Chapter 3
After several hours of indulging in Disney classics, bouncing on the bed like overexcited pre-teens, and devouring a sinful number of Hostess Cakes, Anne and you decided to sneak off to the cafeteria for a more suitable, adult dinner.
"Nobody is ever here this late," Anne whispered with her signature grin, evoking memories of high school mischief. The two of you giggled, hugging the wall as you crept down the dimly lit corridor, which now feigned the appearance of night.
"Why are we whispering?" your voice hushed, "Is there a hall monitor we need to look out for?"
"Ha, no. I just don't want to be seen like this," Anne gestured between the two of you.
Anne had donned an ancient pair of Hello Kitty pajamas, while you sported borrowed shorts and an oversized tee shirt emblazoned with the words 'Hogwarts University Chemistry Club' on the front. You kept your cat-themed socks on, their feline faces mocking you as you brushed lingering crumbs off your chest, while Anne padded over the marble floor in her bare feet.
"Damn," you grimaced, glancing down at your absurd socks. "Is it too late to retreat?"
"Afraid so," Anne snickered, "Nobody cares what you wear outside of work hours. I swear it's not a big deal if someone sees us... just mildly humiliating, and I would rather die, but not a big deal."
"Well, since we will be humiliated if caught regardless... You wanna clear the hall?" Room clearing was stressful under scrutiny, but your academy had made it into a game. After hours, when all the cleaning and studying had been finished, and the letters home attended to, it was fun to kill time by honing your more badass skills.
You thought it would be nostalgic for Anne, since she would have went through the same training as you.
"For what?" Utter confusion twisted Anne's face, and you hesitated. Did she really not remember how to clear a building?
Well, that would be remedied tonight.
"If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's a problem—a big one. Pay attention; I'm about to give you a much-needed refresher course in clearing rooms."
"What are we 'clearing' for?"
"Enemies?" You squint at her. "But for now we will just keep an eye out for anybody walking the hall. Ready?"
"What? You mean like the cops in action movies?"
You nodded, brow furrowed at her mystified look.
"That would be a resounding yes!" Anne squealed, her brown hair bobbing as she bounced on her toes. "I can't wait to tell Sebastian; he's going to be sooo jealous!"
"Okay, first, do you remember-" At her blank look, you decided to start from scratch. "These are the hand signs you need to look for and recognize, specifically whoever has taken point... which is the person in front." You watched her face as you demonstrated the basic hand motions for stop, go, crouch, look, rally, 'I don't understand', and point out an 'enemy'.
Anne repeated each signal perfectly, but you needed to define and explain a few things to her.
Anne caught on quickly, cackling when you instructed her on how to properly follow you without 'flagging' your back with her imaginary weapon.
Between random fits of giggling, the two of you managed to silently traverse the hallway, unnoticed by the few people that lingered in the halls.
Anne stopped in front of you, having taken point a few minutes into the exercise. She lifted her hand and made a circular motion in the air by her head. You smiled at her perfect 'rally' signal, feeling ridiculously proud as you crawled up beside her, keeping your eyes trained on your six while she watched the front.
"I'm having a shocking amount of fun for something so ridiculous," Anne huffed, her brown eyes glinting with mischief. You couldn't help but wonder how long she had been stationed in the laboratory to forget such a basic skill. She didn't look much older than you. "But we are almost certainly going to need Ominis and Sebastian to bribe security into not telling anyone about this little escapade."
"Pfft, we ARE security." You snorted a laugh, "I'm surprised there aren't regular training sessions down here. Even if this is typically a peaceful place to work, it's important to maintain your skills."
"Uhh, yeah." Anne's gaze focused on her bare toes as they wiggled on the cold marble floor. "Oh! Here's the cafeteria! It took twice as long to get here, but it felt like half the time."
"All that effort has left me famished."
"My thighs are burning from all that crouching."
"Same."
"Liar." She poked your leg, which wasn't sore at all. "But I appreciate you downplaying your fitness to make me feel better."
You half expected Anne to continue her stealthy approach as you entered the cafeteria, prepared to follow her lead. Instead, she straightened and walked confidently. Matching her stride, you lifted your chin and entered the room with a swagger, as if you weren't woefully underdressed.
The large cafeteria with its domed ceiling and polished metal tables was nearly empty, save for two sharply dressed men in the corner.
