Disclaimer: The Among Us universe belongs to InnerSloth LLC and PlayEveryWare. This is a work of fanfiction and is not intended for profit or copyright infringement. I do not own the rights to Among Us or its setting/universe.

I stand in near-pitch blackness with the rest of the crew, hating myself. A dead man lies before me and all I can think about is Del. Naturally, I put as much distance between us as possible, and he seems to be respecting my unspoken wish to be apart. I also avoid eye-contact with Quill, who I can sense has been trying to catch my eye. I wedge myself between Lenna and Osiris, dreading the funeral and every second after it.

Zale and Dr. Barnett stand in front of the trash chute, speaking soberly over the body covered in a thick cloth. It still feels unnatural, standing here in our ridiculous brightly-colored uniforms, speaking about a dead man while surrounded by crates and boxes and a whole assortment of other dumb things.

I still can't get over how dark it is in here. If it bothered me before, it's nothing compared to how I feel now, knowing that our enemy is some sort of mutant alien lurking in the shadows. More than once I think I see the glint of cold white eyes watching me from the shadows but when I look again there's nothing there. I hiver. It's not cold in Storage, especially with the live bodies surrounding me, but goosebumps erupt all across my body anyway. My damp hair does nothing to help. I must be shaking because I feel Lenna slip her arm through mine and I smile gratefully at her. It's okay, she seems to be saying. I'm here with you.

"Thank you all for coming," Zale says, his voice thin and broken. "I wish it could be under better circumstances that we're meeting here. Alas, we find ourselves once again squaring up against death. We don't know who or how but we know that we're up against a force more powerful than any of us could imagine." He clears his throat and shifts his weight from foot to foot. "Professor O'Connell was a kind, smart, and brave man. He was there for us whenever we needed him and he remained that way, all the way up until his death. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the life he left behind on Earth. I know he had a wife and children. He was a renowned professor at MIRA University and very well-respected. He certainly deserved a better end than what he received. If anyone would like to say a few words, please step forward."

I stay quiet as people step forward, one by one, and speak to Professor O'Connell's life. They're fine sentiments and I'm tempted to step forward, too, but I don't really know what I would say. Nothing would be sincere, so I figure it's better to remain silent than blunder my way through a half-hearted thought. Besides, another smaller, more selfish part of me is still distracted by Del and I don't want to draw any additional attention to myself. Between Del's soft gaze and Quill boring holes into the side of my head, I want nothing more than to vanish completely into the shadows and never return.

When the last person finishes and resumes their spot in the circle around the body, there's nothing left to do but send the professor off. Dr. Barnett prays a blessing over the body and the crew stands back as one, allowing the trash chute to be opened and the body placed gently inside. They close the chute and press the eject button. There's a soft suctioning sound, a whirl of color and stars, and that's the last I will ever see of Professor O'Connell.

It's almost six o'clock. Dinner time. Eating is the last thing I want to do. I want to hide under my covers with the journal and get lost in my grandfather's story. I want to imagine his warm hand traveling across the paper and touch the words that he wrote so I can feel closer to him. More than anything I want to tell Quill about it and show him the horrible sketches of those MIRA-forsaken beings. But Quill is trying to get my attention for a completely different reason - a reason I'm not ready to talk about yet. Between Del and the funeral, I can barely process anything that happened to me today. With low murmurs and quiet shuffles, the group silently makes its way out of Storage, up the Admin hall and into the Cafeteria for dinner. I have no choice but to join them. Arm in arm with Lenna, we comfort each other as we travel to dinner.

It's a relief that the crew is eating as one. In moments like this the buddy system is temporarily paused and we can fellowship with whoever we want to. This is most welcome to both myself and Lenna, who is too exhausted to cry over the professor.

