A/N
Hi, everyone! This story has chapter-to-chapter one shots focused mostly on Illya/Gabby's relationship. I'm following prompts that were posted on .com but I will also be taking prompts both in the comments and through PM. Hope you Enjoy!
Roommate AU where person A find something in their bed (something they're scared of, spiders for example) and can't sleep in it anymore so they go to person B to sleep with them. Whether B is reluctant or not to let A sleep with them is up to you, but bonus if they're not together yet.
Gaby winced as she stretched the muscles out in her back. It had been a long day for UNCLE and she was glad to be back in her chic hotel room. She and Illya were posing as a couple again, this time married, and so shared a room quite similar to the suite they had in Rome. It wasn't big, but Illya didn't have to duck through doorways and Gabby was pleasantly surprised to find that the bathroom boasted both a shower stall and a bathtub, so there wasn't much to complain sat almost motionless, staring at the chess board in front of him and occasionally reaching out to move one piece or the other. A few weeks earlier, Illya had offered to teach Gabby how to play. After 10 games in almost as many minutes, a red-faced and impatient Gabby had stormed off leaving a trail of German curse words behind her; since then, chess had been a solitary activity.
Illya sat almost motionless, staring at the chess board in front of him and occasionally reaching out to move one piece or the other. A few weeks earlier, Illya had offered to teach Gabby how to play. After 10 games in almost as many minutes, a red-faced and impatient Gabby had stormed off leaving a trail of German curse words behind her; since then, chess had been a solitary activity. Gabby stretched her arms over her head, then behind her back, trying to work out the soreness from the day. They had gotten the evidence they needed relatively easy, Gabby serving as a honeypot while an agitated Illya and a bemused Solo snuck into their mark's office and snapped pictures of the files they needed. After a quick pull of the fire alarm, all three were able to escape undetected.
Gabby stretched her arms over her head, then behind her back, trying to work out the soreness from the day. They had gotten the evidence they needed relatively easy, Gabby serving as a honeypot while an agitated Illya and a bemused Solo snuck into their mark's office and snapped pictures of the files they needed. After a quick pull of the fire alarm, all three were able to escape undetected. A yawn forced Gabby's eyes closed as her hand went to cover her mouth."Going to bed, Chop Shop?" Illya asked, using an affectionate nickname he had for her while not looking up from his game.
"Going to bed, Chop Shop?" Illya asked, using an affectionate nickname he had for her while not looking up from his game.
"Yes, long day." Illya nodded absently and moved his white queen to take a rook from the other side. Chess was soothing to him. The game was easy to learn but hard to master and required patience and dedication. It helped him learn to calm his mind and see every possible outcome which was helpful in everyday life, especially when he flew into one of his rages. It hadn't slipped past either Illya or Solo that they happened less and less often the more time he spent with Gabby. Without warning, a blood-curdling scream came from the bedroom. Illya flew out of his chair, grabbing his gun from a side table, and rushed to Gabby, his chess game all but forgotten. Banging the bedroom door open, Illya took a quick sweep of the room and saw nothing out of the ordinary aside from Gabby standing with her hands over her mouth, white as a sheet, and huddled next to the bathroom door. Glancing at the windows one last time and slipping his gun into his pocket, Illya hurried over to her side and kneeled next to her, placing his large hands on her small shoulders.
Without warning, a blood-curdling scream came from the bedroom. Illya flew out of his chair, grabbing his gun from a side table, and rushed to Gabby, his chess game all but forgotten. Banging the bedroom door open, Illya took a quick sweep of the room and saw nothing out of the ordinary aside from Gabby standing with her hands over her mouth, white as a sheet, and huddled next to the bathroom door. Glancing at the windows one last time and slipping his gun into his pocket, Illya hurried over to her side and kneeled next to her, placing his large hands on her small shoulders. "Gabby, what is it?" he searched her face and looked her up and down checking for injuries. "What's wrong?" Slowly, Gabby moved her hands from her mouth and silently pointed to the bed that she had claimed next to the window. The sheets were in disarray as if she had suddenly leaped from it. He was about to question her further when a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention; there was something in Gabby's bed.
"Gabby, what is it?" he searched her face and looked her up and down checking for injuries. "What's wrong?" Slowly, Gabby moved her hands from her mouth and silently pointed to the bed that she had claimed next to the window. The sheets were in disarray as if she had suddenly leaped from it. He was about to question her further when a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention; there was something in Gabby's bed.
Illya crept towards the mattress, a hand resting on his side ready to pull out his gun if necessary. Gabby, the color starting to return to her face, followed closely behind him, poking her head around his shoulder to see what was happening. He glanced back at her and she nodded. Illya yanked the sheet away and there, curled up at the foot of her bed, was a green garden snake no more than a foot in length. Its head moved up and glanced between Illya and Gabby curiously before settling back down in the crevice it had made for itself. "A snake?" Gabby whispered, afraid to break the silence and startle it. She had never seen a snake in person before. Working in a garage in East Berlin, she had seen her fair share of sewer rats and all kinds of wiggly bugs that would send other girls screaming, but snakes didn't frequent the German city's streets. Illya looked just as confused as Gabby felt.
"A snake?" Gabby whispered, afraid to break the silence and startle it. She had never seen a snake in person before. Working in a garage in East Berlin, she had seen her fair share of sewer rats and all kinds of wiggly bugs that would send other girls screaming, but snakes didn't frequent the German city's streets. Illya looked just as confused as Gabby felt. "It is definitely a snake," Illya commented, frowning. Gabby glanced at him, bemused.
"It is definitely a snake," Illya commented, frowning. Gabby glanced at him, bemused.
