Mila sat across from Josef, watching as he poured over a stack of files on his desk. They had been held up in his office all evening, Josef having mountains of paperwork he needed to catch up on before the week was over. Since it would be the only chance she would have to see him over the weekend, she had accepted his invitation to stay late with him while he worked. Taking a sip from her glass of whiskey, she watched him as he scanned each piece of paper, scribbling notes in the margins here and there.

"Are you going to the banquet next Friday?" She asked after they had sat in silence for a while. She had been meaning to ask him about the banquet ever since Lieutenant Hoffmann had asked her, the week had proven too busy though for her to have another moment alone with him.

"How do you know about that?" He looked up at her, giving her a questioning look.

"I was asked to go," She replied casually.

"Oh really?" He asked, "Well that's a shame seeing as though I had planned to ask you myself," He shrugged, a small smirk turning up the corners of his lips.

"Well that's a relief seeing as though I told him I was already going with someone else," She shot back, a smirk of her own forming on her face.

"So you just assumed I was going to ask you?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Well at this point, it would certainly be inconvenient if I had to find someone else to take me," She shrugged, keeping the mock aloofness in her voice, her smirk widening.

"Did Lieutenant Hoffmann ask you?" He asked simply, though the amusement was evident on his face.

"How'd you know?" She asked, giving him the questioning look this time.

"Just a guess," Josef smirked. "He seems to fancy you quite a bit."

"I hadn't noticed," Mila replied sarcastically.

Josef chuckled, flipping the page of his notes, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"That's a horrible habit you know," She commented.

"Have you ever tried one?" He asked cocking an eyebrow.

She shook her head, eyeing the bright orange embers that lit up as Josef inhaled another puff of smoke, blowing it lazily out the side of his mouth.

"Here," He said, knocking off the ash that had began to accumulate on the end of the cigarette before offering it to her.

"I... Don't know," She said, glancing between him and the cigarette apprehensively. "I don't think I'd be much good at it."

"Nonsense," He shook his head. "Just hold it between these two fingers," He began, holding up his index and middle fingers. "And breath in like you're drinking out of a straw."

She paused for a moment, narrowing her eyes in consideration before taking the cigarette from him. Bringing it up to her mouth, she took a long drag, smoke burning her throat and lungs as she breathed in. Coughing profusely, she held it out for Josef to take. "That was awful," She said, clearing her throat and wiping away the water that had began to form in her eyes.

"I suppose its not for everyone," He chuckled, taking the cigarette back from her.

"I think I'll stick to this as my guilty pleasure," She said, holding up the glass of scotch whiskey she had been nursing all evening.

"It looks like you could use some more," He said, nodding towards her nearly empty glass.

"That's alright," She waved a hand at him.

"I insist," He replied, picking up the bottle from his desk and uncorking it. "I'd need a second glass too if I had been sitting here all night watching someone do paperwork."

"Well, I suppose one more won't hurt anything," She held out her glass, allowing him to pour her another generous serving of the Scotch before pouring himself another as well.

"Its been fun," She said, taking a sip from her glass.

"You don't have to lie," He chuckled, closing the file he had been reading and placing it in the top drawer of his desk.

"All finished?"

"Not even close," Josef replied, pushing his chair back and standing to his feet. Putting out his cigarette in the ashtray, he grabbed his glass and rounded the desk, extending his empty hand to her. "But I think its time for a break."

"Where are we going?" She asked, taking his hand, allowing him to hoist her up from her chair.

"You'll see," He smirked, leading her out the door of his office. The War Office was abandoned, the bright lights that shown during the day replaced by the warm, florescent glow of the emergency lights that came on at night once everyone had gone home for the day. It was strangely eire being there at night she thought as they walked hand in hand down the hall, past the break room and briefing room, turning down a corridor to a part of the building Mila had never been before.

She followed close behind as he led her up a dimly lit staircase. Reaching the top, Mila took in her surroundings. An expansive room sat before her, divided into several smaller rooms by towering archways supported by ivory columns. The walls were lined with oil paintings, some portraits of people, others of landscapes or buildings.

"What is this place?" She asked, taking a step forward, her eyes falling on the first painting - a portrait of a young woman. Mila examined the canvas. The woman was fair skinned, with long, dark hair. She wore a white tunic draped with a blue sash, and a lion sat at her side. It was a painting of The Dutch Maiden ... The symbol of the Dutch Rebellion.

"I found it on one of my late nights at the office. Each painting tells a piece of Dutch history, starting with Independence and ending with present day," Josef explained, gesturing to the portrait of The Dutch Maiden. "Sometimes I come up here when I need to think, or need a break from work."

"It's lovely," Mila replied, letting go of Josef's hand as she stepped forward, her eyes trailing over each painting as she walked around the room. "I can't believe these haven't been taken down," She commented, eyeing a painting of a ship, its brown hull contrasted against the deep blue water that crashed around it.

"To be honest, I don't think anyone who cares enough to take them all down, knows they're up here," Josef replied, watching her as she studied each painting.

"I'm glad," She said, turning around to look at him.

"So am I," He replied, taking a sip from his glass, sitting it down on the entryway table before approaching her. They stood beside each other, studying the portrait of a fair skinned woman with red lips and a blue head scarf, a single pearl earring adorning her ear. The portrait was undoubtably a copy of the famous Vermeer painting, but it was striking all the same. "It's beautiful," Josef said, taking her hand in his.

"Thank you for showing me this," She said, looking up from the canvas to find Josef's eyes on her. Her stomach clenched as a wave of nervousness washed over her, just how alone they were dawning on her for the first time that night.

"Of course," He smiled, his eyes studying every facet of her face. "You look beautiful tonight ... If I haven't told you yet," He said, leaning in closer, the smell of whiskey on his breath causing her pulse to quicken.

"I don't think you've mentioned it," She smiled nervously, swallowing down the butterflies rising within her chest.

"Well you do," He said, leaning in even closer until their noses were nearly touching. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips against his. He grasped her waist, pulling her against him as he returned her kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her body against his, her mind clouded by the familiar haze that came with his touch. Bringing a hand up, he cupped her face. He was kissing her harder, more desperately now, one hand gripping her waist firmly, the other intertwined in her hair. Walking backwards, he pressed her back against one of the columns, his lips leaving hers, leaving a trail of kisses down the hollow of her neck. She inhaled deeply, trying to slow her breathing.

"It-it's getting late," She stammered, trying to dispel the fog threatening to overtake her mind. Planting one more kiss against her collarbone, Josef pulled away, his gaze meeting hers. His lips were parted slightly, his eyes filled with something she couldn't quite place - was it longing? ... Desire? Whatever it was, it made her want to stay, a fresh set of butterflies fluttering within her stomach.

"I'll walk you home," He said, releasing her waist, grabbing her hand instead as he planted a kiss against her forehead.