"You have no idea what it's like being with Osiris all day long," Lenna whisper-yells as we collapse onto a plastic bench together and slam our trays onto the table. It's spaghetti with zucchini noodles and garlic bread tonight. "He's so serious," she groans, heaving a great sigh as she takes a massive bite of her garlic bread. "He never smiles and I'm not allowed to use more than twenty words in one sentence. He may be good-looking, but man that guy needs to get some hobbies. There's just nothing going on upstairs, y'know? All he does is lift weights and practice looking mean. Whenever I suggest we try to do something fun it's all 'Not now, Lenna' or 'Can't you see I'm busy, Lenna?' or 'Don't you ever stop talking, Lenna?'" She huffs and I swear her cinnamon curls wilt. "I miss you, Sage. I wish we could be buddies instead. We haven't told a joke at Zale's expense for ages."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that, Lenna," I say and I mean it.

"Yeah, well, at least I've got a decent bodyguard. We seemed to luck out on that, didn't we? How are things going with Del?"

I inhale a zoodle too fast and gag. Coughing, I reach for my water and take big gulps until I can breathe again. "Things are...normal. Perfectly normal. Normal things are happening."

Lenna blinks slowly at me. "Uh-huh." She waits for more. When I don't offer anything else she adds, "So glad to hear things are 'normal,' as you so eloquently put it. And what does normal mean?"

"It means things are...going fine. Like they normally would. You know...normal."

"Hm." Lenna doesn't push it. A small, thoughtful silence envelopes us in which I feel myself blushing lightly. Now I'm avoiding Lenna's gaze, which is frankly quite exhausting. She's so magnetizing I almost break out into a sweat with the effort of it. I feel her eyes move to something just behind my shoulder and she says cheerfully, "Oh, hi, Del!"

I flinch and turn around so fast my neck cracks. No one is there. Del is across the Cafeteria, deep in conversation with Osiris and Kenzo. Heart pounding and eyes wide, I spin to look Lenna full in the face, feeling my blush intensify.

"I knew it!" she hisses, leaning forward with a wickedly triumphant grin on her face. She points her fork accusingly at me. "I knew something was going on. Nothing is ever normal with you, Sage. Something is happening. So spill it - what is he doing? Does he make you clean his gun? Oh, or maybe he forces you to sit on his feet while he does sit-ups! Do you have to spot him when he bench-presses? Does he sit you down and force you to listen to old recordings of police scanners for three hours straight?"

"N-no, it's nothing like that," I say with a small frown. "Does Osiris really make you do those things?"

"We're not talking about me right now," Lenna says with an airy wave of her hand. "You're hiding something and I'm going to find out what it is."

I know she's serious. When Lenna wants juicy gossip she doesn't stop until she soaks up every last drop. I bite my lip, weighing my options in my head. I could tell her the truth, which would be mortifying but could possibly get her off my back. Or I could fabricate something, which may spare my secret but I've never been good at lying and Lenna can stiff out dishonesty like a hound tracking a fast squirrel. I stare at my zoodles, bracing myself for what's about to hit me. Throwing caution to the wind, I lean in and whisper, "Okay, fine. I'll tell you. But you have to swear on your life that you won't tell a soul."

Lenna's brown eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, a hungry glint in her eye. "I swear on my life."

"I mean it, Lenna. If this gets out it could ruin me - and Del."

Lenna nods, gripping her fork so hard her knuckles turn white. "I swear on my life and the life of my precious little brother and the lives of both of my parents - may I die an awful, horrible death if I even think about breaking my promise."

I swallow hard, feeling the blush drain, leaving me pale and shaky. You can do this. You are a professional - it's just a little workplace gossip. Besides, nothing actually happened...

"Okay. So. After Zale's 'aliens are among us' speech, I wasn't feeling well, right?"

"Mmhm, mmhm."

"Right. Well. I wanted to take a shower and be by myself, but thanks to Zale's stupid buddy system, I was stuck with Del in our cabin."

Lenna gasps. "Wait, don't tell me - he snores, doesn't he? Like a freight train, I bet! MIRA above, Osiris sounds like a dying pig when he sleeps, it's literally driving me insane! He's lucky I don't smother him with his own pillow."

