Chapter Text
Henry awoke to the soft beeps of his alarm clock and sighed… Time for another day of work. Henry sat up slowly and dangled his feet off the side of his bed. His hands absent mindedly rubbed his back and he could feel the various scars that decorated his skin. Henry stood and walked across his quarters to his dresser and examined his face. The scar on the left side of his face seemed less prominent. Maybe there was hope for his face after all. Henry reached for the small red box on his dresser and grabbed a handful of air. Damn this messed up depth perception… He reached for the box again and opened it. He pulled out the small white orb that was inside. He used his fingers to open his left eyelid and slowly inserted it into the empty socket. Once inside, the prosthetic eye came to life, and Henry’s vision was back to normal. He stared at himself in the mirror. They had tried to match his new eye to his original eye color, but his eyes were such a unique shade of blue, that the closest match they had was still several shades off. Henry blinked a few times to ensure the eye was in place properly, then got dressed.
Captain Henry walked down the hallways of the ship past familiar crew members who greeted him pleasantly as he passed. He smiled as he acknowledged them. They were his pride and joy. The best crew in all of MIRA. As Henry walked to the Cafeteria for a mug of coffee, the door of the Med Bay caught his eye. He peered inside. The bed where Blackstone had been treated was still empty. The sheets were cleanly drawn, and the bed was made without even the slightest wrinkle in the sterile sheets… It was haunting. Henry felt tears in his eyes as memories of what happened came flooding back to him. Despite everything that he had gone through, the only thing he saw in his mind was Blackstone... and it felt just as haunting. Henry forced himself to look away from the med bay and continue towards the Cafeteria. John Brown greeted him silently as usual and gave him a pat on the shoulder before returning to preparing breakfast for the crew. Henry took a sip of his warm beverage and wished for the warmth to chase his drowsiness and emotions away. He was the Captain of the ship after all… He had duties to attend to, and a reputation to uphold.
Henry entered the bridge of the ship and saw Lavender and Aquamarine at their stations. Henry greeted them and checked on the ship’s status before returning to his station at Admin. He set his mug down on the counter before walking towards the center of the room to the large table computer. Blackstone’s records had been erased from MIRA archives and Henry’s heart filled with guilt. His gaze traveled over to where Blackstone’s ID card lay next to the card scanner. Never to be used again.
“You know I’ll be back in a few months, right?”
Henry looked up from where he was to see Blackstone leaning against the doorframe of the Admin room. He stood up straight and walked over slowly to where the Captain stood. “Don’t worry, Captain. I can fend for myself. After all I’ve been through with you, the Academy should be easy.” Henry smiled and huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I know, but I still think it’s unfair. You’ve already proved you’re more than capable of being a part of this crew. Besides, I… we’re gonna miss you.” Blackstone pulled Henry into a hug. Henry obliged. "It could've been worse." Blackstone commented. "I could've been executed just for being an imposter if you hadn't testified at my hearing." The two stood there for a few moments and breathed deeply. They felt relief in one another’s presence and the both of them wanted these moments to last just a bit longer…
But a thought made Henry pull away. Blackstone dropped his tendrils obediently even though Henry could tell he didn’t want to. “Hey, Stone?” Blackstone turned and began looking at star charts. “Yes, Captain?” Henry turned to face his friend. “You used to call me by my name all the time. And now even when we’re off duty you just call me…Captain.” Blackstone turned and met Henry’s gaze. A beat of silence passed between them before Henry continued. “Why is that?” Blackstone’s posture seemed stiff as he responded. “Well, Captain, when we were imprisoned, you told me I was not allowed to call you by your name anymore. Since you hadn’t said otherwise, I figured I still hadn’t earned the right to say your name again.”
Henry sighed and shook his head in disbelief. You loyal son of a bitch… An overwhelmingly pleasant warmth filled Henry's heart. For his friend to hold his orders in such high regard… Henry smiled. “Oh, Stone. Of course, you can say my name again! After all you’ve been through to make sure we get out safe, you’ve done way more than plenty to say my name again.” Blackstone’s eyes grew hopeful and his large pupils dilated ever so slightly. “You mean it? I can say your name again?” This time, Henry pulled Blackstone into a hug and as they stood there alone in Admin everything felt… perfect. Henry smiled as he felt Blackstone’s body heat through his uniform.
“Definitely.”