Chapter 4 (part 2)

“Ye know exactly why I have tae do this.”

“you're going to get yourself killed.”

“I do know how tae defend myself, ye know”

Marco scoffed, “Poorly, if I might add, your technique tends to drop mid combat.”

My glare sharpened, and my fists clenched down at my sides, and spat out a reply, “Ye may not add.” I knew it was only a jab to get me riled up, but I took great pride in my technique. I can’t tolerate false insults against an asset I worked so hard to perfect.

Marco smirked at my reaction, chuckling with smug triumph, “It’s so funny when you get angry, your eyes get all dark and your fists clench.” My eyes flickered again and I seriously considered punching him. He shook his head with a less hostile smile. “Fallon, I care about you, a lot. And you know that, an’ I won’t see you get killed over this.”

I squinted at him and tilted my head with a payback sneer, “I accept your apology.”

The sheer surprise on his face was almost enough to draw a laugh from my throat. It actually did when his face angrily contorted into one of frustrated disbelief.

“That wasn’ an apology and you know it.”

“I know. But I knew it would tick ye off. Ye get so uppity 'n' red in th' face.” A self-satisfied smirk pulled at the corners of my mouth, as I used his own argument method against him. For a moment I thought Marco’s head was going to burst. Then the room became silent, his face relaxed, and he began to chuckle. He exhaustedly meandered over to the couch and dropped on it, rubbing his face with a smirk, “Tu serás mi muerte.”

The smallest of smiles stretched across my lips, I crossed my arms – this time not so defensively – and moved to cuddle into his side on the couch. His arm that had been previously draped over the back of the couch now bowed around my neck, pulling me closer into his chest and tilting my head onto his shoulder.

“You do realize that there is no way you’re going in there without heavy backup. They can hide around the perimeter, just as a last resort.”

The usual frown etched it’s way into my features. These people are everything to me, and putting their lives at risk was at the bottom of the list of things I’d like to do. Albeit begrudgingly, I agreed, “Fine.”

He chuckled with my reluctance, which caused me to pull back and lightly slap his chest before settling back against him. “I spent some time down in the infant ward a while ago.”

He hummed, “Yeah? Maimoona’s got me spillin’ all sorts of secrets every time I go down there.”

“She told me I needed a boyfriend.”

Marco’s belly rumbling laugh made him lean forward, eyes watering and face reddening, he wheezed out a response, “And what did you say?”

Indignantly, I said, “No. Then she suggested you.”

Just as soon as Marco has recomposed himself, he lost it again at my words, clutching his sides and laughing so hard he struggled for breath, “And?”

I frowned harder, “I told her absolutely not.” Catching my tone, he slowly sobered up, leaning back and pulling me into his lap. We didn’t say anything, I often found that I could enjoy comfortable silence with Marco as much as I could any stimulating conversation.

I sighed, resting my forehead against his and idly encircling my arms around his neck. “I get th’ feelin’ she already knows.”

He held my eyes steadily, hands rubbing my thigh comfortingly, “You’re probably right. That old bat has got the base practically wired.” I simply nodded.

A few comfortable moments passed, I closed my eyes as his hands traveled to rest in the dip of my waist. I took a deep breath, only half paying attention and, murmuring, “Whit if we went public?” When I finally did open my eyes, unsurprised to see that his hadn’t moved as much as a centimeter. Marco had always been one to talk with his eyes. Maybe not to anyone else, but always to me. From the first time we’d met, I’d been able to understand him through the emotions in his gaze.

He arched a sarcastic brow, “You know what.” I laughed lightly as a response, pulling myself forward and hiding my bashful face in the crook of his neck. “If we tell the Company, you know that Agnes is going to find some way to turn it around on us. And a little distrust is all it takes. Were gon’ have Agnes interrupting even more than she already does. ‘Cept she’s going to be underminin’ us every chance she gets. Rumors are goin’ to start spreadin’ about us being incompetent and havin’ a conflict of interest. By that point they’re goin’ to demand we resign, or were going to step down ourselves. You would be goin’ out of your mind because things wouldn’ be done right, or in the best interest of the company. Don’ get me wrong”, I noticed his grammar slip again, and words speed up, “I wanna go public too. But I know that you're gonna end up regretting it because it’s not good for the Company.”

I chuckle into the skin of his neck and peck him on the cheek before resettling, because I know he’s right, but there are some days we have to give one another a pick me up. Remind each other why we don’t just do whatever we like, because we have responsibilities. Ones that make us put ourselves below the lives of our family. And we always will, because this family is our life. It’s all we have left.