"Er...no. Del doesn't snore, it's not that. It's..." I take a deep, cleansing breath before continuing slowly. I close my eyes, unable to bear the look on Lenna's face. "Well, I took a shower like I wanted to, and I don't know how it happened, but one moment Del and I were just talking casually and the next moment...we were sorta staring at each other and...what I mean to say is...wealmostkissed." The last three words are barely a whisper as they rush out of my mouth.

When my confession is met with silence I open my eyes again and immediately wish I'd kept them closed. It's like watching the tectonic plates of the earth shake. Lenna's entire body is tense with surprise but she's vibrating with what I can only assume is excitement. Her grip on her fork is so tight her knuckles are completely white, and both of her hands are shaking. Her face is flushed and her eyes are bright and bugging out of her skull. Her mouth drops open in a large 'O', which gest rounder and larger the longer she stares at me. It takes her so long to actually say something I'm afraid she's going to explode if I don't intervene, and fast.

"Lenna? Are you okay?"

A breath escapes her mouth, long and high-pitched, and she nods.

"Sage," she breathes. "Mother. Of. MIRA."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, now please -"

"Sage!" she says with feeling, her breath shallow and excited. "SAGE!"

"Yes, I KNOW! Keep it down, will you?" I hold up my hands in a frantic shushing gesture. She nods rapidly, curls bouncing.

"I'm sorry," she wheezes. "I'm just so excited. What was it like? Was it soft and sweet or wet and passionate? Did he open his mouth for you? Did you want to kiss him? Did he ask you first or were you just feeling it?"

"For MIRA's sake, Lenna, we almost kissed - almost! Were you even listening?"

She leans forward, unblinking, her eyes so wide they take up the entire top half of her face. "Sage, do you realize how incredible this is? It doesn't matter that it was an almost-kiss because that means it's eventually going to be a real kiss! Oh my god, this is so refreshing! See? This is why we should be buddies because we can talk about juicy stuff like this!" Then, to my horror, she makes a great show of looking over her shoulder at Del, ogling him. Regretting my decision already, I turn to look too. Almost as though he can feel me staring, Del's eyes find mine and he does the worst thing he could possibly do - he smiles. Like a real, genuine smile. My heart dances the tango as I offer a wobbly smile in return and look away quickly, suddenly very interested in my zoodles.

When you boil water in a pot covered by a lid, there comes a point when the hot air has nowhere to expand to and is forced out of every tiny vent it can find, leading to a great amount of hissing as it overflows. Right now, Lenna is the lidded pot and she's filling with hot water. Fast. I see the color rising in her face and the high-pitched whistle coming out of her nose reminds me forcefully of a teakettle.

"Del NEVER smiles, Sage!" she squeaks. "MIRA above, he's totally smitten! Girl, you've got him wrapped around your finger - how did you do it?"

"I didn't do anything," I snap, feeling suddenly angry. "It was just an inconvenient combination of events that created the right conditions, that's all."

"More like a brilliant combination of events!"

"Honestly I'm glad we didn't actually kiss - if we did it would be even more awkward and I don't know if I'd be able to be around him anymore."

"No, you're right. This is good - keep him wanting more. Brilliant."

I sigh, exasperated. I could waste my energy trying to put her right, but with Lenna that's impossible - she'll think what she wants to think and that's it. "Promise me you won't try to interfere," I say forcefully, glaring at her. She brightens like a sunflower turning its face to the sun.

"Who, moi? I would never."

"Lenna, I swear to MIRA -"

"Calm down already! I won't interfere. I promise! No matter how badly I want to play matchmaker, I will control myself. Besides, it seems like you guys are doing perfectly fine on your own, hm?" she winks at me. I cover my face with my hand, feeling a headache approaching. "What's the matter, Sage? You're not acting like someone who got almost-kissed should be acting! Aren't you at least a little bit excited? Don't you like him?"

I inhale deeply, holding it for a count of four before slowly releasing it. It's a good question and I don't really know how to respond. What are my feelings for Del? Complicated, to be sure. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to kiss him. But entering into something romantically with one of my crewmates could really screw with the air of professionalism I'm supposed to be maintaining, not to mention it would be a major disruption that could prove detrimental to the mission - perhaps even fatal, if this lurking threat is as dangerous as we think.

