—
The grey cafeteria is filled with the sounds of clinking cutlery and low conversations. Joshua and Marlowe sit at their own table on the outskirts of it all, and Joshua doesn't know if Marlowe did this to spare his nerves or theirs. Either way, Joshua can still feel the eyes of other scientists, engineers, and the like prickling up the back of his neck. He fixes his own gaze firmly on the food in front of him, which he pushes around his plate with little appetite.
Scrambled eggs, dry bacon, and a biscuit. Slightly burnt coffee. Could be worse, he thinks dully.
Marlowe is sitting across from him, their back to the cafeteria entrance as though to watch the faces of their colleagues. They have a white-knuckled grip on their own mug of Irish Breakfast tea, and they're eating even less than Joshua is. They're thin-lipped and the skin around their eyes is tight as they stare into space, tensely contemplating something.
Joshua's mind wanders back to last night wistfully, and he remembers Sundo's hand in his, his lips on his cheek. Memories he's replayed over and over by now, since being pulled back into his own room. He'd probably daydream about it more if it weren't for the plan that keeps pulling him back to reality.
The more cynical part of him tells him it'll never work. The smaller, unrelentingly hopeful part of him won't dismiss it that easily. It argues that it could work, that they'd never know if they never try it. It's the Schrodinger's cat of plans.
Joshua raises his gaze to Marlowe, and the tugging debate in his head settles for a moment more. Conflicting emotions fight to the surface in its place.
Those same halves of him argue over whether or not he should trust Marlowe. He wants to, but jaded self-preservation tells him he shouldn't make himself vulnerable like that. Yet, he feels a sense of queer solidarity with Marlowe, thinking back to that first conversation in the hallway with them. When he'd confessed his relationship with Sundo, and when Marlowe had shared their nonbinary gender identity.
A stab of guilt spikes him as he considers how he'd treated them with hostility the following morning. He'd had a whole sleepless night to reconsider and ruminate over his actions from the day, and it'd been enough to convince him to have second thoughts. To doubt his budding trust in Marlowe.
Then, Marlowe's actions last night.
Joshua drops his gaze to his plate, pushing his fork up against the scrambled eggs anxiously. Not only had Marlowe helped him through a nightmare—when they didn't have to—they'd also taken him to see Sundo. Against their own previous convictions.
Joshua recalls how scathingly he'd argued with them, how obstinate he'd been. A small part of him cringes, and he swallows against a building feeling of guilt.
He looks up to Marlowe again, who is staring down at their plate, lost in thought.
Regardless of whether or not he can put his full trust in them, he can trust them enough to help him when he really needs it. And that's no small thing. He can't treat them like shit for that.
He knows what he has to do now, but it catches in his throat, and he doesn't know how to begin it. He hates apologies.
But after last night, it's well deserved.
His pride rears its ugly head, but he shoves it down and clears his throat.
"Hey..." He begins, and Marlowe startles, shaken from their rumination. They look up.
Awkwardness clutches at Joshua, but he pushes past it, searching for the right words.
"I've... Well, you..." Joshua stops, squeezing his eyes shut. He lets out a breath, gathering his words, before opening his eyes and trying again.
Marlowe is looking at him curiously now, their nervousness momentarily forgotten.
"I've been unnecessarily rude to you. Treating you like an enemy, even when you keep showing me you're not, not really, and well... I just, I want to apologise to you. For, y'know, acting like..." He sighs, and reluctantly admits, "an asshole. You don't deserve that. I see that now, and I'm sorry I've been so, well, inconsiderate, I guess."
His apology is choppy and stiff, but it's an apology all the same. The emotion growing on Marlowe's face becomes too much for Joshua, and he drops his gaze as he continues.
"I also want to thank you for... well, last night." He lowers his voice, not that he thinks anyone is eavesdropping on them in this noisy, busy place, but just in case. "For helping us. I didn't think you really would, but you did. And... I got to see Sundo again, where I likely wouldn't have otherwise. That means a lot to me, to both of us, and I don't know how to properly thank you."
He lifts his gaze again, and he finds Marlowe smiling softly, their eyes shining.
