Terrestrial Alien ✔

Chapter 65: Tug-of-War

He'd grudgingly changed into the clothes Marlowe handed him afterwards: a new set of scrubs, these ones black.

He hasn't said anything to Marlowe since getting out of the shower. He'd let them lead him to this room, which he assumes is some sort of breakroom or lounge for the needleheads Marlowe works with.

Because of this silence, the air between the two of them is tense. As though the tension is a physical thing suffocating them, Marlowe has been valiantly trying to relieve it through useless chatter. While walking down the hall, while making the hot drinks, while sitting down across from Joshua. They talk about everything from poetry to sci-fi tv shows to the lavender NASA tee they're wearing now.

Nothing about Sundo, nothing about the facility or Rosalyn or Bennett. Nothing of use to Joshua at all.

He can hardly stand it.

"Why are you helping us?" He asks, startling Marlowe mid-sentence. 

"'Scuse me?" Marlowe asks after a moment, as though they hadn't heard him quite right. A worry line is forming between their brows.

A flash of irritation sparks in Joshua, and he frowns, lowering his mug.

"Why are you helping us? Do you even really care about what happens to us?" His temper is flaring, and he knows these are words he shouldn't be saying, but he says them anyway.

Marlowe's eyebrows shoot up, before rocketing downwards again. Their rainstorm eyes look torn between being hurt and affronted.

"Joshua, of course I care. I wouldn't try to help you if I didn't. Rosalyn—"

"I get it. I do. You care so much about what your boss thinks, even though I can't fathom why. She's a bitch, you know that? You shouldn't have to care what she thinks. You—"

"You're not so great yourself, you know that?" Marlowe interrupts with a scowl, finally settling on affronted.

Joshua blusters. "That's not my point. I know I'm not. You know I'm not, so why the hell are you helping me? I don't understand! If you care about your boss and your job so damn much, why risk it all for some angry asshole and his alien?"

Marlowe's scowl is firmly in place. They have their mouth open to reply, but then they stop. Something flickers behind their eyes and the scowl eases. They look at Joshua a moment, searching, before dropping their gaze.

Joshua is still fuming, and he doesn't recognise the shift and Marlowe's demeanor until they speak again.

"It's the two of you," Marlowe says, lifting their gaze. "It was the way you acted on the stairwell down here. You were scared, and he held your hand. When he was scared, you protected him. You two just..."

Marlowe struggles for their words, flicking their gaze away from Joshua again. His glower has fallen, and he stares at the assistant with an uncomfortable feeling of wonder.

Marlowe takes a sip of their drink to give them time to gather their thoughts.

"You two are so gentle with each other. Soft, careful, considerate, and just... I don't know," Marlowe gestures in front of them with their free hand, as though they could find the word in the air. "Compatible. You two work together. You clearly need each other, and it was just... moving.

"And then you explained your history. How you got where you are, together." Marlowe clutches their mug with both hands. "I could hardly stand hearing about that struggle, and then seeing where you are now.

"We don't have those kinds of relationships here. The kind you two have. Everything's sterile business and perfunctory work. We have jobs to do and we do them. But you two... You two don't care about any of that. You throw a wrench into this whole careful system, and I just, I don't want to watch you two fall apart."