You blinked awake, feeling groggy and disoriented, the rollercoaster of emotional angst yesterday was still heavy on your mind.

The sterile scent of Walden’s office hit you first—paper, ink, and the faintest whiff of old coffee. The light was dim, the blinds drawn just enough to let in a sliver of dull gray light from the overcast sky outside, it was raining again....

It took a moment for your eyes to adjust, but the weight against your stomach kept you from moving too much, you should have realized that your 'pillow' had too much fluff on it

Your gaze shifted downward. Walden, your ever-stern and detached boss, was... sleeping on you. His head rested against your chest, his marine blue hair slightly disheveled, his arms were wrapped around your waist, almost protective in their hold.

You sat there, perched on the edge of his desk, legs dangling awkwardly, unsure of how you got here (on top of the table) or what you were supposed to do.

The whole situation felt...too much. Walden, the same man who wouldn’t so much as blink at your jokes, looked utterly defenseless now. Though you couldn't see it as of the moment, you're pretty sure that his usually hard with focus face, had softened in sleep. For once, he didn’t seem so intimidating.

But you know the moment can't last too long.

You shifted, trying to gently pry yourself away without waking him. His grip tightened slightly as if to sense your intentions, and you froze, heart thudding.

A low groan escaped him, and his eyelids fluttered. When his eyes opened—sharp, dull and bright at the same time—they locked onto yours, and his usual stoic mask slid back into place like clockwork.

“You're awake,” he said, his voice hoarse but still carrying that edge of authority. He didn’t move immediately, as though only now realizing the position you both were in.

“I could say the same to you,” you replied with a tilt of your head “What stress were you under this time?”  you decided to ask instead

Walden straightened, pulling himself back with a composure that only he could muster after something so out of character. His hands left your waist, and he smoothed his shirt as if nothing had happened.

“Nothing. Get back to work,” he said curtly, his tone dismissive before he turned away, you got off the table, slightly hitting your own back, the hard surface didn't do it a favor.

You notice glancing staring at you, so you stared back “Yes?”

He didn't reply, letting the silence stretch

The moment was interrupted when the door opened, and Solaria stepped in. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days—not unusual for him. His dark complexion looked even more darkened under the cold office lights, bringing out his eyes more, you noticed his right eye was now in use, the eye Walden had given him gave a silent whirr, you where sure.

It had blue specks on it, as it moved, maybe a little delayed when he glanced at you.

Solaria’s expression was unreadable, but his gaze flickered between you and Walden, taking in the scene. He cocked an eyebrow up.

You were leaned on the edge of Walden’s desk, your hair a disheveled mess, your shirt slightly wrinkled and hanging loosely like you’d just hurriedly fixed it.

Walden, on the other hand, looked... less composed than usual, which was saying a lot. His typically pristine appearance had taken a hit. His hair was slightly tousled, the normally sharp line of his collar was slightly rumpled, his coat was off, and some buttons of his shirt weren't even buttoned. Even his usually unreadable expression carried the faintest hint of awkwardness

Solaria's lips quirked, by a fraction, and then, without a word, he mouthed to you, “Pound town?”

You froze, blinking in disbelief. Heat flushed your face as you shook your head quickly with a heavy sigh. Solaria’s natural eye gleamed with a glimmer of mischief, but he said nothing, his face returning to its usual blank slate as Walden glanced his way.

It was a joke, but did he really have to ask that?

“I need to discuss the revisions,” Solaria said, his tone monotone, having none of the amusement he’d just displayed.

Walden nodded, already shifting into business mode.

---

Later, you're with Solaria in the lab, assisting him with an experiment involving Aqua, the quiet bunny-like man sitting patiently on a medical table. Aqua, with an unassuming demeanor, watched you both.

His body language was shy and curious, his gaze flickering between you and Solaria as though gauging the mood.

Solaria adjusted his gloves, despite the slight tremor in his hands, likely from exhaustion. He explained the procedure

“This will test the limits of Aqua’s healing factors,” he said. “We’ll need to document the regeneration rate under different stimuli.”

Aqua flinched slightly at the word “stimuli,” but he didn’t protest, his ears drooping again.

Glancing at Aqua to see how he'd respond. He responded with a faint smile, using his eyes of course, he can't really show his mouth.

The procedure on Aqua began simply enough. Aqua sat on the table, his large ears twitching nervously as Solaria prepared the tools. You observed quietly, handing Solaria what he needed while taking occasional notes.

The first test involved a shallow prick on Aqua’s finger. Solaria’s movements were precise, though his hand trembled faintly before the needle made contact. The prick drew a single bead of blood, and you watched as Aqua’s skin began to knit itself back together almost immediately.

Good enough, you thought

Next came a small incision along Aqua’s forearm, no more than a few centimeters. Solaria’s hand hovered briefly before making the cut, his sharp, robotic right eye scanning the wound as it quickly closed. The speed of the regeneration was impressive, but something felt... off.

You knew how these tests usually went. Walden’s protocols were always exacting, and they weren’t kind.

Standard procedures involve deeper cuts, stabs to gauge internal regeneration, and even exposure to controlled doses of venom to test immunity. But Solaria wasn’t following those steps. Instead, he kept the tests mild—gentle pricks, shallow cuts—nothing more.

It was subtle, but you noticed how he skipped certain steps, moving down the checklist too fast.

Finally, you spoke. “Why aren’t we doing the deeper tests? The stabs or the venom exposure?”

Solaria froze for a fraction of a second, the faintest hesitation crossing his face. That was already setting off alarms in your head. He didn’t look at you immediately, instead pretending to busy himself with the tools on the tray.

“They’ve already been done,” he said, his tone neutral. “The results showed no reaction. It’s a waste of time to repeat them.”

But the way he paused before answering, the slight shift in his stance, and how he avoided your gaze told you everything you needed to know. He was lying.

You didn’t press him, though. Solaria’s natural eye flicked to Aqua for the briefest moment, as if silently apologizing.

Instead, you nodded, pretending to accept his explanation. You didn’t say anything more, but you watched Solaria carefully after that. There was something in the way he moved, the way his body softened when it came to Aqua, that hinted at a side of him you hadn’t seen before.

He continued the procedure with the same minimal approach, and you quietly noted how Aqua visibly relaxed as the tests went on. Whatever Solaria’s reasons were for bending the rules, you decided it wasn’t your place to call him out. For now, you let it slide.

You couldn’t help but notice how Solaria’s hands occasionally faltered. His anxiety may have gotten worse lately.

At one point, when Aqua winced slightly, Solaria’s hand hesitated mid-air, and he muttered under his breath, barely audible, “Sorry.”

You glanced at him, surprised, but he didn’t meet your gaze still

When the procedure was finally over, Aqua’s wounds had already begun to heal, the skin knitting together with an almost unnatural speed. You helped him off the table, and let him rest onto a cot

“You okay?” You asked your friend.

Solaria didn’t respond immediately. He was busy jotting down notes, his face an unreadable mask once more.

But as you gathered your things to leave, you caught a glimpse of him looking at you. His lips twitched, and he mouthed once more, “Still pound town?”

You groaned, rubbing your temples as you turned away, muttering under your breath. Solaria went back to his notes, you wondered why he was not being himself... In a good way?

A/N;

I'm sorry to the little readers that I have, I've been too busy with school lately and  just didn't have the time to update, but well here it is :D