Replies (amara) - Tumblr Posts

"I'm not the woman you're looking for. I was cleared of that months ago, go bother someone else if you're stirring up trouble."

Amara knew she was being followed. One bad decision for taking one rough job was beginning to turn in to a lifestyle change and suddenly she found herself always looking over her shoulder.

She was still new at all of this. But she wasn't naieve, and knew right away that someone was watching. Rather than play innocent, or get violent, she turned around and confronted the person.

"What do you want?"

@warsinmyhead // starter from amara

"You have to go? Now?" Amara wouldn't let them. Who cared about work. She was ready to quit her job to stay with them one more morning without having to worry about the rest of the world -- they could wait. Moments like this where she was able to feel happy, truly happy, were rare, but they were becoming more and more frequent whenever they spent time together.

Amara rolled over so she was laying on top of them, playfully pinning them down so they couldn't go anywhere. "And what if I don't let you go to work?" she asked, holding firm in her position with the surprising amount of strength she hid so they couldn't wiggle free. "So you're a little late. Stay here a bit longer. With me," she added, the final words holding a bit more weight to them.

@n0chanxes // starter from Amara

Amara still didn't let him go. Her grip softened at the softness of his kiss, feeling like she could melt in to that touch. His even softer whisper had her grinning, leaning down to kiss him a few more times. Her hands released the grip she had on him to push back his hair instead, the kisses not leading to anything, but enjoying the closeness.

"Stay," she tried again, though there was less fight in her voice. Rather than straddling his middle, Amara sunk down so she was laying on top of him with her arms circling behind his neck not to leave any space between them. She didn't have to be at work for hours -- actually, she didn't know if she was even still employed at her desk job anymore and she didn't care. So long as she wasn't late to her evening job that actually paid the bills. Amara was getting tired of pretending her double life. The only peace she found was with Sky.

She bent down again, nuzzling her nose against his cheek seeking out his comfort, scared that if he left the light she felt with him would be gone again. "I'm not ready to share you with your father yet." There was less fight in her voice, getting closer to accepting reality.

It was an odd thing... waking up smiling. It was a rarity, to be sure, and something that was unheard of before now. Before her. His loft always felt cold, even on the warmest summer mornings, a the weight of the day heavy on his chest in spite of the light of the morning sun. But now? In these little snippets of time where they could meet, mornings actually felt... good.

"You say that like its not already 7:30. Being late for work is much, much more intense when the CEO is your father." Sky chuckled softly, the sound continuing to fall from his lips as he was very easily pinned to his own bed, gazing up at such a lovely sight. Even as he laughed, the moment had his heart racing, cheeks flushing a shade or two darker at the hold, at those words.

The easy, thoughtless warmth of it all had him thoughtless for a precious handful of moments. Sky didn't try struggling free, didn't have many more thoughts aside from sitting up just a little, just enough for their lips to press into a gentle, full, tender kiss. He let it linger, let it make his heart race and cheeks flush even as he pulled back just enough for lips to brush with a smiling, whispered "Good morning."

Another project. Amara didn't want to think about losing him to work again; last time it happened she'd busiest herself so hard at her evening job that she'd made a mess so big it had taken two weeks to clean up -- whatever involvement she had with the gang was impossible to clear after that.

"Five more minutes." She'd have to take the time she could get. Her head turned, gently pressing her cheek on his chest and staring out at the clock as if it would make those small number of minutes go by slower. She lay there, enjoying their closeness and soaking in all the affection she could before they'd have to inevitably separate and go about their days. Her eyes ended up closing from the comfort of his hold. Then, those minutes were up.

Amara slowly pulled herself from Sky's form, giving him the space he needed to get out of bed so he could get ready. She didn't have to be at her desk job for another few hours, so she was able to roll on the empty side of the bed (neglected most of the night since she'd fallen asleep pressed against him) and pull the blankets back over herself. Sleep wouldn't be coming any time soon, but she was in no rush to get ready.

"Promise me you'll work hard," she said, watching him. Her eyes were wide as she spoke, affection blown in her voice even though she wasn't the soft type to be speaking like that. "But don't over work yourself. I'll wait for you however long it takes...just come back to me when you're done."

