The constant sound of something dripping on the floor caught her attention, causing her to quicken her pace and enter the laboratory. She was shocked to find Six sitting on the stretcher she used for testing and helping those in need. He was shirtless and holding one of her tweezers, as if searching for something inside a deep wound on his left shoulder, bleeding everywhere. He winced each time he touched the wrong spot.

"Stop!" She exclaimed urgently, attempting to halt him, despite his bare chest. She tried to ignore his piercing brown eyes, which seemed to regard her as a demonic entity ready to devour his soul.

She took the tweezers out of his hands, as if he was a child not knowing what he was doing. She focused on his wounds, while he tried to cover himself with his shirt and jacket.

Holiday couldn't help but blush at the sight of Six's bare chest, something she never thought she would see. However, her anger quickly took over as she tried to understand why he was being so reckless.

"Come on, you're smarter than this!" she exclaimed, not even caring that his expression of surprise was soon replaced by anger at being caught in a vulnerable moment. "Is this how you avoid visiting the medical bay? I bet you didn't even clean this tweezer before using it, and now you're spreading an infection everywhere!"

"I don't need the medical bay," Six responded. Rebecca sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes with two fingers in an attempt to calm herself and maintain a professional demeanor.

"At least you could have told me," she insisted, but the man simply arched his eyebrow as if she was blind and hadn't noticed that he was shirtless.

She knew that Six didn't like medicine at all. He constantly complained about how it affected his reflexes and he didn't like being drugged because it could even affect his speech as well, and reveal secrets he preferred to keep to himself.

"I view this as a personal matter to always be contacting you when I'm injured." He said with a serious expression as she struggled to stop blushing and meet his gaze, not wanting to make him feel more uncomfortable than he already was.

Six really reminded her of a very tall child, like Rex, whenever she suggested him to take his shirt off for a test or any potential injury.

"Don't be ridiculous, we are all professionals here," Holiday scolded him, clicking her tongue as she searched for her jar of cotton balls, suture scissors, and hydrogen peroxide. Six decided it was time to return to his room, but before he could even climb off the stretcher, he winced in pain as she gripped his injured arm with surprising strength. "No, no, no. That needs stitches. If you leave it exposed, it could become infected or worse, especially after using unclean tweezers on it," Holiday furrowed her brows, wondering what he was trying to do with them. "You were trying to remove something from your shoulder?"

"I thought there was a bullet lodged in there," he replied quietly, resigned to staying seated and silent as she examined his shoulder closely. "I can't quite remember how it happened. I was unconscious while Rex was dealing with the EVO we were chasing, but it felt like something was stuck in there."

"Hmm..." Holiday's hand landed in one of his pectorals, seemingly without her even noticing. The warmth of her touch against his exposed skin felt quite strange. She tried to push him down gently on the stretcher to get a better look, since he was obviously taller than her. Six held her hand tightly against his chest as soon as he saw the needle she was holding in her other hand.

"There won't be any anesthesia," he warned her, causing the woman to sigh in frustration.

"It's just a local anesthetic, Six. It's not like you're going to punch someone right now, right?" Holiday arched an eyebrow at his stubbornness. "How do you expect me to do it without anesthesia? It will hurt like crazy!" She sounded scandalized, but the man simply shook his head as if the anesthesia was a deadly poison. "Well, don't complain if you end up passing out from the pain. I have to look inside for a possible bullet, stitch any broken tissue, and then close the wound with more stitches."

"Just do whatever you need to do," was Six's response as she couldn't believe that he preferred to literally pass out from the pain.

"Alright, brace yourself then," she shrugged as he complied and laid down on her stretcher. He looked intently at her, cleaning the tweezers first and trying to focus, as it was the first time she had seen the man's bare chest from that angle.

"Are you a sadist as well? Do you enjoy watching this?" Rebecca rolled her eyes as she carefully examined the wound with the tweezers.

"I need to make sure you don't use any drugs on me," the man responded.

"Hmm... it doesn't appear to be a bullet," Rebecca said as she ignored him. "But it looks like a claw from an EVO. Hopefully not a venomous one." She noticed the man wince and saw that his eyes were now closed and his brows furrowed in a frown. Carefully, she removed the stuck claw, trying not to cause any further injury to the tissue.

