Up In Arms

Chapter 13

I sat at the kitchen table, laptop open as I did some research on the city where I would be meeting my next client. Thanatos had tensed when the go-between stated this condition, but I wasn't worried. Some clients wanted to see the face of the killers before ordering the hit, a kind of last-minute check to see if they really wanted that other person dead.

The Twins were out of the base – thank goodness – and Thunderclap had gone on her annual trip to Middle-of-nowhere, I-don't-care. Based on past experience, Winterfall was going to be asleep till noon, so Thanatos and I were left pretty much alone.

He placed a cup of coffee on the table beside me before moving back into the kitchen, and I reached over to take a sip, surprised to find that it wasn't black. Everyone in the base knew to give me my coffee black, so why...?

Thanatos noticed my hesitation from where he was making his own cup. "You ask for your coffee black because nobody makes it the way you like it."

Curious, I took another sip of the coffee. "You learnt this in a few months?"

"I have experience." He responded, taking one of the other seats at the table as I finalized a report and sent it. "Worked at a coffee shop when I was younger. Became a popular barista because I could identify and memorize drink orders quickly."

I understood why. My drink was made exactly the way I liked it. Something tightened in my chest when I realized that again, he was sharing more about himself without me asking, and without asking for me to share something in return.

"Thanatos, why aren't you asking about me? One of your goals is to get to know me, but we've barely talked." I pointed out bluntly.

"You know those sayings about knowing a person from those around them? How they treat others and such?" He responded, a twinkle in his eyes.

"I know you're a sniper because you want to put distance between you and the destruction you cause. I know you hate clichés and stereotypes because they're too predictable and restrict people's views of you. I know you don't like talkative people because they reveal their secrets too quickly, and you're wary of the silent ones because they might hold too many."

Thanatos winked, taking another sip of his coffee. "Not too bad, huh."

"Not exactly what I had in mind." I remarked coolly, fighting back on the uncomfortable feelings merging in my chest.

I hadn't planned for him to learn anything significant about me, to keep him at a safe distance. Small things like favorite colors, foods, seasons, and drinks. Nothing too close or too personal. His perception was spot-on, though, and my unease clashed against the embarrassment and flattery of having him pay so much attention to me when I wasn't paying that same attention to him.

"The little things can be important as well." I said, after some careful consideration, and I almost had to force the next words out of my mouth. "But I seem to find myself at a disadvantage."

He smiled. "All you had to do is ask. My favorite color is light blue because it's the one eye color I haven't been able to achieve. I prefer snack foods that are surprisingly filling because I always get hungry after I die. My favorite season is fall because nothing shitty ever happened to me in the fall, and I prefer hot apple cider over both coffee and tea."

"I've never had apple cider straight."

Thanatos blinked, echoing my own surprise before he laughed. "What do you usually mix in it?"

"Vodka." He laughed again, and I frowned, cursing my selective accent. "I don't care what you think, it's not just because I'm Russian."

"I would never assume that." Thanatos said, before surprising me again by switching languages. "Why not work with a team in your mother country?"

"Russia is the most dangerous country for people like us. They have an entire organization devoted to our capture and detention." I switched back to English. "How does someone like you learn Russian?"

"Now that, I'd like to keep a secret." He smiled, finishing his coffee.

There were noises coming from deeper in the base, and Thanatos stood to fix a third cup of coffee as Winterfall sleepily stumbled into the kitchen, accepting the cup with a hum before walking back out.

That marked the end of our time alone, as the Twins arrived back at the base shortly after, a few blood splatters on Tenpin's shoes while Lockheed looked a little singed.

"Hey guys." Thanatos greeted with a teasing tone. "Did you get apples while you were out?"

I watched as the three men began to banter, Thanatos laughing and interacting with the two of them like they were old friends. Eventually Winterfall returned to the kitchen, and she rolled her eyes when hearing Thanatos' plan for making homemade apple cider before effectively kicking him off of the project due to her own past experience.

The day passed by regularly from that point on. I did more research about the town and area we were going to be meeting my client, finding another mission we could complete in some in-between time – either before we head down there or after we pick up that mission – and Thanatos did whatever he did from day-to-day.

After we had dinner – with homemade apple cider courtesy of Winterfall – I retreated to my bedroom, finishing up another piece of outstanding paperwork from a previous mission and double-checking that I got paid.

A knock on my door, and I opened it to find Thanatos standing there with a smile. He lifted his arms, a thermos of apple cider and a bottle of vodka in his hands, as well as a pair of whisky glasses.

"You'd never had it straight, I've never had it with vodka. Let's fix that."

I let him into my room, unable to stop the small smile that crept onto my face.

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