"There better be a cuppa ready for me!" Louis called as he opened the door to the hotel room.

"It's on the table," Zayn answered from around the corner.

Louis went to the small kitchen/dining area and saw the organized chaos of papers, tea, and Zayn's small selection of weapons. Louis fell into the chair opposite Zayn and put his head on his arms on the table.

"Long night?"

"Frustrating morning."

"Maybe you do need that spanking. Always chills you out, mate."

Louis groaned. "Now is not the time. I'm already..frustrated," Louis emphasized the word.

"Ooohhh. Well then, I really will spank you," Zayn confirmed. He got up and came around to press his thumbs into Louis' shoulders, messaging small circles. "I'll take you back to bed and by the end you'll be so relaxed you won't even remember bottom boy."

Louis sat up and leaned back into Zayn's neck. "That sounds great, really, but I'm fine. Can we finish work?"

Louis didn't normally deny Zayn when he offered. He pretended at annoyance sometimes, but in the end Zayn always got what he wanted. If Louis was saying no, something was seriously up.

Zayn kept his face serene, but his eyes sharp, watching Louis' every move, "Okay," he conceded, "Let's work."

Louis let out a relieved sigh and focused on the stuff in front of him, instead of the boy back at the bed and breakfast. He picked up a new piece of paper he hadn't seen the other day. "What's this?"

Zayn gave Louis a last kiss on the top of his head and sat back down in his chair. "It's the contigency I made this morning."

"How long have you been up?"

"I didn't sleep. Got a little hyped." Louis face must've betrayed all seven hundred of the dirty jokes in his head because Zayn added quickly, "You know I just can't sleep right before a mission."

"Uh huh...I know," Louis teased, but looked back to the paper. He read it over with a small grimace. "You have me slicing the French Ambassador."

"Only if I can't get him away from that room in time. Which I will, you know me. But we always have multiple backups."

Louis face scrunched up uncomfortably, "But you know I hate killing the extras. People not on the list."

"I know. Which is why I'll get him away," Zayn reached a hand across and put it on top of Louis' on the table, "But Louis if he sees you, he can't stay alive."

"Then don't let him see me," Louis snapped.

Zayn just gave Louis an easy look, "I won't."

Louis accepted it and nodded to Zayn's small assortement of weapons. "Am I suppose to choose now?"

"You're favorite part," Zayn mused. 

"Damn right," Louis looked over the choices. "I'll keep my normal gun and silencer, and then just in case," he gave Zayn a pointed look, "I'll take a switch blade. Easy to carry without suspicion. Smooth though, not serrated. Clean."

Zayn handed over the choices and put the others back in their rightful place in Louis' bag under the table. "See? Easy. Now lets go over timing again. How long from when Madame Secretary leaves for her private meeting until your follow?"

"Two minutes. Long enough for her to get there, you to get the frenchman out, but not long enough for her to get worried why he's missing."

"Good. How long will you have in the room?"

"Seventy seconds. Safe amount of time for the security guards to see the still image you'll put up in the system without them noticing the difference."

"And how long to get out?"

"Thirty seconds. Out the window in the room, across the window sill, and down the drain pipe along the next window."

"Finally," Zayn smirked, "How long before you come sceaming my name when I'm fucking you into the matress afterwards?"

"Forever, because I refuse to give you the satifaction."

Zayn smile went wide, "Challenge accepted." He ran a thumb across Louis' cheek, "You can do this. You've always done it. You are the best."

"I'm the best." Zayn nodded and Louis followed, let Zayn's traditional pep talk get him ready for tomorrow night. 

Zayn organized all the paperwork, pictures, and plans up for Louis to go over one more time. They sat at the table, Zayn making fresh cups of tea when Louis ran out, and Louis biting his nails while he agonized over every detail. Zayn would come back to the table with a steaming cup and push Louis' hand from his mouth with a gentle warning look. Louis would huff and pick up the cup instead. 

When Louis put the papers down and closed his eyes, Zayn watched with patient expectation. Louis opened his eyes again a few minutes later with a smile. "I'm ready."

"I know you are."

Zayn put all the work back into the folders they came from and then into Louis' bag, choice weapons on top. Louis was yawning already, eyes getting heavy. Zayn pulled Louis' chair out and tugged him towards the bed. Louis went gently, snuggling into Zayn's side as Zayn changed into sleep pants. Zayn handed Louis his own but Louis shook his head and just pealed off the clothing he was wearing. He flopped on the bed in just his skin. Zayn chuckled and joined him, pulling the covers over them both and holding Louis close to him. Louis always needed this the day before a mission. This protection, this release of control. And Zayn was lucky enough that Louis let him be the one to give it to him. 

Tomorrow would be completely different. Louis would be hard and strong and bold. Seamless. Flawless. Precise. Everything it took to kill with perfection. Zayn always hated seeing Louis like that. He loved this time, right now, the most. When Louis became this almost machine-person, it killed Zayn. Knowing what Louis had to do. The images he'd live with forever. Zayn did everything in his power to make it easier. Some teams didn't mind killing the extras if they got in the way, but Zayn made sure there was only one kill on every mission, the target. He got Louis in and out as fast as possible so he could get away from what he'd just done. 

Louis was smart and cunning but also soft and warm. Zayn prefered the latter.