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Lassen doesn’t know whether to believe Gus when he says he’s got somewhere for them to stay while in London. He’s half expecting to be led to some back alley hovel but the building in front of them is quite smart, 3 storeys high with the front door a solid dark grey and the bottom window frames looking freshly painted. The bricks look a little worn down and the top windows seem dark with dust but beggars can’t be choosers, Lassen thinks with a little smile, motioning for Freddy to walk up the steps before him.
And if he happens to be looking towards Freddy’s backside instead of their surroundings, well, he’s only a man after all. Can’t be perfect all the time. Gus raps on the door and sticks his hand back in his pocket, rocking on his heels as he waits, Apple leaning in to speak to him as they wait. Lassen barely pays attention to what they’re talking about, too busy thinking about where the nearest empty room with a lockable door is.
The man who finally answers the door is somewhat familiar and it isn’t until they’re all filing into the house, dutifully wiping their feet on the front mat as required, that Lassen realises where he’s seen the slim blonde man before.
He came to inquire about Lassen joining Gus’s team on the Maid Honour for their first ever mission. Lassen thankfully doesn’t have to worry about remembering his name as Gus turns from hanging his coat up on the stand to speak to him.
“Fleming, my good man! Thank you for putting us all up for the next few nights. We’ll try not to be too much of a hassle underfoot.”
“If you say so March-Phillipps. Shall I show you all to the sitting room?”
Fleming’s reply seems a little bit stiff but Lassen pays no mind to it, too busy peering around the hallway at all the little frames hanging on the wall. They show little exotic pinned butterflies and snapshots of life, the black and white pictures showing a life well lived so far. Fleming features in almost all of them, looking remarkably relaxed in most of them, a younger woman almost always in the shot next to him too.
Freddy pauses to look at one particular picture, Haysey slowing to look over his shoulder too. It shows Fleming and the same woman on a beach somewhere, both of them wearing matching grins as they stand in front of a crumbling wall with a fancy palace in the background, Fleming’s arm over her shoulder. Gus points it out as they pause to wait for them, Apple adding his own comment and Fleming turns from the doorway he’s standing in with a pinched look on his face.
“If you’ve all quite finished perusing the photographs…..”
Apple snorts softly and moves first, Gus bringing up the rear with Lassen as they all file into the fire warmed sitting room.
Someone else sits in a chair by the fire, a little table propped up next to them as they leaf through the papers resting in their lap.
“Well I do apologise, Fleming. I wasn’t aware you had….company.”
Fleming pauses by the little drinks cart in the corner of the room, twitching with either mirth or horror, Lassen isn’t quite sure yet.
“Please never insinuate that again, March-Phillipps. This young lady is my sister. Penelope, this is March-Phillipps and his motley crew. Gentlemen, Penelope Fleming.”
The young woman waves and smiles from her seat, offering a quiet, “please call me Penny,” before she’s turning back to the papers she’s got spread around her. Everyone else settles down around the room, all of them taking note of the way Haysey sits down near Penelope with a shy little smile. Once Fleming is sitting in his own chair, drink in hand, conversation soon turns to business and the reason for their visit.
Apple stays silent for most of it, chiming in here and there alongside Freddy and Lassen, also spotting the way Ian’s sister seems to be trying to subtly peek at Haysey under her lashes. He tunes back into what’s being said and doesn’t fail to miss the way the young Irishman seems to perk up when the young lady in the room suddenly adds her own opinion.
“I say we let them stay, Ian. It’ll be fun to have someone else about the house. All these spare rooms we’ve got aren’t being used after all.”
Fleming merely smiles that subtle little smile and waves his hand, agreeing to it far too easily for Apple’s liking. The room falls into silence and Apple amuses himself by watching Haysey watch Penelope. She stays engrossed in her work, offering up a smile or two when she looks up to see Haysey already looking at her, his blush deepening every time she catches him still watching.
By the time the clock ticks over to 10:15pm, they’re all lulled into a half sleep, the warmth of the room settling into their bones. Penelope organises her papers quietly, shuffling them together until they’re all back in the right places in the right folders, standing with a small groan and a twist of her back.
