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The worst part wasn't almost dying. It was that he'd saved her. Heck, she'd rather have died than have him save her, but here they were.
That moment had been replaying in her mind for three days now- which was three days too long.
They were on another mission- Fold, being the idiot he was, had accidentally sent a group of Farcade agents onto the planet they were targeting, his only task of what NOT to do. He'd been sent after them, and Miss Information, being the totally-helpful-not-just-trying-to-get-on-the-boss's-good-side person that she was, offered to accompany him.
Push came to shove, and they'd successfully found the hero of that game world and trained him to be able to defeat the final boss. Unfortunately, those darn Farcade agents were quick, and had found the game's villain first- and trained him to be even stronger. So much stronger, in fact, that they were actually able to put up quite the fight.
In the ensuing chaos of the battle, Miss Information had managed to slip away to the side unseen- she'd had no intention of sticking around while Fold and the hero dealt with the villain. And yet, somehow, that dumb Farcade agent (Kit, was her name, she believed.) had gone after her. She was able to hold her ground for a bit, until suddenly the platform they stood on shook with a roar of the villain, causing the jagged rocks that protruded from the ceiling above them to shake, dislodge, and fall.
She barely had time to process the incoming danger as Kit jumped out of the path of the falling spikes—but Miss Information wasn't fast enough. The world slowed as she saw the sharpened rock plummeting toward her, certain this was it—until Fold's arm wrapped around her waist and tackled her out of the way, the debris grazing his leg instead, causing it to rip off. The impact sent them tumbling across the rough ground, his grip tight even as they skidded to a stop.
When she was able to gather herself, she scoffed as she pushed him off of the top of her body, where his face was buried dangerously close to the fabric of her bikini top. She sat up, rebuking the heat that she felt on her cheeks- perhaps it was the result of their environment- they were in an underwater volcano at the moment. But no...this feeling was...different. Glancing over at her partner's missing leg, she sighed, spawning a bottle of glue in the palm of her hand as she offered it to him.
He gladly accepted the glue, drinking it as he felt his body stitching itself back together. "You know," he began, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "you could at least say 'thank you.'" She scoffed again, louder this time, crossing her arms as she turned away. There was no way she was saying thank you—not when he'd seen her like that, and especially not when she was still trying to ignore the way her heart had hammered against her ribs when he'd pulled her close. It had to be some sort of bug.
A bug that still plagued her even now, three days after their successful mission.
She couldn't stop replaying the way his arms had felt around her, the way his stupid, grinning face had been so close—no, no, she refused to entertain that line of thought. She..hadn't even said thank you. Not then, not after, not once in the seventy-two hours since. Every time she opened her mouth, something else came out. A snarky remark, a change in the subject, once even a horrid comment about the weather. It was becoming quite the issue.
Fold didn't seem to mind. He was still acting as he always had—carefree, reckless, and utterly idiotic—while she sat stewing in her own frustration. The worst part was that he'd already forgotten the incident entirely, or at least pretended to.
She tried not to mind it and throw herself into her work instead—yet somehow, every new mission Fold was assigned, there she was, volunteering to join him. Boss had raised an eyebrow the third time she'd done it, but she'd brushed it off with some idiot excuse. Fold, of course, complained as always, but was quickly humbled by the fact that she was the only way he could regenerate after getting hurt. However, with the way her stomach was doing flips every time they had a mission, you'd think she was about to walk into a warzone. It seemed as if her traitorous body had decided to react every time Fold was near—a fact she planned on ignoring until it stopped.
That was, if it ever did.
Was it guilt that was eating her? She'd never minded not having manners before- if anything, she'd taken pride in her rudeness. But now, every time the memories of that mission resurfaced, something sharp twisted in her gut. She wasn't the kind of person who dwelled on things—so why couldn't she shake this?
"Somebody get in here!!" a loud voice boomed, unmistakably Warrick's. Miss Information rushed from her computer to the main area of the ship, only to be tripped by Fold's leg, which he had stuck out while also making his way to Warrick. Tripping over his leg, Miss Information yelped as she hit the floor. She quickly recovered as she grabbed his ankle, dragging him down with her as she utilized the momentum from his fall to hoist herself up and continue on.
