Chapter Text
Twilight was a man of considerable intelligence.
This was not an unfounded statement, in fact, it was a well known truth among WISE and Twilight’s circle of influence. It was simply the way things were: Twilight was a smart man. He had to be. He might need to deliver an impromptu lecture while disguised as a chemistry professor, fix an airplane engine after being stranded on a remote mountainside, or pacify a wild tiger that’s being kept as an exotic pet of an absurdly rich target. His occupation demanded that he contain a wealth of knowledge and expertise that he could retrieve at any time and any place.
He owed most of his intelligence to his ability to learn at a nearly inhuman speed. He might wake up one day not knowing the first thing about the intricate ecology of a specific cave system of one region of an isolated island nation, but then his Handler would hand him a mission that required him to impersonate a researcher who specializes in such topics. By sundown, Twilight would know enough about the flora and fauna of said cave system to pass as a leading expert and converse in depth with other ecology scientists with ease.
He found that research and a bit of experimentation was the key to success.
Operation Strix took rather a lot of research and experimentation. The hardest part wasn’t even passing as a psychiatrist, it was adjusting to the two civilians he had to acquire. Twilight had interacted with plenty of women and children before, so it shouldn’t have been as difficult as it was sometimes.
Anya, for example, seemed to flip emotions faster than she flips through TV channels when she was looking for Spy Wars. One moment she’d be happy as can be, the next an inconsolable mess, and then a minute later, completely bored and detached. It was bizarre and exhausting to keep up with. At the very least he knew how to pacify her about eighty percent of the time: by either offering her peanuts, picking her up to put on his shoulders, or, most embarrassingly, playing pretend with her while he did silly voices.
However, if Anya was confusing, then Yor was an enigma. She worked a simple job at City Hall and yet she was strong enough to send a car tumbling sideways with a kick. She was likely the most agile person he’d ever met, but she’s so clumsy that she frequently came home covered in scratches that rivaled his own after a tough mission. She was unbelievably gentle and kind, but once fended off a charging boar they ran into on a camping trip with just a ferocious glare.
And so Twilight treaded carefully around her. He used a proven five step problem solving process to pacify any issues that arose.
For example, one day Yor woke up rather cranky. As cranky as Yor could get anyway, she was never mean or snippy, but her glower was palpable the moment she entered the kitchen for breakfast.
Step one: address the problem.
“Is something the matter, Yor?” Twilight asked politely over a pan of sizzling eggs.
Her scowl briefly lifted. “N—Nothing at all, Loid!” she replied, “I, um, slept in a weird position! And now, uh, my shoulder hurts!”
That was a lie if Twilight had ever heard one. Yor was a hopeless liar. There was something else at play.
Step two: identify the cause.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight said as he flipped an egg, “Is there anything else bothering you?”
“No! No, no, everything is fine.”
She was stuttering, waving her hands wildly, looking everywhere but his eyes, and her voice was an octave higher than usual. All tell-tale signs of someone lying. So if the problem wasn’t her sleep position, it was probably something else like…
Is she upset that I didn’t stay up to welcome her home last night?!
Twilight, in his never-ending quest to be the perfect husband, had taken up the habit of staying up if Yor works late. He’d have a kettle ready for tea, leftovers on a plate, and a bath drawn in case she wants to use it. Usually, they’d chat for a bit before parting their separate ways for bed because Yor seems to enjoy the company. However, late last night, an urgent mission came up and he’d been gone until the early hours of the morning. He’d come home to a dark apartment, too tired to do anything but shower and collapse into bed for a couple hours. He’d completely forgotten about Yor.
Twilight, how could you forget your wife?! Now she’ll be upset and think that I don’t value her contribution to our family! I must rectify this immediately!
He brought three full plates to the dining table just as Anya sleepily made her way out of her room. As she sat down, she rubbed her eyes in wide circles before settling her gaze curiously on her parents.
Step three: develop a solution.