As hand's shifted to run through light brown strands, so too did Sky's hands shift, moving to so gently cup warm cheeks and a delicate jaw. A breath of a smile fell so easily from his lips, thumb brushing against the skin at that little, tender whisper and the way it made their lips brush.

And as their hold shifted again, Sky let slender frames lay back against the bed, so that his arms could hold Amara gently close with foreheads and the very tips of their noses brushing. And to think, all of this-- Every moment of warmth, of peace in his life, however rare and sporadic, all from a lost wallet and a dinner request to serve as a thank-you.

"Do you have...any idea.." Sky began, breathing out in a whisper of a chuckle as his right hand moved, caressing over her cheek with the backs of his fingers. His eyes had long since slipped closed, noses nuzzling as he gave a careful head-shake. "How resolve crushingly convincing you are, Amara? Especially with... " Lips pressed into a line as he swallowed and maybe, just maybe, he held her a little tighter.

"With the project starting soon. Not knowing when I'll have free time again?" He glanced over to the clock on his bedside table, to the ticking seconds and minutes. And then he glanced back to her; the woman who made time stop for once. It was impossible not to smile at that as he stole a gentle, warm kiss.

"Five more minutes?"

Amara's eyes lingered on her boyfriend. Was she checking him out? Shamelessly. It reminded her of the fantasies she had when she was younger to have a husband dressed in suits like that, kissing her before going to work -- all those dreams she'd given up a long time ago because it just wasn't possible anymore with the decisions she'd made in the past few years. Sky was beginning to change those dreams again.

"I'll check, I promise," she whispered, stealing one more kiss and letting him leave. Amara was also just as sure she could handle if someone broke in just fine herself. And she'd waited until the door closed behind him before she'd try to relax again, but that door never closed and a second voice followed. Frowning, she sat up and wondered who could possibly be visiting this early in the morning. And why did that voice sound familiar?

Amara peeked her head out of the bedroom to see who it was talking. She couldn't recognize the face, but something about them seemed familiar; she must have seen them before when she visited Sky at work once. Though, she must have still been tired because when those familiar eyes spotted her head sticking out of the door, she wasn't coherent enough to realize she wasn't doing a good enough job hiding.

It seemed rude to continue to hide. Amara tucked her hair behind her head and stepped out. Thankfully the button down she'd stolen from Sky did a good enough job covering her mid thigh, but clearly she'd just spent the night to any stranger. She bowed her head, whispering a quick "good morning," before taking her place beside her boyfriend. "I'm sorry, we weren't...he didn't -- it's early in the morning. He was just about to leave for work."

Sky's eyes went to the same place for a handful of seconds, lingering on the clock as he felt a warm cheek press against his chest. Could she hear it? How much stronger she made his heart beat just by being there? It was that smiling thought that had a furtive gaze falling to the woman in question, watching as fingers ran gently through her hair. His other hand traced idle lines across her back. She'd made his heart... so full in a handfull of months so.. Hopefully she could hear it now, in moments like this. Tender, bittersweet, but no less perfect.

But that time did come eventually, when he had to stand, to ignore how much heavier he felt after Amara was no longer pressed against him. With one heaved sigh, Sky did have to start getting ready. He emerged a few minutes later, washed up and suit clad, walking to the door where his briefcase lay waiting---and he paused. The car wouldn't have been pulled around quite yet... and even if it was? They could wait a few seconds longer.

"I always do" He all but cooed as Sky turned back to the bed and walked over, just so he could lean down and press one more kiss against Amara's cheek, and steal one more tender look before he'd have to steel his gaze. "I work so hard so that I can come back here.. Back to you. The door should lock when I leave but make sure you double check okay?"

It was with that, and one more little kiss, that Sky pulled away and smoothed over his suit, taking his leave. Sky opened that door, but Kim Haneul, Second to the CEO walked out the other side, posture perfect, gaze hiding away it's warmth for something better suited for business.

When the assistant finally left, Amara covered her face with her hands and cringed internally at how that situation unfolded. Not a good way to make a first impression for the heir's girlfriend meeting them half naked at home, then babbling trying to save face. She was usually better handled than that -- she'd never live this down.