I convey all of this to Lenna, who nods her head thoughtfully.

"Mmm. Mmm-hm. Yeah, no, I totally get it. You're a badass certified independent space nurse who's going to colonize space and continue her grandfather's epic legacy. You ain't got time for no man. But after colonizing and legacy-building, you're totally going to kiss him for real and fall in love and get married and have ten babies."

I can't help it - I laugh. She may be ridiculous but I have to admit she's a good friend. Despite her dramatic reaction, I'm glad I told someone about it. It feels like a great weight has lifted off my shoulders and I don't have to suffer alone anymore.

"Thanks for telling me, Sage. Promise you'll keep me updated if anything else happens between you two?"

"Sure." I'm convinced that nothing else will happen between us so it's an easy promise to make. "But you know, the more I tell you the more you'll have to keep a secret. You might explode."

"Ugh." She groans and lens her entire body across the table, reaching out to take my hand. "I miss you so much. Nothing is going to top this - I don't think I'm going to survive another old police scanner recording, Sage. Do you think we can convince Osiris and Del to hang out more so we can have our girl time?"

"That would be nice," I smile at her. "I'm sure the guys would be down. It's Zale I'm worried about. He's so strict about his buddy system."

"Ugh, Zale. What a joke. He's far better-suited as a lieutenant than a commander. And I'm not the only one who thinks the buddy system is useless. I mean, does he really think that pairing us up is going to stop this monster's attacks? If it's truing to pick us off one-by-one, offering up a double snack will only make things go faster."

"True. At least we're getting trained in some self defense, though. Minka's classes aren't too bad." It's the truth. After our first disastrous display in Weapons, Lenna and I continued to attend classes and we've both gotten much better at fending each other off. So has Quill. I doubt any of us could take down someone as big as Del or Osiris, let alone a monster, but it's a start.

It's true that another man has died and it's true that it's only a matter of time before the monster strikes again, but after dinner Lenna and I walk back to our cabin together and, for the first time in a long time, I feel a glimmer of hope - like maybe, just maybe, things could be right in the world, after all.

Now that I don't have to sneak around Del, I'm able to read my grandfather's journal as much as I want - as long as I stay in my cabin. The first several months of his voyage aren't as eventful as ours, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting. I discover a lot about my grandfather that I never knew, including his favorite meals, his preferred weapon of choice, and his ability to speak ASL. It's this fact that blossoms into something even better. Halfway through November he talks about how his budding friendship with Ebba turns into something more. He spends about ten pages discussing his feelings for her and his desire to court her, contrasted against his desire to focus on his work and avoid workplace drama. It feels so strongly like he's speaking directly to my situation that I have to pause, put the journal away, and take a break from it for a few days. I keep my word to Del, sharing with him anything else interesting that I find within the pages of the journal. I share almost everything with him - from the time my grandfather needed stitches to the time the crew came together and celebrated Thanksgiving with a grand feast - but I never surrender information about George Korbel and Ebba Clarke's fling.

Blessedly, nothing else happens between us and the tension has lifted slightly, but the topic is strictly off-limits. I don't trust myself anymore.

The next week goes by as we hold our collective breath, but nothing of note happens. Rounds are completed timely and thoroughly. The engines run smoothly. People don't do dumb things and therefore people don't get hurt. Minka's self-defense classes are going off without a hitch, and I even earn a rare smile from her after managing to fend off and pin Quill to the mat. Dr. Barnett continues to study the mysterious black blood we found in Admin, and Zale continues his attempts in contacting MIRA. Kenzo continues to cook brilliantly and Quill is able to repair the broken wiring by Security. During our downtime Del and I visit Ebba and Kenzo in Oxygen and learn a great deal about her Polusian plants. Being among these plants reminds me of the journal, in which I've found many sketches and detailed renderings of similar specimen. I like to imagine I'm standing where my grandfather once stood, drawing the plants and laughing with Ebba as they tended to the plants together...

