section7mfu | "A gift horse" for the Impromptu Horse Challenge.

This is horse-related but not the way you'd expect. Posting just to get this impromptu challenge off to a start... Thanks to Laurose for the prompt.

"A Gift Horse"

It was a sweltering summer night, with the temperature somewhere in the nineties...which meant it felt even hotter because of the high in humidity.

It was weather such at this that Illya Kuryakin found almost torturous. His Slavic blood preferred it much cooler but alas, coolness was not in the cards for him.

He sat on his fire escaped dressed only in a pair of black gym shorts, a cigarette balanced motionless between his fingers.

The ash had burned quite long and was hanging there. Finally he moved, tapping the butt with his finger, sending the ash fluttering away in the hot breeze.

He swore the city was noisier than usual tonight, perhaps it was the atmospheric pressure affecting the acoustics….after all, the speed of sound in air varies depending on several factors, including humidity.

He took a drag on his cigarette, exhaling the smoke slowly, watching it dissipate in the moisture laden air.

There was a meteor shower tonight; the Perseids were supposed to peak but with the cloud cover and the lights from the city, that would make them difficult to see.

“Illya?” Napoleon called from the fire escape outside his bedroom window; his apartment was on the floor above Kuryakin’s.

“You are back so soon? How did it go?” Illya answered with the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

“A success, data retrieved with minimal collateral damage. How you feeling?”

“Fine as always.”

“Liar. Doctor Green filled me in on your condition. I’m surprised he released you to come home.”

“Then why did you ask?”

“Just curious as to what you’d say. So how did you get out of jail this time?”

“I pissed off the nursing staff, so much so that they begged the good doctor to release me. I was given the usual caveat of not doing anything and to take it easy...which is what I am doing.” He finally snuffed out his cigarette on the grating of the fire escape and tossed the butt over the railing.

Napoleon climbed down the escape to join him. He was surprised at how Illya looked. The Russian was wet with perspiration, his blond hair slicked back on his head.

“Are you sure you’re all right, you don’t look so good.” Napoleon had two bottles of Rheingold beer with him, but hesitated giving one to his partner.

“Just hot, now are you going to share that beer or not?”

Napoleon smiled, handing over the bottle.

They tapped the necks as they toasted.

“Budem zdorovy!” Ilya said in Russian.

“No, tovarisch not ours... to your health. Tell you what, I have a clear expense account and don’t look so surprised. We’re going to the Hilton and get you into an air conditioned room. I think that will help with your recovery. And we’ll get the house masseuse to give you a nice relaxing massage.”

“No thank you Napoleon. You are always in enough trouble with your expenses. I will not be the cause of further problems for you with Mr. Waverly and Accounting.”

“It won’t go on my expense account which we’ll use for dinner...I sort of have a comped room waiting there for me.”

Illya raised an eyebrow.”And how exactly did you manage that? The Hilton just opened in June, and here it is August. It strikes me as not being your style with its slab like appearance. You are more a Waldorf-Astoria, Plaza or a Pierre man; why the shift from the gracious and luxurious to the utterly functional.”

“True, but free is free. Hey, wait...how do you know what the Hilton is like? You’ve been to there?”

Illya ignored him.“And how did you manage said free accommodations as the newest hotel in New York city?”

“My friend Marcy is the assistant to the head of personnel.”

“Oh you mean the Marcy with the big…”Illya held out his hands to the front of his chest.

“Exactly.”Napoleon grinned before finishing his beer.

“Will she not be upset that it is not you using the room?”

“Not at all, she’s a very understanding girl.”

“Yes she is…” Illya mumbled.

“Wait, you know Marcy?”

“She gets around,” Illya rather blandly.

“I guess so,” Napoleon winced.” However, my offer is still good; do you want the room or not?”

Kuryakin wiped his brow with his forearm. “I accept, but do not tell Marcy the room is for me.”

“Oh did things not end well with her?”

“Not exactly. She has just been pestering me to go out with her again and well, I prefer a woman to be a bit more old fashioned, and not so ...liberated.”

“Liberated enough to go to bed with you though.”

“Napoleon a gentleman does not say.”

“Why did I think you were going to say that? Fair enough, go take a quick shower and put on some clothes. Bring some extra clothes with you too. I’ll swing by the hotel in the morning and take you out for breakfast.”

“Napoleon that is not necessary…”

“Illya will you just shut up for once and not look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Kuryakin laughed,“That is Russian saying...Vsegda zaglyadyvayte v zuby daronomu konyu. Always look in teeth of gift horse. We Russians have been raised to always be suspicious.”

“Illya, yes or no. Take it or leave it.”

“All right, I accept.”

“Why do you always have to be so difficult.”

“It is a Russian thing,” Illya snickered.