Agent 3 had been spending a lot of time with Agent 8, between battles and lunch outings, she practically saw her every day. Agent 3 also got intel from Marie that Kamabo ink hates the cold, like a lot. She had taken to putting an ice pack on her eye every night before bed, and as a result hadn't had her scar flare up in over a month. All in all, Agent 3 was having a wonderful time. So why was she pacing her apartment? Why was she struggling to find the words she wanted to form? The answer, of course, was Agent 8.

Three knew for a fact that she was in love with the Octoling. At first she thought it was just a little crush, and she didn't want to pursue anything yet because she didn't know that much about Eight yet. She didn't want to rush into things based on appearance alone. Now? Now she knew just about all there was to know about the girl. From the way she laughs at a bad joke, to the way she cries during a sad movie. She loved nearly everything about her, she couldn't deny it.

Three wanted to make things official with Eight, she wanted to keep doing everything they were doing now, and more. She wanted to wrap her arms around Eight's shoulders and pull her into a kiss. But she was afraid, afraid that she'd scare Eight away. Afraid she didn't share her feelings, that Eight just wanted to be friends. Close friends, but still just friends. She was worried that if she asked Eight out and she said no, it would result in ruining their friendship due to the deadly awkwardness.

Eight, on the other hand, was faring no better.

Eight paced her room, she kept typing things into her phone then deleting them just as fast. Her frustration grew with every line she wasn't satisfied with. Three was one of the best things to happen to her since she escaped the Metro. Sure Pearl and Marina had taken her in and cared for her, but Three had befriended her and took the time to understand and spend time with her. Pearl and Marina were more like her moms than her friends.

Eight glanced at the clock, she'd been trying to come up with the least awkward way to ask Three out for the better part of TWO HOURS, and she was still never confident enough to hit send.

"AUGH! Why is this so HARD!" Eight flung her phone across her room onto her bed. "Why is it so hard to just say HI I LIKE YOU AS MORE THAN A FRIEND LET'S DATE!"

Eight falls onto her bed and buries her face into her pillows and screams. Why was she so nervous? She was pretty sure Three liked her back, and even if she hadn't considered it maybe she'd be willing to give it a try? They've become so close with all of their battling and hanging out. Eight could just never form the words when it came to actually TALKING to her!

Eight hears a knock on the door, and the muffled voice of Marina speaks through it.

"Eight? You okay? I heard yelling." Marina's voice seemed to calm Eight slightly, her concerned tone making Eight realize she'd been entirely too loud, especially with how distressed her tone must've been.

Eight takes a moment to breathe, calming herself as best as she can before standing up from her bed and making her way over to the door. She reaches up and grabs the handle before turning it and opening the door for Marina.

"Hey Marina, sorry for the yelling. I'm just frustrated." Eight sighs, her face laden with an obvious blush.

"What's going on?" Marina steps into the room and sits on Eight's bed, motioning for her to take a seat beside her. Eight quickly does so and she feels like she can finally just speak her mind.

"It's Three!" Eight cries. "I just, I don't know how to articulate how I feel and I'm afraid of doing it wrong."

"Well, how DO you feel about her?" Marina smiles, making sure Eight knows she's not going to judge her next words. "Tell the truth, I want to know how you feel so I can help."

"I think… I think I'm in love with her." Eight states bluntly. "But I'm afraid if I tell her that, she'll think I'm coming on too strong or tell me that she doesn't like me that way. I don't want to lose what I already have with her!"

Marina places her hand on Eight's shoulder, and squeezes it gently to ground Eight in the moment and causing her to turn and look at her. Marina gives Eight a reassuring smile, stroking her shoulder gently with her thumb to keep Eight from stressing too much.

"I'm sure that wouldn't happen, I've seen how she looks at you every time she comes over to pick you up before you two go turfing. She cares a great deal about you." Marina attempts to reassure Eight, but somehow her words do nothing to calm the Octoling she took in.

"That's just it. I don't want to lose that! What if she just sees me as a close friend and doesn't want to pursue something like that with me? What if by asking her, she stops wanting to be my friend?" Eight can feel tears welling in her eyes at the thought of losing Three. She'd rather stay friends than lose her altogether.

Marina sighs heavily, she knows Eight is worried but she also knows that there's no way her fears would be realized. She's seen the way Three acts around her, she can tell that Three is crushing just as hard as Eight is. She tries to subtly hint this to Eight hoping to calm her down.

