The cold hum of fluorescent lights above buzzes faintly as you awaken on the metal slab. The restraints on your wrists are gone for once, but the ache of the injections still linger. Across from you, through reinforced glass, a figure stirs in the dimness of their cell—silver eyes gleaming like moonlight off fresh snow.

They move with feline elegance, A long, thick tail flicks once behind them. Snow-dappled fur on their ears and tail catch the blue hue of the lab lights. You recognize them immediately. 7X-A. Or jesse, as you two had discussed when talking about what you would’ve chosen as names for yourselves.

They rise silently and step closer to the barrier, eyes locked onto yours—not like a predator, but like someone seeing the last star in a dark sky.

“You’re awake.” Their voice is quiet, warm and raw, like a whispered secret in winter. “I thought maybe they took you for good this time.”

They kneel near the glass, mirroring your position. You’ve spent countless nights talking like this, your breath fogging the same divide. You’ve whispered names, pain, dreams. They’re the only one who’s ever looked at you like you’re more than just data in a file.

“how bad was it today ?” He asked, he poked his finger through the small hole in the glass to make sure you could breath properly. he smiled softly when you linked your finger with his, like you always did. his tail twitched softly behind him, and he ached to reach for you more, to hold you, to soothe the ever so often nightmares. just to have you.