Solace hardly slept last night.

She woke up multiple times, cold and uncomfortable to the point she sacrificed her make-shift pillow and tugged her coat and the hood back on. Her back and knees were aching from being in a fetal position all night to keep herself warm. She shamefully had to admit she shifted nearer to Sage, but she swore when her eyes opened, he was closer than he was before.

So, when she woke up that morning on the floor of the conference room, he was only a few inches away. They weren't touching, but if she moved her hand the slightest bit, it would connect with his. Her eyes flickered over him with his hair a tousled mess and his long lashes tickling his cheeks. His lips were parted, and he looked peaceful. Most importantly, quiet. The scar on his jaw was a thin white line, and she had the urge to trace it with her fingertips.

He hugged his hands to his chest like she had all last night. Just like Solace, his coat was back on, the collars flipped up, so they covered his ears. If only they weren't so prideful, they could have avoided a cold night. But she would much rather cut off her tongue than ask Sage Reyes to cuddle with her.

Her thoughts were shaken when the door rattled. Solace's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly glanced at the clock across the room. It was half-past seven. From the light shining in through the windows and the sun making an appearance, they had overslept. They should have been gone already. She moved her gaze back to Sage when something jolted on the other side of the door. She didn't have to slap him awake when his eyes quickly opened. Unlike her panicky expression, he was calm.

"Grab your backpack and get under the table," whispered Sage.

Solace nodded, throwing on her backpack and shoving the empty bag of chips into her pockets. They couldn't leave behind any traces of evidence. Sage now wearing his own bag, seized the two chairs they sat on last night and rolled them to the table, but before he returned them, he swiftly crawled beneath the table onto his back.

A man muttered behind the door, and she was well aware it was the janitor. She got to her knees and realized the space under the table was much smaller than she expected with all the chairs surrounding it. And with Sage being tall, it didn't leave much room for her.

"Can you move over?" she hissed.

A beep sounded from the keycard being swiped, and the next thing she knew, Sage yanked her under, pulling her on top of him. She landed with a quiet thud, and she had to remind herself not to yell at him. Just as the janitor strolled in, Sage pulled the two chairs back into place. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Solace hadn't realized her breathing had quickened and how fast her heart thumped against her ribs. She needed to get a grip or otherwise, they would be caught by the janitor. It didn't help that Sage's body was under hers and his strong grip was around her waist. Their noses were practically touching, and their breaths mingled with her hands resting by his shoulders. Her braids fell on either side of his head like a curtain.

Sage was so warm, and his hold around her was both soft but firm. She could feel the heat radiating off his hands through her winter coat and shirt, and she wondered what it would have been like to sleep with his arms around her. Nope, get that thought out of my mind. We are not entertaining that possibility.

The look in his eyes was incomprehensible, and his lips were parted like they were when he was sleeping. She couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking. And she was glad he didn't know what was going on in her mind.

Solace was internally freaking out in this compromising position. The closest they have ever been was the hug back in the senator's office where she was too busy planning his death, and back when he was having a panic attack and she was slapping him to make sure he wouldn't pass out. And then there was this morning. Okay, so they found themselves in very close proximity this past week. It needed to be put to an end. But there was no room to move with the chairs caging them in and the janitor whistling a tune as he emptied the trash cans and cleaned the windows.

She broke their staring contest and fixated her attention on the man in grey pants and leather running shoes. He dragged around a cart and parked it by the table. Solace sucked in a breath when he tucked a chair further into the table, the wheels poking into Sage's arm. He gritted his teeth when the janitor pushed it one more time, no doubt curious about the resistance he was meeting. Solace smiled when he winced as the chair jutted into his bicep harshly.

Sage glared at her, and before the janitor unknowingly assaulted his arm again, he lifted it and circled it tightly around her back. This time around, the chair went in smoothly, but now Solace was pressed down firmly against his chest with her backpack flattened against her. Could he feel how rapidly her heart was racing? She could feel his pounding against the palm of her hand. It was beating just as briskly when he was having a panic attack. But he wasn't showing any other symptoms, so she blamed the anxiety of being seen.

Once the janitor finished wiping down the tables, Solace watched as he rolled the cart away and exited the room. With the desire to get out of the building and off of Sage, she reached for the chairs, but he stopped her.

"Give it a few seconds," he murmured.