"Sweetie, let me tell you something. Three may be a hardass, but she's not a horrible person. If she didn't share your feelings, you'd continue to be friends. But I don't think that would be a problem anyways."

Before Eight can get Marina to clarify her meaning, Eight's phone dings. She turns around and grabs it off the bed to see what caused it to sound off, her eyes going wide as she looks at who the message is from and she freezes, afraid to open it.

"Oh no, it's Three." Eight says, her hearts racing. Marina pats her on the back and flashes her a warm smile, calming her slightly. Reluctantly, she opens the notification to see what it says.


Agent 3: Uh hey Eight, I was wondering if we could like, talk? Just one on one? I've got something I want to tell you and… It would be best said in person.

Eight's mind is racing now, what did Three want to talk about? And why couldn't it be said over text or even over the phone?

TheGr8Agent8: Yeah that sounds good, where and when?

There was a long pause, Marina was peering over her shoulder to see the conversation but Eight didn't care. Eight just wanted to know what Three was being so cagy about.

Agent 3: Uh, I could jump over, or you could come here. Either is fine, I just need to talk to you privately.

TheGr8Agent8: I'll come over, Pearl is the opposite of private.

Agent 3: Okay, uh, see you in a sec I guess?


"Oh gods oh fuck what could she possibly want to talk about?" Eight was a nervous wreck. "Does she secretly hate me and now she's coming clean? What is it?!"

Marina chuckled, patted Eight on the back, and stood to leave the room.

"I think you should just head over there, and if she breaks your heart, just know that Pearl and I will be over there in an instant to rip hers out." She smiles before leaving the room.

Marina always had a way of calming her down, it was a gift. Eight decided that if Three wanted to talk in person, it must be important. She didn't want to show up in sweatpants, but she also didn't want to adorn a dress or a suit. She frantically searched through her clothes, tossing aside different shirts and pants, trying to come up with a look that doesn't come off as trying too hard while also not coming off as not trying at all.

After nearly half an hour of clothes digging, she decided she should just wear the outfit she had worn the very first time her and Three hung out. The Orange tee shirt, the simple baseball cap, and the red lace-up shoes, paired with a pair of jeans. It was simple but it looked good… and had the added benefit of feeling nostalgic.

Pearl and Marina helped her make sure her outfit was fully cleaned and looked good, just like they had before she went to see Three the first time. She felt a pang of hope in her hearts, maybe Three DID feel the same way and that's why she wanted to talk in person. But Eight couldn't let herself dwell on that thought too long, she didn't want to get that hope dashed too harshly.

"Okay, I got this." She said, making her way to the jump pad. Marina and Pearl had given her a hug before she left, giving her that much more emotional strength. Finally, she reached the jump point, input Three's apartment into the keypad, and when the pad flashed and shifted to the dark blue her tentacles and ink were at the moment, she knew it was ready.

Super jumps never take very long, the longest legal jump taking thirty seconds at max, but every second spent in the air felt like freedom for Eight. Super jumping in Kamabo was very different, the air was musky and thick, and it felt like it was trying to grab her. But the air on the surface was light, like all it wanted to do was wave at her as she passed by.

Before long, she had landed on the rooftop. She straightens her shirt and makes sure it's sitting right before walking over to the keypad for the door, and buzzes Three's apartment. Without even a word from the speaker the door buzzes and lets her in. She carefully walks into the building, makes her way down to the floor that Three lives on. She carefully looks around, she'd never been in this hallway alone and it was mildly unsettling, she decides it would be best to get into Three's apartment sooner rather than later, and heads to the door.

Eight knocks on the door lightly and she swears she hears something thud on the ground, like someone falling over, before hearing a clamouring towards the door. The door swings open to reveal Three, standing in front of Eight. Three was wearing a button down purple shirt, with small anchor patterns on it in black, she had on a fresh pair of black jeans, was that a tag still attached to them? And her feet were adorned in purple sneakers with black laces. Her head would have her studio headphones on, but they were wrapped around her neck at the moment.

"Oh! Eight! Come in please!" Three smelled… nice. Strangely nice. Like she murdered a family of flowers and bathed in their scent. In fact, her entire apartment looked considerably more put together. Eight remembers there being a lot more… trash everywhere. Like not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. How much time HAD Three spent getting ready for this… talk?

Two hours ago:

"Okay she's coming here." Three said to herself, silently celebrating and also panicking because of how nervous she is. And then she starts looking around her apartment. "Holy FUCK why am I a pig."

