"I'm starting to like you, Red Sparrows!" Commander told Neil as we returned from yet another successful mission under his lead.

"Should we be happy, or should we be scared, sir?" Neil was not holding back from getting on his nerves these days.

"Depends on what you say next." Warren's tone changed into a challenge and Charles cleared his throat warning Neil to behave.

"We're honoured that you feel that way, sir." Neil replied formally and we all relaxed. He could have done a lot of damage here.

"That's right. Okay you and your men get a full month off. I have no other mission lined up for your team for another month. I'll call you when all the details are compiled for the next. Anyone who wants to visit home, fill up the leave document and disappear." He permitted us to take a long break.

It was much needed. Neil was dying to go and crash in the bar while Kelly was itching to hit the gym. Rest of us just wanted to sleep our asses off.

"Bar?" Neil asked me.

"Bug off, Chief. I need to massage my muscles first. And then I'll go meet my girl. It's been-" I replied without even looking at him.

"Great. See you at bar in six hours." Asshole.

I sighed and left for my room. There was no point arguing with him.

******

"How's it going with your bird?" Neil asked me with a teasing smile on his lips.

"You've got your own birds too?" Marks asked alarmed.

"Not birds. Just one." Kelly replied while I waited for all of them to stop pulling my leg.

"Who's that bird?" Marks asked me.

"Merlen." I replied boredly.

"Oh! Her? Shut up Neil." Marks turned to the fucker who started it all.

I suddenly realised something. "By the way, how did you know that Merlen meant bird? And that Lauret meant pure."

Neil's grin widened. He definitely needed this beer. "Fermins name their kids after nature and spirits of life."

All of us looked at him like we saw a whole new species.

"You Fermins really are something aren't you?" Marks said and all of us supported him.

Neil, as expected, shrugged his shoulders and chugged his beer before refilling it.

"But who's pure?" Kelly asked and he choked. The grin widened on my face now.

"Tell them, Prince Fermin. Who's pure?" I used his tone and he glared at me.

"Lady Merlen's friend." He replied formally. I laughed loudly.

"And his inamorata." I pointed at him for everyone.

"Really?! Lover?" Nelson who was sitting unbothered till now, spoke up.

"No." Neil replied firmly.

"Yes!" I countered him and continued "But he was just too dried up to admit. And now she's gone."

"Gone? You didn't grow a pair to tell her?" Marks asked him and all of us sniggered.

"It's not like that. And will you mind your-" Neil started but guess who was having a bad day?

"Shut up! James, is she good?" Marks gave him shit that he took without a word.

"Damn good one. A nurse, Merlen's best friend. Neil and Lauret were like magnets. Which reminds me - are you still in touch with her?" I asked Neil.

"No." He replied looking down sadly.

"Did you even try?" Marks was annoyed by now.

"I tried okay. I tried to find her new location. But she has just... disappeared!"

"God doesn't really like you, Neil. May be he will if you start treating yourself nicely first." Marks said straightforward.

"He's never going to do that." Charles entered with all the almighty aura around him and stood next to Kelly. I'm sure he stopped breathing for a few moments.

"Oh the fortune teller is here!" Marks was in savage mode.

Charles gave him a look that corrected his attitude in one moment. I chuckled.

"Why don't you accept that you're god?" Nelson had the courage to speak up.

"That's because I'm not." Charles replied uninterested.

"Then how do you know what's going to happen?" Kelly asked him.

"I just look at things differently and give my opinion. Not my fault that it's mostly right."

"We need to have a fortune telling session soon." I requested him.

I've heard that he makes pretty good predictions about people and a lot of them turn out the same way.

"I don't think that's what we need. What we do need is sleep and hydration." He turned to Neil accusingly.

"This and one more. Then I'm done. You can watch for the rest of them." We all laughed at his move.

"As you wish, sir. When are we having the mission minutes?" He asked formally.

"Tomorrow. O-9 hours. Conference room." Neil answered looking at all of us.

"Should we take James as the lead in next mission? Let's see how he handles it?" Neil asked Charles and everyone looked at me as I sat without breathing.

"We have a month to think over it, but I'm all up for the idea, Sir. Someone has to be experienced enough should the need to replace comes." Charles replied calmly.

"What are you two saying? This is your pack, Neil! Your! Not mine. You selected each of them. And they all, we all, are here just because we wanted to be with you - not me." I still couldn't believe he suggested that in the first place.

"They are my men. That's why I want the best for them. I may be best according to you, but for me, you're as good. May turn out to be better. If something was to happen to me, I want to ensure that each of them stay safe and I trust you more than myself for that job. So suck it up. You'll be the chief of Red Sparrows for next few missions. We'll suggest changes if you're going grossly wrong, but we'll follow your lead." Neil said firmly and everyone banged their hand on the table once in agreement. Shit this was too much!

"He's right. You're good. But don't panic." Marks started and turned to Neil. "We can talk about it tomorrow, Neil. Let the man drink in peace." Thank god for sending him into my life.

Charles didn't waste a single minute after that. He nodded at Marks and left. God that man was constipated! Or may be he didn't want to make our bar time awkward by being a non-drinking killjoy.

"Why doesn't he drink?" Kelly asked innocently right after Charles left.

