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Chamber for once, was spending his morning in the Protocol's HQ, and much more surprisingly about to use its coffee machine instead of his own in Paris, even though the one available was far from ideal. He was aware that a lot of coffee lovers - much like himself - preferred to use their own devices to get their sweet caffeine. He simply didn't have the time today to go back to his house in France's Capital to get a single drink.
He sighed as he noticed you in the kitchen, happily making yourself a caffeinated drink. He knew what was bound to happen, and he braced himself for it.
"," You teased in his mother tongue, a smirk gracing your lips. He was quick to pipe back, however ;
"," He corrected, before a sly smile etched on his own features. "."
"," You replied with a shit eating grin, and he had an exasperated - and exaggerated - sigh.
"," He lamented, and you giggled as you took a sip of your beverage.
"" You wondered, and he almost choked on his breath with a stunned laugh.
"" He questioned, and you stared at him, as if challenging him to refute your words. "," The sharpshooter reminded you, and you cackled.
"," You shrugged, your gaze turning scrutinising. "" You trailed off, and he tensed momentarily before an easy smile made its way on his lips.
"" He replied, searching your eyes for any kind of giveaway. You snorted, barely containing the laughter bubbling up in your throat.
"" You teased, and he couldn't help the blush creeping on his cheeks. He scoffed, rolling his eyes, not finding an immediate punchline to your banter.
In a desperate attempt to find an excuse to not reply, Chamber made his way to the coffee machine, shaking his head in amusement.
"" You pressed, nudging at his side. "" You mused, before sipping your coffee smugly. "" His attention snapped immediately to you, and you seem to revel in it. ""
"," Was his answer, almost offended at the remark.
You shrug the challenge off, the smile still plastered on your face as you turn away to sip your coffee. Vincent took this moment to appreciate your beauty and grace before focusing back on making himself his espresso. It wouldn't be as good or as refined as his when he was home, but it would have to do. There was a lot to do today.
"" You mumbled, your face scrunched up in disgust at the potent smell of coffee grounds.
"," He corrected you once more, a teasing smile on his lips. "," He added, and you rolled your eyes.
"," You commented nonchalantly, and he stopped momentarily in his ministrations to process your words.
"" He repeated, a bit taken aback by the news. You didn't seem to notice however as you continue to drink your steaming hot beverage.
"," Finally, your eyes landed back on him, and you arch an eyebrow quizzically. "" You ask, bringing your cup away from your face.
"," He replied with exaggerated lament. "," He explained, which made you laugh so hard that you almost spilled your coffee onto yourself.
"" You wonder, shaking your head once you have calmed down from your guffawing. "," You retorted, and the smile is a desperate attempt to keep another chuckle from escaping your lips.
"," He mused knowingly, and you averted your gaze. "."
"," You replied as you whipped your head around.
It took a while to understand the implications of his words, and he revelled in seeing the gears turning in your beautiful mind. Once you did, the realisation painting itself on your face almost made him lose it. His laughter was barely contained, and he was a bit too proud of your disconcerted face.
"," You insulted, which didn't help his situation in the slightest. This was way too funny.
Though, he didn't have time to calm down, much less give any answers to your lighthearted insult, because the both of you had been called to the meeting room. You exchanged a glance, before the Sentinel gave you a slight nod. Duty called, he guessed.
You both made your way to the location, neither of you having the time to get into another back and forth since the walk was so short. Once in front of the door, Chamber - like a true gentleman - opened the door for you to let you in first before entering the room himself as you had a light scoff at his antics. Finally turning his attention to the other agents present in the room, he was surprised to see it only composing of Viper and Brimstone. Meetings were usually spent with a bit more people... Something was off.
"I've called you both here because the two of you are the only agents able to speak French fluently," Brimstone stated, getting right down to business.
Out of the corner of his eyes, the marksman noticed you biting the inside of your cheek. You were holding back a snide comment, he assumed.
"For that reason I will be asking you to go on a covert mission together and gather intel," He added, which made the French man quirk an eyebrow. Intel gathering was your area of expertise since you were an Initiator. What business did he have here ? "The place is a yearly gala where only people from higher societies from France are invited to attend," The American man continued, his gaze landing on the younger brown haired agent. "One that you have been invited to, Chamber. I believe you are familiar with it already, since you have attended a handful of times," His boss didn't wait for a verbal answer before resuming to speak. "You will bring your colleague as a plus one and let them do the work while you entertain and keep company the ones that might get in your way," He finished, gesturing vaguely to you, who tensed up and straightened your back.
