The small, elegantly wrapped box sat waiting and unnoticed on the edge of his desk. If Illya had bothered to note it's presence, he had up to that moment not let on so.

Across the room sitting at his own desk, Napoleon Solo quietly waited for his friend and partner to pick up and open the gift he had place there before Illya arrived.

Illya had noticed that his partner had been silently observing him for the better part of an hour.

"Napoleon, is something wrong?" he asked not bothering to look up from his/their paperwork.

"Oh. no, no nothing."

"Then why have you been watching me for the past 45 minutes?" Illya's pen had not paused in it's progress across the page in front of him.

"Hm..? Was I?" he tried to sound innocent.

Illya looked up, a slightly amused smile just showing on his lips.

"Napoleon, there are many words that can best describe you. But innocent is not one of them. What have you been up to?"

Still trying to sound the innocent, Napoleon answered.

"Oh nothing, nothing at all."

"Try again." Illya replied, his ice blue eyes were now firmly fixed on Napoleon's soft brown ones.

Napoleon knew the jig was up.

"OK, you got me, I've been waiting."

"Waiting?? Why??"

"Well, it's .."

"It's what??"

"It's your birthday, right?"

Illya allowed one of his rare smiles to slowly materialize.

"Yes. I have one every year."

"Well,.. I was .. um just waiting."

Illya laid his pen down and placed both elbows on the desk. His hands were clasped together and his chin resting comfortably upon them. With an amused smile firmly in place, he watched as Napoleon was slowly squirming.

"Just waiting for what.?" he asked.

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Da." came the pleased answer.

Napoleon rolled his eyes, as he half waved at the general direction of the small box.

"Well? are you going to open it or not?"

Illya lifted one of his interlaced digits, and lightly pointed it at the box.

"Oh, you mean that."

"Yes." Napoleon said in an almost pleading voice.

Illya sat back in his chair. He really was enjoying this too much.

"Alright," he said finally as he slowing picked up the beautifully wrapped gift. "I made you wait long enough."

"You are such a tease."

Illya let his smile turn a little wicked.

"I know."

Napoleon watched, holding his breath as Illya leisurely unwraped the small box, taking his sweet time about it too, thought Solo. 'He loves to make me crazy.'

Finally the last of the wrapping was removed. Illya slowly raised the lid. A large encouraging grin appeared on the Russian's countenance.

"Napoleon, it's perfect!"

"I thought you would like it."

~Finis~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I too am such a tease, Am I not

--RV--NL--DMC--IK--RV--NL--DMC--IK--RV--NL---DMC--IK--

It had been a very long and stress fulled day. THRUSH did not ever take the day off from trying to take over the world.

Thus Napoleon's plans to have his birthday off had been quashed.

Napoleon tiredly walked into the office he and his partner shared. Illya followed him closely looking a little worst than his friend..

Illys closed the door, then walked over to his desk and nearly fell into his chair. Napoleon did the same.

Both men were sore and bruised. As well as just plain exhausted.

"I think we can leave the paperwork till tomorrow tovarvish." Napoleon said bushed.

Illya nodded but did not attempted to answer.. He just sat there and looked at his partner.

"what?.. What is it? Did I miss something?"

Illya did not answer..

Napoleon turned back to his desk, his hand stiffly reached down and opened the bottom desk drawer and removed a small bottle of scotch and one glass.

"You want a drink partner? I know it's not.."

"Yes, I think I will." Illya finished.

Napoleon was to just tired to ponder the reason why after all this time illya would say yes, when he only drink ice cold vodka. But after the kind of grueling day they had just experienced. Why not..

He reached down and took out the other glass and sat it on the desk next to the other. After pouring a decant amount in each glass, he recapped the bottle and put it back in the drawer.

He pushed himself up from his chair. It took a great effort to walk the comparably short distance from his desk to his partners. and then hand him the drink with out spilling or dropping it.

Illya took the glass and sipped from it slowly. The burning heat that ran down his throat actually felt very good. But his friend only did buy the best strong spirits.

"Thank you moi lyubov. It feels very nice." the blonde smiled at him.

Napoleon winced as he returned the grin.

Napoleon turned to walk slowly back to his desk. Illya feared he might fall with out assistance. So he sat the glass down and commanded his body to rise and his aching limbs to move..

Napoleon felt his injured knee fail.. But a strong arm caught him by wrapping itself around his waist.

"Easy Polya, I have you." Illya soothing voice felled the shell of his ear.

"Thank you Illiusha. Looks like I might not need that drink.."

Illya guided him to his chair, then gently lowered him down..

"I will get you home, don't worry yourself about it. We just need to take care of one more thing before we leave."

"What?" Napoleon asked to tired to say more.

"I need to give you your birthday gift.."

Somehow he found the energy to laugh..

"My what?. As bad as we both feel. We get damn close to getting blown up. Again. And your worried that I get my gift before the stroke of midnight. I love you my Illiushka. You are truly extraordinary. Do you know that?" Napoleon let his tired head lean against Illya firm stomach.

A this knowing smile shadowed over the Russian's face.

"You can be so like a small stubborn boy when you are hurting and fatigued Napoliush." he said as he stroked Napoleon's mussed dark hair.

"Speak for yourself." Napoleon murmured, but din't try to move. He was perfectly contained where he was for now.

Illya kept one hand on his friend and the other he used to pick up a small neatly wrapped box from Napoleon's desk where it had laid the whole day completely un-noticed..

"Here, open it.." he told his sleepy partner.

napoleon looked up a little from his cozy spot to see the box in his lovers hand. He tried to laugh. the box was identical to the gift he had given to Illya the month earlier on his birthday.

He forced himself with Illya's help to straighten. Taking the gift, he slowly tore at the wrapping off. Only doing it so slow because his pained joints protested each action.

Soon he was holding the unwrapped box, he worked it open. There was a thin layer of snow-white cotton covering whatever was beneath. He removed it. His eyes widen. He reached in and pulled it out. It was a silver medallion a little larger then a quarter.

"Illiushka.. Do you mean it?"

Illya reached in to his collar and pulled the thin chain out from it. The twin to the medallion in his Polya's hand slipped out.

Illya read the fancy inscription engraved on it.

It said. {in Russian} 'Please Be Mine beloved?'.

He showed it to his sleepy, but now even more blissful lover.

Napoleon was smiling as he looked back at his own medallion. It read also in the same fancy engraved Russian script.

And it simply read.... 'Forever!'.

~FIN~