"Thank you," they say, catching Joshua off-guard.
Of all the things he expected them to reply with, he didn't expect it to be a thank you. He expected them to agree and berate him for his behavior, since he clearly deserves it. He expected them to stiffly accept it or to return frustration that he'd even have the audacity to apologise. He didn't expect... well, this.
Seeing his face, Marlowe laughs, just a bit. "Oh, don't look so surprised! That seemed so hard for you! I appreciate it so much more for that." Their face softens again, and they reach over to press their hand overtop his on the table. "Thank you, Joshua. Truly. I'm glad I can help you two, even just a little bit."
Thoughts are passing through their eyes, and Joshua realises he recognises that expression they're looking at him with. It's the same one from last night, when they woke him from his nightmare. It's... concern. It's the kind of care an older sibling might hold, and it throws Joshua for a loop. He's never had an older-sibling-friend before.
Before Joshua can decide how to feel about it, or if he's even interpreting it right and not reading too much into things, Marlowe sits back. They withdraw their hand as they add, "And, well, you certainly make it easier to do when you're not acting like a dick. It makes it easier to not regret helping you."
The back of Joshua's neck burns, and he averts his gaze with indignant shame. "Alright, yeah, I get it! I get it, I've been shitty, now let's talk about something else. What are we doing today? When can I see Sundo again? I need to talk to him."
Marlowe's expression shutters, before falling, and Joshua wonders what it was that he said that was a misstep.
"What?" He asks, his brows coming together. "What is it?"
"I don't think I can take you back to see him, Joshua..." Marlowe says lowly, and a shiver creeps up his spine out of the blue.
"Why?" His voice drops to match Marlowe's instinctively. He asks despite already knowing the answer, deep down.
Marlowe meets his gaze, and in it, Joshua sees the distress that's been eating away at the assistant since the moment they pulled him from Sundo's room.
"Rosalyn can't know. She'd never trust me again. She told me this morning, specifically, to never let you two see each other, else you'll start planning and... you two have already started planning, haven't you?"
It isn't completely an accusation, but it isn't completely not one either. Marlowe's eyes have narrowed, and Joshua swallows guiltily.
"Well, not exactly..."
Marlowe waves a hand between them both, waving away his words in a gesture that says clearly, "I don't even want to know."
Sighing, Marlowe sits back, looking to Joshua in a way that is suddenly tired and worn-down. "They know you know more than you're sharing, Joshua, and you can't hide it forever. I can't keep facilitating your dodging. You have to give me something."
Aversion crawls up the back of Joshua's neck, and he can't help all of a frown. His first instinct his to argue, but for once, he holds his tongue. Marlowe did give something up to help him; they risked their credibility to let him see Sundo. He can't find it in him to refuse them. It's only fair.
Marlowe watches him work through this, graciously keeping silent rather than saying anything further to tip him one way or the other.
He works his jaw, and finally, begrudgingly, acknowledges, "It is only fair. I guess..."
He looks away, trying to figure out how in the hell he's going to work around this. Even he feels he should give Marlowe information, but how much? What should he share?
Marlowe seems to have some idea for this, as they tip back in their chair and say, "We know that he's extraterrestrial, as in, he's from space. But there's so much more to that. What is he, truly? Does his species have a name? How many more of him are out there? Are they a threat? Should we be worried about them? What do they want?"
Joshua thinks through those questions, a furrow slowly forming between his brows as he contemplates, looking down at his cooling coffee.
Some of those questions he has answers to, some of them he doesn't. Some have harmless answers, some... less so.
Joshua thinks of Sundo's plan again and inadvertently derails himself. If it actually works, they'll get out of here and he won't have to give answers. If it doesn't, well... He'll repay Marlowe in full, he supposes.
It's a gamble, really. Schrodinger's plan.
He really... really hopes it works, though he supposes for that to happen, Sundo would have to put it into action. It's all resting on him. And Joshua trusts him to know what to do and to get them out. He'll just have to wait to see when it all begins.
"Come on," Marlowe says when he doesn't answer right away. It's gentle, not pressing, and Joshua looks up to find them standing up. "Let's find somewhere else to hang out. Somewhere a little more..." They spare a glance around the cafeteria. "Private."
