Chapter Text
Leo felt absolutely ready for the day ahead. After the boss had assigned him and Miller to a proper field mission, he felt genuinely useful. Sure, he was only Miller's assistant, but that didn't make it any less significant.
They entered the venue. "I'm going to mingle with the guests, blend in," Miller announced.
"Should I mingle too, Sir?" Leo wanted to know.
"You check the roof," his superior commanded.
Leo gave a sharp nod and immediately headed towards the lifts. In his suit, he wouldn't look out of place up there.
It did irk him a tiny bit that Miller was sending him to the roof. They had already checked early on before the event to ensure everything was secure. No one would manage to breach the security systems that easily. Miller probably just didn't want him around while he went hunting for women again. Sighing inwardly, Leo waited for the lift.
When the doors opened with a soft chime, he stepped inside and pressed the button for the top floor. After just one floor, the lift came to a halt again. A man with short, slightly messy brown hair stepped in and leaned casually against the wall. He pressed the button for the fifth floor and stood directly opposite Leo. He studied him with interest. Leo gave him a brief, forced smile and then looked down at his shoes to avoid the intense gaze. The lift set off again.
"Nice bow tie," the observer's voice suddenly rang out. Leo's gaze flicked back up. The stranger was still leaning against the wall, his suit sitting just as loosely as his posture. His grey-blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Leo.
"It serves its purpose," Leo replied curtly.
The lift was just passing the fourth floor when it suddenly shuddered violently. Leo gripped the handrail behind him. The shuddering turned into an abrupt halt. The lift was stuck. Brilliant. Leo's gaze drifted silently to the man.
"Well then..." The stranger nodded towards the panel of buttons right next to Leo.
"I'll press the emergency button then," Leo said dutifully and did exactly that.
A knowing smile crept onto the brown-haired man's lips. Unsettled, Leo looked down at himself. Have I done something wrong? he wondered to himself. This only seemed to amuse the stranger even more. He crossed his arms, his eyes still locked on Leo with a grin.
Leo didn't want to be rude, so he offered a weak smile back. "I'm sure someone will answer in a moment," he added.
"Oh, I've got all the time in the world," the brown-haired man said. "Especially when I'm in such good company."
Leo let out a quiet breath. "Uh... thank you." He simply didn't know how else to respond to the stranger's odd remarks. Impatently, he stared at the intercom and hit the emergency button once more. Nothing happened.
"Must be proper busy today," the stranger remarked, amused.
Leo wasn't claustrophobic, but he didn't feel particularly comfortable in the tiny cabin either. Growing slightly desperate, he tried pressing the button two more times.
"A shame about that lovely neck," the brown-haired man's voice chimed in again. His eyes were still firmly fixed on Leo.
Leo looked even more bewildered now. "Pardon?"
The stranger slid his hands into his trouser pockets. "A shame about that lovely neck, I said." He took a step closer. "Your bow tie is done up so tight, you can barely breathe."
Heat rushed into Leo's face. The bloke was right. The bow tie really did feel like it was choking him right now, but he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing it. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you for your concern." Now it was Leo who crossed his arms and pressed his lips together. He just wanted to get out of here.
The stranger raised his hands in mock apology. "Sorry, it was meant as a compliment."
Leo didn't even acknowledge it, forcing himself to look anywhere else. Why did he have to get stuck in a lift with a creep of all people? Mind you, he didn't actually look like a creep. Despite the relaxed fit of his suit, he wore an expensive watch, and a heavy, sophisticated cologne had now filled the small cabin. He was likely a guest at the event -just not a particularly polite one, Leo decided.
He could still feel the stare burning against his skin and was just about to ask the man to stop when the lift jolted back into motion. He let out a sigh of relief.
The stranger moved a few steps towards the door and turned around one last time. "Pity. I quite fancied the view." He gave Leo a quick wink and turned to the doors, which slid open a moment later. Without hesitating or looking back, he walked out with confident strides.
Perplexed, Leo's gaze remained glued to the closing doors. He suddenly felt even hotter than before.