Dr. Holiday was exhausted to her core. Her fingers ached from the constant adjustment the microscope needed. Her head was pounding in time with her pulse with every slight sound echoing lit a freight train between her ears. She sat back in the chair and looked at the ceiling. The constant flicker of the florescent lights was enough to drive her mad. She growled. It didn't matter how many times she looked at the stupid cells- they weren't changing. She bit her lip and let her head roll on her shoulders until she was glaring at the clock.
"Twenty three hundred hours and not a soul a stirring." She said out loud, her voice echoing in the lab. Coffee. That was it. She needed coffee. Or caffeine. Maybe if she put her mind to it she could just concentrate caffeine and set up an IV system. Of course, knowing her luck, she would probably OD and end up in a coma for months. Shut up, get off your rump, and go get your damn coffee. She slid out of the chair and made her way out of the lab. The hiss of the door closing behind her was comforting. She let her eyes adjust to the darkness of the compound as she took a deep breath.
A few stops before she hit the elevator though. The boys first. They were having a 'sleep over'. She could remember her high school sleep-overs. There really wasn't much sleeping. The first girl to crash usually ended up not being friends with anyone the next morning.
Dr. Holiday pressed the security code to Rex's room from memory. She knew it by heart and would probably remember it even if she ever contracted Alzheimer's. The room was dark except for the blaring of static on the television. Rex was asleep on the floor, stretched out on his stomach with a soda can clenched tight in one hand. Noah was limp over a bean bag a bowl of popcorn still in his lap, his mouth ready to catch flies. She couldn't help but smile. The chimp was the only one that was actually in the right place. She tip-toed through the chaos boy bodies and quickly turned off the television- the movie they had been watching was long over. A sigh escaped her as she slipped over to the bed and pulled off a couple of blankets. After securing the popcorn bowl and the half empty soda can, she made sure that both boys would be warm enough through out the night. She hit the light off in the training room and then the lab room break room. The compound was eighty percent men. It was like living in a daycare most of the time. And she still didn't know whose idea it was to ban beverages and food from the lab break room, but she had many a time considered letting the Knight know just exactly what she thought about that.
No, the only coffee pots allowed in the entire compound were in the mess hall and the break room on the office floor. Thankfully, she shared her office with Agent Six and he had his own coffee pot. She leaned against the wall in the elevator as the pointless music softly purred over the speaker. The lights lit up and finally a ding sounded as the doors slid open. The offices were down the hall three doors past the private quarters. Out of habit she glanced at Six's door- it was open slightly. A blush lit her face and she had to stop. What she wouldn't give to catch a glance of him outside of 'agent' mode. She felt like a teenager all over again as she took a step closer to the door- that little sliver of light spilling into the hall way would let her seem him doing his nightly routine, he wasn't the type to sleep with the light on. She didn't seem him as she glanced in the room.
It didn't take Dr Holiday long to reprimand herself for acting so childish. But she had always chalked her fondness of Six as a school girl crush. At first she thought he was just another ground-pounding gunner- until he brought Rex back. That's when everything changed. That's when he went from being some emotionless stoic android to being a man….a real man. God! She could not think about Six like that. It was probably best if she didn't even think of Six. But, where was Six? He was probably taking a shower.
She completely stopped at that thought. She listed to the door hiss as it closed behind her. She shook her head and didn't even let the thought of turning around to 'go see' enter her mind. Coffee. She really really really needed that coffee. And perhaps a cold shower. As she pass the last door and went into the office sector she snorted at herself. She needed to check her calendar. Surely, she couldn't have gotten so wrapped up in her work that she actually FORGOT about her cycle? Ah hell. She pushed the door open and walked into her office. She was going to have a talk with the Knight about why her office was so damn far away from her lab. It didn't make sense. She walked over to her desk and pulled open the drawer. She flipped open her personal calendar book and shook her head in defeat as she moved her finger over the week. She had three days until she got a call from Mother Nature. It was no wonder she was having thoughts about Six. It wasn't hard, though, without hormones getting involved.