"Plonker!" She yelled at him, flipping him off as she walked into the main area. Warrick sat there on his throne, arms crossed. Fold hobbled in behind her, rubbing his head where he'd hit it on the way down. "What's up?" Fold asked casually, as if he hadn't just tripped her moments ago. Warrick sighed, pushing himself up out of his seat as he made his way across the room in two strides over to the monitor.
He pointed at the screen, showing a new game world, one they hadn't been assigned yet. "This new planet is suitable to train our new recruit," Warrick explained, "It'll have to do since *someone* destroyed the ideal target" he turned sharply to glare at Fold, who let out a nervous chuckle as he twirled his fingers, "Heh- about that-"
"Can it,"
"Yes sir,"
Miss Information snickered as Warrick turned back around, to which Fold responded with lunging to strangle her. The two struggled for a bit before Warrick cleared his throat, causing Fold to immediately release her and stand at attention—though not before sticking his tongue out at her when Warrick wasn’t looking. "You two," Warrick growled, pinching the bridge of his nose, "are going to train our newest recruit on this planet. Don’t screw it up."
Miss Information frowned. "With all due respect, sir," she began. "Us two? Why *us*? Why not him?!" she reasoned, jabbing a thumb toward Fold, who gasped dramatically, clutching his chest as if mortally wounded. Warrick merely sighed, rubbing his temples like a man who had long since lost the will to live. "Because," he said, voice dripping with exhaustion, "you're the only one who won't let him get himself killed." Fold scoffed, crossing his arms. "I don't *need* a babysitter," he muttered like a petulant child, further proving his point.
The new recruit, whom they recognized as Crab Girl, ventured over as Warrick motioned for her to join them. Miss Information groaned internally—great, another idiot to babysit. Crab Girl grinned eagerly, her claws clicking together in excitement. "I'm Crab Girl," she chirped, oblivious to the tension between her two unwilling mentors. Fold grinned and threw an arm around Crab Girl’s shoulders, ignoring Miss Information’s sharp glare. "We'll have you kicking bad-guy butt in no time!" he said, completely ignoring the fact that he was the reason their original training planet had been reduced to float.
Miss Information rolled her eyes and shoved Fold away, causing Crab Girl to stumble. She focused back on the boss as he retreated back to his throne. "Not to worry, sir. We'll have her trained up in no time." She plastered on her most convincing smile, though internally she was seething. Being stuck with him while feeling like this?!
Warrick gave a weary nod—clearly past the point of caring—as he waved them off. "Go. Before I change my mind."
˚₊‧꒰ა . ——— ˗ˏˋ ✮ ˎˊ˗ ——— ˖ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
The training planet was exactly as miserably pleasant as Miss Information expected-- a bright, warm sun, sandy shores, a vast, expansive ocean, and a small bustling town that smelled of seafood and saltwater. The perfect vacation spot. Lord knew she needed one of those- tenfold, especially since she was stuck with these idiots.
Crab Girl was, unfortunately, an enthusiastic learner- if not slightly dim-witted. She quickly attached herself to Fold's every word as if he were some sort of genius, hanging onto his every exaggerated gesture as he explained the intricacies of villain combat.
Miss Information watched them from under the shade of a palm tree, arms crossed, beyond exasperated at their antics. She'd already corrected Fold's terrible advice three times in the last hour- Crab Girl would be walking into walls at this rate. She knew he was doing it to make her mad- he wasn't dumb, as much as she hated to admit it. Miss Information had half the mind to reprimand him, and yet, every time she opened her mouth, Fold would smirk that stupid, lopsided grin that made her stomach flip- and she'd snap her jaw shut, scowling.
What was wrong with her? She'd never hesitated before and certainly never let anyone get under her skin like this. Fold was just another idiot, no different from the dozens she'd dealt with before. So why did the sight of him make her feel as if she had premature heart problems? The answer prickled under her skin, unwelcome and undeniable.
