In It For the Money

III

Leon had taken him to a room to get settled in, telling him it would be like a housing location until he earned enough to buy an apartment or house. Y/n didn't mind as he sat on the bed, head resting on his palms while his elbows dig into his thighs. "Where was I for so long... and how long was I stuck?"

Thinking about it made his muscles ache as if he were still drowning in the water, and perhaps he was. He blinked before sighing softly, trying to push the idea of his near drowning experience away. A knocked sounded on his door, causing him to sit up straight as a board when fight or flight kicked in. He stared as the knob twisted slowly and began to open, a young woman's gaze hitting his own.

"H-Hello..." She stuttered softly, seeing him watch her curiously. She invited herself inside and stood there nervously, "I'm Kate and it's nice to meet you." She held out her hand, through it shaking. He stood up carefully, being slightly taller than her. He took her smaller hand in his and shook it.

"You have a nice name, I'm Y/n. You must be here to welcome me because I'm new right?" He asked, seeing her shake her head shyly.

"Truth be told I went to the wrong room, but realized I hadn't met you yet. I like getting to know everyone I work with so that when we're paired up for missions we know where each other's weak points are." She played with her hands and smiled to herself as Y/n took in the information.

"Ah do you have problems with directions?" He asked quietly. She shrugged, her brow creasing in thought as she debated.

"That might be it," she began, tapping on her chin, "which would explain why I'm always being partnered up with people who know their directions. How good are you with directions?"

"Me? Eh well I found my way through pitch pitch blackness so I think I'm alright with it." He replied coolly, hands finding their way to his pockets. Her eyes sparkled and a grin found her face.

"We're you scared?"

"Pardon me?"

"Did the darkness scare you?" Kate asked again, watching him with wonder.

"A little, but I felt safer knowing I couldn't see anything dangerous around me. It was like... peacefulness and anxiety combined all into one ball of emotions that wraps itself up more and more as time goes on. If you know what I mean." He waited for her to nod, then he continued. "And I guess I just didn't understand where I was or if I was in danger." Another knock sounded on the door and the male from earlier in peeked inside.

"Oh hello Leon, have you come to bring me to Allissa?" Kate asked him, her voice soft like an angel. She smiled friendly at him and Leon shrugged it off.

"No, but I can do that too I guess..." he mumbled to himself, glancing at Y/n. "I was told to bring you to an office. We're getting your training mission ready." He spoke and Y/n nodded, fumbling with his hands as the two joined Leon outside the room.

He began walking down the hallway before knocking on a door, a blonde opening the door and smiling sweetly at Leon. "Oh hello Leon, did you find Kate?" The shorter red head peered her head out from beside him. "There you are Katie! we've got a mission!" Allissa, so Y/n beloved her name was, dragged the other inside and closed the door without another word.

Leon turned to Y/n, watching his face quietly. "So... where'd they pull you out of?"

"W-what?" Y/n stumbled over his words, not grasping what makes his brain go to mush so easily. Was it all of the sudden attention? Was he overstimulated because of all the pressure and stress around him? He looked to the floor, biting his bottom lip.

"When they hired you off the street, had to have been from something extremely traumatic that you survived." Leon further explained, making Y/n doubt himself.

"Well I don't know... I can't remember hardly anything..." He explained, squeezing his index and middle fingers on his left hand.

"But you remember where you were before then right?" He quizzed calmly.

With the heaviest sounding guilt he spoke up after a moment. "No..." He forced himself to raise his gaze and see the slight worry flash in the dirty blondes eyes.

"You... don't remember anything? But then how do you remember your name?" He asked as he stepped over, checking the male over for injuries and becoming confused when there weren't any.

"That's what Rebecca told me... that they did testing and found out my name. And I think that might have been the only thing I can remember... I don't know what happened to me..." Leon nodded and took his bicep in his arm. Y/n looked at the male's hand. "What are you doing?"

"We've got a mission briefing and Hunnigan doesn't like us being late." He responded coldly as he tugged the male along before letting him go. An air of defeat flashed before the h/c haired male as his chest began to ache. Maybe he wouldn't like this guy being his partner. At the very least that Kate woman had been polite to him.

He watched Leon walk faster, making visibly distance between them. Y/n remained at his pace and entered the office-like room shortly after Leon had. Inside was a cold metal table with metal chairs on either side of it, Hunnigan paced on one side and gestured for Y/n to sit beside Leon.

Through a thick hesitation that Leon noticed, he sat down quietly and played with his hands. Leon's eyes narrowed on the male and made the hole he wished to crawl into deeper. "I think there's some underlying issue with Y/n." He tossed out there before the woman could start.

She looked at him confused, clipboard being set gently on the table as she looked between the two. "What do you mean Leon?"

"He said he can't remember anything except his name from before he was found. And he said the doctors who overlooked him found nothing out of the ordinary. This is an issue we need to deal with before sending him onto the field." To the woman is sounded like Leon was grasping for more excuses as to why he shouldn't have a partner. It only irritated her until Y/n nodded.

Worry suddenly filled the already thick tension in the room. "What?"