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“Agent, there you are. Are you ready for-” Reginald cut off his words upon seeing his agent, eyes widened in concern as he noticed blood coming down their arm. “Agent, you’re bleeding.”
“It’s not my blood.” They gave him an awkward smile, holding onto the arm to feel any cut, only to feel nothing. “I can’t feel any cuts.”
Reginald looked at them with a sigh as he gestured to them to step closer. “Roll up your sleeves, Agent. I’ll just take a short look.”
They complied, watching as he examined their arm with a furrowed brow. He held back a deep breath as the amount of blood concerned him. His agent’s nonchalance made his stomach drop, watching how they didn’t flinch when he’d applied pressure in a very obvious cut. (He wore gloves, of course. He knows his first aid.)
“Well, you got nicked, Agent. Are you sure it doesn’t hurt?” He’d started wiping the blood off as gently as he could, trying to watch his agent’s reaction.
They merely watched in a distant gaze, as if the arm being bandaged wasn’t theirs, as if they weren’t there with him. Their breathing was too quiet, barely enough to keep them conscious. Lips slightly looking pale, he wondered if they were getting enough sleep. (Although he knew that it’s likely that they aren’t; he wasn’t any better.)
“Say, do you think it’s a bad idea to stay up almost every night?” They murmured, causing him to pause wrapping up the cut. “I mean, it’s hard to sleep. I keep thinking about everything going wrong. Just one wrong turn and bam. It’s all over. You’re dead. I just… I don’t know. You know?” They tried to gesture with their arms, only for him to give a firm (yet gentle) hold so they couldn’t.
They’d watched as he furrowed his brow slightly, the scent of blood adding to the intensity of the scene. He took a deep breath as he tightened the bandage slightly. “Sleep deprivation is a serious issue, Phoenix.” He slowly turned to them, making sure to look them in the eye in solemn seriousness. “How long have you been having these nightmares?”
They pursed their lips, lowering their head to create a curtain that hide their eyes from his intense gaze. “Ever since that escape pod. It had been there before but that’s when it got worse. Everything could’ve gone wrong. I would’ve been dead… and you’ll never see me again. And…” They clenched their fists, shoulders slumped as they held back tears. “I don’t know. Back then, I never really proved myself valuable to the agency. I’m just one of many who could die. I could’ve died alone and I didn’t have you who would’ve cared. You’d probably laughed it off as you sent another agent in my place.”
He stayed silent, making sure to secure the bandage as he went to them, slowly making their body lean towards him for an embrace. He’d make sure they could hear his heartbeat, so they could listen to the constant warmth right beside them.
He remembered how much he’d laughed it off, telling them with mirth that he told them so. Escape pods would’ve killed them yet he’d shrugged them off, creating a joke at their expense.
“What do you do while you stayed awake at night?” He gently wrapped an arm around them as soon as their uninjured hand clung to his shirt.
“I… just stare at the wall, well, the window. I try to look at the stars but the apartment is in the middle of the city. I… I don’t think I can ever look at the stars here. Not anymore, at least.”
They melted under his touch, eyes slowly closing as his hand stroked their hair, lulling them to sleep as the gentle touch caressed the child inside of them. His breathing felt like the gentle breeze of a hammock, their mother’s gentle lullaby slowly entering their ears even though they know that they’re so far removed from that time.
“You’ve been to space. You’ve seen the stars much closer than I ever could.” He chuckled, watching as they frowned yet their eyes had a subtle hint of joy.
“Maybe. But the fall back down isn’t something that I want to happen again.” They chuckled as they took in a deep breath, the scent of his tea comforting them like the times they hugged their mother and smelled their favorite home cooked meal.
“I suppose you’re right. But… if you need to do something else other than staying up and if you’re struggling with the toll of your missions, please come to me. I’m free to talk anytime.” He embraced them.
They can debrief later anyway.