On the next morning, a wonderful smell took you out of your bed. You scrambled off the sheets and followed it straight to the kitchen, where Smith was preparing breakfast for you. And not just the usual breakfast; toasted cheese and tomatoes, lavishly sprinkled with chives, scrambled eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, and tea. You didn't even try to wonder where he got it all from, because from what you remembered your fridge was empty for a week.

'Good morning, miss (Y/LN). I invite you to the best hangover-curing breakfast.'

'I don't have a hangover, Smithy. I didn't drink much yesterday. I'm just a bit tired.'

He nodded, setting a plate of your meal on the table. Of course, he, as usual, did not eat.

'It's very nice of you, but you know... I can get used to it,' you noticed with a smile.

'I could get used to it, too,' he muttered, putting the dirty pots in the sink. 'Would be nice.'

'Yeah... Emm..., Smithy, would you please sit down for a while? I wish ... I mean, I think we need to talk.'

Smith turned to look at you. 'Is something wrong?'

'I just don't know ..., please sit down and talk to me. I need to know what drives you... where does this dedication and concern for me come from? Of course, it doesn't bother me, because I liked you a lot, but... I would like to know what's the root of this situation?'

'Do you like me, Miss (Y/LN)? Really?' It was difficult to say whether it was sarcasm or if he was asking quite seriously.

'Smithy, please ...' you groaned. 'Tell me who the hell you are and what do you want from me?'

He snorted softly. 'Maybe I am the devil and I desire your soul, Miss (Y / N).'

'This is no time for jokes. Please, Smithy, explain everything to me. I know something's wrong ... you are someone ... different from everyone else. I would like to know if and how this might affect me or our relationship?'

'In other words, you want to know what are you sing up for, associating with me?' A fake smile appeared on his face.

'Yeah, something like that ...' You shrugged, finally starting to eat your breakfast.

'Miss (Y/LN),' he said after a long pause. 'I can assure you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, quite the contrary. Under my ... tutelage, so to speak, you may enjoy certain privileges that you don't even know about. My "otherness", as you put it, is part of my job. Unfortunately, you cannot give it up voluntarily, so you will either have to accept it and stop asking questions or tell me to leave and never come back ...'

'Would you do that? Leve and never come back?' you interrupted him.

He didn't think long about the answer. 'I don't know, so maybe we better not try it.'

You sighed. So, you had a choice of adopting its principles or adopting its principles. You knew he was just saying so, but if you really told him to leave, he wouldn't be pushing himself on you. It's not that type. However, these words gave you the idea that he was already heavily involved, and you didn't quite know how you felt about it.

***

You stared mindlessly out the window at the gray-dusty sky that did not promise anything good. You were just taking a break from work and drinking your tea in the social room, taking advantage of the moment of peace. It was unbelievable that you came to work in a pretty good mood, but the people around you were so perfectly able to quench you with their complaints and dark visions of the future, that you were already starting to feel blue. After another four hours of your shift, you are likely to become depressed.

You wondered what was wrong with this world. Why is everyone focusing on bad and negative things all the time instead of just enjoying life, after all, it wasn't as bad as one might think ...

'(Y/N) ...' one of your co-workers peeked into the social room, breaking you out of heavy brooding. 'The boss is calling you.'

You raised an eyebrow. 'Have I done something wrong?'

You said it is a joke, but the girl replied quite seriously. 'I do not know. There's also a strange man, looking like an undercover cop or what, at her place ... Maybe you want to go out through the back door? I will pretend I didn't see you ...'

With a fake laugh, you rejected your friend's proposal and headed for the boss's office. You had a suspicion about who this "strange man" could be, but what the hell was doing at your workplace?!

'Good morning...'

'Good morning, (Y/N).' You were welcomed by the soft voice of your superior, Mrs. McFly. As soon as you walked in, you immediately saw the dark form of Smith standing by the window. He was turned to you with his back, pretending to admire the view behind the glass, but you really knew he didn't want your boss to see the smirk, that he probably couldn't hold back.

