This is Even Worse (G/t)

3

~Even later...~

Besides the scented candles spread around the area for ambiance and the light emitting from the screen, the room was completely dark. All the shrunken souls had found their 'spots of comfort' for the night and had fallen asleep, except Ayana who stayed up alone to explore her own thoughts. She didn't know why the researchers left a normal-sized laptop on a table that no usual petite person would be able to reach, but she somehow got up to it and powered it up. However, being so isolated from outside communication for so long, she was no longer sure of herself with the technology that she used to use... as if she lost her humanity.

Interrupting her existential crisis, a sliver of bright, whitish-yellow light entered the room, catching Ayana's attention. The door across the way opened, and a person entered the room talking. Yet, it didn't seem to be addressing anyone already in the room, confusing Ayana greatly.

"Yeah, I'm here. All the little ones are asleep." Recognizing the mature yet not-so-mature voice as Nate's, Ayana paused her confused staring to pay attention. "They've seemed to make some kind of complex or something," he spoke into a walkie-talkie. "Cute... and impressive."

Ayana rolled her eyes and sighed to that, thinking that he had to have been joking, but he didn't hear her... or even know she was there... yet.

"Yeah, I see the computer," he continued communicating. "I don't know how it turned on, but-"

Nate had walked over to the table to power down the laptop and nearly dropped his communicator at the sight of the girl upon it.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell are you still doing up!?" he yelped. It was pure luck that he didn't pull out his gun at first sight. Leaning across the table, he turned off the laptop and, figuring his flashlight was too bright, brought over a candle to illuminate the personal space... and to see her better. "Girl, you better have a good reason for still being awake. It's a new day now... literally."

Ayana had her reasons - ones that Nate now knew and wanted her to admit - but she said nothing about them.

"What? Can't I stay up late? What am I? Five? Are you going to arrest me, Officer?" she sassed.

"*chuckle* No, obviously, and you're definitely not a five-year-old... not with that body," he complimented. He didn't expect such spice to come from the girl, considering she had been so quiet all day. He liked it. It showed some apparent comfort between them... seemingly. "But, you should get some rest... and you know I told you to call me 'Nate', or 'Nathan' even."

"Well then, 'Nate,'" she replied, resulting in a smirk from the large male, "there's no way I'll be able to sleep. (pause) I... I just... can't."

Nate frowned at her resistance, but he didn't bother to test it.

"Alright then, don't tell me. But, I really did expect you, out of everyone, to be out like a light first."

Besides turning off the computer, he did have a reason for coming there. Evan had gotten something, but he was too tired to give it himself. So, Nate made the delivery on his behalf without giving any context, stood up, and began leaving. He was going to say something, but he felt the thing would make a greater impact on its own.

Ayana watched as he pulled a tiny box from his pocket, one resembling the size of a ring's jewelry box, and placed it on the table. Confused how he just left it there and said nothing, she was almost too scared to open it. But, of course, she crawled over to it and lifted up the top to gaze inside... and she felt some kind of way about its contents,

"What? What the-? Are you kidding me!?"

With the size and quality of the 'gift', plus a certain part within, she knew it was from Evan, and she was not happy with it. She wasn't happy with any of this. Forcefully closing the box, she held it up to her chest, leaped down onto the cold floor and super speedily ran to the door, barely making it through the slim crack right before Nate closed it shut, catching him off guard when she appeared in front of him.