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[Private to Vesper]

Congratulations. [But lbr he's mentioned that before now. Which means he's got something else on his mind.] Where are you?

[Public]

[And a little later, once he's realized just what the Admiral's announcement means, he clicks back on publicly. He's plenty wary now, because the Admiral is just flat out not to be trusted, but he's never been one to run from something new.]

Assuming I'm not just speaking to the Barge...[There's a little twitch in his lip; he's very, very tempted to just say, 007 reporting for duty, because he thinks he's very, very funny. But given he has no idea who's listening, he manages to restrain himself.

Besides, his name is just as good.]

This is Bond, James Bond. If there's anyone from my world listening, speak up.

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[She lets out a quiet snort of laughter, trying to sound and look confident as she continues even though there's anxiety clawing at her.]

I have a funny feeling the government won't want to just offer me my old job back. And I have no idea what my legal status would be, or- [She almost chickens out, afraid of really saying this out loud.] What that would mean for us.

[And, as an afterthought:] Me staying would at least give us time to sort that all out.

Can't the Admiral sort that? [Not. Them, obviously, but.] Your affairs with the government. I'd rather not watch MI6 pull you in for questioning.

[Because Mr. White had been very right, he would go rogue for her in a heartbeat.

WHICH IS A TERRIFYING THOUGHT.]

[Don't worry, that won't be necessary. Drama queen. B(

She shrugs.]

I hope so. [You're avoiding the other part of the question and she'll let you get away with it. B(]

[Ugh don't do that Vesper. He is just. Fuck. He gets up and goes into the bedroom so he can look out the window. He raises his voice to call back to her.]

What do you want to do, when you get back?

I haven't really decided, [She admits, calling back to him, before setting aside her communicator and getting up to follow him, lingering in the doorway and leaning against the frame instead of joining him.]

I'd still like to work. I suppose I could always teach.

[And again, she doesn't say anything about them, because what she'd really like - and this isn't fair at all, because god only knows he wouldn't enjoy this - is to find somewhere they can be together, and have some sort of normal life. But she'd settle for something less than that.

She knows she's likely going to have to settle for much less than that anyway, and she's trying to make her peace with it. It was easier, here, to pretend like things could continue like this, but back in the real world, it just couldn't be.]

[And that was what scared him. That he could get used to this, to living with her, knowing her, being with her - and that when he's finally allowed to leave, they'll just...part. As if it never was. As if all of this had never happened.]

Vesper...[He glances back at her and nods his head for her to join him.]

[She hesitates a beat before walking over to him, close enough for him to reach out to her, but keeping her distance rather than putting an arm around him or otherwise really invading his space. She looks at him, an eyebrow raised as if to say "yes?"]

[It's like they're at the beginning again, he realizes, with him making the first move. His mouth quirks at the corner, and he reaches out, pulling her toward him until he can slide an arm around her waist.]

What would you possibly teach? History? [Yeah he remembers Bargewell.]

[Ha ha. She leans into him comfortably, and elects not to point out that in Bargewell, they were both spies for foreign governments and she was pregnant. Those both seemed like unfortunate reminders of the past and what the future might hold.]

I've always been good at math.

[Best not to go there just yet.

Dryly:] I never would have guessed.

[He falls silent again, watching the stars pass.]

What would it mean for us?

I've been perfectly transparent with my feelings on the matter. [She loves him, and she's said she doesn't need him to do anything different from what he was doing on a day to day basis, so. Ball's in your court, mister.] And you're the one with commitments to go back to.

[Ugh worst decision making time ever. He falls silent again, before pulling away far enough that he can look at her.]

I don't want to lose you again.

[She looks at him seriously, carefully reaching up to cup his cheek and study his face.]

I can't rule out the possibility of being hit by a car or some other freak act of god, but I can say very confidently that I'm not planning on going anywhere.

[Which is so, so different from how things had been six months ago. She knows why she did it, but she can't imagine doing it again, and she's grateful for that.]

[Tilting his cheek into her hand, he runs his own up her back and down again. She's not planning on going anywhere, and that alone means everything. He doesn't see that sadness in her anymore, doesn't feel like she's a distant ghost anymore. Like he was when he first arrived.

Selina had nailed him with that.

A smile pulls the corner of his mouth upward, and he reaches up to run a hand through her hair, pushing the hair from her face. He'd told Mathis she would make a terrible shield, and she still does - but now he doesn't mind being her shield.]

Good. Because I don't think I could stand it again.

[He leans in then to kiss her, and when he pulls back, it's with a smile pulling his mouth up.]

[It's probably embarrassing that hearing that makes her eyes sting, and she blinks rapidly as she kisses him back, trying to hide it. But her eyes are still over bright when he pulls back, and she's smiling too, wide and genuinely happy.

She runs her fingers through the shorter hairs at the back of his neck gently, wondering what exactly that's going to mean on the one hand, but on the other, not really caring about the specifics at all. They'd figure it out eventually.]

I love you.

[He can think back and feel the warmth of hot sand against his back, of the sun beating down on them, on the way she looked, half dry and half naked, and he knows that he doesn't want anyone else in his thoughts at the end of the day. He wants her, and only her, for as long as he can have her.

If she asked, he might even try to leave the service again. But he hopes she won't ask.

Stealing another kiss, his smile turns into a near grin as the rest spills out.]

I love you, too.

[An abrupt clink drags his attention away from her; probably a testimony to his constant state that his hand already moves for his gun. But there's no one to shoot at; he doesn't even notice the plate of cookies on the table at first.]

[Vesper turns too, although she's still got her arms around him, and she does spot the plate of cookies. They're almost childishly cartoonish, although given who they're from, that probably shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, and she looks back at him with a smile that's somehow both teasing and incredibly, incredibly happy.]

I think you just graduated.

[He lets go of the gun and finally drops his eyes to the plate, letting go of her so he can take a few steps over to get a better look.]

You're joking.

[For the moment, he could not be more confused.

I swear I'm not. [And she's still grinning, wrapping her arms around herself and watching him try to process that.]

It's a bit of a funny way to do it, but I suppose we shouldn't expect anything less from the Admiral.

[Well he is picking up a cookie like maybe it's poisoned or going to explode or something.]

You'd think he'd pick something easier to interpret.

[That's probably fair, tbh. Apparently they're delicious though!]

It's the Admiral, when has he ever been easy to interpret?

[He cocks his head as if to say, fair enough, but. Jesus. He sets it back down - because he don't trust the Admiral B( - and turns to look at her with a crooked little smile.]

Suppose it's a good thing we talked.

I suppose it is. [And her smile takes on some of the same crookedness, biting back a comment about how maybe he just should have manned up and said it earlier, because she knew that wasn't really fair.

She had forgiven herself, but that didn't mean she didn't understand there were still consequences for what she had done.]

Something tells me a celebration's in order.

[She's a better person than him, he would have taken that shot. Still, his smile widens at that.]

Does that mean I have an Item now? It would save so much time, letting myself into the pub.

[And then this all would have been even more awkward.]

You might have your very own bathroom now, too. [Not that she's ever complained about sharing though, so.]

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