Breaking the Glass || Agent 38

Chapter Six- Rest

Quick AN: I hate this chapter too lol 🧍🏾‍♀️ feeling cute might unpublish later

3 sat on the far left side of her bed, making room for 8 to sit. Agent 8 sat down on the mattress and put her head on the pillow. 3 reached for the lamplight switch and turned the only light source off with a click.

"G'night, 8," she said as she pulled the covers over her shoulder.

"Goodnight," 8 mumbled.

Despite saying goodnight to each other, the two of them stayed wide awake. 8's eyes stung every time she closed them, the vision of glass threatening her thoughts. Agent 3 rested her head on her arm and looked at her stretched-out hand, wondering if 8 had gone to sleep. Considering her recent schedule, she figured it was unlikely. The two girls laid down with their backs facing each other, a frozen silence between them.

Agent 3 blinked a couple of times before whispering, "You still up?"

"Yeah," a meek mumble said in return, "I can't sleep."

3 hesitated. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I'd rather not." 8 said. 3 looked over her shoulder and saw the silhouette of the octoling press herself into a ball. It was clear to see she wasn't ready to talk.

Agent 3 nodded. She turned back around and kept looking at her hand or the window. "If you want to talk, just wake me up, okay?"

There was silence on the other end. Agent 3 almost expected it. She let out a quiet sigh and pulled the shared covers over her shoulder again. 3 knew something was up with 8, and she was beating herself up for not noticing sooner. She believed the "late Ammo Knights shift" lie, and while she thought it was suspicious from what 4 told her, she didn't question it then.

3's eyelids eventually started to feel heavy. Even though she told 8 to wake her up in an emergency, she originally didn't plan on sleeping, regardless of 8 sleeping in her room or not. She just wanted to make sure her friend was okay, but she eventually gave in to sleep.

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3 jumped up, adrenaline pumping through her veins. A short yet shrill scream echoed through the room, startling her awake. There was a loud thud to the right of her, followed by the covers slipping off of the mattress.

"What the-" she stood up and looked over the side of the bed, her mind still confused and mixed up. But as she looked over the edge of the bed, her lungs got stuck in her throat as her heart skipped a beat in anxiousness.

Agent 8 had fallen off of the bed, startled and anxious-looking. She clung onto the floor, her back pressed against the wall behind her. Her body quivered and gaged as short and stuttering inhales filled the room. Tears were streaming down her tawny cheeks. Her sun-orange eyes looked around each corner of the room in a panic. She looked pale and nauseous like she might throw up at any moment.

Agent 3 froze, unsure of what to do. This whole time she had been fixated on helping her friend, and now that the time had come, she just stood in fear. She went to reach a hand towards her and accidentally bumped the lamp, making a noise. Agent 8 violently flinched, covered her ears, and squeezed her eyes shut. 3's eyebrows furrowed as her shoulders dropped.

She hesitated to speak. "A-Agent 8," she whispered, trying to prevent any stuttering.

3 held her breath. With a slow hand, she turned on the lamp. She slowly moved over by 8, making sure not to make any sudden movements. The inkling sat down next to the octoling, making sure there was space between the two so 8 wouldn't feel boxed in. 3 sat her head back against the wall like 8 and reached her hand out for her. Agent 8 opened her eyes and looked at the inkling, panic and fear still running through her mind.

"8, I'm not here to harm you in any way," 3 said. "I only want to help you. I don't know what's going on, or what you're going through, but we'll figure it out together, okay?"

8 slowly let her hands fall from the sides of her head. 3 smiled and opened her arms. "I promise," she whispered.

Agent 8's eyes appeared glossy. She hiccuped and wiped her eye with a shaky palm before falling into 3's open arms. 3 fell back a bit, then steadied herself so neither she nor the crying octoling would fall over. 8 buried her tear-soaked face into 3's neck and wrapped her arms around her tightly like she was afraid of letting go. 3 said nothing, giving her fellow agent a shoulder to cry on. She could still feel 8 trembling in her arms.

3 waited a few minutes until the violent shaking calmed down. "Are you ready to talk?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

8 hesitated. She wrapped her arms around 3 tighter and mumbled. "I'm not sure," Her voice quivered.

3 hugged 8 and stroked the back of her head. The octoling exhaled and unclenched her jaw. "That's ok, just-" 3 stumbled on her words. Eventually, she just gave up. "Do you want to go back to bed?"

Agent 8 nodded, but neither of them wanted to move. 8 wanted to be held in 3's warm embrace, and 3 wanted nothing more than to make sure 8 was okay. 3 stood up and held her hand out for 8. Agent 8 took her hand and stood up after her.

3 picked the blanket up off of the floor. She laid down next to 8 and pulled the covers over the tired octoling. As 3 reached over to shut the lamp off again, she jumped and widened her eyes as she felt 8's arms snake their way around her waist. Her face burned a bright green, the same color as her ink.

3 laid back down and sighed, hoping 8 didn't notice how fast her heart was beating. Her stomach turned with anxiousness and happiness. 3 turned around to face 8 and noticed she was already half asleep. She hesitantly twirled one of her pink tentacles around her finger and frowned.

"Goodnight, 8," 3 mumbled.

8 only responded with a relieving sigh. 3 looked at her bandaged hand and held it in her palm. She rubbed her thumb on the overlapping gauze pads and hesitated. The inkling gingerly guided 8's hand up to her lips and kissed her bandaged knuckles, careful not to wake her up.

She blushed as she put her arms around 8's torso and 8 moved hers around her waist. 3 buried her face into 8's collarbone. She wondered if 8 noticed how nervous she was, or how fast her heart was beating, but the octoling stayed asleep. The agent eventually fell asleep being held by 8, smiling from pointed ear to ear.