Aurora pounded on the door of Mercury’s penthouse with a bottle of cheap booze she found hidden in the cafeteria. It was late, late enough the the whole base was only lit by the dim floor lights so anyone without dark vision would still be able to navigate the halls.
Nobody answered. She knew Mercury wasn’t asleep and she had a feeling they were either absorbed in their work (plausible) or ignoring her until she left them so they could continue said work (even more plausible).
“Mercury I know you can hear me. For Omne’s sake let me in please.” Aurora borderline whines. She needed a break and to feel something and nothing all at once so she went for her favorite coping mechanism, drinking with her… technically boss but she forgets that a lot of the time. They certainly don’t seem like one when the two are lightly dozing on the floor of their penthouse, too drunk and tired to get up.
Eventually, Aurora catches the faint sound of papers rustling and footsteps approaching. Then she comes face to face with Mercury as the door opens. She’d opted to leave her face plate behind, not like it made any difference to her that night, she could barely see anyway. One eye was left a thin crescent and the other one might as well been a new moon. Safe to say she needed to wind down.
“Aurora.” Mercury says, cold and professional as ever,
“Mercury.” Aurora says back, challenging them to refuse her unspoken offer.
They run their hands over their face once before relenting, “You’re not staying long, I have work to catch up on.”
Aurora smiles at that, they are a creature of habit and all she sees it as is her invitation in.
Despite it being called a penthouse, Mercury’s place didn’t have the modern, elegant style that was popular with high-tech locations like the ORBIT base. It was bare sure, but it had a coziness she didn’t expect when she first suggested this ritual of theirs. Aurora knows she added her fair share of blankets and pillows to this place but she can’t take credit for all of it. Mercury already had two bean bag chairs. Bean bag chairs! Who would’ve thought! Aurora never questioned why this place had two of everything and anytime she brought it up, Mercury would shut down the rest of the night so she stopped mentioning it.
Mercury was already grabbing glasses as Aurora sat down in one of the bean bags. Thank Omne she knew this layout by heart— and that Mercury always kept so tidy, never moving anything out of place. Aurora closes her eyes and sinks into the chair, trying to soak up the peaceful atmosphere. It felt different up here then the lower floors. Something about being so high up and separated from the real world made this place almost feel like a dream. It was also quieter up here, weather it be some material or magic suppressing any stray electronic noises or it was just far enough away from it all to ever be heard; Aurora doesn’t know, or care.
She feels the air shift near her and hears the clink of two glasses on wood, honest to Omne wood, and the sound of drinks being poured. Aurora goes to blindly grab for her drink and doesn’t expect a hand giving it to her.
Her hand brushes over Mercury’s, “Thanks…”, she whispers, careful not to break the delicate atmosphere just yet. She needs a few drinks before that happens.
Mercury just hums in response, presumably taking a sip of their own drink. Aurora keeps her eyes closed, it doesn’t make a difference anyway.
A few refills in, Aurora finally gives in to the impatient stare she knows she’s being given, “I think I want to quit…” she says in defeat, hanging her head.
She hears Mercury take in a sharp breath, “Are you not happy working here?” they ask carefully.
“No… not really. I mean… I thought I was but its been years and… I just can’t take the monotony anymore. I’m a paladin of a Ki-Rin for Omne’s sake, I shouldn’t be sitting around in an office chair!” Her voice getting louder the more she talks, finally feeling that anger and hopelessness she buried deep down for years. “A paladin Mercury! I should be out there, helping people, not sitting in some trench-forsaken office chair loosing my mind because I know that I’m supposed to be doing something else!” She gets up and starts to pace, unable to direct her anger anywhere but herself and the universe itself.
“Mercury, I’ve just got this feeling. I just need to be out there and not stuck in this building. You get the feeling, right? Like you’re meant for something more, that you can’t be stuck in one place for too long?”
