing of signatures... it was made. 

Shopkeeper seemed rather satisfied with the agreement, thinking this may be a useful tie. Especially when it comes to the peace of his country, a country he loved as much as the next person. Perhaps even sharing informants could prove relatively helpful for missions, or 'customer's.

This is a great way of forming positive Ostanian connections.. much needed for WISE at the moment. Even so since the recent spy hunts the SSS is hosting. Sylvia thought as she began packing up her objects. She held her purse closely to herself, bidding Shopkeeper another singular nod before heading in her own direction. The bystanding agents seemed to ask her if it went well - and it did.

The success rate of Operation Strix just got higher.

***

1130 HOURS;

Twilight was seated on the couch, his eyes shifting through the different files and information Yor had seemed to have acquired of him. All proof he was a spy, and there was likely more he didn't even know about. Of course, things had changed immensely since the initial agreement, they started giving more public displays of affection, (even if most of it wasn't in public.)

Is all of this going to change because of such a discovery? The spy's thoughts ran wild, did he really have to fix this? Of course, the success of the mission hinges of the success of what he assumed to be civilians. Will she... hate me? Go from loving me to hating me with all her being? Will she kill me?!

Stop.. that's ridiculous.

Twilight let out a soft sigh, standing up. He was still extremely tipsy from all the alcohol he had consumed earlier in the night.. and continued to consume. The discovery of her knowledge had sobered him up before he continued on drinking. The mission, and everything as a whole was really stressing him out; despite the fact that he's a highly regarded spy.

He found himself outside of Yor's room, giving two knocks before going inside. His wife was already in her pale yellow night dress, hair down and cascading down her slim back. She had perked up curiously, her expression a mix of knowing and guilt - they were both liars.

"Let me explain." The spy said.

Twilight was seated on the opposite side of her bed, staring at the wall in front of him. He couldn't bear to be face to face with someone he clearly hurt, as that would just make him a lot more saddened than he already was. Yor was wiping her eyes, looking down and towards the floor out of guilt and anxiety. They were an odd couple indeed, not exactly traditional or expected.

"You and Anya.. are a part of my mission. Operation Strix. Donovan Desmond is looking to start a war- I was tasked with finding a family in order to infiltrate his social circle and Eden College." His voice carried a ton of weight, the evidence was all there. Spoken to Yor, and deep down she felt like only she could have ended up in such an odd situation.

"Twilight." Yor tested the name, her head slightly turning in order to catch a small glance of the spy's back, he was slouched and rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "I should have expected something like this." She let out a soft chuckle, but it had an underlying sadness that Twilight couldn't ignore. "Yuri used to tell me I end up in the most odd situations.. he was right."

She paused, gripping the sheets at her sides as she reluctantly revealed crucial information about herself;
"I only became an assassin for Yuri, I didn't have much of a choice. I was given a job to provide at such a young age.. he turned into an upstanding gentleman."

Twilight laid down, his lower legs hanging off the bed while Yor laid down too in the same way. Their faces remained right next to each other, staring up at the ceiling directly above them.
"You're a good woman, Yor. And- very useful too.."

"Useful. Is that all you see in me?"

Twilight grunted softly, turning his head in order to gaze at his wife. She remained fixated on the roof, her eyes seemingly empty yet so emotional - how was this woman a contract killer?

"My mother was my favorite person, and a part of me loves seeing you with Anya because you remind me of that." He said in the softest voice possible, his eyes rounded in an unfamiliar sense of affection. "You've been more than useful for world peace, you've been a better woman than I could have hoped for for something so important."

Yor listened carefully, turning her own head to look him straight in the eye.

"I became a spy, threw out my identity.. relived my life as Twilight. I lost everything I loved.. my friends, my happiness, my family, my identity. Me." He couldn't help but extend his arm upward and to his side, with Yor doing the same. They gently held hands, relishing in the moment of both peace and stress. "Thank you for helping me bring that part of me back to the surface. You make me happy."

The woman couldn't help but tear up, "I understand. I didn't mean to, but I threw away my childhood for Yuri... but I don't regret it. I do my job and clean my country for peace. Like you..- except in a bloodier way."

Twilight chuckled, blush present on his cheeks - even if it was subtle. Maybe even unnoticeable. They really related to each other, in their own odd and unconventional ways.

"Even if you eventually have to leave the 'Forger's behind, I promise I'll stay with Anya. I want to give her a fulfilling childhood, one neither of us got to have." Yor spoke up, really connecting with the spy on a familiar level. Twilight liked hearing that, it was reassuring. He knew he had to leave this faux family behind eventually, but he didn't want to.

"I don't want to leave. You're as close to a real family I have.. I like it." He smiled lovingly.

Yor chuckled, squeezing her husband's hand enough for even him to feel safe, his smile broadening across his features. She truly made him feel comforted, a lot like how he felt as a child when he was being protected by his mother;
"I consider Anya my daughter, Twilight. Even if she isn't."

That sentence was like music to his ears, as he felt the same.

"We're more similar than I thought when we met for the first time," Twilight stated, his gaze shifting back to the ceiling as he relished in the moment they were sharing. Yor mirrored his actions, continuing to hold his hand gently. His touch really made her feel happy. "We're a team. We're in this together."

"I promise to play my role in Strix perfectly, it'll be a lot easier now that I actually know.." Yor admitted, a sweet smile on her face. It was very tranquil, just laying in silence together with such a connecting conversation. Something that brought out happiness and love, which were two things either of them lacked in their lives. "Please, you can always ask more of me too."

Twilight listened carefully, his eyes widening in surprise. The workload was difficult, but this woman really wanted to be there for him. It was a very touching experience; he loved it.

"I love this family, it motivates me." Yor whispered, her thumb absentmindedly stroking the back of her husband's hand. Twilight found himself giving her a soft grin, staring at her again. She was so perfect, so sweet, so beautiful. How did he just happen to run into her? Was the universe saying something? His eyes trailed over to a picture Yor kept hanging on the wall. A picture of the Forger's.

Maybe.. this can continue past Strix. Twilight thought, sitting up abruptly and turning to face his wife with a very head-on expression. Yor was was caught off guard as Twilight had leaned down to directly face her. She was still laying on her back, eyes widened as her vision was completely consumed by Twilight's face.

"Twilight?" She mumbled, tilting her head slightly as her eyes remained rounded with affection.

The security they have as a couple is all they needed, and Twilight couldn't help himself but push back against the intrusive thoughts urging him to just kiss his wife.

Fake wife. He chastised himself, admiring the view of the woman staring up at him. She does.. I think she still loves me. Surely that hasn't changed since the dynamics shifted.. did it? Do I go for it? How do I go about it? Would it be awkward?

Yor couldn't help but giggle as she felt her husband's eyes spacing completely out.
What a strange man.

The spy's thoughts got cut off when he felt Yor's hands gently grab onto his face and pull him downwards onto her own. She had never been one to initiate something like that, especially since it was, (personally), her first kiss. It was practically upside-down, sure, but it felt right and soft - softer than she thought. Twilight felt himself relaxing.. which never happened. Something about Yor was so different, so new, so exciting.

She loved him, not Loid, not Twilight.

Him.

***