we make a damn good double act
Rating: G | Words: 1030 | Tags: andromaquynh, heist, fluff
Summary:
AKA: hey babe, you want to steal some museum exhibits that have been waiting to go home?
@tog-femslashfortnight Friday Prompt: Favourite Trope...Heist Wives
The corridor leading to the researchers' offices is dark, but the lights flicker on one by one while soft footsteps pass underneath. They flip off with a dull thunk once the door at the far end is pushed open. Its hinges give way with a long, loud squeak.
"For someone who shouldn't be here...you're making a lot of noise." Quỳnh says without looking up from the papers spread out all over her desk.
Unperturbed, Andy steps in and takes a good look around the office. There was enough space for three people but judging from the number of chairs crammed behind the desks, there were at least five working out of the office. With blinds drawn down, the shadows spill over the bookshelves and work surfaces packed with odds and ends in an effort make the small room less bland.
"Can't a woman drop by to see her wife hard at work?" Andy leans against the next desk over, taking care not to knock over the teetering files stacked up.
A soft grin curls around her lips and she seems all too relaxed for having snuck in. "So babe, have you got the list?"
Quỳnh makes an irritated noise at the back of her throat and shuffles her papers around. Then the question seems to register, and she looks up to see Andy in her worn, black leather jacket and black jeans with her backpack slung over one shoulder. Although her clothes are as non-descript as ever, there’s the sense of readiness fizzing off her, and her blue eyes spark bright.
A flicker of worry passes over Quỳnh's face. "What list?"
"Of the exhibits the museum denied repatriation requests for. You know, the list of the ones we're going to steal.”
Hearing the flippancy in her voice, Quỳnh slides back in her chair before frowning. "Thievery, my heart? Is that what you're suggesting here, so openly?"
Andy raises an eyebrow.
Quỳnh's pen rolls down her fingers to strike the little wooden placeholder at the edge of her desk with each flick of her wrist. "I. Am. A. Researcher."
Leaning down, Andy makes a show at squinting at it. "Apologies, Dr Quỳnh. Guess I had you mistaken for my wife."
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, she's a bit of a daredevil. She would have thought a little museum heist would be a perfect way to round off the workday."
When Andy steps around her desk and leans in closer to run a finger across the silky fabric on Quỳnh's blazer lapel, she forgets to breathe. The playfulness catches her off guard and Quỳnh's caught up a dozen memories of initiating charades on missions, and although she can't remember exactly how they all went, she grins back and slips her fingers up to gently bat Andy's away.
Andy's eyes drop down again, and there's heat radiating off her flushed cheeks.
"Daredevil?" Quỳnh repeats flatly. Then composure snaps, and she lets out a huff of laughter. "Yes babe, I have the list."
Dropping a kiss on her cheek, Andy laughs along with her.
With a quick sweep of her arm, Quỳnh pushes her files away and pulls out a folded piece of paper from her jacket pocket. Her observations were compiled down into a neat bullet point list with a sketched-out museum map on the reverse where each exhibit was marked out.
"I know we originally planned this to be a covert job but they’re moving some of the pieces at the end of the week." She points them out and then looks at Andy hopefully. "How do you feel about a quick smash and grab? Tonight?"
She knew it was a risky thing to suggest.
They had planned on doing a final sweep and then to use a new exhibition opening on the ground floor as a distraction for their own work. Moving their plans forward would throw all that prep work straight out of the window. So, she's truly surprised when Andy winks and slings her backpack onto the desk.
"I'm glad you asked because I saw the announcement on the website this morning. So, I brought these-" Andy slides the zippers down and pulls out two pairs of black boilersuits and two large, modified sunglasses.
Curiosity grips Quỳnh. She picks up one of the bulky and strange-looking glasses. It has a rim of LED lights attached to the frames. When she presses a button on the side, it lights up with such a bright light, she has to turn away and switch it off.
Blinking away the colourful, floating after-images in her vision, she asks, "What are these?"
"They'll block the gallery cameras from recording our faces. And with the boilersuits, we'll be unrecognisable. Also, Nile's waiting for us in the car. She said something about a heist playlist, whatever that is."
Reaching for the boilersuit, Quỳnh made sure to press a kiss to her wife's lips. After changing, she slides the glasses on, taking care not to switch on the lights again. "We shouldn't keep Nile waiting for long. Let’s start with the Aksumite pieces in the northwest gallery and work our way around from there.”
“You always take me to the nicest places.”
The lightness in Andy’s voice makes Quỳnh want to press her against the door and kiss her senseless.
Moments like this no longer creep up on her. They take her by full force and the desire to make up for lost time becomes overwhelming. But the rational corner of her mind now dredged from the sea fully thrives on making plans of future mornings and evenings. It chimes up to remind her that there’s a task they need to complete and pieces of history that need their help to be returned to their rightful places.
So instead, Quỳnh takes Andy’s hand and squeezes her fingers tight before pulling her out of the office. "We should go to the Met next. I heard they've got a chariot from our racing days we could take out for a spin."
Andy tugs her closer to whisper, half in awe and half in delight, "You'd steal a chariot?"
"For you, I would!” Quỳnh replies as they race down the corridor.
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