For a few blissful, sunlit days it seems like everything is back to normal. The crew and spaceship function like well-oiled machines and every once in a while I even catch snippets of laughter echoing through the halls of The Skeld. The buddy system continues, and, with permission from Zale, we are able to gather together in the Cafeteria as a crew and wind down after a long day's work with card games that Osiris smuggled onboard and some good old-fashioned cooking from Kenzo.

Looking back on it, I should have known the peace was too good to last.

It's a Thursday in early November. My birthday is four days away and I'm looking forward to celebrating it with the rest of the crew. Kenzo has been asking me questions about my favorite foods and desserts and Quill drops hints that he may or may not be working on something special for me. Dr. Barnett has given me time off and Lenna is in an absolute tizzy trying to figure out what to do for me, since she can't go shopping for a gift and isn't great at working with her hands.

"It's okay, Lenna. You don't have to get me anything."

"But I want to!" she pouts, sticking out her lower lip. "Kenzo is making you and epic cake and Quill showed me his surprise - it's AMAZING! You're my best friend and I want to do something super memorable for you!"

I shrug. "That's really sweet of you, but I'm serious - you really don't have to. I'm not expecting a big party or anything and I'd like to keep things pretty lowkey. Just having you here is enough for me."

My words have no effect on her. She continues to stew on the topic, adopting a pinched look that tells me she's thinking hard. In the end I decide to leave it alone and let her come to her own conclusion.

With all of our tasks completed for the day, the crew of The Skeld winds down as we get ready for supper. Kenzo has promised a delicious cross between Korean barbecue and chicken teriyaki and it's all people can talk about. Del and I leave Security with Osiris and Lenna after an intense game of Kemps and many accusations of cheating from Osiris. He and Lenna are still arguing as we make our way through Upper Engine and into the hallway joining the engine room to the Cafeteria. Their elevated voices echo loudly in the empty space and I'm sure someone could hear them all the way from Oxygen and beyond. Del and I share a knowing look as we quietly laugh at the pair of them. My heart skips a beat and I look away, unable to escape the blush that creeps up my neck and into my face.

We're nearly at Cafeteria when the sound of another pair of angry voices overlaps with those of Lenna and Osiris. Their cheating argument peters out as the other voices get louder and more intense. It doesn't take long to recognize who they belong to. We all know that Minka is volatile and prone to erupting, but when we reach the Cafeteria's threshold the look on her face is more than volatile - it's pure ugly. She has Zale cornered by the observation deck, and despite her mere five feet and five inches, she seems to loom over him as she screams in his face. Both of their expressions are twisted with rage and the yelling issuing from both of them echoes around the cavernous space, making it difficult to understand exactly what's happening but we get the gist.

"-JUST LIKE YOU TO DO THAT!" she hollers, pointing a finger accusingly in his chest. "YOU'RE POMPOUS AND USELESS AND CAN'T TELL A -"

"-YOUR COMMANDER AND YOU WILL DO WHAT I SAY -"

"I KNOW YOU TOOK IT, YOU JUST DON'T -"

"-CRAZY UNFOUNDED ACCUSATION, I WOULD NEVER TOUCH IT!"

We swivel our heads back and forth like watching a tennis match. A small knot of stress forms between my shoulder blades and I flinch as the yelling turns to shrill screaming. Osiris and Del are on the scene without a moment's hesitation. Before Minka can put her hands on Zale, Del has her contained in a strong lock and Osiris steps in front of Zale, hands up, raising his voice slightly to be heard by the commander.

"Back away, sir - that's it. Just back away and take a deep breath -"

"I don't need to breath!" Zale snaps at Osiris, fury shaking his fists. "She's the one who needs to calm down! She came out of nowhere with her ridiculous accusations and disrupted the peace!"

"And you would do well to not make it worse!" Osiris barks.

"YOU'RE A THIEF AND A LIAR, ZALE!" Minka screeches, struggling against Del's steady grip. "LET GO OF ME! I KNOW HE HAS IT HE JUST DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT IT!"