“I’m off to bed. Good night Ian. Good night gentleman. Would anyone like me to show them to their room?”
Haysey stands as quickly as he can without seeming too eager, Gus hiding his snort of amusement under the guise of taking another sip of his scotch.
“Aye…I mean please. I’d like to retire too. G’night everyone.”
After everyone’s murmured goodbyes, the both of them leave the room quietly, all of them, even Fleming, privately thinking that Haysey will need some help if he’s wanting to woo Miss Penelope while they’re staying in London.
~~~
The next morning sees most of them grouped in the kitchen, the quiet sounds of Fleming talking to his sister in the foyer coming through the open doorway. Gus doesn’t even ask first before he offers up his words to Haysey across the table.
“Now Haysey, my lad, what you have to do is appear to be suave and sophisticated. That gets the ladies going like nothing else.”
Haysey just blinks at him, his usual poker face back in place like his blushing schoolboy act never even happened last night. Freddy blinks sleep out of his eyes where he’s lounged against the counter and watches on with a bemused smile, waving good morning to Apple as he strolls into the room, patting Gus on the shoulder as he passes him.
“Offer a smile and then keep your silence. The lady in question will have no choice but to come over and strike up a conversation.” Gus continues, turning to look at Apple over his shoulder. “Anything else to add, Apple, my good man?”
“I wasn’t aware our Haysey needed any help in the wooing department, Gussy. He seemed to be doing just fine last night. I always thought the ladies liked it when a man appeared shy and enamoured.”
Before anyone else can ask Apple to elaborate, Penelope appears in the doorway, dressed and ready to leave the house for work.
“Good morning gentlemen. My brother and I are leaving for work now. You have the spare key?”
Apple pats his trouser pocket and nods at the same time, barely moving from where he’s lounging against the counter next to Freddy. The collar of his burgundy dressing gown shifts to one side as he moves and everybody carefully avoids looking either Apple or Gus in the eye. Penny also blithely ignores it as she grabs the apple Haysey holds out towards her, smiling in thanks as she turns back to the door.
“Wonderful. We’ll see you all later then.”
With a cheery wave and a look over her shoulder towards Haysey that Apple is 99% sure only he catches, Penelope slips back through the doorway and disappears for the day.
~~
After a silent but companionable trip to work, Penelope stops Fleming right as he reaches M’s door, the folders in his arms barely moving as he shifts under her hand, facing her head on.
“Yes, Penelope?”
“Just one question before we begin for the day. Why are March-Phillipps and his men staying with us? Do they not have places of their own in London?”
Before Ian can get a word out, the door opens and another secretary walks out, veering past them like they don’t even exist.
“You were saying?” Penny begins again.
“Ah yes. I do believe March-Phillipps told M that his lodgings had been bombed during their absence. The same applies for Appleyard. And the Commander claims his house is full of too much paperwork and too much classified material to host those ragamuffins.”
“So you gallantly offered our house?”
Fleming’s nose twitches slightly and Penny begins giggling to herself, knowing that he never offered their home but his good manners prevented him from denying them when they arrived on the doorstep the night before.
“I see. Well I am glad to have them around the house. Now we must get back to work, the Commander is clearly waiting for us.”
And with a nod to the older man watching them from inside the room, Penny smoothly divides the folders her brother is holding and marches to her desk.
~~
“Well chaps, what are we doing with ourselves this afternoon?”
Everybody looks towards Gus with a shrug, Apple offering nothing more than a smirk and a raise of his eyebrow in his lover's direction. Haysey waves out towards the windows as nonchalantly as he can as Freddy and Lassen quietly whisper between themselves.
“I’ll be going for a walk, sir. The rain seems to be holding off for now.”
“That sounds good actually. I might do the same,” Freddy adds.
“We’ll leave you to it then,” Gus says as he stands, purposefully leaving the door open as he goes. “Make sure you’re back by curfew, won’t you gents?”
Apple holds out the spare key that Haysey makes sure to grab on his way out, ignoring the all knowing look Apple seems to be giving him over the edge of his newspaper. Once they’re all outside, Haysey goes one way, waving goodbye to Freddy and Lassen as they go the other. He whistles quietly as he goes, dodging various housewives and the occasional soldier on his way to SOE HQ, hoping that it won’t take too much arguing to get into the building to see Penny like they planned the night before.