Odd.
It was strange to see men lounging while wearing bowties and suits. Bill Nye cosplay? Maybe.
Your face heated as you recalled your ensemble, and you averted your eyes toward the buffet.
"If we don’t make eye contact and stay silent, they might not notice us," you whispered into Anne's ear.
Her inelegant snort echoed in the cafeteria, and you winced, feeling eyes turn to you. “I doubt it.”
Anne studiously ignored the onlookers, and you followed her lead, recalling Brattleby's advice and Officer Fig's words. Maybe these men were some of the scientists you had been warned away from? It made sense; security guards wouldn’t be dressed like professors after hours, especially considering they were told to bring nothing and provided matching clothing by the facility.
As you marched forward, Anne tensed when the man with dark, curly hair enthusiastically waved the two of you over. You snickered as he braced a hand on the table, leaning forward as if he might fall right over the edge to catch Anne’s eye. The tall blond beside him craned his head but made no move to get up.
Anne feigned ignorance until the man shouted, "Anne! Hey, dear sister, come join us!"
With a whispered apology, Anne grabbed your arm and tugged you toward their table.
The chairs squeaked against the floor as you took your seat in front of the silent blond, painfully aware of your attire as you plucked at your borrowed shorts and ignored the stubble on your unshaven legs. Anne, looking just as frumpy, made the situation mildly tolerable.
She slumped into the chair beside you, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the freckled man before her. Her mood had taken a sharp one-eighty, and she looked fit to snap.
“This is my new friend—” Anne quickly shared your name but neglected to mention theirs as she pulled from her seat, tugging at the sleeve of your—her—Tee shirt as she attempted an escape.
"Anne, dear, what is the rush?" The man in front of Anne furrowed his brows, his dark eyes alight with confusion that scrunched his round freckled face into an expression one might call adorable had it been made by a child. With his crooked bow tie and unruly hair, he reminded you of an overeager puppy. "You haven't even introduced us to her, and now you're trying to scamper off and keep her to yourself?"
Anne breathed a heavy sigh, pinching her brow as she gestured to the man in front of her. "This is Sebastian Sallow, the twin brother I told you about." She huffed, flopping back into her seat with a petulant huff.
"All good things, I hope." He met your eyes with a grin, reaching out a hand to shake. You smiled, leaning over the table and grasping his hand, only for Sebastian to kiss your knuckles in an uncomfortable display that had both you and Anne cringing. "Madam."
Boy, he was laying it on thick.
His grip loosened, and you jerked your hand back as if burnt.
Sebastian's voice was eerily familiar, and his name tickled at a recent memory that you just couldn't seem to recall.
"It's been a while since I've seen a face as lovely as yours, miss." Sebastian's English accent thickened almost comically.
"Please, no." Anne grimaced, covering her face with her hands.
"I- Ouch!" Sebastian cried as a thick cane thwacked against his arm. "Was that necessary?"
"Enough of your nonsense," his blond companion practically growled, his soft voice dripping with disdain and the same fancy accent you had become familiar with during your time spent with Anne. With Sebastian's antics, you hadn't given the other man much attention. Your eyes drifted over him, and your breath caught.
The blond was intimidating without a doubt. The fierce scowl he'd worn since you first noticed him had yet to soften, and you wondered if he just had a terrible case of resting bitchface.
Everything about him screamed nobility, from the harsh angles of his face to his perfectly styled golden hair. He wouldn't look out of place seated at the head of a table in a stodgy English manor.
Your cheeks burned as you tore your eyes away from the man, only to catch Anne's knowing smile. You swallowed your nerves and turned back to the blond.
"You must be Ominis, right?"
"Indeed." He tilted his head towards you, but his unusually pale eyes stared vacantly beyond. "Ominis Gaunt. A pleasure, miss." He pushed a small plate of untouched pastries in front of you.
You thanked him and plucked up a cinnamon roll, passing the other to Anne. You weren't looking for more sweets, but you weren't willing to turn down his offering.
Anne took the pastry from you, wagging her brows and fighting a smile. You kicked her under the table, and she snorted a laugh that had Ominis tilting his head and frowning.
"So, what do you do here?" Sebastian asked, resting his chin on his palm.
You smiled and replied, "I'm a security guard, just like Anne."
