Sentinel

The sky is dark by the time you get back to Eddie’s apartment. As soon as you walk in Eddie sets to work preparing two trays of tater tots.

“What are those?” Sentinel asks, forming a medium sized floating head on your shoulder.

Eddie jumps at their voice, turning his head to look at them.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” Eddie says with a sigh. You laugh at his resigned expression.

“Those, my dear Senti, are Tater Tots.” You reply, smiling at their curiosity.

“Tater Tots.”

“Yep.” you say, popping the p. “They’re for eating, and are made of potatoes.”

You watch as two thin tendrils stretch from your arm and snake towards the tots. Almost cautiously they poke at one, shivering at the cold from the freezer still clinging to them.

“They are cold.” Sentinel states, and this time it’s Eddie’s turn to laugh. His expression is warm, and a little incredulous, as if he can’t believe a weird goo alien is perplexed by Tater Tots.

“That’s why we cook them first.” Eddie replies, shoving the Tots into his mini-oven. He sets the timer and turns to you. Sentinel’s tendrils recede back inside you, and Eddie watches the movement with curiosity.

“Doesn’t that feel weird?” He asks.

“It doesn’t really feel like anything.” You reply with a shrug. “Sentinel’s actual texture is pretty interesting though.”

Eddie frowns and takes a step towards you.

“Can I?” He asks Sentinel, stretching a hand towards you. You watch as in response a single thicker tendril stretches from your arm and slowly pushes down on Eddie’s upturned palm.

You see his expression flickers with curiosity, and at least a bit of awe.

Slowly he moves his hand and brushes the top of the tendril.

“Huh.” He says with a huff of breath.

“Interesting right?” You say with a small smile. He looks at your face, genuine confusion on his own.

“How are you so okay with all of this?”

“All of this?” You ask, tilting your head.

“Aliens!” He almost shouts, throwing his hands into the air.

“You are literally carrying an alien around inside you, which can obviously talk in your head since I've heard it too, that could take control of your body at any minute, or choose to kill you and trade you in for someone else!?” His breathing is ragged and his shoulders slumped. He runs a hand over his face with a sigh, gesturing awkwardly at sentinel’s head still floating next to your own.

“I’ve felt alone for a long time.” You begin, your eyes cast downwards. “I told you I went to the life foundation because of their add, but I didn’t tell you why.” Taking a deep breath you meet Eddie’s gaze.

“My Brother has Cancer.” You confess. Eddies face morphs into shock. “My mother died when we were young, and after my brother was diagnosed my father became even more distant than he was before, working hard to support us and pay the hospital bills. I had to watch as my brother faded away under their treatments, until I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to try to find a solution on my own.” You shake your head and hug your arms to yourself.

“I’m.. So sorry.” Eddie says, his voice rough with emotion.

“yeah.. well when I entered that test chamber I thought I'd made the worst mistake of my life. And when Sentinel jumped onto me I was terrified.” You say with a shudder, and you feel Sentinels sadness at having scared you. You smile at them before continuing.

“When I woke up inside that cell I thought I was finally completely alone. I thought I was going to die.” You swallow loudly in the silence filling the apartment “But then Sentinel first spoke to me. They promised to protect me, and they promised I would never be alone again. And I realized that they meant what they said.”

You watch Eddie's face carefully as untold emotions flit over it.

“Sentinel asked me if they could look through my memories. They wanted to know about me, and I thought what's the harm, I'll probably die anyway so I agreed. They saw everything, and you know what?!” you ask, your own emotions rising.

“They accepted every part of me. Everything. Everything that has ever happened to me. Everything that was ever done to me, and they got angry on my behalf.” You finish, your own breathing ragged. Happiness is flowing off of Sentinel at your confessions, along with a fierce feeling of protectiveness. You feel as the tendril still extended from your arm wraps comfortingly around your wrist.

Eddie is staring at you with wide eyes, your outburst settling within him.

“Done to you..?” He asks, hesitantly.

You take a deep breath, and Eddie watches as you visibly begin to shake. You can feel the concern rolling off of Sentinel in waves.

“y/n..” Sentinel says cautiously. You smile at the head beside yours, and with a feeling of resolve settling within you, you turn back to Eddie.

“Lets just say..” You begin, your breathing going faster and faster “That my uncle has a very unhealthy obsession with little kids. And that no one ever believed the little child with the big imagination.” You add with a self deprecating laugh.

You can tell that your breathing is much too fast, and you take a few shaky steps to the counter top to steady yourself.

You can see the absolute horror on Eddie's face, and to your surprise also a bit of anger. He takes a step towards you and pauses, as if hesitating, before wrapping his arms around you and rubbing soothing circles into your back. The touch is innocent and comforting, and after a second you relax into it. You feel approval flow from Sentinel at his actions and your reaction to it.

Eddie continues to soothe you until your breathing returns to normal and you slowly lean away from him. He keeps both his hands on either side of your shoulders and looks straight into your eyes.

“I am so, so , sorry.” He says.

It takes you a moment to realize there is no pity in his eyes, only anger and honest sympathy born from your fledgling friendship.

“So..your uncle.” Eddie begins, his hands still steadying you. “He was never caught? Never punished?”

“No.” You confirm with a shake of your head.

The anger in Eddie's face seems to grow before he grinds out “I'll kill him..!”

A small giggle escapes you at the unexpected words, and Eddie frowns.

“It seems you'll have to get in line, Sentinel already said the same thing.” You say with a small smile.

Sentinels answering growl at your statement is anything but playful, and it sends a shiver of awe down your spine.

“Together then.” Eddie says to Sentinel, and this time it is their turn to smile, a wide and sharp smile that promises pain in the future.