"Be careful," she said in a strained voice, but more so out of embarrassment than worry for him. She nodded at the soft kiss and promise to eat something, letting Sky leave and deal with his own work issues while she gave up trying to go back to bed and start her day.

She hated her day job. Half the time Amara didn't show up, and the bosses didn't seem to care. Even she knew she wasn't a good worker and was surprised they kept her as long as they did, staring at a computer and blindly entering numbers at half the speed compared to the rest of her coworkers. All for a crappy paycheck. When her phone buzzed, she answered it too quickly thinking it would be her boyfriend only to find an address, a name, and a picture which meant she had a new target.

Amara sighed. She texted back a promise to her other evening boss to finish the job before nightfall, and peeked over her shoulder at her locker where she kept a change of clothes. No weapons, but she was good enough to do the job without them.

[text: Sky] I might be a little late tonight. Work keeping me.

It was always the first few steps, those first few seconds away from her, towards the man his father wanted him to be that were the hardest. Business was no place for softness, Father had made that... painfully clear throughout Sky's upbringing. So those steps away, to greet his Secretary were spent by Sky trying to push down that warmth, the softness that sat so easily on his lips and in his eyes when he was around her.

Usually he had the whole walk down from the hallway to the car to steel himself. But those 5 extra minutes meant that Chan, his and Father's assistant had taken it upon himself to meet Sky halfway, to ensure he was on the way. Which meant whatever this new project was had to be something pretty important. He stopped and let his head tilt as he listened, having to try and steel himself in half the time he was used to and--- And? Sky blinked, Chan having glanced.. behind him? And with one soft voice and a glance behind him, a hint of that warmth was right back in his eyes....and in his cheeks.

"Ah......" Sky breathed out a soft chuckle, looking back at her . If his eyes traveled over her frame for a few long seconds, what of it? But he blinked back to Chan in light confusion, as the other man mentioned Amara looking.. familiar?

"That...Maybe..." Sky nodded a little, stepping just a bit between Chan and Amara, blinking and nodding as it came to him. "Probably when you visited me that one time a month or so ago?." Seemingly satisfied with that conclusion, Chan went back to wait in the car with a sense of urgency Sky more than understood needed to be replicated. So he breathed out a soft breath, and let it fall from lips pulled into a soft smile.

"I have to go now or I'll get an earful. But.. when I can, I'll text you, okay?" He leaned in, kissing her cheek, caressing the other with a fleeting, furtive touch. "I got breakfast ready in the fridge. Make sure you eat before your shift, okay?"

Amara smiled down at her phone. Even in a crappy situation, he still found a way to make her smile and make her feel adored. That little bit of happiness was gone as her shift closed out and she pulled her bag from her locker, choosing to dress in a random restaurant outside the building hoping not to get noticed.

These missions were getting too easy. Amara remembered how it was in the beginning, how scared she was and how awful she felt, promising she'd never do it again only to take another job. She should've quit while she was still ahead, but now she was too deep in with the gang to walk out. Alive, at least.

Soon enough, once she located the target, she was dumping the body in a body of water hoping to cover up her tracks. Thankfully she'd done the job cleanly so there wasn't a mess to pick up after. But her hands didn't stop shaking -- her arms were sore from strangling the man to his death. Physically, she was exhausted. Mentally, she felt nothing anymore about taking lives. After texting her evening boss with evidence, the money was deposited in to her account and she was back at her own home before midnight. If Sky wasn't coming back, there was no point spending the night in his loft.

She hated her own apartment, now. Even with the money she was getting, she hadn't upgraded her lifestyle to match -- small, cramped, dirty. The only nice things she'd been able to afford were the nicer clothes she could find, and able to pay off her sisters school debts. Amara trudged around her home after cleaning up, staring down at her phone while laying in bed.

[text: sky] I'm home safe. Heading to bed. I hope you're safe.

To say that things had been....tense when the driver dropped Sky and Chan off at Father's main office would have been.. such a massive understatement. One new business deal had been proposed, another close, another deep in negotiation with a company overseas in the west. And in all of that? An alarm was raised the moment Sky sat down and scoured their accounting records. The money was all off and all in the strangest ways. Father was practically breathing down Sky's neck for most of the day, most of that search.

