[the 'ships i want' meme]

[newschool]

from here:

► spies. they're undercover (either having to pose as a married couple or siblings) and things spark.
► something unhealthy. the two partners genuinely love each other but they're just really bad for each other.
► dealing with workahol. most of my characters love their jobs (to the point where if the option was available, they would marry them) and need to be dragged away.
► one-sided love. one's in love, the other's faking it.
► vampires.

Comments

[couldbesaved]

Another glance at the overhead sign, and he looks around, apparently not really seeing anything, before returning to his phone. His eyes, again, flutter over her without really noticing her, merely seeing that there is someone there.

Then the train pulls into the next station, and the nervous-looking man gets off the train. Sam does not follow, just looks at the sign again and sighs, impatiently. 4G in the tunnels is terrible.

[bestintention]

What is there to see, really, that he probably hasn't seen a thousand times before? Of course, when you're cautious, you take any opportunity you can to make sure that you're safe. And once more, Maddie tries to appear as inconspicuous as possible.

The nervous man leaves, and Maddie is quick to take his seat, the vantage point better than it had been while she was concentrating on standing upright with the motions of the train. She offers a smile to Sam when he sighs, sort of wiggling her own phone in an attempt to offer her sympathy - not that she was really attempting to do anything other than look busy, anyway.

"It's particularly slow today, isn't it?"

She's not supposed to engage, but the comment is innocuous enough, he shouldn't think anything of it.

[couldbesaved]

"Huh?" Eloquent as always, it takes him a moment to respond, pulling an earbud out. He hadn't been expecting anyone to talk to him, because people so very rarely do. Those that do usually want something, even if it's something as innocuous as a phone number, and it doesn't take long taking the train every day to become suspicious of those who start conversations. He takes a good look at her for the first time, not just a once-over.

"Uh, yeah, guess so. Reception in the tunnel's always terrible."

[bestintention]

A flicker of a smile ghosts across her lips, and she's genuinely amused, even though all she's supposed to be doing is observing. It's a simple comment, though, and he doesn't seem to be overly suspicious of her - just surprised that a perfect stranger has spoken to him.

Good. Yes. He's responded in kind, and Maddie quickly shifts into student mode, huffing out a breath and frowning at her phone.

"Picked a bad time to try to find out my final grades. I just wanna see if I passed, you know?"

[couldbesaved]

"Probably should wait until we get to one of the stations." It's one of the things about the subway that's a mild inconvenience, but builds up over time into something that's really annoying. In the tunnels, where one spends most of their time on the commute, the reception is spotty or nonexistent. In the stations, where the train is for, you know, thirty seconds? 4G. He gives her a crooked grin. "Good luck."

He starts putting his earbud back in, signaling the end of the conversation.

[bestintention]

"Yeah," she chuckles, brushing some stray hair out of her face, back behind her ear. "That's probably the smart thing to do. I dunno, I worked really hard this semester, I kinda wanna see if all that work paid off. Next semester, graduation."

It's ridiculously easy to keep talking once the words come, and the exchange, however brief, does give Maddie at least a glimpse into Sam's character.

If she didn't know who he was and what he's done, she would assume that he was just a man, nicer than many she's had the unfortunate tendency to run into, and it makes her wonder, not for the first time, how he'd gotten tied up in the life he lives.

"Thanks."

[couldbesaved]

"Sure." He smiles a little, a crooked twist at the corner of his mouth, and finishes putting his earbud back in. And then, for all intents and purposes, his eyes go right back to Facebook, and certainly his thumb flicks up along his feed like he's reading it. But his eyes flick over to her every so often, too - it's less out of any real suspicion than it is keeping an eye on anyone who interacts with him. You don't get as far as he has in what he does without being aware of your surroundings.

Two stops later, he gets up and 'excuse me's past her to get out into the aisle. "Hey," he adds, almost as an afterthought, "good luck."

