section7mfu | Realization, Part II (Reply)

Realization, Part I

Napoleon was lying in Medical Saturday morning trying to pretend he was somewhere, anywhere else. He had been poked and prodded every three hours for four days now and was more than a little sick of it. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed!, he thought for the hundredth time. He glanced at the wall clock. 8:30; Illya should be here soon.

Fifteen minutes later, his partner came into the room carrying a Styrofoam cup of coffee. “Mother of God, Illya! You look like shit on a shingle! What happened to you?”

The Russian adjusted his sunglasses as he plopped down into the chair next to the bed. “Please, Napoleon, do not shout. I assure you, I can hear you.”

“How much vodka did you drink last night? And why?”

Illya sipped his coffee slowly. “Almost two bottles. And because April is seeing another man.”

Napoleon pushed the button that raised him into a sitting position. “I don’t believe it! I mean, about April. I totally believe the two bottles of vodka. How do you know she’s seeing someone else?”

The Russian shifted in his seat. “I saw them together. Last night leaving her building. They looked…very happy together.”

Napoleon saw Illya clamp down on his emotions. Anyone else would have missed it, but he saw. It hurt him to see his partner suffer in this way. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, the door to his room swung open and April entered.

“Hello, Napoleon Darling! I heard it through the grapevine that you were in Medical. I came to see how you’re feeling. And, Illya, Sweetheart; you should have called me!”

“April.”

If she heard the coolness in his voice, she ignored it. “I wish I had known you were in town! Mark and I returned yesterday and I was able to see my favorite cousin Dash who was here on a long layover between flights. I would have loved for you to meet him.”

Illya removed his shades and turned surprised eyes on her. “Your…cousin?”

“Yes! Dash Dancer. Dashiell, actually. His parents were huge fans of Dashiell Hammett, the author. Anyway, he was in town for about ten hours yesterday. We had a blast! I took him to that restaurant that you and I went to, Illya. He loved it.” Just then, her communicator began to chirp. “Dancer. Hey, Mark. Alright, I’m on my way.” She disassembled her device and put it back in her purse. “I have to run; Waverly wants to see me and Mark. We’ll be heading back out of town for a few days. Goodbye, Darling,” she said to Napoleon as she kissed his cheek. “Feel better.” She turned to Illya and kissed him softly on the mouth. “I will definitely speak to you as soon as I can.” She turned and headed out of the room.

After a few seconds, Napoleon said, “See? You were worried for nothing; the man you saw is her cousin. You’re the only man she’s interested in seeing.” He watched as his partner looked around the room and then at the floor as he continued to sip his coffee. He frowned. “That’s good to know, isn’t it? Illya? What are you thinking?”

The blond sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. “Do you not see, Napoleon? I saw her with another man and leapt to the wrong conclusion. I acted like a hurt, jealous fool yesterday. I followed them. I followed them!” He stood and began to pace slowly. “I cannot believe I did that! This cannot continue; my feelings for April have become way too strong. If she had not come in here to visit you, I would have continued to act like a lovesick puppy. As much as I care for her, I have to scale back on my feelings. I have no choice.”

Napoleon shook his head. “You make it sound like you can just flip a switch and poof! Your feelings for her will be changed. I’ll support whatever you decide to do, Partner, but let me say something here. You and I are one hundred and eighty degrees apart when it comes to love and romance. I don’t do commitment. The only woman I’ve dated more than three times is Angelique and there’s certainly no love there. My thought is the best way to get over a woman is to get on top of another one as soon as possible. That’s not you. You wouldn’t see anyone if you stopped seeing her. You would be punishing yourself and April for no good reason.”

“’No good reason’? It is dangerous for people in our profession to feel this strongly about anyone. It creates a weakness that can be exploited.”

Napoleon leaned his head back and sighed. He was getting stronger, but he was feeling tired. This stubborn Russian is making me tired! He pushed the button to lower the bed. “I’m going to take a nap. Let me ask you a question: Do you love me, Illya?”

“You know I do.”

“I do know. Despite how dangerous it is, you love me. You couldn’t help yourself!” He laughed to lighten the mood. “I also know you didn’t mean to fall in love with April, but you did. Again, you couldn’t help yourself. Deal with it. Tell her how you feel and deal with it.”

Illya was suddenly feeling very hung over. “I am staying here until you fall asleep and then, I am going home. I will come back later with some real food for dinner.”

“Bless you, my son,” Napoleon grinned before yawning loudly and settling in for his nap. “I’ll see you later.” He smiled again as he felt Illya pat his leg and heard him sit back in the chair. A few minutes later, he was sound asleep.

Illya noticed his partner’s breathing deepen and sat a few moments longer to see if he might reawaken. He finally stood quietly and walked to the door. I will think about what you have said.