A handful of different departments were just a few thousand over budget in a way that made no possible sense, not when looking at the whole thing. His Father was fuming, and confused, which just made him fume even more--And then? Something seemed to at least click with the man, who stormed out of the room, signaling for Chan to come with him. Chan only nodded, taking a few files with him....

Father seemed calmer after twenty minutes. Sky glanced up in time to see a phone tucking into Chan's pocket but with all the important information in front of him? That wasn't an important detail. His task shifted a little, from trying to find who had been syphoning the money to assessing it if damaged the company's bottom line. A whole other job. A whole other mountain of work but.. on the bright side at least Father seemed.. calm. There were just certain times... certain moments that calm tensed Sky to his very core for a reason he could never quite pin point.

It was then, after bowing low to his Father and bidding his and Chan farwell as they left him to his assignments, that Sky felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. And already, he felt lighter, just a bit, because who else could it be? Sky glanced around just once, before letting himself sit and breathe and maybe a hint of a smile pulled at the young Heir's lips just from the thought of her.

[txt- Am♥ra; The same might go for me, I'm afraid. Things are... tense here... Lots of little fires need to be put out and not many others are qualified to do that aside from Father, myself, and a few others so..]

[txt- Am♥ra; I may need to overnight a shift here.. Not sure yet but--- Take care, okay? Let me know when you get home and I'll send over a food delivery for you if I can't be there.]

Amara sighed out happily when she saw him call. Words almost burst out, making sure he was ok, checking in on his day, assuring him that he never needed permission to call because she'd always want to hear his voice. All questions stuck on the tip of her tongue, letting him vent out the frustrations of his own day and feeling her heart tugging knowing he'd have to work through the night.

"I feel better already," she said in to the line, smiling like a fool against the phone like he could see her. Amara wished they were in his home, tangled up together and talking about their day, enjoying each others company because even something so mundane brought her happiness. "No...I'm not hungry. Thank you."

Despite his own busy schedule, knowing that he was still checking in to make sure she was cared for made Amara choke up. She covered it with a cough. Sky knew about how difficult it was for her growing up neglected and caring for her sister; she didn't know how to felt for someone to take care of her. The only love she had was from her sister she kept blissfully unaware of their parents neglect and abuse -- but Sky still made sure she was loved.

"Sky," she whispered, emotion filling her voice when she thought back on her day. "I --" There was so much she wished she could tell him. Working for the gang didn't bother her, but she worried how it would affect him. "I can't work at my job anymore. I just can't -- I'm sorry. I don't mean to dump this on you now, you're already working so hard. Can you just...promise me that everything will work out?"

Fingers lingered, hovering above the phone screen, waiting, ready to type out a reply. But he looked off to the side, eyeing the veritable mountain of papers he'd have to sort through to get this whole thing sorted out. And instead of texting a reply, after heaving a soft sigh, Sky pressed the little phone-shaped icon on screen instead.

"Hey..." He breathed out with a soft smile, leaning forward against his desk, the weight of the incoming night's work forcing his head to hang just a little.. And in spite of it all? He still felt himself smile.

"Sorry I... I should've asked if it was a good time to call I just.." Rosy lips pressed into a line, brows knitting a little as his head shook. "It's been a long day, gonna be an even longer night. Dad said some parts of this mess were taken care of, whatever that means but we still have stacks of papers to work though and.. Corny as it sounds, I think I needed to hear your voice to actually feel a little better."

Back straightening a little, Sky stood, smoothing out his suit with his free hand before using it to start sorting through papers. "Did you have an alright day? Are you hungry? I know you said you were about to head to bed but I can send something over still if you want?"

Was she okay? Amara was internally conflicted with her decisions, ready to quit her day job to make her night job what she did exclusively. That would be trading the somewhat peaceful life she'd worked for so long to get, to constantly living in danger checking over her shoulder.