[bestintention]

If Maddie were a regular young woman, really on her way home after a long day of work and school, and she noticed this attractive (she's working, certainly, but she's not blind) guy her age eyeing her every now and then, it'd stroke her ego a bit.

But she is working, and she's doing her best to appear as innocuous as possible. Hopefully, she'd have enough to report to her superiors to continue this sort of ... surveillance tactic.

If she looks surprised when he takes the time to speak to her again, it's because she is.

"Ah - thank you. See you later," she answers, offering a small smile. "I hope."

Once the doors close behind him, she can text her partner the stop that he got off at. Hopefully, someone's got eyes nearby. If not ... maybe she'll run into him again.

[couldbesaved]

New York is a big city. The biggest in the United States, in fact. You'd think, that with so many people in so many places, the chances of running into one person again are slim to none. For the most part, that's right. But sometimes paths cross, and cross, and cross again. Maybe it's intentional. Maybe it's not. But as Sam comes down the stairs of the subway station, he spots her again.

He is, as always, a little suspicious. But at the same time, she's pretty, so he gives her a brief, crooked grin.

[bestintention]

It is a very big city, indeed, and it's probably rare to see any one person more than once. Of course, Maddie isn't just another person, and these meetings aren't exactly all machinated by fate. There's a tail on Sam at all times, different agents every day so that he never feels like he's being watched, and since she'd done such a good job engaging him the first time, here she is again, ostensibly waiting for a train as she fiddles with a camera in her hand.

She looks up, and pretends that it takes a moment to recognize him, but eventually returns the smile that he offers her.

"Hey, again."

[couldbesaved]

"Hey." They aren't far apart, and he moves to stand next to her, hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly rounded to make him seem less tall and imposing than he actually is. Gosh, look at this guy. So humble and a little shy. Everything in his body language says it. "Guess it makes sense running into you again, small town like this."

[bestintention]

If Maddie didn't know exactly what Sam is capable of, she wouldn't think a thing about the seemingly innocent, nice guy standing near her. Oh, he's good at this - the whole ... wholesome appearance thing. "We're just lucky, I guess. Or ... right place, right time."

[couldbesaved]

"Something like that." He grins at her crookedly as he sticks his hand out to her. "I'm Sam, by the way. So ... how'd you do on your final? That's what it was, right?"

[bestintention]

If she wasn't aware of just who she was dealing with, she'd be charmed by the smile, by the sort of ... self-conscious behavior. As it is, she's not completely immune to it all, and it might take her a moment to shake his hand, she does, all the while shaking her head as though she's embarrassed for the pause. "Caroline. And - uh ... I got a B. Not too bad, all things considered."

[couldbesaved]

"Hey, nice. That's not bad at all." His hand lingers on hers for a moment too long before he pulls it back, sticking his hands in his pockets, curling his shoulders a little as though to make himself smaller. "I can't remember - did you say what it was in? I keep thinking it's Sociology, for some reason, but I could be wrong."

[bestintention]

For a moment, Maddie can't concentrate on anything but how warm Sam's hand is, how large, how long he keeps her much smaller hand enveloped, and when she blushes, it's her doing it, and she shakes her head and chuckles to herself, and mentally chides herself for losing track of what she's supposed to be doing. "I don't know if I said? Finals week - I'm sure you know how frazzled it can make a person. It's photography, though, it's my passion."

And it had been, before the lure of police work had called to her.

[couldbesaved]

That blush is very attractive. Sam doesn't miss it, and he grins, that warm, open grin that lights his whole face. (Surely not the smile of someone who's killed, right? Right.) The smile falters, falls, for just a moment before it's back in place, just as warm as ever. "Wow, photography. That's really cool."

A photographer. Not the best relationship for him to be cultivating. Of course he's known - but to be known to someone who has an eye for detail, to be known to someone who remembers things - it's maybe not a good idea.

"You're in the best place in the world for it, in my opinion. Must've had an easy time finding a great picture for your finals here."

