A shiver ran through Kassian, and he almost turned his head to catch Isaev's lips again, but he managed to hold back.
Not the time, not the place, he had to remind himself.
Isaev always made him want to forget.
"Deal," he murmured, absently running his tongue over his lips as he climbed out of the hot spring.
Kassian supposed he might regret jumping in the water later, when they left the warmth of the cave and went back out into the chill of the night, but he certainly didn't now, he thought, still flushed from the water, and the kiss.
Then again, he might not regret it later, either. It would give them an excuse to be excused from duty, at least long enough to change their uniforms.
He remembered how it had been the night of the greenhouse explosion, after Ocelot had excused them from duty. It felt different this time, and he wasn't sure why. It was less personal, perhaps, because Isaev didn't have to examine the corpse as he had before. And perhaps the initial horror of the first body had inured them somewhat to the second.
It was still sobering, but it didn't feel like the world was closing in.
Thinking about duty made him frown after a moment, and he paused to scoop up his gun and flashlight.
"Alexandrich," he called, before Isaev could exit the cavern. "I have to tell you something."
Isaev paused, looking back, expression curious and mild. Kassian didn't especially want to kill the mood, but it was better he confessed sooner, rather than later.
"I'm not sure why Imanov didn't say anything to Ocelot earlier, but he saw someone sneaking around by the outbuildings, before the ALL PERSONNEL went out. I think he got into a scuffle, but the person got away. He didn't seem to want to give me much detail."
He paused, frowning, contrite. "I wasn't there to back him up, comrade. I'm sorry."
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Not the time, not the place, he had to remind himself.
Isaev always made him want to forget.
"Deal," he murmured, absently running his tongue over his lips as he climbed out of the hot spring.
Kassian supposed he might regret jumping in the water later, when they left the warmth of the cave and went back out into the chill of the night, but he certainly didn't now, he thought, still flushed from the water, and the kiss.
Then again, he might not regret it later, either. It would give them an excuse to be excused from duty, at least long enough to change their uniforms.
He remembered how it had been the night of the greenhouse explosion, after Ocelot had excused them from duty. It felt different this time, and he wasn't sure why. It was less personal, perhaps, because Isaev didn't have to examine the corpse as he had before. And perhaps the initial horror of the first body had inured them somewhat to the second.
It was still sobering, but it didn't feel like the world was closing in.
Thinking about duty made him frown after a moment, and he paused to scoop up his gun and flashlight.
"Alexandrich," he called, before Isaev could exit the cavern. "I have to tell you something."
Isaev paused, looking back, expression curious and mild. Kassian didn't especially want to kill the mood, but it was better he confessed sooner, rather than later.
"I'm not sure why Imanov didn't say anything to Ocelot earlier, but he saw someone sneaking around by the outbuildings, before the ALL PERSONNEL went out. I think he got into a scuffle, but the person got away. He didn't seem to want to give me much detail."
He paused, frowning, contrite. "I wasn't there to back him up, comrade. I'm sorry."