So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Fold approaching until his shadow blocked out the sun. "You gonna sit there scowling all day," he asked, tossing a seashell at her head, "or actually make yourself useful?" Miss Information caught the shell and threw it back at his eye, the impact causing the humanoid-paper to recoil as fragments of sand burned his eye.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she drawled, standing up and brushing sand off her legs. "Sorry that I always have to be paired up with you—the one who somehow keeps failing upwards while I have to clean up his messes." Her voice dripped with sarcasm that was sharper than the rocks that had nearly impaled her days before. The words spilled out before she could stop them, laced with a bitterness that surprised even her. Fold blinked, momentarily stunned, before his usual smirk slid back into place—but she wasn’t done. "And don’t think I forgot," she hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest, "that stupid rescue act you pulled. You didn’t have to—"
Fold’s grin faltered for a fraction of a second, just long enough for Miss Information to catch it, before he crossed his arms. "Rescue act?" he echoed, voice light but his tightening on his elbows. He chuckled incredulously. "Oh, please. As if I’d let you die before you finally admitted I’m better than you." Crab Girl, oblivious to the tension, clapped her claws together. "Wow! You guys are *such* good friends!" the villain duo choked up, both immediately going to deny it. Miss Information's cheeks burned—though not from the sun—as Fold scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Miss Information scoffed, standing as she stormed past Fold and Crab Girl. She didn't know exactly where she was going, just that she needed distance—from him, from this conversation, from the way it hurt when he acted like he didn't care. The pebbles shifted underfoot as she marched toward the path by the shore, where the waves crashed with an intensity that matched her frustration.
Behind her, Fold sighed dramatically. "What's her problem?" he asked Crab Girl, who shrugged. "Uh- I'm Crab Girl-" she offered, to which Fold groaned, kicking the shell from earlier to the side. "C'mon, let's just..get back to training."
Info had never acted so weird before..Fold knew that. He'd seen her pissed, smug, even bored out of her mind, but never this...whatever this was. He watched her storm down the beach, kicking sand with every step, and something twisted in his gut. He could get away with ignoring it—he was great at ignoring things, especially Miss I. It wasn't that he hated her. They were actually like-minded in more ways than one. The two were more...frenemies, you could say.
The way she'd turned away just now reminded him of the moment after the rockslide, when she'd scrambled away from him like he'd burned her. Fold had laughed it off, because that’s what he did, but the way she hadn’t even glanced back at him since then…it gnawed at him harder than it should've. His gaze drifted back to the shoreline where Miss Information had disappeared.
"Crab Girl, i'll be right ba-" he turned to brief his mutant crab apprentice, only to find her attempting to eat a dead bird that came out of nowhere, repeatedly being blocked by the game's security system.
Fold sighed, shaking his head as he took off down the beach after Miss Information. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows that stretched toward the shoreline. He found her perched on a jagged rock at the water’s edge, knees pulled into her chest. At the sight of him, she immediately stiffened, rolling her eyes as she turned towards him.
"You’re so predictable," she muttered, flicking a stray pebble into the water. Fold plopped down beside her, ignoring the way she scooted an inch away. The silence stretched between them thickly, until Fold finally broke it with a quiet chuckle. "Y’know," he said, leaning back on his palms, "you could’ve just said thanks."
"What?" she tore her gaze from the ocean defensively, her blonde hair swishing with the motion.
Fold shrugged, pretending to examine his nails, which was ridiculous since he was made of paper and had none. "For saving your life," he said casually. Miss Information scoffed with an unbelieving chuckle, placing her palms flatly against the rock as she leaned back. "I owe you nothing,"
"You owe me everything," Fold shot back. The realization made her stomach drop. She bit her lip, staying silent as she averted her gaze. He was still looking at the horizon when he added, quieter, "Warrick would've killed me if you'd died."
Despite herself, Miss Information found herself letting out a snort. "He would've found a reason to kill you even if I lived," Fold grinned, nudging her shoulder with his own. "Yeah, but now he's got you to do it for him." The words hit harder than he intended. She stiffened, fingers digging into the rock beneath her. Fold hesitated, then sighed. "Even without his threats, I wouldn't have let you get crushed."
