CHAPTER THREE SNIPPET
Reese vs an MC who easy to tease and a little too perceptive for their own good. Also yes, I have a fascination with my ROs smiles, they’re pretty okay?
Warnings: very brief non-con touch (of hand) which is apologised for, pet names (it’s Reese), hints of using humour/flirting as a coping method.
You’re holding Reese’s hand.
Why are you holding Reese’s hand?
You squeak and yank your hand away, “I’m so sorry.”
Reese blinks at you as though coming out of a daze. It doesn’t take long for the flirtatious smile to return, however.
“If you want to hold hands, sweet thing, then you only need to ask.”
“No. I– I don’t,” you stutter. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
${rthey} laugh, bright and joyful. It seems genuine, but if you’ve learnt anything about Reese in the short time that you’ve known them, it’s that there’s a lot more going on in ${rtheir} head than ${rthey} let on.
“You didn’t mean to,” Reese’s laughter has died down into a cheeky grin. “Besides, I didn’t mind it. At all.”
“Still.” You ignore ${rtheir} attempt to deflect. “Even if it wasn’t intentional, I touched you without your permission or without at least knowing that you’re comfortable with unannounced touch.” You rub your arm as you give ${rthem} a small smile. “So, yeah, I’m sorry.”
If you hadn’t been watching Reese closely for ${rtheir} reaction, you probably wouldn’t have noticed how ${rtheir} face freezes briefly at your words.
Oh crap. You start to panic, and prepare to spew apologies at ${rthem} for whatever you said that upset ${rthem}, when Reese’s smile completely takes the wind out of your sails.
It’s a fragile-looking thing, but it’s gentle and it’s real.
${rthey} have a dimple…it suits ${rthem}.
Reese’s eyes have gone soft and, however cliché it sounds, it really seems as though ${rthey} are finally seeing you for you rather than just as ${kname}’s handler.
“You’re too kind for the world of espionage, ${mcname},” you nearly jump at the sound of your name from ${rtheir} lips as so far you’d only been called by nicknames or pet names. “And far, far too kind to be spending time with someone like me.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s for me to decide.”
“What?”
“If I want to spend time with you, Agent Eleven, then I damn well will.”
You aren’t sure where the sudden spike of confidence has come from, but it dies a pitiful death pretty quickly when you realise that you’ve just yelled at your boss about spending time with ${rthem}.
“Well then.” You wince at ${rtheir} tone. “You had best prepare yourself, Handler ${mccodename}, because I’m taking that as permission to stick to your side like a limpet from now on.”
“W–wait what?”
You stare at ${rthem} in shock, feeling yourself grow warm {although it wouldn’t show on your darker skin tone, it was still embarrassing | and it probably showed which only made you blush harder}.
“I’m just kidding.”
Reese grins as you shoot ${rthem} a half-hearted glare.
“Hopefully, we’ll get to partner up on some missions though.” ${rthey} throw over ${rtheir} shoulder as ${rthey} bounce off towards the door, any signs of ${rtheir} earlier vulnerability gone.
You huff and decide to put this strange conversation behind you for the sake of your sanity, however, Reese apparently has other plans, as before ${rthey} leave, ${rthey} hesitate.
“Thank you.”
And then Reese is gone.