Status: Complete
Cat and Mouse
Don't Start a Fire
Wolfe stood outside of the motel room staring up at the night sky. Paul still hadn't talked her out of killing the boys and collecting her money. She held the cigarette up to her lips and took a drag from it, she ignored the light from the room that shined out onto the sidewalk as the door was opened. She also ignored the footsteps that came after the light disappeared with the shutting of the door. It wasn't until Murphy spoke that she even bothered to acknowledge that she wasn't alone anymore. "Mind if I join you?" he asked as he took his pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of his black pea coat.
Obviously he was going to stand out there and smoke regardless of what she said, so she just shrugged. She watched with her peripheral vision as he lit the cigarette with his silver zippo, then he stepped up next to her, obscuring her vision of the soda machine in the distance. She tilted her head up once more, staring at the moon. It had an odd orange glow to it, "It looks lovely, doesn't it?" she said.
"Yeah, real lovely." She turned to look at Murphy, only to find him staring at her. "Paul's not going to talk you out of this, is he?"
She looked down at her feet before looking back at Murphy. She shook her head slightly, and Murphy almost thought he could see pain in her eyes. It was obvious she didn't want to kill him or Connor. But a job is a job, and she had to make a living. "I'm just waiting for him to leave," her voice was low, almost a whisper, and it cracked when she said 'leave.'
"Why don't you just do it now?"
"Paul's a friend. I can't do it while he's here."
"You don't have to do it at all."
"I....I know." She reached up and ran her hand across her face. The gesture was meant to look as if she was brushing hair out of her eyes, but Murphy knew she was wiping away tears that hadn't had a chance to fall. "I thought...I thought about just retiring. I could go with Paul back to Fiji, and buy my own little bungalow on the beach. Spend everyday laying in the sun in a bakini, a cocktail in hand." A very small smile crossed her lips at the idea. "But....I have a reputation, I can't-"
"If you're going to retire, then who cares about a reputation."
Wolfe squeezed her eyes shut. She was at a loss for words.
Murphy sighed, "I can't make your decision for you, but you said it yourself, the only thing that separates us, is why we do what we do. If you kill us, then you're just like them. You're like the Yakavettas, and every other person that's ever hired you to assassinate someone."
Wolfe looked at Murphy again. In the seconds that had passed while he spoke, he had moved closer to her. They were standing just inches apart. She could almost feel his breath against her skin, and it suddenly got harder for her to breathe. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.
"Maybe this will help change your mind," he whispered. His hands covered her shoulders, the smoke from the cigarette in between his fingers tickled her cheek. Her breath caught as he leaned down closer to her, and placed his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the kiss. She wanted to fight him off, she knew she needed to, but at the same time, she didn't want to. She dropped her cigarette and let her arms wrap around his neck, her hands resting on his back. He dropped his cigarette to the ground as well and pulled her closer, cupping the back of her head with one hand before tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth and his tongue plunged inside.
They lost themselves in the kiss, until Paul's voice broke through the silence, "Don't start a fire out here."
Murphy pulled his face from Wolfe's and she pushed him away before taking a step back as well. They both stared at the two men standing in the doorway, their faces red. Connor was staring back and forth between the two, a goofy grin plastered to his face. Paul however was staring at the ground where they had been standing. It was then that they realized he was talking about the still lit cigarettes that had burned themselves down almost to the filter.
Wolfe and Murphy both stepped forward to stomp out the cigarettes, then stared down at their own feet, still embarrassed about being caught.
Obviously he was going to stand out there and smoke regardless of what she said, so she just shrugged. She watched with her peripheral vision as he lit the cigarette with his silver zippo, then he stepped up next to her, obscuring her vision of the soda machine in the distance. She tilted her head up once more, staring at the moon. It had an odd orange glow to it, "It looks lovely, doesn't it?" she said.
"Yeah, real lovely." She turned to look at Murphy, only to find him staring at her. "Paul's not going to talk you out of this, is he?"
She looked down at her feet before looking back at Murphy. She shook her head slightly, and Murphy almost thought he could see pain in her eyes. It was obvious she didn't want to kill him or Connor. But a job is a job, and she had to make a living. "I'm just waiting for him to leave," her voice was low, almost a whisper, and it cracked when she said 'leave.'
"Why don't you just do it now?"
"Paul's a friend. I can't do it while he's here."
"You don't have to do it at all."
"I....I know." She reached up and ran her hand across her face. The gesture was meant to look as if she was brushing hair out of her eyes, but Murphy knew she was wiping away tears that hadn't had a chance to fall. "I thought...I thought about just retiring. I could go with Paul back to Fiji, and buy my own little bungalow on the beach. Spend everyday laying in the sun in a bakini, a cocktail in hand." A very small smile crossed her lips at the idea. "But....I have a reputation, I can't-"
"If you're going to retire, then who cares about a reputation."
Wolfe squeezed her eyes shut. She was at a loss for words.
Murphy sighed, "I can't make your decision for you, but you said it yourself, the only thing that separates us, is why we do what we do. If you kill us, then you're just like them. You're like the Yakavettas, and every other person that's ever hired you to assassinate someone."
Wolfe looked at Murphy again. In the seconds that had passed while he spoke, he had moved closer to her. They were standing just inches apart. She could almost feel his breath against her skin, and it suddenly got harder for her to breathe. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.
"Maybe this will help change your mind," he whispered. His hands covered her shoulders, the smoke from the cigarette in between his fingers tickled her cheek. Her breath caught as he leaned down closer to her, and placed his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the kiss. She wanted to fight him off, she knew she needed to, but at the same time, she didn't want to. She dropped her cigarette and let her arms wrap around his neck, her hands resting on his back. He dropped his cigarette to the ground as well and pulled her closer, cupping the back of her head with one hand before tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth and his tongue plunged inside.
They lost themselves in the kiss, until Paul's voice broke through the silence, "Don't start a fire out here."
Murphy pulled his face from Wolfe's and she pushed him away before taking a step back as well. They both stared at the two men standing in the doorway, their faces red. Connor was staring back and forth between the two, a goofy grin plastered to his face. Paul however was staring at the ground where they had been standing. It was then that they realized he was talking about the still lit cigarettes that had burned themselves down almost to the filter.
Wolfe and Murphy both stepped forward to stomp out the cigarettes, then stared down at their own feet, still embarrassed about being caught.