Three grabbed as many garbage bags as she could find and hastily filled them with every scrap of paper, empty package, or other object that simply didn't bags were completely full, she shoved them into her closet and told herself she'd take them to the bin later, Eight would be here soon. Oh lord there's crumbs all over the floor too.

"Where's my vacuum?!" Three frantically looks through each room and closet in her apartment trying to find it, she KNOWS she has one so where is it? Three did finally find her vacuum, still in its box, with a bow and a note attached.

"I assume you don't own one of these, so I am being a responsible friend and giving you one. - Marie"

Three had originally been upset at Marie for it, but now she'd have to send her a thank you card. Three vacuums up her floor as best as she can, trying desperately to get all the crumbs off the floor. It took a while, a lot longer than she had expected, but she finally gets the floor clear of crumbs. Her apartment no longer looks like a tornado went through it.

Three finally had her apartment in order. But then she realized, she's still wearing her sweat stained tank top, and an old pair of shorts that looked like she spilled tomato sauce all over (Because she had). Three's internal freakout continued. She spent so much time trying to get her apartment in order that she hadn't gotten herself in order!

"Fuck, fuck fuck." Three ran into her room, once again ripping apart her clothing supply, until finally she found something suitable. Under her entire pile of discarded clothes were two shopping bags. She was glad she went clothes shopping the other day, otherwise she'd have nothing but basic shirts and dirty clothes to wear. She also grabbed some air freshener while she was out, because Eight had commented on how Three's apartment smelled like burnt cheese. Which of course it did.

Three sprays her entire apartment with the stuff, making sure she gets it into the soft fabrics so it holds the scent and gets rid of whatever odor was in it from before. She finishes basically coating her apartment with the freshener before quickly turning the can around and spraying herself as well.

"There, now I'm fresh." She states as she sets the now empty can of air freshener down. She looks at her clock and sees how long she spent cleaning and realizes that Eight should be arriving soon. She knew that she'd need time to get ready to come over, especially with how cryptic her message was, but she hadn't fully expected it to take quite this long.

Finally, her intercom buzzed and she freezes. She looks down at the empty can of air freshener next to her then over to the buzzer on the other side of the room. She then expertly throws the can at the intercom and hits the "door" button, allowing whomever it was to access the building, as Three had assumed it would be Eight.

Moments later there was a knock at her door.

Back to present:

Eight blushed as she looked at Three, she looked amazing. No doubt the Squid could pull of a suit if she wanted to, the button down looking so good on her was proof. She stepped through the door and Three closed the door behind her.

"S-so, what was so important that you had to talk to me in person, alone, with no witnesses?" Eight asks, trying to keep the mood light while also getting to the point quickly.

Three blushed hard, her face nearly completely orange with the warmth of her ink. Three was struggling to form words, she was biting her lip a lot and any time she tried to comment the words would get stuck in her throat.

"Three?" Eight tilts her head, looking at Three quizzically, trying to make out the thoughts that are going through the Inkling's mind.

Three took in a deep breath, looked Eight dead in the eyes, and with the split second of courage she has, she manages to squeak out.

"Eight, I think I want to be more than what we are now." Three manages to force out before her mind starts reeling. She hopes it wasn't coming on too strong but she just desperately wants to be more than just friends with the Octoling.

Eight blushed, now she was struggling to form words.

"Wh- what do you mean?" Eight asks, silently celebrating but not wanting to show it just yet just in case it's not what Three actually meant.

"I mean-" Three bit her lip again, if Eight wasn't busy freaking out she'd think it was cute. "I want to… I want to go out with you. Like on dates."

has stopped responding.

Three looks at Eight, her face turning the same shade of blue her tentacles are, Three can't decipher if it's a good response or a bad one. She waves her hands over her face trying to get her attention, she just asked her out and now she's frozen?

"Uh.. Eight?" Three waves her hand in front of Eight's face again, hoping to get some kind of response to her reveal.

As if her comment snapped her back to reality, Eight looks Three dead in the eyes, before leaping on her and tackling her to the ground. Eight was a LOT stronger than Three realized, She was squeezing her very tightly and she seemed to be… was she actually Squee-ing?

"YES! OH YES! I WOULD LOVE TO THREE!" Eight squeezes Three tighter. "I'M SO HAPPY YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY I DO!"

"Ack! Eight! I can't breathe!" Three chokes out.

"AH! Sorry!" Eight lets go of Three, blushes harshly, and stands back up. "Sorry, I just, I got excited."

