Arknights One Shots

Personal (Exusiai x Mostima)

A/N: I didn't think I'd be writing a story about this pair anytime soon . . . especially not one like this, but here we are. Let me know what y'all think (tried to use some lore for this, kinda happy with the result but did not expect just how *spoiler* it ended up being). Oh, and this is also me trying to figure out their relationship for The Untold book I work on, so feel free to give your thoughts on this pairing for that as well, because I'm torn in two very different directions for what I want for them so opinions are appreciated.

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It was a late night at the Penguin Logistics Headquarters. Exusiai sat in the small small between one arm of the sofa and Texas, snug as a bug under a comfy blanket. The cold season had come early this year and with it a decrease in crime. With a free evening and rain pouring down in a ceaseless waterfall a good movie in the lounge was the best option. Lightning cracked amidst the storm as thunder howled. The screen lighting was its usual blue-white. Texas's bicolored gaze was on the flat screen television, but she knew her attention was elsewhere, namely the phone pressed up against her cheek.

"Well what did you expect to happen? Yes, yes, I know you thought it'd let up but still." Texas sighed, shaking her head wearily.

Exusiai placed a hand over her mouth, a pour attempt to hold back the snicker she let out. Texas caught it and grinned faintly. "So how's Croissant and Sora's shopping trip going?"

"About as good as one could expect from this weather."

She snorted. "So not well at all."

"Heh. The sale they had to go to apparently doesn't start until next week, but Croissant had to check out that new selection of electromagnets and Sora found some new cute bows at the boutique so they stayed. And now they want me to come pick them up in the van." Texas told her.

"And I'm guessing you don't want to?" Exusiai asked, even though both of them knew the answer.

"Normally I wouldn't mind but I'm not a fan of this kind of weather. Rarely does it signal anything good." A dark frown flickered on the Lupo's expression, fading back to impassive so quickly she would have missed it had she not been paying attention. There were so many thing she still didn't know about Texas. If people's lives could be described in books, she knew Texas's was several volumes full. A bookshelf crammed with memories rarely tapped. It used to upset her that her partner wasn't that open. A lack of trust was what it felt like, so hard to accept and even harder to let go of. But now she understood the real reason behind the secrecy.

How sad it is to suffer alone.

"I can understand that. You don't have to go if you don't want to. You did warn them the weather was only going to get worse before they left," Exusiai said.

Defense was just what was needed sometimes. People needed justification to be more decisive. Texas was her partner, someone who was more than capable of making decisions, but she knew just like Texas did how hard personal choices could be. They could make or break you. In the grand scheme of things where so many things weren't consequential, friendships always would be. The question was whether the consequences would be good or bad.

"I know, I know. But I'll never here the end of it if I don't so . . ."

"So you're going anyways. You know Texas, you can be quite the softy." Exusiai couldn't hide her smirk. Texas would sense it even if she covered it up so there was no point in hiding it.

A growl. "You can't go around saying that stuff. I have a reputation to uphold."

She sighed. "You know no one would think less of you if you let down your walls every once in a while." Exusiai knew telling Texas this did nothing for either of them, but it felt nice anyways.