"So I would be the only one actually working ? Lovely," You stated sarcastically with your almost perfect accent, and he forgot that you were even more fluent than he was in English.
"Would you rather do it alone and risk blowing your cover thanks to the fact that you have little experience in higher societies ?" Questioned Viper, who had been silent until now. Snapping your mouth shut, you bashfully averted your gaze, much to his amusement. "Chamber, you will be going as yourself," She continued, ignoring how uncomfortable you had become when she turned to you and called out your call-sign. "You will be playing a persona, but I do not think it will be an issue for you, will it not ?"
Oddly silent, you simply nodded. Vincent's instincts were telling him something was wrong and that he didn't have the full picture of who you truly were. That fact made him inch closer to you ever so slightly in an attempt to provide quiet comfort.
"You will have two weeks to get used to everything you need to know, which I believe is more than enough time for the both of you. Dismissed," The chemist finished, shooing both of her subordinates away with a hand gesture.
Vincent watched as you all but dashed for the exit like your life depended on it, and if he wasn't so worried for you, this mere action would've made him chuckle. He caught up to you, thankful over his training in the military, because you were almost running. You didn't truly stop until you arrived to the lounge, who was still relatively empty, given the early hour.
"" He teased, attempting to breach the topic with humour.
He admitted that he didn't know how to proceed in this kind of situation. You hardly ever talked about your worries or similar things to one another, your relationship surmised to banter and snide remarks. He found that he regretted that decision now, afraid that the familiarity - and let's be honest, attraction - he was experiencing with you to be shallow, or worse yet, a facade.
"," You huffed. "," You add, rolling your eyes. There was something you weren't saying, just like you weren't mentioning the fact that you had to pretend to be someone else. He chose not to comment on that.
"" He wondered, his tone genuine and serious. He didn't think that banter would do any good as of right now.
"" You joked, an easy smile on your lips that eased the tension in Vincent's stomach. "."
Since you didn't seem worried about the mission in the slightest, he found that he probably shouldn't be, either. You simply shrug, your smirk still on your face, and he turns heels to resume drinking his coffee and get acquainted with the guest list as well as the building.
Vincent felt as if he had blinked away the two weeks of preparations for the mission, feeling oddly nervous. He knew he had a plan for every single scenario in case anything were to go wrong, but still couldn't help the unease that had settled in his stomach. You had both come to his apartment in Paris for ease of travel the day before, and he realised that it was your first time at his place.
It took him everything to not show his anxiety about that fact.
You had agreed upon doing the preparations for the gala separately, since you both had different needs and standards. He thought it fair, though found himself missing your presence and jabs, the silence making him uncomfortable.
It didn't take long for the two of you to be reunited however, and he was the one supposed to get you from the hairdresser, so you would arrive together at the ball. He decided to wait for you outside of his car - but let it run idle - to have the occasion to be a true gentleman and open the door to the passenger seat for you.
He was organising some meetings on his phone when he heard your voice call out to him. Looking up, he expected to see you all dolled up, but not to this extent. You were beautiful before, but right now you were downright stunning and for a while, he didn't know what to say as he simply stared, mouth agape.
And then you smiled at him.
He averted his gaze silently, feeling the blush creeping on his cheeks and painting them pink. He took a moment to compose himself before an easy smile graced his lips as he turned his attention to you once more.
"" You wondered, oddly self conscious about this whole situation.
"," He stated, and while his tone was genuine, he was hiding his true appreciation with banter. You scoffed, crossing your arms over your chest.
"," You retorted, your eyes squinting. He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as he opened the passenger door.
"," He teased, a knowing smile gracing his lips.
"," You immediately replied with a smirk.
The ride to the gala was spent in silence, the anxiety growing inside the car the closer you got to it. He wasn't sure if he wanted to let you focus on "getting into character" or to attempt to calm both of your nerves by giving out some jabs. Once the building was in sight, he saw - and heard - you take a deep breath, your demeanour shifting into something that he wasn't used to see you in.
He was the first to get out of the vehicle, walking around it to be able to open your door. As soon as he stepped out, he was blinded by the flashes of the press, and he plastered a practised smile on his lips. Once he opened the door however, you wasted no time to cling onto his arm in a way that left little to the imagination.
