towrcstle.

    “ i didn’t mean it like that, and you know it, ” oh, how childish and petulant she sounds right this moment, and the fact that she’s straining to look up at him underlines that significantly. ( she’s never hated their height difference as much as she does right now. rather hard to pin people with her glare if she’s looking from the bottom up, dripping wet and shivering in his clothes.  ) 

    her arms cross, mirroring his gesture, and even though she wants to punch him or slap him or k     no, no, not the time for that     all that comes out from her pale lips is this:

   “ you can rationalise it like that all you want. all it comes across to me is that you don’t think i can handle myself, ” and that you don’t think i can do this job, the last part dies before the words leave her, a split second decision to keep from exposing far too much of herself to him ( again ). 

   “ i’m not some fragile matryoshka doll that’ll shatter at the slightest hit. so stop acting like it. ”

        for a long moment, illya is silent, cyan eyes squinting as he looks the brunette over with careful examination. he wonders if she realizes just why it is he wouldn’t DARE let anything happen to her. hell, he wonders if he even understands himself. illya wants her safe and in one piece, wants to take CARE of her in any way he can. but the agent knows that to some extent, she’s right.

       in his haste to watch out for gaby, he could be wasting time or compromising the assignment. and the last thing illya wants is for his partner to feel insignificant. she is strong and incredibly CAPABLE—he should let her put it to USE. but at the same time, he hates that it’s such a risk. not being in control of the situation, even just thinking of what the worst could be if gaby was injured fatally in a fight, how much he’d LOATHE himself for being unable to prevent it—it’s enough to make his hands tremble.