"Even Steven"~ for the Short Affair Challenge

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Challenge: The Short Affair

-Prompt Word #2 – Flutter

-Prompt Colour – Green

Author: mrua7

Title: Even Steven

Word Count 550

The day was hot, very hot and somewhere about ninety degrees. A merciful breeze would flutter now and then, offering some respite, that and being in the shade. Despite the awful heat, it was time to get ready for the annual agent evaluations, so some extra training was in order.

Illya Kuryakin relaxed with his legs crossed beneath a large green oak tree in Central park, leaning back against the aged trunk with his hands crossed behind his head.

His partner appeared as if on cue, with his grey tee-shirt and shorts soaked from perspiration, and panting from his early morning jog. It was one of the rare occasions Napoleon Solo could be seen sweating, as somehow he never seemed to do it, even while on assignment in the hottest of locations; something Kuryakin often found unnerving.

“How did you finish before me?” Solo huffed and puffed.

Illya reached out, offering him a canteen filled with water.

“I run faster than you.”

Solo squinted at the man, suspicious of his answer.

“I know that, but I never saw you once on the trail, and hey...you’re clothes aren’t even damp.”

“Your powers of observation never cease to amaze me,” Illya calmly said.

“You cheated, didn’t you?” Napoleon flopped down on the ground beside the Russian.

“Ahh, how astute of you to notice.”

“Why you!” Napoleon lurched at Kuryakin, barely missing him. Solo took off after Illya as he jumped to his feet, running after him, but slowed to a stop once his Russian partner was out of sight.

“Ha! Got you to run after all tovarisch.”

“Only as far as it took me to circle back,” Illya’s voice came from above. He was now sitting with his legs dangling from a heavy limb in the oak tree.

“How…?” Napoleon scratched his head.” Never mind. Coming down?”

“I was not planning on it,” Illya smirked,”at least not until you are gone.”

“Stay there then. Just remember pal I have the canteen.” Napoleon took a long swig from it.

“Chyort!” He heard Illya swear under his breath. Kuryakin slipped down to the ground, looking sheepishly at his partner.

“Okay then Mister, time to shake a leg and get going," Napoleon grinned. "The sooner you do, the sooner we’ll be done and you can have some water and most importantly take a nice cold shower. And if you cooperate, I’ll treat you to lunch at Sardi’s.”

“Napoleon, you are too good to me. I pull a prank on you and you offer to take me to lunch; I am undeserving of your kindness.”

Solo knelt, tying his partner’s open shoelace. “To tell you the truth, I have an ulterior motive, at least for going to Sardi’s. There’s this cute waitress there…”

It was Illya’s turn to lurch at Solo.”Why you!” Though he did laugh until something very unexpected happened. Illya let out a loud grunt and he stumbled to the ground, still beneath the tree.

Napoleon took off at an easy jog, leaving his partner lying flat on his face, having surreptitiously tied the Russian’s shoe laces together.

“Even Steven!” Solo called back.

“Who is Steven?” Illya yelled as he tried to sit up...

Comments

[otherhawk.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was fun, thank you. Loved the image of Illya hiding up the tree. And even more the shoelaces!

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

Napoleon is portrayed as a bit of a mischievous character, though Illya tries to get one over on him from time to time, not always successful. Always a bit of one-upmanship and competitiveness evident on the show, so this seemed the perfect circumstance for it.

Thanks so much for reading and commenting.