Twilight formulated a plan in his mind to create the perfect apology to Yor. Last time this happened, he’d taken her out on a date as a thank you for her hard work. Despite the rocky start, she had had a good time. There was no need to reinvent the wheel, he’d just go with what worked, only that he’d do even better this time.
Anya’s eyes flicked between Yor’s scowl and Twilight’s intensely contemplative stare as she munched on her breakfast.
“Being an adult sure seems hard,” she mumbled.
If that wasn’t the truth.
All day, Twilight rushed to prepare for his evening plans. He made dozens of calls, tested out a variety of colors of suits and shoes to ensure the perfect combination, drew up a tactical map of the best places to watch the sunset in Berlint, and dove into researching the highest rated restaurants in the city. From the hours of two to four pm when Dr. Loid Forger was supposed to be conducting research for his upcoming publication in the Ostanian Psychology Journal, he instead snuck out through a hidden passageway to scope out City Hall and ensure Yor wouldn’t have to do anymore overtime—and make a few preliminary purchases. It was all set and ready to go.
Step four: execute plan!
Yor found Twilight patiently waiting for her outside City Hall in a new blue and gray suit—two colors he noticed she seemed to like on him—with a bouquet of roses, chrysanthemums, and tulips in one hand and a collection of paper bags in the other. He smiled broadly at the sight of her.
Husbands are excited to see their wives after a long day of work! I must act the part!
“L—Loid! What—What’re you doing here? What’s the occasion?” Yor stammered. Her face was as red as the roses and her eyes as wide as could be. Behind her, her coworkers oohed among themselves.
Good! The cover plan is working.
“I noticed this morning you were a little upset about something and I wanted to cheer you up,” Twilight said, “So, if it’s alright with you, I’d like to take you on a surprise date tonight.”
“O—Oh. What about Anya?”
“At the Blackbells until eight tonight. Bond is with Franky.”
“I see, uh…” Yor looked down at her uniform. “We’ll have to go back home so I can change into something nice.”
“Ah! No need.” Twilight shifted the multitude of items in his arms to hold out the largest bag. “I picked up that new dress we ordered last week from the tailor’s. You can just change here.”
I have thought everything, considered everything. Nothing can go wrong. Tonight will be perfect.
“Oh my, thank you, Loid! I guess I’ll just, er, get changed then! I’ll be right back!”
Yor all but sprinted back into City Hall fast enough to leave a dust cloud in her wake. She emerged no more than two minutes later in the new dress, face still an aggressive red but her expression bent into one of determination.
“I—I like the flowers,” she said as she accepted the bouquet.
“I’m glad. I picked them myself to match your eyes,” Twilight said.
“Huh? Oh, uh, th—thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Shall we go?”
“Y—Yes!”
Based on the data Twilight collected from their last date, he concluded that Yor enjoyed more casual environments that required a simple cooperative task that allowed them to converse while working towards a shared goal. Just to be safe, he also avoided activities that required sitting for long periods of time, although she seemed less averse to that this time around for whatever reason.
And so their date began with a visit to a used bookstore where they looked for books to give to each other. He gifted her a classic romance novel.
A safe choice.
She gifted him a collection of horror short stories.
Interesting.
After that, they made their way to dinner. Twilight chose the perfect restaurant; a somewhat popular local place that hit the sweet spot of being a little fancy but not too fancy.
“Would you like to try a bit of my pasta? It’s very good, Yor,” he offered.
“Oh, sure!”
He held out a fork loaded with pasta and chicken. She froze.
This way, she doesn’t have to reach all the way across the table and possibly get food on her dress.
After a moment of hesitation, she accepted it, her face once again blushing furiously.
“Th—Thank you, Loid.”
“You’re welcome.”
Afterwards, they walked through a park on the north side of Berlint that had an incredible view of the sunset. Not too crowded, not too out of the way, just right, just as he planned. They walked side by side in a comfortable silence. He noticed her fidgeting by him.