Luck is on his side however. By the time he gets to the right building, noting the few army personnel walking in and around the building, he spots one lone woman standing at the corner of the building, checking her watch over and over as she glances left and right. Haysey can’t deny his heart lifts when he spots Penny waiting, still somehow praying that she’s waiting for him rather than anyone else.
He dashes across the road, the traffic almost non-existent so he doesn’t have to worry about being accidentally run over and with a smile, he paces over to where she stands and taps her elbow to get her attention.
“Henry! You made it!” She exclaims softly, impulsively throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.
Haysey loops his arms around her waist and holds on just as tightly, sneakily pressing a kiss to her cheek as he pulls away. The blush that paints her cheeks makes his heart squeeze in his chest and he so dearly wants to keep this woman in his arms for as long as she’ll let him.
“To the cafe for a quick lunch?” She asks, looping her arm through his to keep him by her side.
“Aye that’s fine by me. Lead on my lady.”
Penny guides them across the road and round the corner, not speaking again until they’re alone on the path.
“Now tell me all about your adventure on the way here. I know something happened from the look on your face and the flour on your jacket.”
Wiping away the errant flour on the side of his jacket, Haysey laughs quietly and begins his story, starting from the minute he left Freddy and Lassen on the doorstep of her home.
~~
“Do you really think Haysey needs some help wooing Miss Penelope?” Apple asks, stretching out languidly next to Gus on their rumpled sheets.
“I do. What young man really knows what a woman wants at that age?” Gus replies matter of factly.
Apple just snorts, propping himself up on an elbow to look at Gus.
“And I suppose you know all about what women want?”
“I rather think I do.”
Not even bothering to reply, Apple folds his arm behind his head and relaxes back into the bed, amused by the idea of Gus and the others making fools of themselves trying to offer advice. He saw the looks earlier, he’s pretty sure Haysey needs no help from any of them.
~~
By the time Gus and Apple have tidied themselves up, everyone else has returned home and the kitchen is full of people and warmth, the big fire crackling alongside the oven. Lassen idly watches everyone interact, Fleming reflexively twitching the curtains shut so no light escapes them as Haysey and Freddy squabble in front of the stove.
Miss Penny sits at the table, quietly chatting to Gus and Apple as Lassen joins them, subtly leaving a space on her left hand side for Haysey to sit by her. He takes that space while he continues squabbling with Freddy, casually dropping his arm over the back of her chair. Lassen spots it but says nothing as Penny leans back into her seat, turning to say something into Haysey’s ear that makes him laugh quietly.
Freddy’s laughter distracts him from seeing anything else, Apple’s replying quip making the whole table laugh. Even Fleming lets out a chuckle or two as they all wait for the food to finish cooking, Apple standing to help Freddy dish out a hearty stew of lamb, carrots, onions, and potatoes once it’s ready.
Lassen again watches the way Haysey reacts around Penelope; the way he works around her at the table; the way he passes things over to her and the way their fingers brush each time and the way she keeps looking at him as he moves around her. Perhaps Gus’s suggestions on how he should woo this young lady aren’t needed after all.
But that won’t stop Lassen from offering his own suggestions. He’s got to do something to pass the time between missions after all.
~~
A low whistle cuts through the air and Freddy has just enough time to blink and tug his shirt down before Lassen is half depositing him off his lap and onto the empty section of the sofa they’re lounging on. Not even 10 seconds pass before Fleming is hustling into the room, his nose buried in the paperwork he’s holding in one hand.
Lassen acts like nothing is wrong as Freddy subtly wriggles himself back into his lap, not so subtly lining their hips up again as Lassen grabs at him to keep him from moving. But Fleming doesn’t even look up, just grabs a pile of folders off the sidetable, tucks them under his arm and walks back out of the room.
Silently thanking whoever whistled to warn them, Lassen lets go of Freddy and allows him to get comfortable on his lap again, tugging Freddy’s arms back around his shoulders. Neither of them see Penny and Haysey pausing by the open door, Penny elbowing him gently in the side to encourage him to shut the door to give them some privacy.
