#secretsandspies

[dontstoptrying]

“   every  time  i  wake  up   &   you’re  there  next  to  me ,   i  wonder  if  i’m  still  dreaming .   ” @secretsandspies (ian)

Eve’s not stupid, she expects her fellow double oh to have a smooth tongue, but this feels like something more than years of practice at being suave. Maybe she’s being silly, but they feel remarkably close to being an established thing at this point. After all, it’s not even the night after an assignment and she’s waking up in his bed.

She opens her eyes to find Ian propped up on one elbow, watching her affectionately. She can’t help but feel she could get used to this. With a sleepy smile she reaches up to cup his cheek, before letting her hand slide back to his hair so she can pull him in for a lazy kiss. “You’re not dreaming,” she murmurs, still smiling.

[thexunpleasantsurprise]

@secretsandspies gets a broken james for ian

Having ignored multiple calls from Eve, James expects to see her when he reluctantly opens the door. Instead he’s confronted with the last person he wants to see. He hardly has the patience for Walsh at the best of times, let alone now. He can only assume that Eve told Walsh to check on him. Like the well-trained lapdog that he seems to be these days.

“I’m busy.” It’s a blatant lie, but he doesn’t want Ian to see the state of his flat. One thing for Eve to see it, but it would be humiliating to let the other double oh in. Though his appearance rather gives his state away anyway. His eyes are red rimmed and it’s clear he hasn’t shaved for a few days. Nothing about him looks put together and it raises his hackles that Ian of all people is seeing him like this. “What do you want?”

[magicaemaxima]

" hey, hey, hey... easy, now, it's alright... i got you. it was just a nightmare, sweetheart. it's okay... " - from madeleine (secretsandspies) @secretsandspies​

She hugged her mother tightly, the scared little girl feeling secure and safe in her arms. Mathilde unfortunately knew that it wouldn’t always be enough, not if people actually came for them, but for now it was good. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” she whispered, sniffling. 

[dontstoptrying]

“   are  you  bleeding ??   ” @secretsandspies (ian)

They’re the first words out of his mouth when they reunite. The decision to split up had made sense at the time - had been the right move - but Ian looks even more concerned than usual when she gets into the passenger seat of the car.

She looks herself over, checking for any wounds she might have missed. It’s quickly clear that the bit of blood causing his worry on her shirt isn’t hers. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” Her smile is reassuring as she reaches over to squeeze his hand. Their comms units are still live so it’s the best she can do in the moment. “Are you okay?”

[dontstoptrying]

“  i’m here now.  i know i wasn’t before.  but i should’ve been.  and i’m not going anywhere.  i’m not gonna let that happen again. ”  @secretsandspies (ian)

Eve doesn’t know whether she should believe him. There’s an earnest look in his eyes, but she swears she saw that before at Cambridge and look how that had ended. She wants him to be telling the truth, but she’s wary. She can’t shoot him down, though. That kiss they shared has been playing on her mind since it happened. As has him saying he’s still in love with her.

With a sigh she cups his cheek gently. She can already imagine her friends’ reactions, but she can’t ignore the pull she still feels towards him. Even after he broke her heart. “I need you to show me that,” she replies softly. She’s wiser now than she was at university, thanks in no small part to him, but she’s also still the person who fell for him in the first place. “Can you do that?”

[dontstoptrying]

“   here ,   have  my  jacket .   ” @secretsandspies​

Nighttime in Paris is cooler than she’d expected. Silly, really, that she’d decided it would be much warmer than London and she’s suffering the consequences now as she exits the hotel wearing just her dress and a shawl. Or rather, she was before Ian offered up his jacket. 

She slips her arms into the jacket, pushing the sleeves up once it’s on to stop it from being comically big on her. “Thanks, Walshy,” she replies with a soft smile. It’s been an enjoyable evening, even if it was just spent on reconnaissance. Six’s rather tired cover of being newlyweds is remarkably less tedious when partnered with someone she actually enjoys spending time with.

“Nightcap before we head back to the hotel?” They can discuss the information they uncovered in the morning, right now she’d really just like to enjoy the fact that she’s in Paris.

[dontstoptrying]

“I want us to grow old together.” @secretsandspies (ian)

She’s less surprised by his words than by the fact that he’s chosen to confess this now. They’re serious, there’s no denying that (and why would Eve want to deny it in the first place?), but neither of them is in mortal danger. Far from it, lounging on a beach in Spain. Eve’s actually using her holiday time for once in her life.

Despite her surprise, she smiles and rolls over on her beach towel so she can look at Ian more easily. She knows just how much this confession means - how hard it is for a double oh to even imagine reaching old age. “I do too,” she replies softly, reaching over to take his hand in hers. “I love you, Walshy.” It feels right to meet his confession with one of her own.

[dontstoptrying]

send ⛓️ to find my muse bloody, bruised and restrained @secretsandspies (ian)

She shouldn’t have gone into the field. Even just for one mission. Even though it was meant to be routine. Just pass a hard drive over, she’d been told. It would be perfectly straightforward, home before the weekend. It was selfish, really, that she had agreed. And now look where it’s got her. She’s almost angrier with herself than her captors. Though angry is a strong word with how exhausted and beaten she feels.

She can hardly believe her eyes when Ian comes storming through the door, only stopping once he’s reached her. He unties her bonds quickly, and Eve stands still in shock for a moment before she regains her senses and rubs her wrists tenderly momentarily before throwing her arms around his neck. 

“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs against him. She’d had more than enough time to realise how this would impact him. He’s barely adjusted to being a father. If things had gone any worse he’d have been Charlie’s only parent. “Is she okay?”