Is she nervous? No, we’ve been on walks plenty of times before. Is she cold? The weather is still rather mild. Perhaps she’s stressed about something. Maybe about the thing she didn’t want to tell me about earlier. I have to fix this somehow. How can I help her?
Twilight took a chance and scooped up her hand in his with a light, reassuring squeeze. A small, surprised squeak escaped Yor, but she made no move to pull away. Instead, she relaxed and gently squeezed back.
Good.
The sunset was very nice. From Twilight observed, Yor enjoyed it. As far as he knew, this mission was a success.
“Loid,” she said, breaking the quiet of the sunset.
“Yes?”
“Thank you for today.”
“Of course. Thank you for all of the work you do.”
She smiled sadly and clutched his hand a little harder. It sort of hurt.
“I lied this morning,” Yor confessed. “I wasn’t sore from sleeping on my shoulder.”
I knew it.
He didn’t say anything, only waiting for her.
“Work has been really difficult lately. I haven’t been sleeping well.” She studied the ground at her feet and then back up to Twilight. “This was a nice distraction. Thank you so much.”
“I’m glad I could help. If you ever need anything, you only have to ask.”
She chuckled. “You treat me so well, Loid.”
“I could do nothing less.”
With that, the date was over, Yor was cheered up, peace was achieved in the Forger household.
Step five: reflect and collect data.
Blue and gray, confirmed favored colors on Twilight. Roses and chrysanthemums, yes. Tulips, maybe a no. She enjoyed the bookstore decently enough, but seemed intimidated. She liked the bread appetizer, chicken, pasta, and the salmon, but not the pudding cake. Sunsets are a yes, as well as holding hands. Work continued to be a major source of stress. She didn’t notice the lack of a welcome the night before, likely due to this stress.
Very useful data.
Of course, being the perfect husband didn’t stop at surprise dates. Just because he hadn’t made a mistake yet didn’t mean he was immune to doing so in the future. There was no room for mistakes. Mistakes meant that Yor would be unhappy. An unhappy wife meant an uncooperative partner, which meant Operation Strix couldn’t progress, which meant conflict between Ostania and Westalis, which meant war.
I cannot allow that to happen. I will do everything in my power and more to ensure Yor’s happiness!
So he dove headfirst into it.
Weekly flowers sent to City Hall (roses, carnations, and forget-me-nots this time).
Walks after dinner (holding hands).
Homemade meals neatly packaged into boxes for lunches (pasta, chicken, salmon).
Little gifts and notes left on her night stand (books, candles, socks, trinkets, always thanking her).
Yor was always flustered but ultimately happy. Success.
“Loid,” she called for him one day while he cooked dinner (pork tenderloin, a recently discovered favorite of hers). Her voice was calm but there was a slight edge to it that sent alarms blaring through his head.
“Yes, Yor?”
She cautiously approached him with a small card in her hands. An invitation to a coworker’s wedding in a little town a few hours away.
“I’d like to go, but I—I don’t want to go alone,” Yor mumbled, avoiding his gaze.
“Well, I’d love to accompany you, if you’d like,” Twilight replied with a smile.
We’ll look even more like a married couple if we go. I’ll notify Handler and get those days off.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother,” Yor said.
“You’re never a bother. Let’s go, Yor.”
Her hesitation melted into a glowing smile.
“Okay!”
She feels comfortable enough to ask me to accompany her on such events. That’s a good sign.
Two months later, they packed their bags, handed the keys to their apartment to a grumpy Franky, and set off. They talked the entire three hour drive. She laughed and laughed at his stories. He could tell she was initially nervous but by the time they pulled into the church parking lot, she was relaxed again.
Happy wife, successful mission.
He kept a tentative arm around her during the ceremony. She leaned into his side.
Good, good.
The bride and groom kissed, Yor teared up, and the congregation shuffled outside where the reception was being held under a large pavilion. The party was nothing special. Twilight and Yor were seated with other City Hall workers and their respective partners for dinner. Conversation flowed easily enough, but Yor seemed anxious once again. Although her relationship with her coworkers seemed to have improved ever so slightly, there was still a bit of tension between them.
