"No." The reply was immediate and it took him half a second to realize he had even responded to what Rufus had said. A very brief pause followed, as he let his thoughts settle into order.
"I mean, no problem with a new assignment, whatever. But I'm not abandoning my relationship with her." He said it with a tone of finality that he hoped Rufus wouldn't press. Hoped in vain, most likely, but he could wish nonetheless. There was no way he was going to let Rufus drag him away from one of the only things that made living in this place tolerable if there was anything he could do about it.