Joshua recognises that they might be offering this for him, so he can feel less uncomfortable giving answers to their questions. The thought does make him feel just a bit better.
"Yeah, sure." He stands, taking up his half-eaten biscuit for later and leaving the rest to be trashed.
Marlowe has more questions for him, of course, and Joshua works through a plan of his own: He stalls.
He complies, for the most part, answering the most harmless questions ("You call them terrestrial aliens? How interesting!"). Though he keeps his answers relatively cagey, all the same, which he eventually assumes Marlowe expected.
They both sit in the breakroom again, and Marlowe listens patiently, though they can't completely conceal their interest. Joshua tries to ignore them taking notes.
All the while, he keeps hoping for a sign that Sundo has put his plan into motion.
* * *
Today is yet another day of testing for Seth, apparently. Bennett and his scientific gang are back with more creative things to have him do or try, through Seth can feel their list of curiosities is starting to dwindle down until there's only one major thing left. And that he refuses to do.
So instead, he lets them keep poking and prodding him with weird things. He learns what the heck a CT scan is—and he'll admit, he doesn't like that big roving, plastic encasement at all. He gets to see an x-ray of his skeleton for the first time, and he listens to the scientists excitedly discuss their theories as to how his skeleton can physiologically retain the ability to change so drastically.
He ignores their pointed comments as to how helpful it would be to their hypothesising to actually be able to see such a transformation. He has nothing to prove to them.
Interestingly enough, none of them directly confront him about it. Seth is confused by this; that is, until he realises it must be that the responsibility has been left to Bennett, as the head scientist. For it's Bennett who keeps coming up with increasingly different and innovative ways to ask Seth to shift.
"How about it?" He asks when Seth is sitting in a sticky leather medical chair in yet another new room of the institution. The other scientists are working around them both while Bennett rests his elbow on the armrest and his chin in his palm. "If you do that shifty-thing for us once, I'll get you anything you want. Sounds good, yeah?"
Seth slants Bennett a look, and for once he doesn't quite hide the interest in his gaze. All Bennett's other attempts have been met with flat "no"s or stubborn silence, but this one... Bennett knows he's caught Seth's attention with this one; he just doesn't quite know why.
While Bennett has been tirelessly working on some way to get Seth to give in to the scientists' request, Seth too has been looking for an opportunity to get his own way. He has his plan running in the back of his mind unceasingly, and he's been trying to figure out some way to set it into motion. Joshua is depending on him, he knows, and he dearly does not want to let him down. He wants to get them both out of here as soon as possible.
Joshua's doubts rise up in his mind occasionally, and he worries over them, but he knows—and he has a feeling Joshua knows as well—that he can't let the doubts stop them. They have to try.
So he's been searching for some way to convince Bennett, some way of getting them alone. And Bennett might just be handing it right to him.
"Anything I want?" Seth repeats, eyeing Bennett shrewdly.
"Mhmm," Bennett hums, his eyes narrowing with a smile.
Both of them are watching the other carefully, as though engaging in an invisible game of chess. Bennett's thrown out a risky move, and it's Seth's turn.
"Alright," Seth agrees, not daring to break eye contact. He watches Bennett searchingly as he adds, "I want to see Joshua again."
Bennett's mouth quirks, and a bit of his amusement melts away. He looks... as though he's realised a mistake. As though he should have known better.
"Oh, Sundseth..." He mutters, almost to himself. "You know we can't do that. That's exactly, precisely one of the things I'm not supposed to do. How about something else."
Bennett tries for another smile, and frustration sparks in Seth.
"Why?" He asks sharply, ignoring Bennett's offer of something else. "Why can't you do it?"
Bennett shakes his head, as though saying, "We're not having this conversation now."
Seth furrows his brow, sitting up in his seat and clenching his fists over the armrests. "No, I want to know. Why can't I see him, Bennett? I won't shift for you unless he's there."
"How about something else," Bennett tries again pressingly, attempting to be placating. He holds his hands out between them, as if to soothe Seth's vexation. "Anything. Anything at all. Do you want some chocolate? I've got a lot of that."
