pining. [a devereux] (Patreon)

synopsis / prompt: behind [upon entering the same room as the receiver, the sender steps behind them, and winds their arms around the receiver’s waist]

A comes up behind you, arms looping around your waist and pulling you closer to them. You smell like home, a familiar scent that they'll never grow tired of. It holds them almost as comfortingly as you do them. A giggle erupts from your throat at the slight tickle of A's fingers.

"Hi."

"Hi."

"Is there something you need?" you tease, leaning back into their arms. "I'm trying to finish some work for our next assignment. Apparently, I'm the only one being responsible right now."

A hums, burying their face into your back. "Does missing you count as something I need? I'm being very responsible for figuring out where your whereabouts are."

You laugh and the vibrations rumble through your chest and into A's, down to their toes. "You just saw me two hours ago. Unless you don't remember lunch?"

A pulls away. "And do you remember what happened after lunch? I got dragged away to finish some of our incomplete reports. And by some I mean five hundred of them. I can't believe I took that bullet for you."

You grin, having turned to look at A after they let go of you. Your eyes are sparkling, your smile bright enough that any of the exhaustion A felt from the paperwork washes away instantly. They could stare at your grin forever.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Without you?" A takes the opportunity to peck your cheek, pulling away just in time to see your delighted surprise. "Always. I tried to convince them it was a two-person job but they wouldn't budge. Can you believe that?"

"They are pretty strict on their rules here…"

"And rules are meant to be broken."

"I don't think they'd be happy hearing that."

"They'll let it slide."

You wrinkle your nose. "If you say so."

A laughs at that, finally turning their attention to the screen. You were swiping things around when they'd come in, likely sorting recent reports and findings of your latest bounty. Nothing the two of you couldn't handle, of course. You were at the top for a reason.

"How long have you been here?" A asks.

"A while. And I'll probably still be here for longer too. As much as I love having leads, there's a lot to process this time. Almost too much. Sorting it all and piecing the pieces together is taking longer than I thought it would." You make a face. "You can go home though. We're supposed to clock out now. I'm just going to stay until it's finished."

"You really think I'd leave you to do this alone?"

During the first couple of months of your partnership, you might have been surprised, but this behaviour isn't unusual for A. No matter what it is, whether it be something A loves or despises, they'd never leave you with the brunt of the work. Everything you do is a team effort. It's what partners are for.

You shrug. "I was giving you a way out. I know how much you hate paperwork. Plus you just came back from doing some."

"And you should know me well enough to know that I don't want a way out if it means spending time with you," A replies. They nudge your shoulder playfully. "Come on, the faster we do this, the faster we can go out."

You arch an eyebrow. "Go out? I wasn't aware we were doing anything."

"We are now." A picks up a nearby iPad with a grin, syncing it to the screen. "In the mood for some ice cream? It's on me."

"Your poor wallet. It's suffered since we started dating huh?"

"Beats my heart suffering from pining after you for all those years," A counters. You glance away at that, flustered, which only makes A love you more. Because they do love you. They adore you. Are infatuated with you.

They wouldn't have it any other way.

"Now," A says, gesturing pointedly at their tablet, "how can I help?"