~~
“All I’m saying is you just need to man up and say something to her!”
Haysey just shakes his head and ignores Freddy, silently goading him into saying something else with a raise of his eyebrow. He really is spending too much time around Apple - it’s eerie how much like him Haysey looks when he’s doing that.
“No seriously, just compliment her hair or something like that.”
“Or something like that?” Haysey repeats, a smile tugging up the corner of his mouth.
Freddy nudges their elbows together and grins, “the ladies love it when you say something nice about their hair. It always used to work for me.”
“I’ll think about it.”
They’re interrupted by the door opening across the room, the woman in question walking in with a pile of books tucked under her arm.
“Oh hello gents! Everything alright?”
Freddy nudges Haysey again, being as obvious as he can be and it makes both him and Penny roll their eyes at each other, Freddy missing it completely as he pokes Haysey repeatedly.
“Aye everything’s grand, Penny. Are you alright?” Haysey replies, politely rising from his seat as she joins them at the table. A smack to Freddy’s leg has him doing the same, Penny waving away their attempts at good manners.
“No, no. Don’t stand on my account. And I’m very well thank you Haysey. Though I’d be better if I could find what I wanted in these books I’ve scrounged from my brother's private library.”
“What are you lookin’ for?”
“The answer to this question.”
She shows them both the hastily scribbled words on the paper tucked into the first book and Freddy drags it closer, turning the paper upside down and left to right as he tries to logically think about what it could mean. Penny gently pats Haysey’s knee under the table, hiding her giggle behind her hand when he ignores Freddy and instead plays with an errant curl that’s fallen out of her updo.
Freddy is none the wiser, still spinning the small scrap of paper this way and that as Haysey softly compliments Penny’s hair just like he suggested.
~~
Lassen coughs quietly as he steps outside, flicking open the lighter he holds in his left hand. He inhales deeply as he lights his cigarette, the familiar scent of the tobacco inside taking the edge off the stress lining his shoulders.
“You too huh?”
He spies the slim figure that spoke sitting crouched behind the big flower pot full of hydrangeas, a lit cigarette perched between his fingers.
“Haysey. I thought you didn’t smoke?”
He grins up at him and shakes his head, pointing the cigarette down the length of the little rear garden to where Penny is leaning against a low stone wall talking to a neighbour.
“Ah. Your little lady does not want to be caught and tattled on?” Lassen adds, sliding down the wall until he’s sitting on the cool paving slabs too.
“I guess not. She just shoved it at me and went down to talk to whoever that is.”
They share a quiet laugh as they watch Penny chat away, her movements animated and expansive. Lassen notes Haysey doesn’t stop watching her the whole time, his eyes tracking her as she sways and rocks on her heels as she talks.
“May I make a suggestion, young Haysey?”
“Aye, suggest away.”
“Tell this young lady how you feel. We may be moving on soon and I think it would do you both good to have someone to write to. When possible of course.”
Haysey blinks at him before a smile spreads across his face.
“I never knew ya to be so well spoken, Lassen.”
“You can thank my mothers insistence for a good education,” he jokes in reply.
They share another chuckle and Haysey looks back at Penny as she waves goodbye to the neighbour, her laugh ringing bright and clear around the little garden they’ve somehow preserved from the Blitz.
“I might just take your advice on this one,” Haysey mutters as he stands from his crouch, passing the cigarette back to its owner.
Lassen just smiles and stays sitting down as Penny joins them, dragging a little three legged wooden stool over from behind an empty plant pot right as Haysey crouches back down next to Lassen again, glancing from the stool to the slabs beneath them.
“You didn’t expect me to just park my behind on the floor did you?” She quips, laughing at the confusion on both their faces.
~~
“D’ya know what they said to me?”
Penny shakes her head, settling down a little heavier against his chest as she makes a quiet inquisitive noise.
“Said I should be more suave and sophisticated. That I should compliment your hair because the ladies love that. That I should just smile at you and let you come to me to start a conversation. And that I should tell you how I feel before we move on.”