Not about to be phased by this unexpected gesture, he leaned into the touch, bringing his lips closer to your ear and whispered ;
"" You mumbled with a loving smile. He swallowed, not used to seeing this expression on you.
"" He teased, and you simply stared for a moment, your smile getting a tensed edge.
"," You insulted with a giant smile, and he barely could contain the laughter bubbling in his throat.
He kissed your forehead lovingly to prevent laughing too hard, the action so natural he didn't even question it. Chamber realised what he had done only when he saw your lovely blushing face, and he had to do everything in his power to avoid either apologising or kissing you right then and there.
He started walking the red carpet with you clinging onto his arm, waving at the press and posing for the cameras with you. You seemed to be a natural, especially with your body language and how it was all in his personal space. You were making sure that nobody could interpret your relationship as just close friends. He wasn't complaining, per say, but... This was certainly a shift.
Once inside the building, he immediately identified the guests he was supposed to keep busy while you gathered the information they needed.
Guiding you both to the closest one of them, and it didn't take long for the woman to notice your approach.
"" She greeted as her face lit up in recognition. Her piercing gaze landed on you, her smile still present on her features. "" She wondered, scrutinising you. He said your alias - she frowned when it didn't ring a bell - and introduced you as his lover. "" She concluded with a knowing smirk. He basked in the feeling that this affirmation gave him for a while, his grin becoming genuine.
"," He confirmed, grabbing your waist and squeezing you closer to his body proudly, affectionately, possessively. He relished in the ease that this action happened with, how right it felt. How this was how it was meant to be.
If only this wasn't just pretending and this was actually real. He desperately wanted you to be his, to be loved by you unconditionally. He had fell for you a while ago, and while he thought he could get over you, he found that he simply couldn't, your entire being too attractive to him, luring him in like moth to a flame.
He knew you weren't into him early on, however, so he kept quiet about his desires out of fear of ruining the careful balance and friendship that the two of you had formed.
He is brought back to reality by another man making himself known, and Vincent dreadfully recognised him. It was one of his competitors, and he knew for a fact that he had his life under scrutiny. There was no way you could escape the questions that man had for you.
"," The man stated, side eyeing you. You stood your grounds by his side, holding the disapproving gaze fearlessly.
"" You questioned sweetly, your smile just as soft.
"" Was the older man's reply, and the marksman frowned. He wasn't about to allow you to be publicly shamed this way, especially not if you were supposed to be his lover.
"," He called out, feeling his anger drip from every syllable. "," He requested, his tone brokering any arguments. The man scoffed as an answer, crossing his arms over his chest.
"," He interrogated, before gesturing vaguely in your direction. "," He added, full of venom.
"," He warned, studying Mister Picard's features attentively.
He watched as he scrutinised you as if you were something to dissect and take apart to his amusement, making his stomach twist and churn uncomfortably. Finally, the older individual pointed an accusatory finger in your direction.
"" He asked in bad faith, and Chamber answered for you, not about to let this decrepit and sad man ruin your mood.
"," He confessed, staring into the balding man in front of him. "," He continued, a fond smile gracing his lips as he took a breath in a vein attempt to calm his beating heart. "," He explained with a chuckle. Steeling his resolve, he turned to be able to look you in the eyes while saying the next part. "," He stated, full of genuine love and adoration, and saw the tears welling up in your eyes.
He swallowed thickly, getting emotional as well. He had gone this far... He might as well drive the point home. Getting down on one knee and pulling one of his rings off his fingers, he presented it to you ;
"" He admitted, his voice shaking at every word uttered. "" He asked, unable to quell down the hope making his eyes glint and shine.
You were shocked, to say the least. Shocked, and very emotional, if the tears streaming down your face were anything to go by. As soon as you recovered from your stupor, you nodded eagerly, and he rose to his feet to put the ring around the right finger. He looked into your eyes, your gaze so full of love it took him a while to remember that this wasn't real. Chasing the thought away, he leaned closer to your face and lips, and you wasted no time closing the distance.
The kiss was desperate and heated, adoring and passionate, full of untold truths about the other. You ignored the clapping around you, the cheers and congratulations, and didn't break it until you were both in need of air. But that didn't stop you from going at it again, this time more deliberate, more intentional.
It wasn't until Vincent remembered where you both were that he separated himself from you enough to gaze at your face and immortalise the sight, engraving it into his memory forevermore. Were it up to him, he would've kept on kissing you - and maybe more than that - but alas, the fact that there was quite a crowd prevented this from happening.