"What's it doing here? And more importantly, why is it in my bed?" Illya shook his head as if to clear his thoughts and stood up straight again. Gabby hadn't moved from her position a few inches behind the Russian.
"I do not know." Illya finally said.
"Well, is it venomous?" she asked glancing worriedly at the snake again thinking that if she looked away for even a second, it would fling itself at her.
"I do not think so. But I should call concierge, let him know we have unwelcome guest." Illya started towards the living room but Gabby reached out and grabbed the back of his sweater with both hands.
"We can't just leave it here! What if it moves?" Illya glanced at the lethargic snake who seemed to be quite cozy in its bed near the radiator.
"Then you stay here and watch it and I will call concierge." He started towards the door again, but Gabby was unrelenting.
"But-" she paused looking again at the garden snake.
"Yes?"
"But," Gabby started again but stopped to gnaw worriedly at her bottom lip. Illya seemed to sense her nervousness and didn't press further.
"What if you call and I watch our green friend, yes?" Gabby slowly released her death-grip on Illya's sweater and could hear Gabby talking in low tones in the other room as he sat down on the other bed, keeping one eye on the snake. It hadn't moved since Illya had disturbed it, other than to move closer to the radiator; it was probably cold. Illya remembered that snakes were cold-blooded and needed an outside source for warmth. Gabby's bed was stationed in a perfect spot sitting closest to the heater and the window where it more than likely entered from. The more he thought about it, the more amusing the snake became to him. It hadn't done anything wrong except scare poor Gabby when her unclothed foot touched it as she climbed into bed. It didn't seem worried or even fazed at all when Illya ripped its world out from around him. Even now, as Illya watched it with interest, it kept its own eyes on the Russian not out of fear but avid curiosity.
Illya could hear Gabby talking in low tones in the other room as he sat down on the other bed, keeping one eye on the snake. It hadn't moved since Illya had disturbed it, other than to move closer to the radiator; it was probably cold. Illya remembered that snakes were cold-blooded and needed an outside source for warmth. Gabby's bed was stationed in a perfect spot sitting closest to the heater and the window where it more than likely entered from. The more he thought about it, the more amusing the snake became to him. It hadn't done anything wrong except scare poor Gabby when her unclothed foot touched it as she climbed into bed. It didn't seem worried or even fazed at all when Illya ripped its world out from around him. Even now, as Illya watched it with interest, it kept its own eyes on the Russian not out of fear but avid curiosity. Gabby walked into the bedroom with a glass of clear liquid, vodka, Illya mused, in one hand and an annoyed expression crossing her face.
Gabby walked into the bedroom with a glass of clear liquid, vodka, Illya mused, in one hand and an annoyed expression crossing her face.
"He says no one can come get it until tomorrow. We have to leave it here until animal control opens again." She took a large gulp from her glass and glanced back at her bed.
"Did it move?"
"No," Illya said, standing up and stretching. "I think it fell asleep." He walked to the other end of the room, taking Gabby's nearly empty glass from her and placing it on his dresser. She made a noise of annoyance but made no move to take it back, her eyes still fixed on the snake.
"That is enough for tonight, I think," Illya commented. "You may sleep in other bed, I'll take couch." He opened the drawer and pulled out his nightshirt and pants, and walked towards the bathroom.
"No," Gabby said, eyeing the snake distastefully. "You take your bed; I'll sleep in the other room." Illya looked at her but shrugged and closed the door behind him. If Gabby wanted to be far away from their new friend, he wasn't going to stop her.
Twenty minutes later, Illya emerged from the bathroom, showered and dressed for bed. He poked his head out the bedroom door and saw Gabby sound asleep on the living room couch, breathing heavily. The radio was on, playing news stories in a foreign language he didn't know but supposed Gabby didn't either. He rubbed a towel across the back of his neck to wipe up stray water droplets from his hair as he walked back to Gabby's bed and looked down at the snake. It hadn't moved from its spot at the foot of Gabby's bed.
Illya folded the towel and placed it on a rack in the bathroom before climbing into his own bed and turning off the lights. He was just drifting off when a sound coming from the living room caught his attention; Gabby had wandered back into the bedroom and, keeping one eye on her occupied bed, walked around to the furthest side of Illya's and pushed his shoulder in a silent attempt to move him over.
"The snake has not moved, Chop Shop," Illya said, not unkindly. "It won't bother you tonight. Go back to sleep."
"I know," Gabby said impatiently. "But I'm cold and the couch is too small so I'm sharing with you." She stated and pushed his shoulder once more. Under any normal circumstances, Illya would have protested and encouraged her to take the bed and he would move to the living room but since Rome, things hadn't exactly been normal between them. They towed the line between teammate and romantic relationship quite frequently, and they both seemed unable to remember what was appropriate and what wasn't.
Yawning, Illya moved over and pulled the blankets up in silent acquiescence and Gabby smiled. She buried herself up to her neck under Illya's sheets and rolled to her side, her back facing Illya.
"Thank you." She murmured into her pillow, quiet enough that Illya wasn't entirely sure she had said anything at all. Her breathing slowed and within a few minutes she was asleep again. He shifted into a comfortable position slowly, careful not to let a hand or a leg brush up against her. It was in vain however for as soon as he found a comfortable position and let his eyes close once more, Gabby mumbled something in her sleep and let her arm smack across Illya's face.
"Oohf!" He groaned and reached up to remove her hand, trying not to chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. Trying to fit all 6'5" of an ex-KGB agent onto a hotel bed was one thing, but adding someone even as small as Gabby made him think that the bed would break for sure.
Illya smiled slightly and pressed his lips against the back of Gabby's hand before placing it gently on her side.
"Goodnight, Little Chop Shop Girl."