Miss Information blinked, jerking her head up to look at him as he, in turn, looked down, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "Only because I need you for regen. Obviously," he added quickly, but his voice lacked its usual bravado. She scoffed, turning away to hide the flush creeping up her own neck. "Obviously," she echoed, but the word came out softer than she intended.
The waves crashed against the rocks below them, filling the silence that stretched between them. Fold cleared his throat awkwardly, kicking his heels against the rock. "So," he started, glancing at her sideways, "You gonna tell me what's really wrong? Or do I have'ta guess?" Miss Information stiffened, her fingers tightening around the hem of her jean shorts. "Nothing's wrong," she snapped, too quickly.
Fold raised an eyebrow, his fingers drumming against his knee. "Riiiight," he drawled, dragging out the word. "And I'm the captain of the Farcade." She glared at him, but there was no real heat behind it..just exhaustion, and something else she couldn't name. Fold's expression softened, just slightly. "C'mon, Info," he pressed, nudging her again. "Spill."
The nickname sent an unwelcome jolt through her chest. She opened her mouth, ready to deflect again, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she found herself staring back out at the horizon.
Fold exhaled. "Fine. Be like that." He stood abruptly, sending tiny pebbles skittering into the surf. But before he could take a step, Miss Information's hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with surprising force. Fold froze, glancing down at where her fingers dug into his arm. For a moment, neither moved. Then, in a voice so quiet the waves nearly swallowed it whole, she muttered, "I didn't... want you to see me like that." Fold blinked, his brows furrowing as he slowly sank back onto the rock. "Like what?" he asked, genuine confusion lacing his tone.
Miss Information's grip loosened, but she didn't let go. "Weak," she admitted through gritted teeth, as if the word physically pained her to say. Fold snorted—then immediately winced when she dug her nails into his wrist. "Ow! Okay, okay—" He rubbed the spot, but his smirk was softer now. "You were always weak," he said, ducking just in time to avoid the punch she aimed at his head. "But not-" he added quickly, catching her fist, "-in the way you're thinking."
The fight drained out of her suddenly, leaving her shoulders slumped.
Miss Information stared at their still-connected hands and for once, words failed her. Fold exhaled slowly, brushing over her knuckles with his thumb before seeming to realize what he was doing and jerking away like he'd been burned. "Look," he muttered, rubbing his neck awkwardly, "If it makes you feel better, I wasn't exactly...thinking straight either." he admitted. "I just- saw my partner in trouble and..my body moved before I could even think,"
Miss Information scoffed, but there was no bite to it. "Since when do you think?" Fold rolled his eyes, but there was no malice behind the gesture. "Since my partner started acting like her code was faulty."
"Partner," Miss Information echoed, trying the word out on her tongue. She hated how much she didn't hate it. Fold shifted beside her, suddenly fascinated by a passing seagull. "Yeah, partner," he muttered. "Like it or not, we're stuck with each other."
Then, in a voice so quiet she almost missed it, Fold added, "And I don't mind it."
Miss Information's breath hitched she was...not expecting that in the slightest. It was as if they were completely different people than the ones that had been snarking at each other not even ten minutes prior.
She opened her mouth—to say what, she hardly knew, when the sound of Crab Girl violently hacking up the dead bird interrupted them. How she was even able to eat it in the first place was a mystery. Both turned just in time to see her projectile-vomit half-digested feathers onto the sand before looking up at them with a proud grin. "I'm uh- Crab Girl!" she cheered. Fold groaned, pressing his hands to his face. "I hate this job," he muttered, though the slight upward quirk of his lips betrayed him. He glanced at her sidelong, catching the way her lips twitched, and grinned.
She met his gaze with a soft chuckle. "You're an idiot," she muttered, however there was no bite left in it. Fold's grin widened. "Yeah," he agreed easily, "But I'm your idiot." She grinned back, relaxing as she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Fixing her gaze back on the setting sun, she replied.
"I suppose you are, hmm?"