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He let out a long relaxed sigh as his back pressed against the cool stone behind him, closing his eyes for a moment and sliding down to sit on the sand. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed the shade that the wall provided growing darker, larger, and the Russian hunter smiled. There had always been a certain comfort to be drawn from the shadows, they helped him hide when hunting, providing cover even out on missions. It was a great advantage to have when you knew your target's location but they didn't knew yours.
Right now tho, right now, all they were doing was provide cover from the sun of the place known as Breeze.
The mission was over, they had secured the place already and were mostly waiting for their transport back to base, so Sova could finally take off some of the layers of protective equipment he wore so the heat wasn't as suffocating, and sit down for a moment.
-"Why not inside ?"- The familiar growl of a voice caught his attention and the hunter turned to Omen now standing beside him.
-"I like the sun"- Sova stated with a smile. -"It is the heat that I am taking a break from"- He admitted, looking down at moving wisps of shadows around the two of them and back up at the other. -"I knew it was you, thanks"-
The radiant let out a hummed growl in response.
-"And thanks, for the company"- Sova added.
-"Of course"-
The short conversation turned into comfortable silence between the two until they were notified that it was time to head back to base. Omen offered the hunter a hand to stand back up, no that he needed it, but it was the thought behind the gesture that mattered. And both agents made their back, feet sinking slightly into the sand with every step. Sova slowed down as they walked by an area where nature had started to take over the buildings, plants and vines crawling up the stone wall, small blue flower blossoming from them lightly swaying with the wind.
The Russian's lips curled up into a smile as he stopped completely to take a look at them, glanced at Omen for a second before reaching out for them. The shadow stopped as well, noticing the lack of steps behind him and turned to look for his companion, only to find him mere steps away, holding something out for him.
-"Here"- Sova spoke gently, reaching for the other man's hand and placing a small light blue flower on the palm of his hand. -"They made me think of you"- He added.
There was no response aside from a quick muffled 'thank you' before both resumed their walk back to the transport, and eventually flew back to base along with everyone else. Omen held the small flower gently all the way back, eyes fixed on it, on the little petals with a hint of white on the edges. If at all, the colours reminded him more of the hunter, not himself.
The hunter.
Lightly glowing eyes looked up, catching the pair of mismatched eyes as he twirled the flower in between his fingers.
-"Thank you"- He added, going back to his own thoughts and the silence for the rest of the way.
-
The return to base went according to routine, it was uneventful, with little new or different to report. A quick briefing, nothing out of the ordinary, except the shadow being lost in thought, clawed fingers lightly brushing the petals of the flower gently as the man thought of how he could keep it. Preserve it. No. Everything wasted away and died eventually, and so would that flower, that was part of the beauty of it. The memory and the thoughts it carried, however, would last for longer, or so Omen hoped.
-"You could press it!"- A voice suggested.
The shadow was pulled out of his thoughts, turning to notice the familiar face. Sage smiled at him as the man looked back down.
-"Press it in a book with parchment paper"- She added, as if she had read his thoughts about preserving the little gift. -"I saw those flowers back at Breeze, the colours are very lively, they're beautiful!"- The healer hummed.
-"They are"- Omen agreed, now taking the suggestion seriously. Surely he had a book heavy enough to press it into, but not the paper.
The man stood up now that the formalities were over he had something to occupy his mind for the next couple minutes, and someone who he just couldn't help but think about every time he glanced at the light blue petals.
-"You know, Sova once told me that they remind him of someone"- Sage commented as the shadow left the room. Omen was sure she was smiling, he could hear it in her voice. She knew who, just like he did.
-
Days passed, missions and training came and went, leaving little room for any down-time for everyone. Always something to be done, some place to be, but regardless of how the day went or who he had to interact through the day, Omen found himself going back to a single book on his shelf every night he spent in his room at base. He wasn't exactly an avid reader, but the flower he liked.
Flipping through the pages, he flinched slightly when he watched the two sheets of parchment paper that trapped the flower slide out of it, and it was then when he remembered a suggestion Sage had done to him earlier that day. Carefully, the radiant picked it all back up, setting the book down beside him and getting out of the room. There was still time.
-
Sova stepped into his room and quickly noticed it, a single icy blue flower sitting on his desk, nothing had been disturbed, and, at first glance, there was also no one else there with him, save for the shadows of the room themselves. He approached, reaching out for it and noticing a hand written noted next to it that read : 'It made me think of you'.
He smiled towards the shadows in the room.
-"Thanks"-