I need to keep an eye on them. Yor never complains but I know—
“Here you are, sir.”
A waiter placed a plate in front of him. His dining companions were given similar plates, except he had the small inclusion of a small slip of paper taped to the bottom of his. On it were instructions to contact WISE immediately.
Even here? How did WISE even infiltrate this wedding? I told them I was unavailable for the weekend.
“I’ll be right back, Yor,” he muttered as he stood up from the table.
“Oh, is everything alright?” she asked as she placed a worried hand on his sleeve.
“Yes, everything’s fine, I just remembered I need to make a call. I’ll be quick.”
With that, he excused himself and hurried to the nearest phone.
He was not quick.
It was just his luck that the chapel happened to be close to where a smuggling ring was hiding their head of operations. A bomb threat, a gun shootout, and several arrests later, Twilight finally staggered back to the reception. The party was long over. Yor dejectedly sat alone at an empty table as the event workers were stacking chairs and sweeping up confetti.
“Yor—”
At the sound of his voice, she hopefully looked up. She caught his gaze with another sad smile.
“Loid. You’re back.”
“I’m so sorry,” Twilight blurted out, “Yor, I’m so, so sorry for leaving you. There was an emergency at the hospital and they needed me to help with a patient and I had to give them instructions over the phone and…”
She wasn’t listening. She didn’t seem angry. Just sad.
“Yor, I’m so sorry,” he repeated. She took his hand in hers.
“Loid, it’s okay. I’m not mad. Let’s just go.”
She wasn’t stuttering, her hands were still, she looked directly into his eyes, and her voice was calm. She was telling the truth.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
They made their way to the little motel a few blocks away from the chapel. They were both quiet, Yor melancholically so and Twilight nervously.
This will simply not do.
After retrieving the key from the front desk, they entered the room that would house them tonight. Twilight clicked on the light to reveal a simple, clean room. And one bed.
This will really not do.
The back and forth—“I really don’t mind sleeping on the floor.” “But surely you’re tired after driving so long and helping the hospital!” “I can’t expect a lady to take the floor while I sleep on the bed.”—ended with the agreement to share. They were adults after all. They could handle it.
They lay like corpses side by side in the dark.
There was more to Yor’s silence beyond her undeniable embarrassment. Twilight’s mind raced to say the right thing, something that would fix her sadness from tonight. And then he heard it:
The undeniable sniff of quiet tears being shed.
Step one: address the problem.
“Yor?”
She cleared her throat and tried to speak. “Yes?”
Her voice betrayed her tears.
“You’re crying,” he said quietly.
Another sniff.
“It’s okay.”
Step two: identify the cause.
“No it’s not.” He sat up on an elbow to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing,” she mumbled as she messily wiped away a stray tear. She wouldn’t look at him. “I was just talking to the other girls while you were away and…”
The City Hall employees! Again! Stop making my wife sad! You’re ruining my mission!
“Whatever they said, it’s irrelevant, Yor,” he said gently. This had the opposite effect he wanted. Instead, she only cried harder.
“No, they were right,” she whispered between sobs. “I’m such a terrible wife. I can’t do anything right. I can’t talk and blend in like everyone else, I can’t help you with cooking, I can’t—”
“Yor, where is this coming from?” he asked earnestly, “You’re a great wife. I certainly don’t have any complaints.”
Yor rolled over to finally look at him. Her tears reflected back the sliver of light filtering through the window. She bashfully hid half of her face under the covers.
“That’s only because you’re too nice, Loid,” she murmured.
“I’m not—I’m not too nice,” he sputtered, “I’m just being honest. I did choose you after all and I don’t regret that in the slightest.”
“It’s only a matter of time until you do,” she mumbled as tears began to fall down her face.
Step three: develop a plan.