Sebastian's eyes lit up at the mention of Anne's name, and he winked at her before turning his attention back to you. "Ah, a guard. How intriguing." He leaned in close enough for you to smell coffee on his breath. "I must say, it's lovely to have a young woman in the lab who isn't related to me by blood."
The grin he plastered on his face was teasing, brown curls tumbled over his brow as he tilted his head, inspecting your face. You ignored him.
Sebastian seemed nice enough but you pegged him for a horrible flirt right off the bat. You turned your attention to Ominis, eager to draw him into a conversation, but Sebastian continued to push his advances.
"So, what do you like to do in your free time?" Sebastian asked, a sly grin on his face, his eyes jerked up from your chest as you turned towards him. Anne smacked his arm for the offense.
"I like to read." You offer a sweet smile, "Also, combative training and shooting have become hobbies out of necessity, what with security being a male-dominated profession, but I'm sure you understand how it goes. I've been wondering where the training room is, by the way?" You turned to Anne with a questioning look, "I intended to head there today to get the usual stuff over with, but–"
“usual stuff?” Ominis asked, his lips pursed as he turned toward you. “What kind of usual stuff?”
“You know …It's like an unspoken thing. It takes a long time to earn respect in a job like this, especially as a woman. I'm not going to spend my next few years here getting corned by every man who thinks he can overpower me or treat me like a kid. It will save everyone a lot of pain and sexual harassment paperwork if I make it known that I can handle myself and do my job, the best place to get it done and over with is during combative training. You know...fight it out.” You say with a shrug, feeling increasingly uncomfortable having to explain something that is not normally said out loud.
Surely they had been through something similar.
“Fight it out?”
“You're telling me you intend to get into a fight with your new team – a bunch of older, burly men – and this is commonplace?” Anne turns to you with a shocked expression, her hand resting on her bosom like an old lady clutching her pearls.
“It sounds a lot worse than it is when you lay it out like that.” Why was she acting so shocked, and making it sound like you were going to incite a backstreet brawl? You turned to Anne. “It's a pretty standard experience, more or less an unspoken thing that just needs to be done. Well, I can see how it wouldn't really be a problem for you since you started out with your brother at your side.” If you'd had friends here before starting you wouldn't have to worry so much about making a place for yourself- but you were running solo.
You eyed Sebastian; no muscle strained the fabric of his tweed jacket. His broad shoulders suited the height of his frame, but he was otherwise soft. "Not that you couldn't hold your own?" You didn't mean for that to come out as a question, but you really doubted Anne's defensive skills.
“Ugh, yeah, I did start with Sebastian...And Ominis.”
“Oh.” You side-eyed her, not wanting to offend her brother by asking how he managed to take someone – anyone – down in a fight. “Anyway, since you missed out – it’s more fun than you think. You get the team together for combative training, and you just…well…you beat the hell out of each other. Great way to relieve stress, it's a wonderful workout, and it keeps you sharp."
"And you plan on doing this here?" Glancing around, you see three faces painted with varying degrees of concern and distress. Your brow furrows, and you bite your lip. Anne's eyes widened as she considered your words. "A physical fight just so people let you do your job without bothering you, I can’t imagine-"
Lucan Brattleby was mistaken about the security team here. If their fancy talk was any indication they were much smarter than you, but were completely inexperienced and undertrained as security staff.
You doubted any of the three of them even seen the inside of a gym before.
Sebastian leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Well, I for one am glad I didn't have to endure such barbaric practices."
Ominis, who had been quiet, finally chimed in, "If it helps build trust and unity within the team, then perhaps it is not as barbaric as it seems. Though, I must admit, the thought of such a display is rather... unsettling."
"Besides, the sooner it's over, the sooner we can all move on and work together effectively, but to be perfectly frank, I'm kinda alarmed that the three of you have no idea what I'm talking about. The training here must be virtually non-existent." You tried not to sound accusing, but their ignorance of the basics could potentially put others or themselves in danger during an emergency. This was a situation you needed to discuss with Officer Fig at the earliest opportunity. You'd leave their names out, of course, but it would be negligent not to mention anything.
"I... ugh..." Sebastian's brows raised as he met Anne's eyes, her mouth gaping like a fish out of water. Ominis released a weary sigh.
"Oh, hey!" Sebastian perked, his eyes glued to your chest. "I recognize that!"