Coffee. She still needed that coffee. She walked over to the small break room that separated Six's and her desk. She robotically went to the sink and started the coffee. She turned around and rubbed her temples. Her head ache had dulled and her fingers were still stiff but no longer sore. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her feet. She needed some girl time. Go to the mall, get her nails done and a pedicure. She glanced up and almost jumped out of her skin. She slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming as she saw Agent Six sprawled out on the sofa his long legs dangling over the side. She bit her nail and looked over him for a moment. She let out her held breath as she realized he was asleep.
She crossed her arms back and looked over her shoulder, as if looking for a reason to not get closer. Obviously there was nothing over her shoulder telling her that it was a bad idea to get a closer look. One step after another, she got closer until she was standing next to the sofa. She knelt down and looked at him. Those damn sunglasses. She had never seen his eyes or even his eyelids. She watched his chest rise and fall in the deep rhythmic time of sleep. Okay Holiday, do it. She talked herself into it. With hesitation she brought her hand up. Her fingers gripped the side of his glasses and she froze as he shifted slightly. She bit her bottom lip and held her breath-mentally counting to three. Slowly she started to inch the glasses off.
Before she was able to even clear his ear, she was thrown backwards. Her head hit the cabinet with a thunk. Her vision swam and as she looked up she realized that she was staring down the blade of an extremely sharp and extremely deadly katana.
"Six!" She screamed and jerked her hands up thrown the katana to the side. Six straightened up and looked at her- his eyebrows furrowing.
"Dr. Holiday?" She stared at him, her eyes wide. She was trembling all over. Six shook his head and sheathed his katana- making it disappear as quickly as it had appeared. "You startled me."
"Clearly." She said as she started to pull herself up. Six held his hand down to help her up. Holiday reached up, grateful for his hand. As she stood up they both looked at each other. At the same time, they booth looked down at her hand. Blood was dripping over her hand down his hand and onto the floor.
"Shit." Six cussed as holiday clenched her hand. She turned around and grabbed the medi-kit out of the cabinet and started fumbling attempting to wrap her hand. Six shook his head and took the wrapping away from her.
"Let me. " His voice was hard. Needless to say, any naughty thought she had been having was gone with the throbbing of the nice goose egg on the back of her head and the pulsing in her hand where the katana had sliced her palm. She watched as he quickly wrapped her hand. Once he was finished she jerked it back and glared at him.
"I'm sorry." He said shaking his head.
"What were you doing asleep on the sofa?" She growled.
"I was filling out the paperwork on the last EVO attack. I needed a break." She snorted and walked over to get her coffee. "Why were you touching my sunglasses?" She wanted to through the coffee mug at him. She wanted to scream that she hated those glasses. She wanted to stomp her feet and a have a good old fashion tantrum. Instead she took a deep breath and shrugged.
"I'm curious by nature. I've stared at those glasses a long time. I wanted to see your eyes."
"You're not missing anything. Right now they are blood shot." Her eyes narrowed as she shot a glare at him over her shoulder.
"Well at least you aren't bleeding."
"I said I was sorry." She turned around and he was standing right there. She froze. Her feet cemented to the ground. His face was blank- as always. Why did she feel so threatened, so vulnerable, and so flushed all the sudden? He looked down at her hand and took the cup from her paralyzed hand. He cautiously set it on the cabinet and looked back down at her hand. He took her hand in his. A fire set through Dr. Holiday but she remained frozen. He brought her hand up slowly and looked at her- or at least his head was pointing at her. She opened her mouth to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing, unfortunately the only thing that came out was a small unimpressive squeak as he brought her hand to his lips. She felt a shudder run through her. Her knees felt like jelly as he looked over his glasses at her, the most intoxicating onyx eyes locking on hers.
"I would never hurt you."