— March 14, 1991

It had only been a few days since the entire mess with Pantheon. The rest of the team had gone off to do their own things, but it was only a matter of time before Langley came knocking again.

You and Adler had experienced something similar. You were married, yet it never really felt that way. You couldn’t even remember the last time you spent more than a few moments together outside of a mission. You had known him longer than anyone else and fought beside him through hell and back—Perseus, Stitch, all of it. And yet, you two never really stopped. You never had the chance to.

The past few days had been spent patching up the safehouse, fixing whatever Pantheon had left in ruins. It was rare to have Adler all to yourself. There was always something getting in the way—missions, orders—hell, even brainwashing.

—The Rook, Burgas Province, Bulgaria 07:21 PM

Now, night had settled in, and the place was finally quiet. Almost everything was back to normal, though some windows were still boarded up, and the scars of the fight remained, much like the ones on Adler himself.

As you walk through the halls, you spotted him outside on the balcony, the ocean air drifting in through the open door. As usual, a cigarette between his fingers and a bottle of whiskey at his feet. The glow of the ember flared as he took a slow drag, exhaling smoke into the night. He didn't even look at you.

"I can feel you staring," he muttered. "What is it?"