"He's supposed to kick us, not party with us." Nelson replied as a matter of fact and we all laughed. All of us wanted Charles to sit with us and let loose but he never gave himself the chance to open up. He always stays a hardass.

After few more drinks, everyone retired to their rooms leaving Neil and me behind. It felt good to belong to some place or someone knowing that you're as important to them as much as they are to you.

I must have had a smile of casual peace when Neil spoke up. "Too happy to drink next to a Fermin?"

I looked at him widening my smile and thinning my eyes. But he didn't expect the question I asked. "How do you read minds?"

He laughed a little then replied. "I know you wanted to ask me this the day we met, but you were too scared to do so."

"See? This is what I am talking about. How do you do this?" "It comes with experience. You have to say something and then look into the eyes of the listener, look at their little neck movements of yes or no when they talk to themselves, look at their little body movements. You just have to look very very carefully and summarise your observations. If a person is lying to you, he'll not look into your eyes directly. If he's making up his mind to tell you something, he'll take glances at you, still deciding whether he should or not. If he's cursing you in his mind, he'll clench his jaw, press his lips tight, may be swell his lower eyelid. You'll understand each body sign once you know how to relate it to which emotion. Words will automatically fall into place next." He said smoothly.

And I was bewildered. There's so much to a human body that we miss out on these small things. And this man has mastered the art of body language!

"That's too much information!" I deadpanned.

"Limited edition wisdom. Take it or regret it." he mocked.

"How many people have gained this precious wisdom from you, oh Prince?" I was not the one to step back.

"You're first. And probably last." He said seriously chugging his beer.

There was something that I noticed. Whenever he had to forcibly show his emotions or attachment to me, he'd drink more - probably chug his whole mug down. Either he wanted the alcohol to make it easy for him, or he wanted to distract me so that I'd start talking about why he shouldn't drink anymore.

Guess who learnt from the fresh wisdom?

"Why do you support me?" "You got a problem with that?" He snapped and I raised my hands in defence chuckling. He was caught red handed and he wasn't prepared for it. Cute. He looked at me for a few moments then looked down and took breaths to calm himself down.

"I don't want to live with uncles all around me. Atleast you're my age. And you will never dare to leak our conversations with anyone else. Or will you?" He looked at me with a look he uses rarely - dangerous.

"Never. Why would you even think that?" I said with a fake laugh teasing him. But he hardened his eyes and got up.

"Okay okay. I was just pulling your leg. I won't." I said as seriously as he expected in the first go and he sat back down convinced.

"You're scary!" I let the booze slur my tongue and free my speech.

"I need to be. Or else my own juniors will step on my head." He answered honestly.

"You have got your concepts clear about forces. You were born to join!"

"Not at all. I am a prince. No matter how low my Valazire kept me, I still had all the privileges a prince gets. Coming here and being treated like a nobody was a nightmare for me." He sighed, giving away heavy weight. I'm sure he has never cribbed about joining army to anyone. It was his decision against everyone after all!

"What's the difference?" "What's the difference?! What's same? There are hundred things that I can list."

"Start listing then."

"I had three helpers, atleast, throughout the day - to take care of my food, keep my room clean, wash clothes and other basic but important tasks. Here I'm supposed to do it all by myself! And be specific about it! I can't keep a table one inch to that side at my will. One Room inspection and all my wishes would flow out in my sweat. Washing clothes and cleaning is another nightmare. Whole day we dip ourselves in mud but they want milk white clothes the next day. How's that even human? And don't even get me started with food. I would get whatever I demanded back at my place. But here, it's a weekly schedule. I have to wait for bloody seven days if I want to eat something I like. And oh god the MREs are dreadful. I prefer staying hungry than gulp those things down."

"What else." "No matter how badly Valazire treated me, he never disrespected me. He would regard me with respect. But here, they find new and ugly nicknames to pester. And I have no option to nod a 'Yes sir' for all their rubbish behaviours. This is their definition of respect - yes sir. Even if I'm plotting his murder in my mind, one 'yes sir' and he forgets what he said or how he behaved with me or whether I feel angry at him or not. Don't take me wrong, it's not that I don't respect anyone here. I do. But for me, respect reflects in one's eyes. Not just in 'Yes sir'. " Neil poured another part of his heart out.

"Well.... that way... your life is really..." 'Fucked' never rolled out of my tongue but he got it.

"I was born to rule but not as a king." He replied painfully, reaching for another refill of his mug.

"Alright we're done." I said pushing his mug away and pulling him up by his arm.

"You never let me drink peacefully, James." He said without looking at me.

"Yet you want me around everytime you drink. You know I won't allow you to cross your limits." I spoke in a hard tone and that shut him up.

"You made me keep my tongue in check. In return, you'll keep your liver in check." I said crossing my arms over my chest.

He looked at me angrily but got up and walked past me like a stubborn child. I couldn't help but laugh and walk behind him.

************************************

James as the Chief? Wow! My man is really winning out there!

And Charles as a fortune teller? Give me a break? I want to see him talking. Right now!

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Vote and COMMENT on your favorite parts.

Also, stay safe. Don't take your body for granted, that's the only thing that's going to stay with you till the end!