That, and the fact that this was all pretend. That you probably didn't love him back, and had simply went along for the sake of the mission. Those thoughts were like an ice bath to him, and he sobered up, averting his gaze after a while, but keeping you close.
You took his hand, squeezing it for a moment before relaxing your grip. He returned the gesture much similarly, and you shared what he believed to be a complicit glance.
The remainder of the mission went by smoothly - it became much easier to gather the intel needed since everyone was now very eager to speak with either of you. He watched fondly as you dithered around the ball, talking to as many targets as possible while he kept the others busy. This had already been quite a night, and he could tell you were getting exhausted. Good thing the gala was coming to a close, he thought as he snacked on the available aperitifs.
He could probably get the both of you out early under the pretence to enjoy some time alone as newly engaged, but he wasn't sure how ready you were to leave. He was about to go walk up to you and ask when you exchanged a glance, and you had a slight nod with a beaming smile as you waved him over.
He made his way to you, looking you over, drinking in the sight of you under those beautiful lights, and how everything was so perfect. He loved you so much, and he knew that there wasn't a singular lie in the proposal.
"" He asked as his arm wrapped around your hips and he nuzzled your forehead, before kissing your temple.
"," You said, leaning into his loving touch.
"," He affirmed, feeling his heart swell at the sight. "," He added, his tone soft.
"," You requested in a whisper, and he almost swooned at the gentleness and adoration in your voice.
Wordlessly, you both excused yourself from the event, waving goodbye to the press outside and to the few that followed you out, and much like before, the Sentinel opened the door to the passenger seat for you before getting into the vehicle himself. The drivr itself was silent at first, his focus diverting between the road ahead and you, admiring your quiet beauty.
"" You started, breaking the silence. "" You quoted, and he froze as he felt his eyes widen. ""
That was one way to make him panic. Keeping a cool exterior, he chuckled, hoping it didn't sound too strained.
"" He had a light shrug. "," He joked with an easy smile, hoping you would take the bait.
"" You wondered rhetorically, and he did his best to not allow his body to give him away. "," You continued to jab. ""
"" He blurted without even thinking of the consequences.
He immediately regretted it as silence befell them. He gnawed at his bottom lip in a desperate attempt to prevent himself from speaking any more words to avoid making the situation worse than it already was. Vincent was pretty sure he had fucked up everything in this very moment.
"" You trailed off, hesitance clear in every syllable. ""
He was too shocked to answer for a long moment, unable to come up with anything as the words in that order and context were being processed. Once he finally did, he sent a quick assessing glance your way, trying to see if you were genuine or just pulling his leg.
"" He wondered carefully, unable to silence the quiet hope bleeding through his voice.
"" You stated, and he felt your piercing gaze on him. It was so distracting that he seriously considered pulling over to get this conversation done without risking an accident.
"," He replied, not exactly lying but also not speaking the truth either.
"" You asked, effectively calling him out.
Deciding to pull over and put the engine on idle, he took a moment to consider his next words and decipher the situation. He considered laughing it off, to pretend that this was all just a fucking joke - one in poor taste - and to go on with your friendship just as it had been before, but when he turned around to face you...
He saw the wordless hope in your eyes, the yearning and love, all of those same emotions that he had experienced countless of times for you before. He couldn't bring himself to lie any more.
"," He said with a smile, and you broke into a relieved one.
You didn't waste any time to unbuckle your seatbelt before lurching towards him to capture his lips once more into a passionate and adoring kiss. Bringing the seat away from the wheel, he nudged you to sit on his laps, to which you complied immediately. He could tell the vehicle was getting heated, and so was the kiss, with wandering hands grasping onto anything and everything within their reach.
As much as Chamber would've loved to continue the ministrations right here and now, he also knew that there would be no redo of a first time. Like the gentleman he was, he wasn't about to have it in a car of all things. Ending the kiss, he chuckled at your whine, and he let his hands caress your thighs.
"" He wondered with a sly smirk.
"" You trail off, inching closer to his lips once more, and he had to fight the urge to kiss you again. ""
"," He answered simply, teasingly wandering near your core. You bucked your hips forward to chase his touch.
"," You challenged, but conceded as you left his warm embrace. "," You lightly threaten, and he laughed, the engines roaring back to life your only answer.