A moment passed, and Sebastian abruptly stood, his chair screeching behind him as he walked around to your side of the table and leaned down to blatantly stare at your chest. You resisted the urge to cover your breasts, instead scowling up at the man before you. What on earth was he doing?
"My eyes are up here, Mr. Sallow, what on earth are you up to?" you hiss his name through gritted teeth, his eyes meeting yours far too slowly for your liking. "The only reason I haven't smacked you senseless is because of your sister. Consider this your free pass. You only get one." Your back stiffened, the cinnamon roll crushed in your clenched fist.
TWACK!
Like a whip, Ominis's black cane came down in a blur to thump against Sebastian's back.
"Stop that, man!" Sebastian cried.
"Stop pestering the lady."
"I just wanted to look at her shirt!"
Twack!
"Brother!" Anne reached over to swat at him.
"I'm not a pervert!" He cried, covering his head. "It's my shirt; I was just checking if it was mine! See the burn mark on the sleeve!" You turned and indeed found a burn mark. "Ah, it does look much better on you, though." He leaned in, ignoring all sense of self-preservation and the cane raising behind him. His breath felt hot on your neck, and you leaned away, looking to Anne for help, but your friend had turned her attention to stuffing her face with her cinnamon roll. "If you like it, I could certainly lend you another."
"I appreciate the offer, Sebastian, but I'm not interested," you said firmly.
"Brother, you really can't invade people's personal space without warning." Anne turned to you, "Sorry about him; the three of us were raised together and haven't socialized much outside of our little group... So-"
Sebastian's grin faded slightly, but he didn't seem deterred. "Come on, don't be like that. I could show you some truly fascinating places in the lab," he said, his voice dripping with innuendo as his eyebrows wag.
"No."
"She said no, Sebastian." You and Ominis spoke in unison. You turned towards him, offering a smile for his help, but his eyes stared through you, and it suddenly struck you that he was blind. "Don't be obnoxious about it unless you want to drive Anne's new friend away."
"Fine." Sebastian sulked, returning to his seat. "Sorry, it's been ages since I've seen a woman my age apart from Anne." You nod, but find it hard to feel sorry for him. He would have pestered you relentlessly if not for Ominis. Your shoulders relax once Sebastian settled down to focus on his coffee.
"Excuse me," you say tentatively, turning to Ominis. "I don't mean to be rude, but how did you end up as a security guard if you're... blind?"
Sebastian snorted into his mug as Anne choked on a cinnamon bun. Ominis turned his head in your direction; though not quite looking, you felt the full weight of his focus. "Are you truly that oblivious?" he asked, his tone laced with disdain. "Anne was leading you on. None of us are security guards. Not Anne, Sebastian, or me. If you're wearing the shirt I think you are, it says 'Hogwarts University Chemistry Club' on it. Our conversation thus far hinted at our profession at every turn; I assumed you were pretending not to notice as part of some odd game with Anne..."
Your cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry," you stammered. "I didn't realize-"
"Clearly," Ominis interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You should be more observant. It might save you some trouble in the future."
Anne shot Ominis a disapproving look. "Ominis, that was needlessly cruel, even for you."
Sebastian grinned, glancing between Ominis and you. "Don't worry about him," he said. "He's always grumpy in the morning. And he's not wrong, you know. You should pay more attention—"
"Say's the ass who's tied for first in the willful ignorance contest," Ominis turned his scathing tone towards Sebastian, and it clicked that perhaps blunt was his default. You made a mental note to be more observant.
"Well, at least I didn't come in second. I do hate to lose."
"I- I'm sorry I misled you…" Anne whispered beside you, poking at the crumbs scattered on the table. "I thought, well. I didn't think it would matter. I should have said something when those guards shoved past you in the hall, but—"
"Someone shoved you?" Sebastian chimed in. "Why?"
"To be honest, I'm not entirely certain, but I was warned away from talking to—" your words tapered off as Anne's bottom lip trembled. "Well, it doesn't matter now. What's done is done, and even though it's only been a few hours, I already consider you a friend, Anne." Her eyes widened, and her face softened. "We're the only women our age in this facility, so we would have become friends eventually. I'm glad we met sooner rather than later. Ominis was right, too; I really should have picked up on it from the get-go… Now that I think about it, you did look guilty every time work came up…"
Anne's eyes crinkled with the force of her laughter. "That you felt you needed to give a 'refresher course' on clearing buildings because I 'forgot,'" she said, making air quotes "was simply hysterical, and I can't even-"
"Wait, wait, wait," Sebastian held up his hands. "She taught you how to clear a building and still thought—"
"Hey!" you cried, smacking a hand on your chest. "There's a reason I'm a guard and not a... science person!"
