Work Text:
Beep!
Walker sprung awake at the alert on his phone. There were only a few people he had allowed through his sleep mode for his phone. He glanced at the message and swore.
That was Three's sign-off key. God fucking damnit. He was trying to sleep. Walker knew for a fact that the man had both tracked him down and knew the local time. Maybe he was going through another 'waking up the murderous assassin' kick. The sleep deprivation experiment was still infamous in the Scorpia rumor mill. He rubbed his eyes and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. It was coded because of course it was. This was the kind of crap that Alex would enjoy doing at two in the morning.
It took him two full hours to decode the stupid fucking message. Walker didn't feel any better having decoded it.
Recruit Alex Rider. Properly, this time.
Aw, fuck him. Walker was just starting to enjoy the sort-of vacation at Alex's house. He didn't technically have to be in an office. Or have regular hours. That was the thing about managing assets. You got woken up a shitton, but it was rarely being stuck in a cube all fucking day. The paperwork was still monstrous.
Bang!
Alex walked in looking very sleepy. Walker had just burned all of his paper notes, thankfully. "I smelled smoke."
Right. That had been a fucking dumbass move. He should have just used Alex's shredder. "Sorry. I kinda forgot that I probably shouldn't burn random pieces of paper here."
Alex snorted. Walker huffed.
"Just let me know when you're going to do that next time. I thought someone might have broken in and set my house on fire."
Walker leaned back into the desk. Alex was fucking adorable. He looked so very, painfully, young. "Nah. Just me having a dumbass moment."
Alex walked over and touched his shoulder. Walker looked up at him. "Go back to bed."
Walker felt a stab of guilt. Adults who got themselves mixed up in shit were one thing. Alex was a kid. A kid who trusted him. His guts twisted slightly. "Eh, I was about to."
Alex rolled his eyes and walked out. Walker exhaled. Shit. He did not want this job. Fuuuuck. It was going to be a long night.
Walker got up the next morning with a sigh. He felt like shit.
"Good morning."
Alex was standing in the kitchen with breakfast and freshly brewed coffee. Walker dropped into the nearest chair. "I love you."
Alex grinned at him. Walker bit into the first bite of hot delicious scrambled eggs. "You should save that for after the first date, Walker. This is why you can't keep a significant other."
Walker choked on his eggs. He managed to wheeze the food blob out of his lung. "You're a shit."
Alex sat in the chair next to him with a plate. Walker felt the grin appearing on his face. "The whiplash, Walker. How am I supposed to feel emotionally secure?"
Walker cuffed him and continued eating his breakfast. The coffee was liquid gold. "I'm sure you'll manage. After all, MI6 only recruits the most resilient and emotionally stable of people. It says so on their website and everything."
Alex had bolted down his breakfast even faster than Walker. The kid burst out laughing. "Is that what they keep telling everyone?"
Walker flicked over to the website on his phone. "Yup."
Alex stared at the website. And kept reading. "This is such bullshit."
Walker swiped his phone back. Too long and Alex would chance upon something he probably shouldn't see. For some reason, his coworkers kept sending him pictures of grotesquely mutilated dead bodies. "I'm sure it's a bit truer for their adult agents."
Alex gave him the poutiest look known to man. Walker felt his stomach twist a little bit more. Fucking hell. This was both the easiest and hardest thing he'd ever done. The phone buzzed. Ah, Three was sending him the death threat that went with failing this assignment too badly.
"Are you okay?"
Walker realized that he was shaking ever so slightly. Surely Alex had to be a bit suspicious by now. "Yeah. Just. Work stuff."
Alex hugged him. Walker felt the tremors shudder through him before melting into the warmth. "You'll do fine."
Walker wanted to throw up. Or cry. He wasn't sure which one. "Yeah. Or I'll be dead."
Alex patted him on the back. Walker returned the hug before pulling away. Alex instantly released him. "Try to relax?"
Walker felt a slightly manic laugh come out of him. He was fucked. That was all. "I'm going to take a shower. Try not to die or get kidnapped or whatever it is you usually do before MI6 missions."
Alex rolled his eyes. Walker was going to choose to ignore that. He reeked and it wasn't even noon yet. Probably the stress. He stepped into the shower as his breathing began to quicken. Why did Alex have to be so nice to him? This would be much easier if he was even a little bit bratty. But, noooo. The universe decided to hate him. Motherfucker made him fucking breakfast. Nobody fucking made him breakfast unless they were getting paid.
Maybe if he threw money at him? The Brendan Chase strategy might work. Just throw money at the operatives until you feel less guilty about the absolute shit you put them through. Walker let out a sigh and shut off the shower.
He opened the shower curtain to find his clothes freshly washed in front of him. Great. Now, he wanted to puke again. There was also a cute little shower basket that Walker would guess was meant for a woman originally. "Bubble bath?!"
Alex's angelic expression was going to drive him up the wall. The kid did seem sincere. "Jack's allergic and it's supposed to be relaxing."
Walker was tempted to facepalm. He wasn't going to ask where Jack was. It sounded like it might be a tough subject. She hadn't shown up in the time he was here. Right, bubble bath. "Uh, thanks?"
Alex beamed at him. "You're welcome."
Right, he was supposed to be chucking money at the child. Thankfully, London was fucking expensive. And he could expense it to the Scorpia account. "Do you want to do something tonight? It's not like I have anyone else to spend money on."
Alex looked at him quizzically. "Do you have a price range?"
Walker gave him a look. "I make Scorpia money."
Alex looked at him hopefully. "Sushi and a play at the West End?"
Walker wouldn't miss the money. And Three was going to foot that bill anyway. "You're an expensive bitch, but sure."
Alex snorted and gave an exaggerated flounce. "I'll see you at dinner."
Walker rolled his eyes and continued drying off. He felt a little bit better about this. Maybe Chase was on to something.
Fin