Twilight had to cheer her up somehow. He didn’t have his usual tools at his disposal—flowers, gifts, food—so he’d have to improvise. He ran through his limited options. Yor was slowly getting used to physical touch. She no longer jumped when he took her hands on walks and she genuinely seemed to enjoy it. He decided to take a chance.
Step four: execute plan!
“Yor.” He held out his arms invitingly. “Come here.”
Twilight could see her blush even in the dark, but she complied. She slowly inched closer to him and accepted his embrace, wrapping her slender arms around his waist and shyly pressing her cheek against his chest. He enveloped her in his arms and slowly rubbed her back.
“I don’t mind repeating it as many times as you need to hear, but I’m glad that I have you by my side, Yor,” he said softly, “I’ll never change my mind.”
He felt more of her tears fall onto his shirt. She didn’t say anything for several minutes as she let out her sadness and stress.
“Thank you, Loid,” she murmured finally.
It was not long until she was quietly snoring between his arms. Having someone to hold onto during the night was terribly inconvenient. If there was an attacker, Twilight would be slower to react. There was the chance she might discover the pistol he kept hidden under his pillow. He also tended to run quite warm and having another person in such close proximity made him uncomfortably sweaty.
A small price to pay for world peace.
Yor didn’t seem to mind the warmth. He watched her sleep while he thought.
Step five: reflect and collect data.
They had crossed another milestone. Being comfortable with each other in close proximity further strengthened their cover. He had also once again quelled her worries about being inadequate. Hopefully it wouldn’t come up again. The hugging seemed to have helped.
Excellent work, Twilight.
It’s a shame he’d never marry for real. He would make a wonderful husband. What a waste.
In the morning, they untangled with only a twinge of awkwardness, but there was no regret. Yor seemed refreshed and happy, as if yesterday had never happened.
Operation Strix can continue smoothly.
And it did.
But now, to ensure they didn’t backtrack on their progress, Twilight continued to initiate physical contact between them.
Holding hands whenever they went out, not just on walks (even when they walked Anya to the bus stop).
Running his fingers through her hair as they watched television (she also liked it when he braided it).
Giving shoulder massages after especially tough days at work (and listening to her tell him all about it).
Yor was happy.
All according to plan.
The days grew colder and shorter. He ensured Yor and Anya had plenty of coats and scarves and mittens to keep them warm as it started to snow. Yor insisted that he worried too much, but he was simply ensuring they stayed healthy and content.
However, their domestic peace would not last long. A new challenge presented itself in the form of yet another little card, this one on the desk of Dr. Loid Forger.
“You are cordially invited to the Berlint General New Year’s Ball…”
As Berlint General’s newest addition to the staff, it would be unbecoming to not make an appearance. Especially without his wife.
“If you don’t want to accompany me, you don’t have to, Yor,” Twilight said later that night as they chatted over tea in the living room.
“No, I’ll go!” Yor replied, “After all you’ve done for me it’s the least I can do. I’d…I’d love to go with you, Loid…”
Good. I was afraid that she’d be too anxious to—
“B—But it means…we might have to k—kiss at…midnight…” Yor’s face was tomato red. Her fists were digging into her knees as she stared hard at the ground.
Ah.
“We don’t have to, Yor. I don’t want this to be an uncomfortable experience for you,” he reasoned, “And besides, I doubt anyone will be watching us when it’s time.”
“O—Oh. Okay.” The tension in her posture loosened the tiniest bit. “That makes things easier.”
“Yes it does.”
A long moment. One, two, three.
“Anyway,” Twilight cleared his throat, “How are things at City Hall?”
“They’re great! I overheard from my supervisor that there will be an increase in the budget next year for our department…”
The awkward moment passed. Peace restored.
Until the day of the ball.
Ball was a bit of a generous term. It was barely a step above a regular party simply because it was at an upscale hotel. It was much more casual than the hospital’s usual events, presumably because no one, not even doctors, wanted to be stuck acting polite and formal on New Year’s Eve. The place was packed. All manner of staff—doctors, nurses, technicians, assistants—were jammed into this one large conference hall that was pulsing with music and laughter.