"Science person," Ominis scoffed, swiping a hand over his face. "I'll have you know I—"
"Thank you, but we don't need a rundown of your resume, Dr. Gaunt," Sebastian interrupted, laughing. "If you could see, you'd know she already feels bad enough, and I don't want to incite her to violence. If we push her too far... I don't think I'd last in a proper fight, Ominis. I know for certain you wouldn't." Sebastian pointed a finger at his sightless friend before turning to Anne. "And you—"
"Would be on the sidelines laughing as you two got walloped by a girl half your size," Anne chimed in, patting your shoulder before moving in for a side-hug. With Anne's revelation and the air cleared, you were left with a lot to think about.
You hadn't spoken to any of the colleagues you would be working with, and already they disliked you... Brushing things off in front of Anne was fine, but the rift your new friendship caused between the other guards could hurt the team if you needed to depend on each other.
You were in for an uphill battle if you wanted to keep Anne as a friend.
Anne struck up a conversation with her brother in an obvious attempt to bait him into an argument, leaving you to pick at your crushed pastry.
"Asking a blind man how he became a security guard..." You caught Ominis mumbling under his breath and shaking his head. Reacting on impulse, you gave him a swift kick. Your socked foot slapped against his shin with a barely audible thump that had Ominis jolting in his seat.
Anne and Sebastian continued talking, their voices rising to echo throughout the cafeteria, oblivious to the incident unfolding beside them.
You were just as shocked as Ominis appeared to be at your assault. Even blind, he was such an intimidating presence that you doubted anyone had ever playfully struck him before.
His back straightened, thin lips parted in a soft 'O', and even his hair seemed fluffed. He was the picture of a startled tomcat.
"Pfft." You covered your mouth with your hand to prevent spewing crumbs on the ruffled man and to muffle your laughter.
"Did you?..." His face hardened into a scowl, and he turned toward you, resting his elbows on the metal table. He weaved his fingers together in front of his mouth like a movie villain.
"I did." You dropped your crushed pastry in favor of mimicking his posture and leaned forward. Using the same tone and your best imitation of a posh British accent, you whispered, "Obviously."
It was childish, ridiculous really, but when his lips curled up, and a chuckle escaped, it warmed you from the inside out like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day.
Oh my.
His shoulders relaxed, and Ominis separated his hands, resting his chin on a palm. Those long pale fingers curled over his cheek, covering a line of beauty marks that trailed along his strong jaw.
You licked your lips.
A breath passed as you eagerly awaited his retort, but no words came—only the shock of pressure on your foot.
Was he... stepping on you?
Your eyes narrowed at Ominis as the weight on your foot increased.
What was happening?
There wasn't enough pressure to hurt, but you didn’t want to break the connection just yet. You bit your lip, a blush tinging your cheeks.
Was it the secrecy of the situation that made this feel so intimate?
With mounting alarm, you realized you very much fancied Dr. Ominis Gaunt—the scowling smartass who was purposefully stepping on you.
You huffed, keeping your foot still—not that he would allow you to move it—as you glanced around the table.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, all innocence as he applied more pressure to your foot. Heat coiled within you at his soft inquiry; you could hear the laughter burning beneath his words.
Was it normal to feel this aroused from being stepped on, and what did that say about you as a person?
"Just thirsty." Heat spread from your cheeks to your ears and neck in a slow burn. A power-play, perhaps? "It's a little warm in here, don't you think?"
"Hmm." He smirked, pushing his glass in front of you. Liquid sloshed within, threatening to spill over, condensation wetting the table with lazy drips.
It felt like a challenge.
You wiped your hand on your borrowed shirt, dusting crumbs across your breast before taking up his glass and tilting it against your parched lips.
Cold water with a hint of lemon.
You drank your fill and set the half-full glass on the table with a clank, hesitating a moment before sliding it back to its original spot in front of him.