'(Y/N), this is ...' Glancing at some papers spread out on the desk, your boss wanted to introduce Smith, but he was faster.

'Smith. Agent Smith.'

'Yes, Mr. Smith ... He has an ... um ... offer for you ... he's a government attorney, but it's all top secret, so I don't know anything more. If you agree to a confidential conversation with Mr. Smith, you can have it in my office, which of course I will leave ...'

'I'd rather...' Smith interjected, finally turning to face you. '...have the conversation on neutral ground. Allow me to take Miss (Y/LN) to lunch, then we'll discuss the details.'

Your boss looked at him as if to object, but Smith's relentless expression convinced her that resistance would be futile. 'Okay ... so I'm giving you two hours ...'

'I suggest that you relived miss (Y/LN) for the rest of the day, if she agrees to the offer, I am instructed to take her immediately to the final destination of this... um... project. I can't tell you more of course, but you understand that time plays a major role in this whole affair.'

The boss sighed, giving up completely. 'Fine, you don't have to come back to work today (Y/N), but please, Mr. Smith, leave us alone for a while.'

Smith nodded and obediently left, giving you a trailing look over his glasses.

'(Y/N), I don't know what this guy wants, but he brought a pile of documents here, over which I remain helpless ...' your superior said apologetically as Smith disappeared. 'If you don't want to go with him ...'

'Relax, Mrs. McFly ... I'll see what he wants. I won't say, I'm not intrigued, maybe I'll find out something interesting ...'

***

'I can't believe ... I just can't believe you did something like that ... And you fabricated these documents to make her believe you ...'

Smith didn't answer that, just smirked. You were just walking towards the cafe not far from your work, while timid rays of sun danced on your faces.

'Really, Smithy, what's all this for?'

'I thought you would like to take a little break from work ...'

You looked at him incredulously. 'You're impossible, you know?'

'I would prefer you to use a different adjective, Miss (Y/LN).'

'For example?'

'Caring ...?'

You burst out laughing. 'Now I want to use just "funny".'

When you got to the cafe Smith gallantly opened the door for you. You quickly took your favorite table by the window, throwing a scarf and jacket over the chair next to it. You wanted to go to the checkout to place an order, but Smith stopped you.

'I took you out of work, so it's my treat. Tell me what would you like to eat, miss (Y/LN)?

You didn't object and asked for your favorite egg and cheese toast. You watched Smith place the order, but you didn't notice him handing the waitress bills or holding the card to the terminal. However, when he returned to the table you didn't even ask him about it, you didn't feel a desire for another vague and inexplicable answer.

'Let's pretend we're talking about something serious in case someone from work sees us, ' you just said.

'Of course.' He took off his glasses and put them in an inside jacket pocket. 'Then why don't you tell me how her day was?'

'Pretty boring and gloomy. Actually, I'm glad you got me out of this treadmill because I think I was getting depressed.'

'Must be hard, working in a depressing place.'

'Usually, I managed somehow, but this year is different ...' You shrugged. 'Or maybe it's me who is different ... I feel a bit as if I suddenly woke up from some lethargy and realized how pointless this whole structure in which I got entangled is. This whole system that gives no respite and no time for reflection .. .'

Smith looked at you somehow as if inquiringly but said nothing.

'Come on? Maybe it is not so? From birth, they tell us that you need to educate yourself to find a good job and have money for which you can buy a lot of really unnecessary garbage ... In the end, work becomes a torment, because how many years can you do the same things... and you start living from the weekend to weekend, when, trying to drown out the screams of childhood ideals, you parties sharply, and then heal a hangover and ... and again it's Monday ... It used to make sense to me, but with time this sense began to fade until it completely disappeared ... . I think to myself that there must be something more ... Something hidden, that we humans miss in this chaos ...

Smith nodded slowly. 'You are probably right, miss (Y/LN).'

You grinned. 'You think I'm starting to freak out?'

'No ... No, miss (Y/LN). Believe me, I don't think that at all.'