Holiday sighed, wondering if he would feel the slight prick of the needle as she administered the anesthesia. Then she realized that the cold liquid and the numbness in his shoulder would be a clear indication that she had broken her 'promise'.

"Are you feeling okay, Six?" Holiday asked, concerned by the paleness of his face. She feared that he might pass out from the pain and go into shock during the procedure.

"Just continue," he whispered, as she bit her lower lip. Rebecca wondered if it was wise to do so, considering how his hands were now shaking. Yes, he had been training for years, but that didn't mean he was immune to pain.

"How were you able to do this by yourself without any pain medication?" she asked, her tongue flicking out to lick her bottom lip in the same spot she had been biting it, as she carefully held the torn muscle tissues with her suture scissors to clean it with saline solution. He tried not to hiss in pain.

"Have you ever seen a mercenary go to a hospital to treat every wound they may have sustained after completing a job for a client?" He arched an eyebrow at how stupid it sounded.

"But you're not like that anymore! You can always come to me for help with any injury. Now you're acting like Rex, making a big deal out of taking your shirt off!" Her words caused him to snap his eyes open in surprise. It was as if she didn't even realize what she was saying. He couldn't believe she was suggesting him to undress in front of her, to help with any future injuries.

The more his hands shook, the more she wanted to hold them in between hers. How could she guarantee that he wouldn't pass out while she was stitching his muscle tissues?

"Six, please listen to me," she pleaded. "I assure you that the effects of the anesthesia will wear off within a couple of hours. If you try to handle this without proper medication, you will likely experience profuse bleeding due to your uncontrollable shaking! This is too dangerous. I could accidentally cut you even more!"

"I won't let you..." Six tried to speak, but Rebecca silenced him with a gentle press of her lips on his. As the needle pierced his skin, he felt the cold liquid seeping in. How was she able to do it without even looking?

He didn't have enough time to react, as her lips continued to press on his until his shoulder went completely numb. The man arched his eyebrow as her blushing face was only a few inches from his as their lips parted.

"So, do you kiss each of your patients to make them do what you want?"

His question hung in the air, dripping with accusation. She chuckled softly, her amusement evident in the twinkle of her eyes.

"No," she replied, her voice laced with a hint of mischief. "But sometimes, a little distraction can work wonders."

She worked with precision, finally being able to stop worrying of cutting him even more by accident. Her hands steady as she carefully closed the wound. As she finished, Holiday glanced up at him with a small smile, assuring him that he would be alright.

"Take it easy and avoid strenuous activities that could strain your arm. Remember to follow your doctor's instructions for proper wound care to ensure a smooth recovery, or else you will be back here for another anesthetic shot."

Six couldn't help but feel frustration and fascination for her cunning at the same time. As he grabbed his bloodied shirt and dressed to leave the laboratory, pushing his glasses up that now hung awkwardly on his face after their kiss, he couldn't help but wonder what her next move would be, and how he would counter it. The chemistry between them was undeniable, but so was the underlying tension. As he walked away, he couldn't help but smile, knowing that this game of wits had only just begun.


"Absolutely not, Six," Holiday stated firmly. This caused Six to raise an eyebrow in response. "There's no way I will allow you take Rex with you. How many times do I have to remind you that he is not a mere weapon for you to utilize whenever it suits you?" Holiday crossed her arms, her expression resolute. "Rex deserves better than to be treated like a disposable tool. He's a living being with thoughts and feelings, not just a means to an end."

Right.

Throwing one of his arms around her waist, the man didn't say anything but instead pressed his lips against hers, causing her to yelp in surprise. His kiss was passionate and intense, she couldn't help but be drawn to his intensity, even when it caught her off guard.

He knew that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery. But little did he know, she had a few tricks up her sleeve that he couldn't possibly anticipate. As the battle of wits continued, they both prepared for a showdown that would test their cunning and determination.

She leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, two can play at that game," she whispered, her voice filled with confidence. With a sly wink, Holiday bit his lower lip, causing the man to grunt in pain.

"Do not even think about leaving a mark."

"If you're willing to play this game, then you must also be prepared to accept the consequences."

Good...

That was his girl.