Straightening, he ran his fingers over the table and grabbed the cup. Turning his face away to drink the remaining water, you felt like you could finally breathe now that his attention was focused elsewhere.
He emptied the glass in a quick motion, more like taking a shot than anything. You would have laughed if you weren't so distracted.
Patches of vibrant scarlet mottled his pale cheeks, and your face heated to near-flaming as you watched the muscles of his throat work to swallow.
Lord have mercy.
You felt the sudden urge to fan yourself.
Distantly, you heard Anne's voice as Ominis replaced the cup on the table. His slender fingers slid down the glass, leaving a trail in the fog that clung to it.
"You okay?" Anne's voice pulled you from your thoughts like a bucket of ice water being dumped over your head.
"Oh, wha—I'm fine. Sorry, what was the question?" You gaped at Anne like someone pulled from a trance.
"I was heading to bed, I thought I might walk you to your room since you've never been there. I wanted to know where you are staying."
"Yeah, I should probably go," you did feel tired, the thought of bed had you stifling a yawn. "I have training tomorrow."
Sebastian nodded at you with a smile, "Goodnight you two, stay out of trouble."
"Said the pot to the kettle," mumbled Anne.
Canting his head, Ominis lifted his foot off of yours, and you immediately missed the weight. "Goodnight, I hope we didn't frighten you off." His words were soft-spoken with the ghost of a smile.
You wanted to say something smart. Something that would capture his interest and keep that laser focus trained on you well after you were gone. Anything.
But all you managed was, "I'm not frightened of anything. Goodnight, Ominis..." You almost turned away, then realized you'd forgotten something. "Ugh, and you," you added, blushing and momentarily forgetting Anne's brother's name, praying nobody but you noticed.
Anne snorted a laugh. "Get on with the lot of you," Sebastian said, shooing the two of you away with a hand, his mop of curls bouncing with the motion.
As you and Anne made to leave the cafeteria, you cast one last look at the men seated at the table behind you, your gaze roving over the blond who had captured your attention. His head was canted towards you, and you imagined him listening to your fading steps as you reached the hallway.
You'd been walking the halls in companionable silence for a while when you turned to Anne. "Anne, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Anne replied.
"I think I heard Sebastian and Ominis in the hallway earlier...I didn't want to bring it up in front of them, I don't think it was meant for others to hear, but...it was something about their experiments going too far?"
Anne's face fell, and she looked genuinely concerned. "Oh, that. It's nothing. Just some harmless scientific disagreements."
You weren't entirely convinced, but Anne deftly changed the subject. "So, what did you think of Ominis and Sebastian?"
"They seem nice. I think I like them. I hope I left a decent impression."
Anne grinned. "I knew you would like them. And what about Ominis? You two seemed to hit it off."
"He's...interesting. And very attractive," you flushed, then quickly added, "despite his grumpiness."
Anne giggled hard enough to cause an echo in the darkened hallway. "I knew it! You have a crush on him already."
"Aw, don't tease me. He's a good-looking man!" You playfully smacked her arm, "But I left my tablet in your room, so-"
Anne stopped, jerking at the pocket of her Hello Kitty pajama pants before yelling, "Nope, I brought it with me!" She passed the tablet to you with a flourish.
"I thank you, my good lady!" You mock-curtsied and pressed your finger to the screen until the tablet lit up. With a few taps, the familiar highlighted map appeared. "Oh, man! I hadn't realized how late it was!"
"Yeah," Anne poked your cheek, "Time flies when you're busy ogling men...or in this case, a man. By the way, he may be blind, but he can feel when people watch him."
"Say what?" You sputtered, nearly dropping the tablet as you fumbled.
"Nothing."
With a casual pace, the two of you quickly reached the security dormitory. You pulled the tablet up to your face, squinting. The screen was a million times brighter in the darkened hall.
"This is it." You sighed, happy to be closer to sleep but sad to be parted from Anne for the day.
"Movie night at my place tomorrow?" Anne bumped you with her hip, "I'll make popcorn!"
As you and Anne approached the security dormitory, you couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that your long day was finally over.
“Crap, I forgot my wallet, I left it in your room-”
Anne yanked your old wallet from her other pocket and you nearly melted in relief.
"Wow" you grinned, “It’s already paying off to have a smart friend. And how deep are those pockets, lady?”
