Chapter Text
2AM.
Security threw his head back and let out a loud yawn. He’s been at work for about 11 hours at this point, and he was going to have to come back the very next day at 9AM sharp. Might as well call off for the night.
”Hey Secret Agent! You mind taking the rest of my shift. I’m to tired to stick around for another hour.”
“Sure, but if you find a way to be late even with an hour off I’ll never do you this favor again.” Secret Agent sighed.
”Thank’s buddy,” Security patted Secret Agent’s back, heading over to the check-in room to pack up for the night.
Security put up his taser next to the poorer quality version of it. He smiled a bit, he knew it was a bit selfish to hog the better taser to himself, but he was the one wrangling those Anomalies, better safe than sorry right?
He turned around when he heard the Intern yelp as another anomaly pulled up the the check-in window. They shut the shutters as quickly as they could.
”Thank’s for the good work.” Security walked over to the Intern, patting his back, a bit more harshly than necessary.
”Huh?” Intern tilted his head a bit.
”I mean thank’s for keeping the Anomalies out. I’d hate my job a whole lot more if I was stuck tackling a new one every five minutes.”
Intern stared back at him, before shaking his head and laughing softly, “it’s nothing! Just my job. Or my internship I guess.”
Security gave a hearty laugh, petting the Intern’s head, his hand slightly brushing against the fennec fox’s ears. They twitched a bit but didn’t move away from it. Their face only flushing a bit.
”You alright son? Your a bit red there.”
”I-I’m fine! Just been a long shift,” They finally pulled away from the Security’s touch.
“I’m already heading out, want me to make brew up a coffee for you?”
Intern glanced over at him, their face still slightly flushed. “Sure.”
”Attaboy!” Security turned around to go brew up a coffee, hearing the shutters open back up behind him. He heard the Intern mutter something about “touchy people” but he didn’t mind.
As he brewed up the coffee, he grunting as he popped open the lid. He could be headed home right now. Hell he would be halfway there already, but this was a bit more fun.
Besides, why not? The Intern was here before he even got to work, and they were still here as he left. Now that he try thought about it, even on the shifts where he would stay longer than usual, the Intern would stay the whole shift. Just working.
Maybe they were just a hard worker, or maybe he lived at the hospital. Security shucked to himself at that thought. He had finished putting all the ingredients in the coffee maker, now he just needed to wait. But while he’s here, might as well make conversation.
”Hey kid, now that I think about it. When does your shift end? Seems like you’re here sun up, and sun down.”
The intern paused in the middle of handing a patients badge over. He blinked hard, and gave the patient their badge.
”Well I am an Intern, so my shift ends whenever the Doctor comes out and tells m I’m done.”
”And when is that?”
The Intern’s ears twitched. He didn’t answer.
”Do you even go home?”
Another question met with silence as the Intern handed filled out a patient’s form. The Security scoffed. Here he was, making them some coffee. And they couldn’t even humor some small talk? He wasn’t a fan of being ignored.
”What are you? Homeless?”
The Intern froze up entirely, whipping around to face the Security, “I am Not homeless.”
”Woah, calm down. Didn’t mean to touch a nerve.” Security lifted his hands defensively.
Intern sighed and turned back to the patient, printing out their badge.
“…So where do you stay?”
The intern sighed, finally turning around to fully face the Security.
“Here.”
”Here as in?”
”The hospital.” The Intern scoffed as the Security’s eyes widened
”So your like those teachers that slept in the school! I never thought people actually did that.”
”I’m like those what?”
Security sighed, he didn’t expect the newer generation to understand anyways, “never mind, where do you sleep?”
”Wherever’s most comfy.” The Intern mumbled.
”…Why?”
”What?”
”I mean, I know Intern’s aren’t paid the most, but this town doesn’t really have a high cost on apartment’s or even cars. Hell I have two cars on a worker’s salary. So why stay here?”
The Intern’s ears pressed down onto their head, “what’s it to you.”
”I mean, I dunno. Are you even getting paid?”
”Ofcourse I get paid.”
”Then why do you stick around here.”
The Intern groaned, “if I tell you will you get off my back about it?”
”Yep.”
Intern stared at his for a while, taking in a sharp inhale. “It’s the coffee.”
”What?”
”The coffee… I need it or else, well.” He paused, as if considering if they could even tell Security. He finally made his choice after a bit.
”It makes my head hurt like crazy. It’s like I get pins and needles in my brain. Sometimes I feel like I’m slowly losing myself. Like I’m walking around in the 3rd person. And I don’t feel like I’m…” he trailed off, looking for the word to describe it, “me. I guess.”
They both stood there in silence for a while. The sound of the coffee maker making a light ding sound behind them indicating it was finished was faint to him. But he noticed how the Intern’s head snapped down to it.
He wasn’t exactly one for favors. But he already made the kid some coffee and everything. Security scoffed at the idea that was forming in his head.
”Needed to get that off your chest?”
The Intern sighed, as much as they didn’t want to admit it. It felt good to finally confide in someone after so long.
”Yeah, I guess I did.”
”Y’know you could stay at my place.”
The Intern’s ears perked up at the offer, “really? I won’t be a burden?”
”Not at all kid.”
”But I wouldn’t have…” They glanced down at the coffee maker.
”I have my own coffee maker.”
”Really?”
“Ofcourse, how else do you think I get up in the morning?”
The Intern didn’t move a muscle for a while. Before they finally nodded.
”Alright, if you insist.”
”Sure, after you get off your shift.”
”Alright!” He smiled, it was a bit eerie, but it still carried that joy you would see on a little kid.
Security laughed to himself, “your an odd kid y’know that?”
The Intern’s tail wagged as he checked in a visitor, “I get that alot honestly.”
The security smiled. He had to wait for the Intern to finish his shift before he could take him along, so he technically got off work to do nothing but stay at the hospital and wait.
He should feel a bit annoyed at this. But surprisingly, he didn’t. He felt a warm flutter in his chest instead.