Surely this is a fire hazard of some sort. It would be an unfortunate night to need to go to the hospital. Every medical personnel in the city is here.
It was bad enough that everyone recognized Dr. Forger, even the interns who worked on the opposite side of the hospital. Twilight’s plan of becoming a well-liked and well-known doctor had backfired; he was too well-liked and too well-known. Everywhere he and Yor went, people fawned all over him.
“Oh, Dr. Forger! It’s so good to see you! How were your holidays?”
“Happy New Year’s Eve, Doc! Lemme get you a drink!”
“Is that Dr. Forger? Get over here! I gotta introduce you to my buddies!”
And, worse yet, they noticed Yor.
“Is this the Mrs. Forger? You’re a lucky lady, you know!”
“Mrs. Forger? I’ve only ever seen you in the portrait Dr. Forger keeps on his desk. You’re even prettier in person!”
“So you’re Mrs. Forger! Steal a New Year’s kiss from the doc for me, will you?”
That last sentiment was repeated over and over. Poor Yor was gripping her champagne glass so hard that it cracked. It was glaringly obvious that many eyes were going to be on them at any point in the night.
Step one: address the problem.
“You know, we could just leave before midnight,” Twilight said to Yor when they finally found a moment away from the crowd at a table.
“B—But the point of a New Year’s party is to stay until midnight. People will get suspicious and…” Yor traced anxious circles into the tablecloth. “This is meant to be a fun night for you. I don’t want to ruin it. You deserve it.”
Step two: identify the cause.
“Are you nervous that people will expect us to kiss at midnight?” Twilight asked.
Yor was red from her cheeks to her fingertips. She nodded silently.
I hoped that Yor would be comfortable enough with physical intimacy that a kiss would only be a small step forward, but it seems she’s still stressed about it. That’s to be expected. She has extremely limited experience with romance. I can’t push her to do anything that will make her uncomfortable, only make things easier for her. Which leads to…
Step three: develop a plan.
“Well, if we’re to stay, we have two courses of action, then.” He raised one finger. “We kiss. It doesn’t have to be for very long, just a quick peck. Or two—” He raised a second finger. “We can do something simpler. I could just kiss you on the cheek.”
Yor nodded slowly as she digested this information. She wrung her wrists until her hands formed determined fists.
“It’ll be more convincing if we actually kiss,” she said resolutely, “Loid, give me a crash course on how to kiss someone.”
He nodded.
“Have you ever kissed someone before?” he asked. Her eyes fell to the floor.
“N—No. Only Yuri on the cheek when he was little,” she answered self consciously.
“That’s alright. Just imagine kissing your little brother on the cheek. No pressure, it’s just an exchange between two people,” Twilight instructed. “Just lean forward and relax when the time is right and I’ll take care of the rest. It’ll be quick.”
Yor blinked a few times.
“That’s it?” she asked.
He chuckled.
“Would you like it to be more complicated?”
“No! No, uh…I’m just nervous, I guess. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Yor.” He took a casual sip from his champagne. “If you change your mind, just let me know. I’ll just kiss you on the cheek or not at all.”
Yor nodded again with determination.
“Okay! I can do this!” she declared.
“I believe in you,” he replied with a smile.
They continued mingling in the party with growing ease. Talking through the midnight kiss—and a bit of champagne—released some of the tension Yor was carrying. They talked with other couples, snuck in a few bites of the fancy catering, and, with a little convincing from Twilight, even danced. Yor laughed and smiled freely beside him.
She’s having fun. Good. She deserves it.
There was a large illuminated clock at the front of the hall. As the long hand ticked closed to the twelve, the excitement in the room began to mount. Somehow Twilight and Yor ended up with whistles and noisemakers in their hands and silly paper hats on their heads.
At 11:57, Twilight leaned down to Yor’s ear to talk to her over the growing cacophony of excited partygoers.
“Are you still sure?” he asked. Yor nodded.
“Yeah! I can do this!” she shouted back.
