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The toaster oven rang and I had to open the door. I placed the cinnamon bun and made my way back to Valeriy. Settling down on the upper petal on her left. The one that wasn't being used as a table. It was close enough if she wanted to reach out. But far enough to give her some space.

"Here."

She tried a smile. Took the plate. Sat it down next to the steaming mug.

Without having to turn her head to look, her hand wrapped around Zephyr's snout. The smile on her face made me wanted to run. I knew what it meant. Pain.

"Don't for a second think you can steal my shit, you sneaky little bastard," she hissed in his face. A cruel grin pulling at the corners of her lips.

"Does that stupid brain of yours actually think we wouldn't find out about the two bodies you left twenty blocks away from the targets?!"

Various words were punctuated with a stomp to my stomach.

"Or have we turned it to mush so much so that you can't even remember that you went off protocol!?"

Gloved fingers roughly tangled into my wet hair. I couldn't find the strength to lift myself up. The chains on my wrist too heavy to fight against. The other wouldn't move no matter how I tried. Anything to ease my weight off the grip on my hair.

All I could remember of that face was that twisted smile and the promise of pain behind it.

"Pathetic excuse of a weapon. Can't even function properly."

A crunch hit my ears before pain bloomed from my nose. I couldn't breathe. Choking on my own blood.

" – you're going off narrative with him."

"Not like the dumb dog can remember anything."

I couldn't help myself. I grabbed Zephyr and hauled him up above my head. Out of her reach. "Plea... please don't.... Please...?"

That was when her mask disappeared and all that was left was confusion on her features.

"...Bucky... I'm not going to hurt Zeph.... Seriously?! Bucky's trying to protect you and you're bloody tail whacking him in the fucking face!?!"

I tried to tell her that it was fine. That none of this bothered me. But there was fur stuffed into my mouth every time it opened. So I did the only thing I could, and placed the white dog on the lower petal on the other side of me. Safe and away from her reach.

But Zephyr just ran right back to her. No longer trying for the bun. Tail still wagging. Curling up on her lap.

She neither hit him, nor did she push him away. Her fingers just scratched at his ear while her exhausted eyes stared up at me. Just for three seconds before they went back to the holograms. To the target. Searching for potential threats.

'She's not them,' I had to remind myself, trying to unclench the tense muscles of my jaw.

"Sorry," she started, "I didn't mean to remind you of something... unpleasant.... Zeph and I... we just fell into old habits. He can be a sneaky little – he tends to chomp on food."

That was true. Learned that with dinner. And with the cinnamon buns. Managed to finish one before I could stop him. And again, with the blueberries. Took 41 minutes to wash the purple off his white fur.

"I may or may not be holding onto a four year old grudge over a cookie. And yes, it's over a fucking cookie, but the one bite I managed before this little bastard stole the rest was bloody amazing."

"...Couldn't you get another cookie...?" I asked, treading lightly having seen a flash of anger twist her lip.

'She's not them.'

But this was a lot of anger over a cookie.

She shook her head, sighing heavily. "...Devon managed to save one from when his friend dragged him into baking.... One. Just the one.... So, yes, I'm holding a petty grudge but there's no way in hell I'm letting that bloody shit repeat. And yes, I will bite you too if you try taking this bun back. It's mine now."

With that, she finally took a bite of food. As she chewed, the anger faded and the teasing disappeared. Exhaustion took over. Her movements took effort. Forcing herself to take bite after bite.

'She's not them.'

So I reached out. Curled my fingers around hers. Held onto her hand.

Those exhausted eyes glanced down. A tiny smile touched her face. It wasn't a mask she tried to wear.

Her fingers weaved between mine and tugged. Pulling until I moved. Until I slipped from the higher level to the spot next to her on the lower one.

Zephyr messily kicked out against the cushion to make room. Still curled up on her lap.

"Where's Ixie?" she asked.

"She's sleeping upstairs."

"How did you even find your way up there?"