Haysey smiles as Penny giggles, tucking closer to his chest as he tugs the covers of the bed higher up their bodies to keep her warm.
“Like they know what they’re doing,” he jokes, dropping a kiss to Penny’s hair as she starts drawing random, idle patterns on his bare chest.
“They’ll get a shock when they find out you bagged me all by yourself, handsome. No extra help needed,” she whispers, lips forming a smirk against his chest.
“Aye they will. But they don’t need to know. Not yet.”
“No, not yet. We can keep this secret for a little while longer,” she promises, looping her arm across his chest and snuggling closer.
~~
Fleming quietly locks the door and turns to face the man sitting in his bed, covers tucked over his lap and a newspaper in hand. The light of the little lamp bathes him in a soft yellow glow that Fleming could really get used to seeing.
“Are you going to stand there all night, my good man?” M asks softly, keeping his voice down out of respect for the other guests in Fleming’s house.
Ian wishes they weren’t here though. Just so he and M could relax in their usual manner without having to worry about being overheard or even seen moving around the house. He thinks more about it as he moves away from the door and joins M in bed, stripping off his dressing gown and draping it over M’s own on the chair.
“Is everything alright, Ian?”
Ian gathers his thoughts as he settles into bed, not bothering with his book tonight.
“Yes. I’m just rather annoyed that after 7 days March-Phillipps and his men haven’t left.”
“I think your sister might disagree with that statement, my boy. She’s rather taken with that young Irishman I believe.”
Ian snorts before he can stop himself, remembering the awkward interaction he and Appleyard had with his sister a few hours previously. He elaborates at M’s raised eyebrow.
“I’d say so. Myself and Appleyard accidentally walked in on them in bed together earlier.”
“Accidentally?”
M’s smirk betrays his amusement and Fleming can’t help but chuckle too.
“I knocked and when there was no reply, we opened up the door to see if she was in the room. Found her and Hayes under the covers.”
“Unclothed I presume?”
“Please stop talking.”
“I’m curious as to how Appleyard responded though. I noticed he’s rather fatherly towards Hayes.” M replies, steering the conversation away from Ian’s sister.
“Oddly enough he replied with “congratulations to you both” and just walked back out again.”
M just chuckles and goes back to his newspaper, stretching out slightly for Ian to curl up against him more.
“That does sound like something he’d say. I’m happy for Penny though. Hayes is a good young man.”
Fleming can’t help but hum his agreement, sleep stealing upon him the longer he soaks up the comfort of their bed.
“He is. I just want her to be happy, Colin. That’s all.”
The edge of the newspaper dips and M’s hand rests on his for a moment, thumb rubbing a soothing circle against his wrist.
“And she will be. Trust her judgement. They’ll both be just fine.”
~~
The following evening sees them all resting in the sitting room around the fire, sitting in almost the exact same places they were when they first arrived at the Fleming household. Haysey sits at Penny’s feet again as she reads a book, subtly rubbing his thumb against her stockinged foot where she rests it in his lap. Haysey wonders if anyone has realised what he’s doing as Penny sinks a little lower in her seat, stretching out her feet under his hands.
Fleming and M sit on two chairs beside them, their feet propped up towards the fire, talking quietly between themselves. Apple and Gus are sharing a chess table between themselves on the sofa, both so seemingly enraptured in their game that nobody else is in the room is there. Freddy is in a chair off to the side, spread out like a boy who’s not been taught any manners while Lassen sits prim and proper by the bookcase, a book on the world’s maps open in his big hands.
Haysey presses down a little harder as he rubs the arch of Penny’s foot and the little relieved moan she lets out makes the whole room go silent, her cheeks flaring a bright red. Ian chokes on his drink and hurriedly looks away from them both, studiously ignoring the way Freddy whistles teasingly from across the room.
“Oops,” she whispers, wriggling her toes against his fingers where he’s still holding onto her foot.
“You took our advice then Haysey?” Gus comments, glancing up from his chess pieces to aim a sly look at them both.
He and Penny share a grin, her eyes lighting up with such mischief it makes him smile.
“Aye sir. Somethin’ like that.”