You did not continue this conversation because your food was brought. Just your food, actually, because Smith was fasting as usual.

'You could order something just for the sake of decency.' You shook your head disapprovingly.

'I ordered.' He pointed to his coffee.

'And are you really going to drink it?' You asked skeptically.

'Of course.'

He did it for real, and you ate your lunch with relish. The serious conversation ended quickly when you began to rave about how delicious your meal was. You came down to culinary topics, mostly you spoke, and Smith listened. It took you a long time to reflect on yourself.

'Damn ... why am I telling you all this, when you eat nothing anyway.'

He smiled, but ... different than usual. It was a very pleasant smile, full of sincere feeling. 'I could make an exception for your famous spaghetti,' he said.

You blushed involuntarily. 'Then I invite you for dinner tonight,' you said faster than you actually thought about it.

'Thank you, but we have other plans today, Miss (Y / N).'

You raised your eyebrows, surprised not so much by some plans as by the use of the pronoun "we". 'Really?'

He nodded his head.

'I thought that after lunch I would be back to work after all ...'

'Nothing of that.' He shook his head. 'Certainly not today, miss (Y/LN).'

When you finished eating, you left the café and came onto a sun-drenched, quiet street. This day was starting to get more and more enjoyable. Smith led you to a car, a rather flashy-looking BMW parked nearby.

'Is that your car?' you were surprised.

'Business car, miss (Y/LN).'

'And you can drive it for non-business purposes?'

He smiled as he gallantly opened the passenger door for you, but didn't answer, so when he got behind the wheel you asked a different question: 'Where are we going?'

'It's a surprise.'

'Oh...okay ...' You've come to terms with your fate. 'If only I could come home before nightfall.'

'Don't worry, miss (Y/LN).'

***

You went out of town, to the forest. Smith parked the car on the side of the road and led you deep into the bush.

'What's that supposed to mean? Do you have any evil plans for me, Smithy?' despite the suspicions thrown at him, you followed him meekly, certain that you were in no danger of anything more risky than usual in his company.

'Miss (Y/LN), I thought you trust me.' He glanced at you pretending to be offended.

'I trust you, but I still don't know what to expect from you. We know each other too short. And by the way, your outfit does not seem to be appropriate for a trip to the forest.'

'I don't wear any clothes other than official clothes.'

'It's a pity... I'd like to see you someday, even in jeans.'

'Unlikely,' he replied. 'We'll be there soon,' he added after a moment, slowing his pace to catch up with you. 'Please give me your hand, the ground is quite uneven here. I don't want you to fall over.'

'Smithy, you know I can walk on my own.' Nevertheless, you take his offered hand, because it would be a shame not to take the opportunity. Anyway, it was nice that he cared for you so much. Nobody has done it in such a completely selfless way before. Smith seemed to be more fascinated by your very company and all sorts of interactions with you than the prospect of dragging you to bed. It was something new, something you completely did not expect, but you liked it much more than anything else you have experienced in male-female relationships so far. His hand was so warm and strong, but at the same time, it tightened very lightly on yours. He walked hand in hand with you, helping you overcome fallen trunks and thick bushes.

Soon you reached a vast clearing. Smith paused at its edge and looked at you, watching you closely, but you hardly noticed it. Your attention was drawn to the sight that stretched before your eyes. After the first shock was over, you removed your hand from his grasp and took a few steps forward, unable to believe what you saw.

The entire clearing and the trees surrounding it were showered with wonderful, pink, stunningly fragrant flowers ...

But it was impossible.

After all, it was February ...

Maybe the sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds, but it was still cold and far too early even for the first buds, let alone flowers.

You approached the branch hanging above the ground and touched the delicate petals. It was a phenomenon. You turned to look at Smith and to your amazement found him standing right behind you. He was smiling. You also smiled. Then he took off his glasses and for the first time since you met him, he took his inseparable receiver from his ear. You wanted to make a blunt and humorous comment about it, but you didn't make it, because he chose this very moment to kiss you.