What hurt the most was how easy it was for Amara to do. She didn't dislike working as a hitman -- she was good at it, and while it was risky, the gang wasn't...entirely evil. They seemed steady, caring if that was the right word; she wouldn't be betrayed by them. The only two people she cared about in the world she'd protect with her life if she needed. Her sister was stable in her job finally after years of working towards it, and Sky...he had a company to take over one day.

"I think I might quit," she said after a long moment of silence. "I want to, Sky. I have another job lined up if needed, but it's...I don't know." He promised everything would be ok, and though she asked him to say it, she knew it would be right.

"I don't have another choice," she finished. Amara wiped at her eyes to stop the flow of tears before they started. There was nothing more she wanted than to be with him right now, talking over the phone breaking her. "Sky, I -- I want to do everything I can to stay with you. Is that...possible for us?"

Papers shifted carefully here and there, the soft shuffling coming through from his end ever so slightly as he listened. He was still listening, actively and intently.. but his mind was racing too much about work for his free hand to not keep sorting through those stacks. But it all paused the very second he heard that little shift in Amara's voice.

Motions paused at the whisper of her voice, but when he heard the weight of... whatever it was that seemed to almost catch in the back of Amara's throat, high whole body froze. Brows knit, hand gripping the phone tighter, wishing upon everything that he could be holding her instead. Amara was a lot of things, warm, unique, kind, caring. But above everything, she was strong. Sky could count on one hand the times he'd heard her voice even waver, and all of those times had been when she'd opened up a little about her past.

Already, his mind flooded with worries, gentle, concerned questions. But one final little question but it all at least in order as his eyes pressed closed, hand pressing against the varnished mahogany surface.

"Amara... It'll be alright. I can't... promise to know when exactly. But it'll be alright. We'll be alright." A soft exhale left him, a little easier now that at least that had been said. Lips pressed once more in thought as Sky turned, leaning back against his desk.

"What happen? I know you mentioned... having to stay late again but.. You.. It sounds like this is really weighing on you. Did something happen? Are you okay?"

Amara shook her head in to the phone. The loft wasn't anything without him, and she didn't want to get in the way of his work. She'd promised herself that whenever she started to distract him from his future, she'd have to take a step back and give him space to figure things out. Though she never met his father, he didn't sound like someone who would be forgiving of his son's girlfriend hat pulled him away from his future.

Her pained sounds came out in a cackled laugh. His words sounded terribly corny, but she felt the same way. The only thing that could make her feel better was seeing him, and spend just a few minutes together so they both could calm down.

"Ok," she whispered at his second offer, knowing that no rest would come from staying in the office or attempting to sleep on the couch. He'd be working all night. If there was something, anything, she could to do to help him, she'd at least try.

"Ok. I think I need that, too," Amara said with sincerity. "Don't call Chan." She'd already made a bad enough impression that morning meeting him half naked. He'd probably tell Sky's father how his son snuck his girlfriend in the office at midnight. "I can find a way to get there. I will be there."

Sky listened closer and closer, grip tightening on his phone more as Amara spoke. God, he hated this.. Moments like this. Moments where his job, his future kept him from being there for the one person who made him feel... like a person himself. Not an Heir. Not the wealthy businessman's 'Too Soft' son. Just a person. She gave his life so... so much. And now, when he could hear the strain in her voice? God how it stung not being able to be there for her.

"Amara I.. I need you to understand one thing. Just one. The only thing I'll never need for us to work is for you to be yourself, to be safe, and to be happy. I know that'll be possible for us because it's... all I need is for you to be you. If leaving your job is what you need to be happy then I'll support you. Okay? I.."

He glanced to the clock, and to that stack of papers, free hand rubbing at his temple for a moment. "I.. I won't... be able to leave before the next day... And I hate so.. so much that I can't be there for you now..I.." There was a small pause, and a tilted head. "I...I know it's late.. And you don't at all have to say yes just... If you wanted, I could send Chan over to pick you up? You could go to the loft if you wanted, and I could give you the door code to get in or..." He glanced around the office from outside his personal conference room.

"The office is empty besides me.. And all I have is a couch in here to crash on but... you... I could also have Chan drop you off here? Until I'm done with these papers at least, and then he could drive us back to the loft in the morning when I get done?" His head shook a little, fingers rubbing over his temple.

