Inception

Chapter 18: A Formal Apology

Okonogi frowned.

"I lost it, I broke protocol, I endangered everybody's lives," pushed Lena, desperate to get it all out. "I know I'm fired from operations, but please, don't kick me out of the lab, I didn't—"

"Whoa, hold up, you're not in trouble."

Lena stared. How the hell was she not?

Okonogi gave her a soft smile. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"It's me who needs to apologize," she said. "As Operations Leader, I shouldn't have assumed Ichikawa junior was safe when I sent his live to you because the number one rule of kaiju missions is to expect the unexpected. I knew your past, but I, well, you always seemed so cool-headed, so I made the mistake of forgetting that you weren't still human. Only a machine would have been able to keep grounded in that situation."

Lena gaped. Then quickly shut her mouth.

"N-n-no, I jumped over authority, I totally—my face!" she said weakly, pointing at the little arc moons of scabs and stitches. "Who the hell does that?"

"Someone who watched their entire family be crushed to death as a child and was found by the paramedics trying to dig them out," said Okonogi, her smile going pinched. "And then had to watch on a screen as their last family started dying. I'm so sorry, I thought being able to watch over him would relieve you, and he was in the safest role—but, like I said, I should have known better. Expect the unexpected." She held out the envelope. "So, I'm the one who needs to be sorry."

Lena stared at the envelope like it was a scorpion. It all sounded like a soft way to let someone go.

"It's just a written apology," said Okonogi. "The Vice Captain insisted."

"The Vice Captain?"

"Oh yeah. He chewed me out good." She winced. "Usually, it's the other way around. I've never been on the receiving end of his ire, but damn, if looks could kill."

Lena took the envelope, speechless. Everyone was familiar with the weird comedy duo of the Operations Leader and Vice Captain. They were often together but seemed unable to stand each other at the same time, mostly because Okonogi was constantly scolding Hoshina for his laid-back demeanor and his inability to resist an opening for teasing someone, namely Okonogi.

Even sequestered down in the lab, Lena had heard the rumors of them being in some sort of beat-around-the-bush romance. It was one of the reasons, and probably the biggest one, that she'd been annoyed with the Vice Captain's flirtations.

Memories of him walking her to her room moved Lena before she'd thought better of it.

"Are you two..." she waved her milk bottle around in a helpless circle.

Okonogi raised an eyebrow. "Are we...me and Hoshina?"

"Feelings? Together?"

"No! No way in hell! Ugh, blegh, no! Where the hell did you—ugh, can't people just hate each other in peace without someone getting a sexual hype about it?"

Lena's face burned at Okonogi's vehemence, and she rushed to apologize, blubbering about rumors that reached even the lab.

Okonogi waved her hand at Lean. "No no, I get why you'd be concerned. He has been coming down here a lot, and no one has to guess the reason why. Put your worry to rest, he's all yours."

"No! No I don't mean—I'm not interested—relationships in the force are prohibited!"

"Discouraged," said Okonogi, looking far too amused. "And despite how he acts, Hoshina's the last person to mess around with women." She smirked. "Should I tell him you were interested?"

"Please don't."

"Okay okay, no need to cry, there's no need to be so embarrassed. Anyway, I'm sorry, I'm done here. Try to take it easy today, yeah?"

And with that, Lena was finally left alone to finish her milk.

She spent every last sip seriously considering just crawling back to bed.

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I wish I was a great enough mind, and had the time, to broodingly play a musical instrument in some corner of my house. Instead I write fanfiction. Not nearly as cool, but, then, here we are.