Her brows wrinkled in confusion until the door clicked open once more, and a vacuum sounded. Come on. He does not get paid enough to be this thorough. Before she could stop herself, Solace groaned in frustration. Sage's eyes widened as he slapped his hand onto her mouth. The loud roaring of the vacuum ceased momentarily, and the two gawked at one another, panic clearly etched on their faces.

Her eyes closed in relief when the vacuum started up once again. "You're an idiot," mouthed Sage, his hand still covering her mouth.

Solace pinched the skin on his hand until he removed it. "Sorry," she mouthed back.

They laid there for a few more minutes, and each second, she refused to look at Sage. She felt his gaze searing into her, but she refused to meet it. And she no longer had to avoid it when finally, the janitor walked out of the office. This time around, she stayed put until she risked a glance at the boy under her to see him give her a curt nod.

She pushed the chairs away and crawled out of the table so quickly, one would think her skin was crawling with fire ants. Solace took a deep breath in, adjusting her backpack and pushing her hair behind her shoulder. She watched as Sage rolled out and gracefully got on his feet. The two stared at one another in the empty conference room, the feel of each other's bodies flushed and the warmth of their breaths all too fresh.

Solace coughed awkwardly, walking past him to the door. She pressed her ear against it, and when she didn't hear anything, she slowly opened it. Poking her head through, the janitor was nowhere in sight. She waved for Sage to follow, and together, they headed to the elevator.

She stood as far as the small metal box would allow it as she pressed the button to the ground floor. The silence was thick until a laugh bubbled up her throat, and soon enough, the elevator was filled with her giggles. Sage cocked a brow in curiosity.

"That was the worst heist in the history of heists," she said through her chuckles.

And the brewing hysteria of last night spilled over onto Sage as he joined her with his laughter. He clutched his stomach, leaning against the walls, and a large grin pulling at his lips as the joyous sound left him. Tears filled her eyes as she slapped him in the arm, her head tilting back in chuckles.

And at that moment, they were just two kids, who swore they hated each other laughing and laughing until their stomachs ached and their cheeks felt sore.

"That was really bad," Sage said breathlessly, once they sobered up.

"Really bad," she emphasized.

"How is it possible for so many things to go wrong?" he asked to no one in specific.

A small chuckle escaped as they stepped out of the elevator and onto the streets. "Shit usually goes sideways when we work together," remarked Solace.

"But it was fun, wasn't it?" His tone was hopeful and soft, and yet, he kept his eyes on the ongoing traffic.

She struggled to keep her smile at bay. Now that they were out of danger, she had to be honest with herself. "It was," she agreed.

"But never again," exclaimed Sage.

"Never again."

Like they did a few days ago, they crossed the street, and headed to the bus station. Her eyes felt heavy and there was a crook in her neck, but she had never felt so alive. The old and dirty snow crunched beneath her shoes, the clear night not having replaced it with a new layer.

"I have to get into his house, but a guard blocks the gate, and they have security cameras around the lot," Sage said earnestly.

"I can get you in," she replied firmly. It wasn't uncommon for interns to deliver files or mail to Moore's house after hours or on the weekends. She just needed a good enough reason to go.

"I need to scope it out and find where the painting is located, but that won't be enough time to steal it."

They talked about committing a crime so casually. She enjoyed the cold wind against her face as her mind went on overdrive to figure out a way that allowed Sage time to carefully embezzle the priceless art. "The New Year's Eve party," she said excitedly and smacked him on the arm. "Every year he hosts one, and from what I've heard, it's loaded with people. It'll be busy, but that gives us the benefit of a distraction."

Sage face was pained as he rubbed his eyes. "That's way too close to my deadline. We'll have only a few hours to steal it and deliver it to my boss," he said tiredly.

Her excitement deflated. "That's all I have," she sighed helplessly.

She watched as the gears in his mind turned, and then, he pushed his shoulders back and clenched his jaw defiantly. "Okay, okay. We can make it work. Let's do it."

Solace smiled sheepishly. "Just one problem. Interns aren't invited."

That didn't deter him as he flashed her a smirk. "Then I guess we gotta do something crazy for him to invite you."

She didn't like the manic look in his eyes. It was predicting more trouble, and she had enough of that.

"What do you say, SoSo? Moore got any enemies?"

***

Author's Note:

Hi everyone!

Solace and Sage got super cozy in this chapter hahaha. What do you think Sage is planning with Moore's enemies? The person has already been mentioned before. It's going to be a packed chapter! I'm so excited to release it in the following two weeks.

Until next time - m.k.t