"You don't have to say yes to either I just.. Selfish as it is, I want to be able to hold you.. as soon as I can"

Little did Sky know that Amara didn't need protection. She had a small, amused grin on her face as he vocalized wanting to make sure she was safe, thinking how she'd just taken a man's life a few hours earlier easily and walked away completely unscathed. Still, him wanting to make sure she was safe warmed her inside.

"Let me change," she said to her phone, stepping out of her bed and rummaging around her dingy apartment to put together a decent outfit that wouldn't look completely ruffled up. Just in case, she grabbed a backpack and stuffed it with another change of clothes.

Hanging up the phone hurt. Just a few minutes of silence without him ached and made her long to see him more, hurrying up as fast as she was capable and running down the dirty staircase to try and catch a ride. The only thing she could do was wait for the ride to finish.

The size of the building never failed to amaze Amara. The one time she visited she was still in awe of Sky's life, since the time they spent together was so different from his work one. It didn't bother her that they came from different worlds. It wouldn't be easy navigating their future, but so long as she had him, she didn't care.

Amara swiftly paid the driver and rushed out of the vehicle to follow Sky's directions. Part of her job meant remembering every last detail and she was standing in front of the elevators, dialing his number to let him know she was waiting.

One single wavering voice and Sky swore his heart broke. Truly the only thing worse than knowing Amara was hurting was being unable to do everything possible to comfort her. He heard one gently pained chuckle, which pulled out his own in a soft exhale.

Shoulders that he hadn't even remembered actively tensing relaxed just a bit with a second exhale the very moment that second little 'Okay' came through the receiver. And this time, his smile was almost entirely one of warm relief. Lips parted for another small chuckle, remembering their.... interesting morning with a little nod.

"Okay. I'll.." The future CEO exhaled softly as he walked to the other end of his desk, typing in a few commands on a second monitor to pull up the security cameras' feeds. "Just.. Text me when you're on your way okay? And let me know when you get here. I'll be able to buzz you in from my office. When you get into the lobby, choose the elevator on the left. You don't have my keycard but from here I'll be able to grant access to the top floor, so once you get in the elevator, the button that says 'E. S.' will turn green. You'll just need to push that and then walk to the office on the right."

It was.. a lot. He knew that, no getting around that. But that was just unfortunately the nature of working in a high profile business in a large building, alone, and far outside of business hours.

"And this.. This last bit is just me but... Call me when you're on your way okay?" He let the silence linger for a single, smiling second, shaking his head, " Wouldn't be me if I didn't make sure you were safe whenever I can, would it?"

Amara felt like she could breathe again when she fell in to his arms. All the stress from her day seemingly disappeared, and she could feel a semblance of peace again -- her hands weren't shaking anymore. She pulled back to kiss him, eyes closed, taking the moment to enjoy his closeness filling up the void that had been missing since he'd left the loft.

But when she opened them and saw the mark on his face, her heart ached all over again. All that worrying he done about making sure he was safe, and she hadn't thought about doing the same for him. It didn't take much to guess what had happened and who had caused it, knowing how much pressure Sky was under as the future leader of a massive company. She wished it was as easy as telling him he didn't have to take over, though so many different factors went in to it that it was useless even bringing it up.

So she didn't say anything about it. Amara pressed a soft, light kiss right over the mark to cover it with her love rather than bringing attention to it. Maybe Sky couldn't say it, but she had no problem telling his father to fuck off the first time they'd meet for causing harm to someone she cared about.

Then her focus shifted to all the files on the desk. He really did have a long night ahead of him and there wasn't much she could do, but if there was any way she could help, she would. There wasn't any need to sleep. As long as she was there with him, she was happy. "Tell me what to do," was all she said as she pushed her hair from her face, and placed her hands on the desk covered with the papers.

Silence echoed in the large, open space of his office in the worst, most hollow way when the line cut off. Sky had time to spare a soft, quick little 'be safe' before hanging up, only to glance down at his phone. He had yet to actually visit Amara's home, but she had mentioned the general location and knew it took her about 20 to get to the loft.

