Acta Non Verba

Irina delighted in changing them every day.

3.

The change in seasons always affected Irina. Usually she would just be under the weather for a few days but this time, she had a raging headache and a complete lack of will to live.

She woke up to bright annoying sunshine and a much more annoying alarm, taking a good deal of time to realise that it was Tuesday and a work day. She made an attempt to get up from bed, but it ended with her flopping back down almost immediately.

Damn, Tadaomi wouldn't be happy. They both had to be at the office today.

Irina must have fallen asleep after that thought, because the next moment she was aware of, there was an insistent voice in her ear.

"-ina. Irina."

"I'm up. What do you want?" she asked, slurring her words a bit. She blearily opened her eyes to see a dark smudge hovering over her.

"Are you... not feeling well?"

Irina didn't think that warranted a response. About to close her eyes again, she startled as she felt something cool press against her forehead. That... actually felt pretty good.

"You're burning."

"I'll be fine." She dragged out the last syllable. Her fatigue didn't make those words sound very reassuring.

"Can you even get up?"

She didn't want to try again. Even so, she made a token attempt to push herself upright and wasn't surprised when she failed.

"You're not staying alone here like that." His voice was firm, though he looked undecided on what to do.

"I'm not going to the hospital." All she wanted was rest which she knew she wouldn't get there, not in a place where people freely walked in and out. Her honed senses as an assassin, and now as an agent of the Ministry of Defence for nearly a year, wouldn't allow her to let down her guard.

When he didn't respond right away, she readied herself to argue with him about it, though the last thing she wanted to do was expend energy. But when he did speak, it was just, "Okay."

It surprised her, but now that the matter was settled, Irina could no longer resist the tempting tug of sleep. The rest of the day was mostly a blur to her, but she did remember seeing Tadaomi on that laptop of his every time she was awake.

Irina was used to taking care of herself, through sickness and health, but having someone around was nice.

+1

There weren't many things in the world that could render Irina Jelavić speechless. Having been a globe-trotting assassin—and part of the Assassination Classroom for a year—did that to a person.

But here she was, mouth soundlessly closing and opening, feeling like a deer in the headlights.

Because Tadaomi was right in front of her, holding out a navy-blue box that was opened to reveal a gorgeous ring.

Sure, they had been discussing marriage for a while, hashing out issues and making distant plans, and Irina had no doubt that she wanted to share the rest of her life with Tadaomi, but she hadn't expected him to propose. It just didn't seem like him.

The two of them stood frozen in that moment for a while, before a look of determination flashed on Tadaomi's face. "I know I haven't always been the easiest person to love or even work with. I... I've been rather reticent with my emotions and unknowingly hurt you countless times by that, for which I can't apologise enough. But I... I am trying to do better and I do care for—love you, deeply—" The effort for him to be so honest was obvious in his stutters and pauses, the way he was slightly shifting his weight between his feet, as he forged on, "—and I would be honoured if—"

"Yes."

"Huh?" Having his practiced speech interrupted threw him into disarray and it was definitely an amusing sight, but that was the last thing Irina could care about at the moment.

In their two years of dating, Tadaomi had never once said "I love you" to her. Constantly, every day, he proved it by his actions, which she knew should be the more important thing, but to actually hear those words made her almost melt from the joy.

"Yes, I'll marry you, and all that jazz," she confirmed, excitedly stretching out her left hand. Tadaomi slid the thin band into her ring finger, and the cold weight of the gold only served to drive the situation into her mind.

Tadaomi had proposed to her.

He opened his mouth again but she decided he had done enough talking for the day, and dragged him into a long, deep kiss.