"You have ten seconds to calm down!" Del's deep voice booms across the space, sending spasms of fear through my body. "If you don't I will put you in solitary for a week!"

Lenna squeaks and presses closer to me. Quill, who had been standing next to Minka, slowly backs away until he hits a Cafeteria table, where he gently lowers himself, unable to take his eyes off the drama unfolding before him. Kenzo, Ebba, and Dr. Barnett stand a safe distance away. The fight holds out entire attention and it's impossible to look away, like a horror movie.

"ADMIT IT, YOU ARROGANT PIG! ADMIT THAT YOU TOOK IT!"

"Zale is your commanding officer!" Del bellows, twisting Minka's arm in a way that forces her to her knees, a look of pain flashing briefly across her face. "You will address him properly or you will be put back on probation indefinitely - apologize. NOW."

"I WOULD RATHER DIE!" She inhales and spits on the ground in Zale's direction. Poor Zale has never had to deal with anything like this before and he's visibly shaken. His face is red and sweaty and his perfectly-coiffed golden curls fall limp and tired in front of his eyes. With Osiris between the two of them, it seems like he's starting to calm down, but he looks genuinely scared beneath the angry veneer. What could Minka possibly be accusing him of stealing? It must be something incredibly important to her to elicit such a reaction - and why would she think he was the one who took it, whatever it was?

"You brought this on yourself," Del hisses to Minka. She continues to struggle against his hold on her, twisting and swearing and glaring at Zale, her dark eyes burning with hate. From out of nowhere Del produces a pair of handcuffs and claps them onto Minka's wrists. She fights more wildly than ever, screeching like a caged animal. Del pulls her to her feet and forces her to walk, pushing her across the Cafeteria away from Zale, who's breathing heavily. She's half the size of Del but she's certainly not making it easy for him to carry her away. The sounds of her tantrum can be heard long after they disappear and I know that Del is escorting her to her cabin, where she'll be locked inside.

The room releases a collective breath as the tension breaks. Lenna is in tears. Zale is shaking like a leaf, apologizing to Osiris over and over and over again, head in his hands. Quill is pale and stares at a single point in the middle distance. Kenzo has an arm around Ebba, who catches my eye and gives me a small smile that I know is supposed to be comforting. Dr. Barnett sits at a table, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Osiris breaks into Zale's babbling. "Commander, sir, you can stop apologizing - I get that you're shaken up but I need you to calm down and tell me what happened."

Zale sucks in a shuddering breath and releases it shakily. "I don't know what happened, it all went so fast! Ugh. I was just minding my own business when she marched over and accused me of stealing it!"

"What did she accuse you of stealing?"

"Oh, I don't know. Some dagger of hers, I think. Apparently she's under the impression I'm trying to suppress her right to bear arms, or whatever-the-fuck she said. Listen, I don't know what she was going on about with the dagger thing, but I promise you I didn't touch it - I've never even seen it!"

A dagger - that's what this was all about? I'm pretty sure Minka has at least ten daggers hidden on her person at all times. Would the absence of one really weigh that heavily on her?

"Did she say why she thinks you were the one who stole it?" Osiris continues questioning calmly. Zale shakes his head.

"Once I started denying it she got so angry it was hard to understand her. My guess is she panicked and went straight to the person in charge. Maybe she thinks I ordered somebody to take it from her? I don't know. All I know is that she's broken at least a dozen rules in the past five minutes and that means a lot of paperwork for me..."

"I understand. Del and I have the situation under control. Thank you for answering my questions. I just have one more - do you know anything about where the dagger might be now?"

Zale sighs. "No, of course not. I was under the impression all of her weapons were either in the Weapons room or on her person. That woman is a walking arsenal and needs to be taken down a notch."

Osiris's face darkens. "You're not wrong. Del will see to it that she is contained. If necessary we will administer an injection to calm her down. In the meantime I need to make sure that you are okay. Do you need a quiet space?"

"I'm okay - it's not wise to be somewhere on my own, anyway."

"In that case, let's go ahead and get some dinner. I think we could all use a bit of sustenance."