So maybe he was watching the clock a little incessantly, filled with a little warm anxiety until a familiar face appeared on the bottom left of his cctv monitor. He buzzed her inside immediately, and granted access to the top floor just as quickly.

The young heir had been so dialed in that the dull ache from the small bruise forming at the corner of his mouth had been a distant thought. It was a little memento, a show of how stressed the whole thing had made his father. The man tended to be rash when people messed with his company, or suggested solutions too diplomatic, too 'soft'. This had been some such time, where an innocent, diplomatic suggestion from his son had yearned the younger a stiff, swift backhand in the privacy of his father's office. Amara had seen a similar bruise maybe once before. He was usually good about covering them with foundation. But the night had been so, so busy, he'd forgotten entirely.

So by the time the elevator had come to his floor, the mark had blossomed into an angry red against his skin. Yet and still, as he opened his office door, it was all he could do to just pull Amara close, head against his chest, both arms tight around her as the door swung shut and the lick clicked closed.

Amara might not have enjoyed this sort of file work, but for Sky, she was able to do it diligently and thoroughgoingly. She didn't want to make any mistakes in case it would keep him there longer, focused on trying to get Sky home where he could get some rest and take care of himself. Or at least, get his mind off work so he could relax.

Her part of the work was done within a half hour. She hadn't said much to him during this time, though every so often she'd glance up and watch her boyfriend work. He was handsome when he was focused on something, managing to slip out a little smile of admiration for him, though when her focus went to the mark on his jaw, it filled her with anger that his own father would treat him that way.

"...do you want to take over?" Amara asked randomly after the quiet had become too much for her. She'd never asked him that before. "Do you...want this?" she mumbled, looking over the luxurious office and the building it stood on. "You can be honest with me...you know I don't care about the money. But are you happy working here?"

Finally... finally, it felt like Sky could breathe again. For the first time in.... god knows how many hours, when Amara was back in his arms, and then her lips back against his? It finally felt like he could breathe, like everything would be okay. Broad, suit-clad shoulders slowly relaxed just as Kim Haneul let himself melt back into just being Sky, just being here, being hers.

That first kiss made his heart sore, but the second one had made it ache, just a little, just a touch. Large eyes fluttered at that little kiss that he swore chased away some of that lingering, dull soreness. And he couldn't help be to lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to Amara's forehead. It wasn't the first time she'd seen a mark like this. The first time had to have been.. a month or so go, he reckoned. That time, he'd been a little more shaken up, a little more caught off guard when he explained that sometimes Dad just... lets his temper get the best of him when he gets annoyed.. And sometimes it was Sky's 'soft' or 'weak hearted' suggestions that annoyed him the most. But it was alright, he'd be alright, and they'd be okay. He was never more sure of that then when she pulled back and went right to the desk, and Sky, beaming, went right to her side.

"There's... a lot of information to get through. That main pile, I've already chipped away at, but everything else here?" He leaned against the desk, bringing over a few papers for examples. "At the top here, it list last and then first name of the person who filed the report, the date, and what department they're in. If.. While I'm working on this stack, if you could go through and separte the documents by department first? Accounting, Marketing, International Relations, and Development. And then once these are all sorted into departments, I can go through and organize them alphabetically as I go through each department."

Amara looked down at the small wallet containing what she needed. Much of the work she did back home was easier to just get a text with a location, a name, and a picture of her target. Undercover work wasn't her strong suit.

She snatched the wallet up, probably with more force than she needed to since the younger woman seemed like she was just trying to help out. Amara wasn't used to working with other people on these types of missions.

"Do I really need it? Wouldn't it just be easier to sneak in, do the job, and sneak out? Seems like a waste of time trying to get to infiltrate a group -- make fake friends, gain their trust," she mumbled, just to muse out loud what she'd been thinking. "Just stretches out the mission with extra work when I could be done in an hour."

"You left this behind?" Briggs replied as she held out the young woman's credentials she would need to get into the event.

Once the credentials were passed over, Briggs nodded faintly and murmured something that sounded like an encouraging "Good luck" or something.

Normally she would be the eyes and ears for the agents in the US, but today, she was handed 3 and Merlin, her boss, was somehow assigned to handle one of their newer recruits.

