#i am so sorry alexei just punch him and he'll shut up for .2 seconds

[krylenko]

"pain in the ass is likely the more correct term." nikolai barks out, the tension beginning to build in him, setting itself within his shoulders. "not a matter of being 'tight' with him, you need to stop hanging around with the americans . . ."

nikolai watches carefully, unwilling to allow alexei to slip into the cover of the night and torn between helping his fallen comrade. "as far as i see it, you're a fucking traitor, shostakov."

' i'm just full of surprises. '

alexei shot back, slipping the hard-drive into the pocket on the side of his pants. well, this had gone tits-up in the most spectacular of fashion. another time or place and he would have found a joke to scoff about the fact that there were two red guardians on opposite sides of this fight.

but humour could wait for now. glancing to where bukharin lay, alexei lifted his shoulder in a shrug.

' didn't know you were that tight with bukharin again? he's a big boy - it's not his first rodeo. '