He nodded as well.
It’s been a while since I’ve had to kiss someone. It’ll just be like every other time.
11:58.
11:59.
The crowd started chanting at ten seconds.
“Ten!…Nine!…Eight!…Seven!”
Twilight slid one arm around Yor. He would approach from the side rather than facing her head on. Hopefully that would be less intimidating.
“Six!…Five!…Four!”
Yor was, predictably, blushing furiously, but she made no move to turn away from him. Instead she gazed at him with a resolute smile.
“Three!…Two!…One!”
Step four: execute plan!
Their faces leaned forward as the crowd erupted in a raucous cheer. It was just as Twilight anticipated. Short, simple, a tad awkward. The gentle press of her lips against his lasted hardly more than two seconds. When he pulled away, he found her grinning broadly.
“You’re right! It’s simple!” she yelled to him over the near-deafening clamor.
“What did I say?” he laughed. “Happy New Year, Yor!”
“Happy New Year, Loid!”
The party lasted an hour longer. They enjoyed every moment of it.
Step five: reflect and collect data.
“I think that went rather well,” Yor said as they drove home. In contrast to the loud party, the cool night offered a welcome quietness.
“I think so, too,” he agreed.
The most difficult part has passed. I managed to kiss Yor without her physically maiming me in any manner.
By the time they got home, the exhaustion had set in. Twilight was no stranger to long nights, but the party had truly spent him. They moved towards their separate rooms.
For future events, we should be able to maintain this status quo and easily pass as a married couple. The question is if Yor will be able to continue this level of intimacy, but based on her reaction tonight, it didn’t seem too difficult for her.
“Loid?” Yor called.
He turned around to find she was right in front of him. “Yes?”
Of course, Yor has always been slightly unpredictable. I’ll have to—
Before he could react, she pulled on his shoulder, stood up on her toes, and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Thanks for everything,” she said sweetly.
And then she left, humming happily as she slipped into her room. Twilight stood firmly planted in the middle of the hallway.
…I’ll have to…have to…
…
…
It’d been a mere brush of her lips against his skin, but the ghost of her touch tingled like poison. He found himself unable to move for what felt like hours, one hand hovering over where she had kissed him, while his mind was totally and uncharacteristically blank.
Eventually, he robotically readied himself for bed and lay under the sheets, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep because his heart pounded in his ears. Twilight needed to sleep. He had a high-stakes mission tomorrow. While he’d done plenty of missions on little or no sleep before, it’d be best if he was well-rested to ensure the highest likelihood of success. He turned on his side, then on his back, tried breathing exercises, and, in his desperation, nearly reached for the tranquilizers he kept hidden in his closet.
This was a problem. Twilight sighed.
Step one: address the problem.
Easy. Twilight couldn’t sleep. His heart was racing and his mind was restless.
Step two: identify the cause.
Much more difficult. Everything had been fine until…until Yor had kissed him. On the cheek. There was no reason for it to affect him so much. What was wrong with him?
I am Twilight, the greatest spy in the world. I have had relations with countless women before for the sake of my missions and world peace. So why, why, do I still feel her lips? Why do I wish that she’d do it again? Why do I want to kiss her? Do I…
He shot up straight in bed, sweat pouring off him, eyes wide in the dark.
Do I have romantic feelings for Yor?!
…
…
No. I don’t. Twilight, the greatest spy in the world, does not get attached because getting attached is foolish. I would never make such a rookie mistake.
He laid back down.
I will not deny that I am fond of Yor and her company, but that is all.
He closed his eyes.
That is all.
The memory of her kiss replayed in his mind.
His eyes flew open and his fists tightened around the sheets.
Stop it! No! I do not have romantic feelings for Yor Briar!
(Yor Forger . Don’t forget you’re married to her.)
And?! It’s all for the mission!
He turned onto his side again and covered his head with a pillow.
I am going to sleep now! That is all!
Twilight didn’t make it past step two and he didn’t fall asleep that night.