[bestintention]

All the training that Maddie has had, and the first thing she can think of to say is photographer? Of all the things ... of all the studies, she picks the one thing that could put an end to this before it's even begun? Mentally, she's kicking herself, even if she manages to keep a calm front. "It is, actually. One day, I want to be featured in, like ... National Geographic. I'm not so great at photographing people, you know? But landscapes are another thing entirely. I'd be a ... geologist, or something, if my brain were wired that way."

At least he's still speaking to her. That's something.

"I think I did. You find just the right piece of architecture on just the right day, with the sun shining just so ... it's amazing."

[couldbesaved]

He doesn't visibly relax, because that would imply there was something that made him tense. There is a faint shift around his eyes, though, as they crinkle while his smile grows slightly.

"Yeah, you're right. It's really breathtaking."

Landscape photographer. Less dangerous, yes. Still might be a liability. She remembers places, then; she might be able to put two and two together. A lower risk, but still a risk.

He glances up at the stop indicator.

"What did you photograph for your final?"

[bestintention]

Oh, he's good. He is good at holding this sort of ... everyman facade he's cultivated. If she didn't know any better, he'd seem like another random face in the crowd.

Everyone was a risk these days, what, with mobile phones and their capabilities, if put in the hands of people who were quick-witted enough to know when to take photos, or make recordings.

"You know that little park on Third and Grand? I was passing by one day, the sun was going down, and I got a gorgeous shot of the swings, all empty. I mean, I thought it was beautiful."

[couldbesaved]

Something flickers in Sam's eyes for a moment - something like concern. He had been in that very park not so long ago, near sunset, and for something of, well, questionable legality. It hadn't been a murder, or anything like that (he wasn't stupid), but it had been ... nothing he'd be comfortable with his mother seeing. There's no way to ask what day she'd been there without it coming off as weird, since it's none of his business.

"Oh, yeah, I've been by there a couple of times," he says. "I'd love to see the pictures. Do you have them with you?"

[bestintention]

He's really got nothing to worry about in that regard - Maddie, and the rest of the task force know nothing about his sojourn into the park. Certainly, they try to keep eyes on him at all times, but he's been living this lifestyle long enough to know how to disappear when he needs to.

Thank God that she tries to be prepared for every eventuality - yes, first and foremost she's an FBI agent, but photography always has been a passion. And so, when she reaches into her bag to pull out her portfolio, all the photos inside are of her own taking.

"Yeah, I mean, if you really want to see them."

[couldbesaved]

"Yeah, I'd love to." His face is a perfect expression of friendly interest, masking the impatience and anxiety roiling just below the surface. Anyone would swear he was just a normal guy wanting to make a good impression on a pretty girl by showing interest in her hobbies. And as far as the world is concerned, that's precisely what he is. Never mind the extracurriculars.

He takes the portfolio carefully, handling it as he knows (as far as he knows) it's important to her. He makes all the right sounds and all the right comments, pointing out landmarks he recognizes, and something loosens when he realizes he's not in any of them.

[bestintention]

There's just a hint of a tic, just a quirk of the lips, and she spies it, wondering what's got him so on edge. Hopefully, she's playing her part well. Hopefully, she's believable. There is no 'believable enoughthose photos were back at the office - and whatever tension he's holding seems to disappear. A shoulder drops, and Maddie smiles, and tries to play it off as though a compliment on the composition of one particular piece is what's pleased her.

And it is, but mostly, making Sam feel comfortable while in her presence is most definitely the most important thing she'll have done in the time she's been an agent.

Yes, good, get that foot in the door ...

[couldbesaved]

"Very nice," he tells her, handing the portfolio back. When he smiles, it reaches his eyes, and they crinkle at the corners, just like he means it. And right here, right in this moment, he actually does mean it. Why wouldn't he? He's just a boy, talking to a girl, on a train in the city that never sleeps.

"So now that your semester's over, are you heading back home?"