The other scientists working under Bennett are beginning to pause in their filing and prep-work, glancing to the two of them. A hint of frustration creeps onto Bennett's face as he waves them off, back to their work.
Seth fights back a growl, baring his teeth and staring Bennett down, knowing, knowing that repeating the same words will get him nowhere further. He doesn't have anything else to say. Bennett knows his stance on this. He's not going to change his mind, and more importantly, Bennett knows that too. He can see it in the tense set to Seth's shoulders, in the narrowed, adamant glint to his gaze.
What's more, Seth recognises that Bennett can't—won't—bend either. They've reached a stalemate. Again.
Bennett is the first to break their stare-down. He turns away with a throaty sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. He looks like he's going to have to shave again soon.
"If bribes can't convince you... we're out of luck." Bennett crosses his arms, drumming his fingers over his bicep, his sleeves rolled up. He looks at the ground without seeing it, seeming to drift into convoluted thought.
He doesn't look happy, but he doesn't look dismayed or put-out either. He looks like he's contemplating a next move in that chess game of theirs.
Seth turns away from him with an irritated grumble. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do now. How is he supposed to enact his plan if he can't even get Bennett to agree to let him see Joshua? Even if it means, through all pretenses, giving Bennett exactly what he wants?
Seth chews his lip as he turns this problem over and over in his head, searching for a way out.
The day continues like this through the afternoon: precarious peace teetering over grudging compliance and bubbling tension. Seth can feel it buzzing through everyone, this tension, as though something is going to happen soon, something everyone is aware of but Seth. It makes him antsy and on-edge, and he doesn't like it. He feels that this tension is going to crest somehow, and when it does, however it does, it won't be good.
He worries it might be him who snaps first.
He holds his composure together precariously, the only thing really keeping him from shifting over the edge being the thought of Joshua. Knowing that he's depending on him. He has to keep it together, he tells himself, or they'll lose their only opportunity, as dicey as it already is.
*
Joshua and Sundo don't see each other again for the rest of the day. The evening, however, that precarious compromise between day and night, would soon become an exception.
It's the end of the day, when the sun is thinking about setting far above them, that someone comes into the breakroom looking for Joshua, and by extension, Marlowe. Joshua is so tired of talking around questions and stalling that he's relieved to see the stranger, just to break up the monotony. The stranger brings with him the possibility of something different and exciting.
Marlowe is already so giddy from the information they have managed to get out of Joshua that their colleague appearing at the door isn't physically capable of exciting them any further. In fact, they're slightly annoyed by the interruption.
That is, of course, only until the colleague informs them that Joshua, and by extension, Marlowe, are wanted in the interrogation room.
It's then that a spark of excitement takes hold of Joshua, despite how carefully he tries to stop it. He can't stop the heart-tripping touch of hope that takes hold of him, because if someone is calling for him, Sundo must have gotten his plan to actually work. Despite all the holes, he's putting it in action, and Joshua can't stop the excitement.
It's working! They're getting out of here!
How perfect it is, he thinks, that the interrogation room is where it all began. It's where it all will end, too.
* * *
Around the same time, another colleague approaches Bennett.
Seth watches as the lady tells him something discreetly, in words that Seth doesn't quite catch because of the distance between them and the annoying scientist beside him attempting to talk his ear off about who knows what. He's not listening. He's trying not to be listening.
He misses what the woman tells Bennett, and a sprig of apprehension curls in his gut as he watches Bennett turn to the party, visibly excited. The head scientist claps his hands together once in a gesture that is equal parts delight and equal parts getting-everyone's-attention.
"Alright, everyone! Unless I already spoke to you, you're done for this evening. Everyone else," Bennett settles his gaze on Seth. He's still speaking to the room, but he looks to Seth as he says, "We're heading to the interrogation room."
.
.
.
Dread has never felt more like falling.
This chapter is mostly important set-up for the next, but then again, hasn't everything been? I'm really so excited we're finally here!!
Don't forget to share your thoughts! What do you think Bennett has planned? What's going down in the interrogation room? Will Seth's plan pan out?
See you all next Friday! Lots of love!
❤