𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎 - 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂 ✔️

027

You wake up in 001's arms. The gentle rise and fall of his chest paired with slow breathing had you guessing he was still asleep. You squirm around only for him to pull you closer and nuzzle his face in your neck with a groan.

"Hey, sleepy head," you whisper, running your fingers through his hair. It was soft with a scent as silky as its color. Honey.

001 doesn't answer. He was completely knocked out. The thought leaves a warm feeling in your chest. He had trust issues—hardly trusted anyone in his life—but here he was next to you, at peace in the most vulnerable state he could ever be in. He felt as safe with you as you did with him.

Had.

Every inch of you wanted to leave him last night, but there was still that lingering desire to stay. It only took a little to taint all your other thoughts like poison. You had chosen to stay. You let his words coax you back into his arms. You let his steady heart lull you to sleep. A restless kind of sleep.

Your dreams had been filled with nightmares, as they often were, but this time they were of 001. Nothing happy or peaceful, but heart-racing, unnerving dreams. The sight of your mother's face and limbs contorted in disturbing ways was burned into the back of your brain. And you hadn't even seen it happen first-hand.

It brought a concerning question to mind. What else was 001 capable of? Or more so, what had he been at once? A selfish feeling fills your chest. For a second, you're glad Soteria was blocking your powers. He was harmless now, but what might happen if his powers were to ever return terrified you.

But 001 would never harm you. He'd told you that himself as he was coaxing you to sleep, as he wiped away your tears and told you he loved you. Even now, as he slept with you tightly in his embrace, you could hear his words. And as they danced around in your mind, the thoughts of your mother drifted away. You had never truly known her and selfishly, she had wanted to go. Maybe it was for the best that she was gone. Wherever she was, you knew she was happier there than she ever would be here.

You couldn't imagine 001 ever hurting you. Not more than Papa already had. Papa was the enemy, not 001 and for all you knew, Alex could be too. In the end, you still needed Papa's DNA. The results would tell you all you needed to know.

What time is it?! You think to yourself. After everything, you still had duties that needed to be done.

You glance at the boy beside you, carefully unweaving yourself from his limbs. It was cold without his arms around you, but you figured it wouldn't be long before you'd be back in them again. You tiptoe out of his room, eyes trained on him in fear of disturbing his slumber. He'd wake up soon enough, but you wouldn't be there when he did.

When you're washed up and dressed in a new, clean uniform, you head over to Papa's office with his warm cup of coffee. Never had you been happier to be his personal caffeine supplier. It would only be a matter of time before he asked for another and you'd be back to dispose of the empty one. The empty one that would be coated in his DNA.

So you bask in the pleasure that comes after you deliver his first, busy yourself with other tasks until he requested his second. An hour of sorting files passed and you were put on library duty. It was unnecessary in your opinion, after all these years, the room was entirely deserted. You lounge around with a book for a few hours more.

Then, you see the clock strike midday. Time to switch out the cups. You follow the crowd of other children into the cafeteria. It was time for their lunch as well. As you pile into the bright room with silver tables, you notice how similar it resembled a prison. And the "patients" were its prisoners.