Three stumbles back to her feet quickly as well. Her mind currently just screaming "STRONG GIRL" and her face plastered with an orange blush. Three had always known Eight was strong, fighting for your life through those tests in Kamabo, PLUS having a military background, meant she was definitely no pushover. But she never expected THIS.

"It uh, it's fine? I mean I'm not hurt so yeah I'm not complaining." Three what the fuck why would you say it like that?

Eight breathes a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank the gods. I just really like you and I don't wanna hurt you." Eight smiles and bounces lightly, beyond excited that Three shares her feelings.

Three just laughs and awkwardly rubs her neck, trying to hide the fact that her blush is the same colour as her tentacles and failing miserably.

"Trust me, it would take a bit more than that to hurt me. I mean, secret agent right?" Three gently bumps Eight's shoulder with her fist and gives her a smile. Eight returns the smile, but before too long they're standing there. Awkwardly. Not talking.

The silence was deafening, neither wanted to say anything but both desperately wanted to speak. Eight shuffled and looked at the floor, her right arm behind her back grabbing her left. Three was looking at her walls, her ceiling, her floor, everything except where Eight was standing. They both knew the other liked them back, and yet that somehow made the next part that much more difficult.

Finally, after eternities pass, Eight breaks the silence between the two blushing morons.

"Hey, uh, Three? Would you like to uh, s-sit on the couch and watch something?" Eight struggled to get every word out, she desperately wanted to just be close to Three. Eight didn't want to deal with all of this… AWKWARDNESS!

Three, snapping out of her dumbassery, perks up immediately and returns her gaze to the Octoling standing in front of her whom she had just professed her feelings towards.

"Oh, uh, yeah? What do you wanna watch?" Three's mind was a puddle, a puddle of goop, a puddle of useless goop. Three's mind just kept repeating "Cuddle on the couch" and that just made her blush worse.

"Uh, anything I guess?" Eight paused. She was thinking, Three could tell that Eight, and it scared her. Eight was trying to decide something and finally she makes up her mind. "Oh fuck, I'm just gonna go for it."

"What do you mea-!" Three was cut off as Eight quickly closed the distance, grabbed the collar of her shirt, and instantly pulled Three's lips against her own. Three was startled at the forwardness of the Octoling, but damn if she wasn't going to enjoy this moment. Three wrapped her arms around Eight, who in turn used her free hand to grab Three's waist and pull her closer. Three and Eight's lips felt perfect against each other, Three's were tough but with a pleasant texture, while Eight's were tender and smooth.

Eventually, however, they had to breathe. Three and Eight parted, their faces again flush with warm ink, but this time they were looking right at each other. Their breaths were shallow, their hearts were racing, and they both wanted more.

Three, not taking her hands off of Eight, glances over to the couch, then back to Eight.

"Want me to put in something we've both seen so we don't need to actually watch it?" Three smirks as she glances back to Eight. Eight giggles, smiling back at Three.

"Absolutely." Eight smiles and pecks Three on the lips quickly, encouraging the Inkling to work quickly.

Three ends up throwing in the first movie they watched together. "Splat Hard". Eight could see why Three liked it, lots of action and violence. Eight actually enjoyed it more for how excited Three got during the action heavy scenes. But Three wasn't paying attention to the movie right now, and neither was Eight.

When the movie started, Eight was just simply leaning her head on Three's shoulder. However within a few minutes, Eight's face had gotten in front of Three's. Eight and Three melted into each other. Eight would passionately kiss Three's lips and Three would graciously return the gesture.

But Eight wanted more. Eight wasn't content just to sit next to Three and kiss her, so Eight climbs on top of three and straddles her, Eight's legs falling on either side of Three's own. She places her thumb on Three's chin and smirks before leaning in for another kiss, this time gently biting Three's bottom lip, eliciting a moan from the inkling.

Eight giggles slightly, sucking on Three's bottom lip and occasionally pressing her teeth against it, Three is helpless against the assault. Just when Three thought Eight couldn't do any better, she pulls her lips away from hers, and without warning leans in closer and bites her shoulder ever so slightly less gentle than when she did it to her lip.

Three moans loudly, she's never experienced this before. And just where did EIGHT learn it? Eight moves from Three's shoulder up to her neck and again leaves a small bite whilst also sucking on it a little, causing Three to gasp. Eight pulls away again and looks at Three, the blushing mess under her.

"How was that?" Eight smirks, clearly satisfied with having taken control of the situation.

Three, through her panting and racing hearts, was only able to squeak out one word, fortunately for both of them, it's the only word Eight needs to hear.

"More."