Most of the US division seemed intimidated by her, but a couple did admit that the woman had skills and she knew how to fight and handle herself. Even Agent Clinton was uneasy around the other woman and she chose to make herself scarce whenever the newest agent would come to work.

"No. You don't need to, you're still young, you -- you have a whole life where things can change for the better." Amara didn't know who she was talking to at this point, trying to convince herself of the same thing. Because honestly, she was terrified of what she was considering for herself.

Of going from a semi stable job (that she hated) to being a full time hitman for a gang. Where was the stability in that? And where would the stability be should something ever happen to her; if something did happen, then what would happen to Sky where she couldn't protect him.

She set down the last file she'd been working on and put her hand between his shoulders, gently rubbing his back in the calming touch she could. Watching him stress over something like this had to be so awful, especially when there was so much weight in his future. Amara had to guide him to stand up so they could face each other properly, her hand hovering over his cheek before she gave up and pressed a tender kiss to the developing bruise over his jaw like she'd done earlier.

He'd promised her not even an hour earlier that they'd be ok and she believed him. "Talk me through it," she said. "What's going to happen if you do decide to stay and do this, or if you were to walk away."

Hands shifted around papers in the near silence of his office, and reached over thankfully for a sorted stack....only to pause at that quest, lingering in the air. Lips parted, but his brain had no words to supply them just yet. And in the silence? He swore the mark of his cheek hurt just a little more.

"I...." Still wordless still useless, lips closed with a thick swallow as both hands pressed once more against the polished red-brown wood, and as the silence lingered, his head hung between broad shoulders. Eyes pressed closed for a handful of seconds, gaze lingering on the stacks of papers before them when they opened again.

"I need to..." Lightly glossed lips finally parted, voice low and quiet with every gently weighted word, head giving a single, idle shake. "Even if I didn't then... I've given up and lost... so much.. Too much to not at least see this through.. Otherwise so much of that..." Lips pressed closed again, a hand lifting, feeling idly over the sort spot on his jaw. "All of this it... It would've all been for almost nothing.."

To her, it wasn't worth the abuse he went through. Seeing someone she cared so much about stressing over his future and being overworked to settle an evil father just didn't make it worth it. Sky was too precious of a person to handle this sort of abuse.

But Amara wouldn't try to be the one to change his dreams, if that's what she could even call it.

"You're too good," she mumbled, her hands coming to press gently against the sides of his neck to keep his proximity. There she was, holding her boyfriend even though she'd killed someone a few hours earlier for money. Though considering the hit, she wasn't taking an innocent person from the world. That's what she kept telling herself; she wasn't killing good people.

Amara let their comforting silence linger for a bit longer. A few more moments of close touches and having to pull away so she wouldn't keep him there at work any longer. There were still more files she needed to sort through.

"Ok," she whispered, unwillingly pulling away despite wanting to stay that way all night. "If it's even possible, I want to get you home and clean so you can relax. You've worked so hard today."

Allowing her to gently move him was the easiest thing in the world, especially in times like this, when it felt like that whole world rested square on his shoulders. But he couldn't think on that too much, lest it make the weight feel even heavier than it did.. than it always did.

Eyes slipped to an almost desperate close at that gentle kiss, Sky having moved so, so easily with her touch, in a way that only she could ever manage. He leaned in himself, to press a feather-soft kiss against her lips before brining their foreheads to rest against each other's. Silence lingered for a few heartbeats before the future CEO managed a soft, heavy breath.

"I know..." Both hands moved, taking gentle hold of Amara's as his mind sifted through a lifetime's worth of thoughts. "I know that I'm... young. That so much could change.. Maybe even change for the better but..." Lips pressed for an exhale, eyes slowly slipping open as brows knit,

"But that.. That's why I have to see this through.. Because so much can change. There's so, so much I want to change here. I want to change how this company does things. I see the potential to help.. so so many people if some things change in how its run. And after so long, I'm so close to that. To running a business that grows and thrives and helps others too. If I..." A heavy swallow came with a single shake of his head, brows knitting closer together.

"If I quit now, so close to that change, the chance? If I never at least tried I.. I don't think I'd be able to rest."