She hears Mercury sigh and take a long sip of their drink, “Yeah,” they say in a rough voice, “I get the feeling.”
“Put me in the SPACE branch.” Aurora says definitively.
“Aurora, are you insane? Do you have a death wish?”
“Where else would you suggest I go? I don’t want to leave ORBIT but I have got to get out of here before I lose my mind.” She says as she sits back down in the bean bag chair.
“What about joining the cadet program?” Mercury asks.
“You want me to go down a rank just to get out of here? I worked hard to get where I am.” Aurora grumbles and opens her eyes to glare at Mercury. “I know Vale’s been wanting to retire soon, I could easily make lieutenant.”
Aurora can just barely see Mercury’s amused smile, “I have no doubt about it.”
“You know you could always help with that if you wanted to, you’re everyones’ boss.” Aurora says as she blindly nudges Mercury with her foot.
Mercury’s smile gets a little bigger, “You know as well as I do that I don’t have a hand in the inner-workings of each branch.”
Aurora just sighs, “Yeah, yeah, balance and fairness and community and whatever else you love going on about,” she says with a smile.
“So,” Mercury continue, “The cadet program?”
Aurora rises up just enough to properly glare at them, taking an anger sip of her cheap liquor, “No. I am not going through that bs training. I’ll be applying for SPACE.”
She can hear the clink of Mercury’s nails on their glass, “I’ll make you a deal.”
Aurora raises an eyebrow.
“Be a cadet supervisor. You get to go out on missions but they’re not as… intense… as the type SPACE does but you don’t have to go through the cadet program. A win-win,” Mercury says with a small grin.
“You had that idea the whole time didn’t you.” Aurora pouts.
“Perhaps.” Mercury says, finishing the last of liquor before pouring more.
Aurora doesn’t say anything else, just takes a long swig of her drink and holds it out in an silent request.
Time seemed to melt from there. It’s not like space had a night and day cycle so the two only had the digital clock to remind them of what time it was. It didn’t help that Mercury never slept anyways so the two always stayed up later then Aurora really should. It was nearing 4 am and Aurora was gone, her brain soaked in alcohol and comfort. The two’s chairs moved closer and closer to each other throughout the night (morning?), until they lean against one another’s shoulders.
“I’ll do it.” Aurora slurs, trying to take another sip of alcohol they had raided Mercury’s stash for but frowns as she finds it empty.
“I’m happy to hear it. I’ll work on getting you transfered. I think I have a good group in mind for you.” Mercury says softly.
Aurora holds out her glass, expecting them to refill but is surprised when a hand touches her.
Mercury huffs out a laugh, “I think you’ve had plenty tonight.”
“Awww come onnn. Just one more.” She begs, trying to give them her best puppy dog eyes despite not being a dog and not having very appealing eyes.
“You said one more three drinks ago.” They reply, their voice getting farther away and Aurora can hear the sound of water running and Mercury presumably washes their used glasses.
“I did?” she asks, giving up on being vertical and opting to lay on the floor. She hears Mercury join her but doesn't expect their voice so close when they speak.
“You did,” they say with amusement.
Aurora opens her only barely working and looks up at Mercury, who’s currently crouched down in front of her. If Aurora could blush she would be. She sits up on her hands and Mercury backs away, not leaning over her as much anymore. Aurora doesn't know if she should feel relieved or disappointed. But looking at them, even with such little sight, it’s like staring at the sun. A brilliant bright light that Aurora couldn’t help but want to follow until she really couldn’t see anymore.
Aurora looks them in the eye, their iris are white but slightly tinged yellow like the early morning light, and she kissed them.
She did not mean to do that.
Well…
She thought about it…
She wasn't supposed to act on it…
Before Mercury could do anything in reply, be it yell at them or just coldly kick them out, Aurora pulls away, “Shit—”
—And she stumbles as fast as she can out of their penthouse and to her cold, lonely room.
The next day, neither of them mention it.