"...I... climbed that," I said pointing at the long piece of fabric hanging off the ceiling.

It drew a small laugh from her. "We wanted a fireman's pole, but the parents would frown if they found a stripper pole. So we went with the aerial silks...."

Maybe she heard her name. Maybe she didn't. But claws clattering on tile echoed over the fire. In one movement of stepping down to us, Ixie settled down. Mostly using Zephyr as a bed and my knee as a pillow.

"You can shove – I mean move them if it's too cramped," she mumbled around the last bite of the cinnamon bun.

There wasn't enough room for the three of us, let alone four.

But somehow, this weight didn't seem constricting like with the metal restraints.

This was... comforting.

Warm.

Slightly familiar.

Valeriy shifted. Pulling up on my arm. Untucking her legs from under Zephyr. Leaning her back against my side. Watching a different direction of the holograms. Resting my arm over her shoulder and atop her curled up knees. Letting go of my hand in favor of the barely steaming mug of hot chocolate.

When I tried to move my arm back, she pressed down with her forearms. Stopping me for just a second before easing off on the pressure.

A pause passed between us.

Neither moving.

And then her head tilted to the side, resting against my shoulder.

So I left my arm there. Wrapped around her. Tucked just under her mug of hot chocolate.

We kept searching the feed for anything that could cause a problem to the target. Just a comforting silence between us. Nothing but the fire's snaps and crackles.

And a couple of sniffles to my right. Valeriy made no notion that it was coming from her. But every time, I held her a little tighter.

Letting her know if she wanted to talk I was here.

Letting her know that I wasn't asking and forcing her hand about the issue.

Letting her know that she wasn't alone.

Neither of us said anything when Valeriy started maneuvering my fingers. Curling them into a fist. Pulling them straight. Pushing them apart. All with no rhyme or reason.

Reminded me of her nervous fidgeting, so I let her be. Whatever she wanted to do, I wouldn't stop her.

She moved onto kneading at my bones. Drawing senseless patterns on the back of my hand. Tracing the lines of my palm. Following them down to my wrist.

I tried not to shift away from the tickling sensation. Did my best to stay relaxed. To not pull my arm back. To not shrink into a ball to protect all vulnerable spots. To not crush her with a ticklish jerk.

The target was always within arms' reach of four of their people. She could be pulled in whichever direction at a moment's notice.

People were even discreetly herded away by the third ring of security, crowding people to move on.

I had to wonder if they had a hand in the banners decorating the wall of windows. They limited visual access points from the outside.

Whoever was managing this detail left nothing open. The moment there could be an opening forming, people were moved to correct it. All bases were covered.

"That man," I pointed out, pulling the image of him closer.

And the clearer his face got, the more something inside me churned and twisted.

"I've seen his face before. He's... he's...."

I couldn't place him. Couldn't conjure up a voice as to why I've seen him. Nothing more than a glimpse and a white coat.

"...I've seen him...."

His hologram flashed red and faded from the feed.

Three assets marked in pink weaved their way through the crowds. Close to where that man was last seen. Before they too, disappeared.

There wasn't a single twitch from Valeriy. Her head stayed on my shoulder. Her hand still holding onto my fingers.

When I glanced down, I found her eyes shut. Asleep. Curled up in a tight little ball around my arm.

"Zephyr, mo – "

"You don't want to finish that word...."

"...I just wanted to straighten her posture...."

"...I can't find a way for you to do that without absurdity involved.... If you don't mind, Mr. Barnes, please keep an eye on her. I see stupidity on the horizon."

"What should I be watching – "

Ixie suddenly got up from her sleep. Scrambled over to the pile of firewood before sinking her teeth into a log. A swing of her head later, the log flew into the fire. She threw another log in before curling back up right where she was. Atop of Zephyr and I. As if she never got up in the first place.

"...Wh-what should I be watching for...?"

"....I'm going to go back to... in Val's words, moping. Good day."

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Author's Note:

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