Anne chuckled. "You never know what you might need."
With your security card in hand, you swipe it and the lock clicks open, but before you can even step inside, you let out a scream that echoed down the hall.
“Home sweet- CHRIST ALMIGHTY!” You clamp a hand over your mouth, horrified by the sight before you. Anne rushes to your side, offering a comforting pat on the shoulder.
Your eyes fixed on the heavyset middle-aged man fast asleep and utterly naked on the top bunk of the only bunk bed in the tiny room. Your issued clothing, uniforms, and toiletries were stacked neatly on the bottom bunk along with a lovely handwritten sign with your name on it.
You and Anne exchange a look of mild horror.
The man's hairless rotund belly jiggled as his snores shook the frame of the bed. His flaccid cock pointed towards the two of you like a dirty turtle head half receded into its shell. You couldn't help but feel a twinge of disgust.
It was clear that this was not the cozy sanctuary you had hoped for.
"Good God…" Anne whispers, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Fig said I’d have the room to myself…I- I can't sleep with a naked stranger above me…” You gape at Anne.
"No question, you will stay with me." Anne announces with a shallow nod. “No arguing. This is wrong on...so many levels.” With her hands braced on her hips she turns to you, her expression resolute like she expected you to argue. “Worst-case scenario we can have Ominus take care of it. It will be okay, but I won’t leave you here like this.”
You put up a mild protest, not wanting to inconvenience Anne, but eventually agree and quickly collect your necessities for the next day.
“I hope I don’t have to look that man in the eye tomorrow…” you muse, feeling utterly drained as you dragged your feet on the long walk back to Anne’s room.
“I can’t believe that was my first look at a real-life penis.” Anne snorts. “Disappointed just doesn’t cover the feeling…Mildly ill maybe?”
“I didn’t want to say it, but hard same,” you confess. Your career had left little time for romance, or any byproduct of it. You thought you were the only woman in her twenties still carrying the v-card. “It looked like he shat in his lap and just left it there…”
“I mean, I’m a doctor…but im not that kind of doctor...I know what they should look like in theory…”
“Don’t feel bad, I had internet access from childhood until this morning, and googling the word penis never once crossed my mind until now.”
“Oh, my god. I hope they don’t all look like that,” Anne remarks, “can you imagine finally finding the guy you want to sleep with, and when it comes down to the act he presents that? What do you say? How would you even respond? Do you just look it in the eye and accept that it’s going to go inside you?” Anne shudders and you pat her back feeling jaded after the night's events.
“Yeah, nineties romance novels led me to believe the male appendage would be magnificent rods of molten iron….that was a sad, overgrown snail at best…” Your face scrunches at the memory. “Hey, ugh, weird question but have you seen Sebastian’s-?”
“NO!” She cries, tears wetting her eyes from laughter, “You think I remember what his dong looked like in the womb? Ha! If you're curious, I’m a thousand percent certain he would whip it out at the slightest notion of interest from you.”
“So I can scream and run out of the room like I just did?” The two of you fall in and out of giggle fits until you reach Anne’s room. Once the door is shut and locked behind you, Anne shoves the empty snack cake boxes and wrappers off the bed with a wide sweep of her arm. “Your brother seems like he can bounce back from a lot, but can a man bounce back from that?”
“I’m sure he would consider it progress if he got far enough to flash his manhood at you.” Anne snickers, “He was a lady killer before the facility forced my poor brother into celibacy. Oh, and on a side note, I’m going to need you to marry either my brother or Ominis so we can be legitimate sisters.”
“Yeah, sure. I'll see if I can pencil a wedding into my schedule.” You rub your eyes and paw at your hair, realizing you forgot to grab your brush. “After tonight’s trauma, I’m going to have to insist on picking whoever has the least horrifying dick.”
“Before tonight I would have called you ridiculous for saying that.”
“But now?”
“Sound’s fair.”
“Goodnight, Anne.”
“Goodnight.”
Anne doesn’t bother setting you up on the floor or pulling out spare blankets. She yanked her comforter and sheet down and crawled into bed, patting the spot next to her for you to join. You rip your cat socks off and flop onto the bed.
The fluffy blankets and pillows surrounded you like a nest of clouds. Curled beside Anne, you faced her with a sleepy smile that she returned as your eyes drift closed.