♀Agent 8 X ♂Agent 4 (Splatoon 2)

Chapter 5 - Night Terrors

Over the next month, 8 started to fit into Inkopolis a lot better - wearing the freshest gear, socialising with the Inklings and playing Turf War, along with her first round of Ranked (which she lost, but you can't win everything). That didn't mean that everything was good, though. Some Inklings still didn't trust her (like Nala's sister - 8 recently learned that her name was Tina), and 8 didn't exactly sleep perfectly every night. Sometimes, she would be awoken by memories from the Deepsea Metro. She couldn't escape the constant lingering fear of death and faliure she had felt when she was down there, and she didn't think she ever could. Tonight was no different. 8 woke up, sweating, though she was freezing. Sighing, 8 got up and walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water, when she saw Malachi there, sitting at the counter, seemingly lost in his thoughts.
It's, like, 2 am, what's he doing awake...? 8 wondered as she entered the kitchen. Trying not to disturb Malachi, she quietly opened a cabinet and reached for a glass.
"What are you doing awake?" Malachi suddenly asked her, as if he has just saw her. 8 jumped slightly, not expecting him to talk so loud. Turning around, she scolded, "don't talk so loud, you're going to wake up Brigitte!"
"Brigitte is a heavy sleeper. Nothing wakes her up," he sighed, "but there's clearly something keeping you awake. What's up?" Clearly he was concerned, but 8 didnt want to trouble him with her own issues.
"It's just a silly nightmare, that's all," she tried to sound casual as she closed the cabinet and filled up her glass with water. She sat down next to Malachi. As she got a closer look at him, she could see how tired he was.
"Uh, have you been awake this entire time?" 8 asked, worried.
"Yeah, can't sleep," Malachi paused for a moment before continuing, a slight hint of sadness in his voice, "Being an agent is hard. The things you see and do, the lives you need to end..." 8 could see his body shake slightly.
"So you suffer from those memories? I know the feeling..." 8 glanced away for a second, taking a deep breath. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that her and Malachi weren't all that different. They actually had a lot in common.
"So we're awake for the same reason?" Malachi assumed.
"I guess we are," 8 took a sip of water.
"As bad as it is to suffer with those memories, it's nice to know I'm not the only one suffering," she added.

The two agents spent the rest of the night talking and bonding, not paying attention to the time. Before they even realised, Brigitte was awake.
"You two are awake?! And I thought I was an early bird..." At Brigitte speaking, Malachi and 8 jumped. They both looked tired, with bags under their eyes.
"What have you two been doing all night?! Did you even SLEEP?" Brigitte snapped, frustrated. She wasn't exactly mad, she just wanted her friends to get their sleep.
"We're fine, we just... Woke up early?" Malachi said sheepishly.
"You two are going back to bed. I don't want to hear a peep out of either of you until tomorrow!" Brigitte tutted. She sounded like an angry mother.
"Fine, mOm," 8 said sarcastically before slouching off to her room, with Malachi doing the same.
Brigitte sighed. "Honestly, why would anyone stay up all night..."
She decided to just get ready for the day. There was no point focusing on it right now.

🍋This chapter was just a filler chapter, you know, to make the relationship between 8 and Malachi grow a bit. Nothing too exciting. But don't worry, next chapter I'm gonna continue with the main storyline! Byee! <3