Retrograde Motion [SCP X Reader]

Chapter 14: Flutter

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|| No more plausible deniability, no more guessing, no more pretending. ||

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It was nothing short of a miracle that there hadn't been a single containment breach yet while you were at Site-17. Between the SCPs still coming in from being transferred to the copious number of SCPs that were allowed to roam around, you might have thought a containment breach would have happened by now.

But no. Things were fine.

Getting permission to wander was... alright. You were allowed to eat in the cafeteria, one specifically for SCPs which 073 had shown you. This meant that the foundation didn't have to deliver anything to your containment room and by extension, meant you were responsible for yourself. A very normal thing indeed. At least you were given more food choices compared to before.

Admittedly, you were a little reluctant to be in place with so many people after so long, hence why you ended up sitting in a corner whenever available. Fortunately or unfortunately, 073 typically sat with you when the two of you happened to be in the cafeteria at the same time. Having company was nice, you decided, especially one without the intention of interrogating you.

Even when much of your tentative acquaintance was based on unspoken knowledge.

Unspoken knowledge of how he knew everything about your files, unspoken knowledge of how you knew everything about him, even beyond his files, unspoken knowledge of how you most certainly were far more dangerous than you made yourself out to be. Well, not everyone could be perfect, least of all the two of you.

Despite all the side-stepping to ensure fewer questions between you and 073, you would say that you got along quite well. As the person you spent the most time with outside of your containment cell, it shouldn't have come as a surprise. After all, if you didn't get along, you would have just persistently avoided him.

But, you didn't so that didn't matter.

And so, the first several days you spent at Site-17 were devoid of interviews and deaths. Predictability, the easy, simple routine your life had fallen into wouldn't last. Nothing stayed simple when it came to the universe. Case in point, the day you went to see 408.

It had been after you had eaten lunch with Cain when a doctor had approached.

"[----]?" the doctor had asked, completely ignoring Cain.

You paused, then, you raised your hand. "That's me. Any particular reason you're looking for me?"

"Ah," the doctor avoided looking directly at your eyes. "We want you to go to 408."

You blinked in confusion. "Like, right now?"

The doctor wilted under your gaze but still nodded meekly. "Now is a convenient time. We'd prefer for it to happen now before the opportunity passes."

Your eyes narrowed. Of course it would be impossible for anyone here to actually give straightforward answers. What else would you have expected? You might as well go along for now. You hadn't seen the 408s in a while. You wondered to yourself if the whole group would like you. Maybe.

"Sure." You sighed, moving to get up. "Cain, you don't have to wait for me here. We can continue talking another time."

Cain, being the understanding person he was, kindly agreed. You gave him a small smile before turning to the doctor.