Lenna and I share a terrified What the hell just happened? look before slowly making our way over to Quill. I sit down next to him and lean my head against his shoulder.

"Hey."

"Hey to you too."

"How are you?"

"Brilliant. I just lost my buddy. You?"

"Oh, you know. Living the dream."

He nudges me playfully. "We should hang out soon. You, me, and our buddies. Whoever. Whatever. We just need to do something. Your birthday is coming up."

"So they keep reminding me."

"Are you excited?"

"Sure. I can't wait to find Minka's razor blades in the cake."

Quill's shoulder sags as he exhales heavily. "Honestly, I doubt she'll be let out of solitary by then. She messed up pretty badly. Del's not going to let that slide."

"What a strong, trustworthy guy Del is," Lenna muses, throwing me a subtle look that I choose to ignore. "I'm so glad we have guys like him and Osiris protecting us."

"No kidding. Minka was about ready to flay our poor commander within an inch of his life. And over a dagger, of all things! Well...wanna get some food?"

The three of us stand and make our way into the kitchen where the tantalizing aroma of beef teriyaki and rice and kimchi blend together, creating pure magic. We're on our way back to the table when Del returns. He turns immediately to Osiris and Zale and has a quiet conversation with them in which there are a lot of tense gestures and frowning faces. I'm about to sit down when I realize I forgot my chopsticks and turn to head back to the kitchen. Once I've acquired my utensils I spin to find the group has disbanded and Del has honed in on me. He makes a beeline straight for me and I feel my heart rate pick up slightly. I stand in the middle of the Cafeteria, watching him make his way over. When he reaches me I have to crane my neck to look him in the face. Was he always this damn tall? He touches my arm and the hard expression on his face melts.

"Hey. You okay?"

It's not lost on me that he approached me first out of everyone to make sure I'm okay. It makes me feel all kinds of confusing emotions and I fight the sudden urge to grab his hand. "Oh. Well...yeah I think so. I'm confused, mostly, but I'm about to eat. I think that will help."

"Good." He smiles a cute close-lipped smile and my heart flutters. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I don't usually like showing people that side of me."

"What, the protective police-officer side? You were just doing your job."

"Right. I hope it didn't bother you."

It's my turn to smile. "You could never bother me, Del."

For some reason I sense a touch of sadness in his eyes. "Minka told me about the dagger. Apparently it's a special one - steel blade, ivory handle with intricate carvings. It means something to her. In the wrong hands it could do some real damage. We'll need to keep an eye out for it."

"Er, yeah. Of course. I'll...keep my eyes peeled for the missing dagger." The words sound ridiculous coming out of my mouth and I can't help but grin.

"Thanks, Sage. I appreciate it. Well...enjoy your dinner." Faster than blinking, his hand brushes against my cheek - light as a butterfly - and then he walks away before I can process what just happened. I stand there, clutching the chopsticks to my chest, stuck with some sort of full-body paralysis. Someone coughs and I snap out of it, hurrying back to the table where Lenna and Quill are watching me curiously.

"What did Del want?" Quill asks around a mouthful of kimchi.

"Yeah, Sage. What did Del want?" Lenna leans forward and props her chin on her hand, waggling her eyebrows at me.

I wrench my chopsticks apart and stab my food a little too forcefully. "Nothing much. He just wanted to see if I was okay and told me a little bit more about the dagger Minka was yelling about. Apparently It's a really nice one and she's very attached to it."

Lenna wrinkles her dainty nose. "That's it? Mother of MIRA, you would have thought someone had stolen her birthright!"

"Nice of Del to check in on you." Quill glances at me out of the corner of his eye. This is my cue to keep my head down. I focus all of my energy instead of my food, chewing it slowly and deliberately.

"Yeah, I appreciated it. But I'm concerned...obviously this dagger is a dangerous weapon. I don't like the idea of it lying around somewhere, waiting for someone or something to pick it up..."

"Ugh, please, Sage - I'm eating. Let's not spoil the barbecue with discussions of death."