The air in the lab is thick with tension, the sharp scent of ozone lingering after the failed test. A shattered screen, wires sparking, and the faint hiss of a system shorting out. All evidence of a mistake that shouldn't have happened. A mistake you made.

The room falls silent, save for the distant footsteps approaching, deliberate and heavy. Papa is coming.

Henry glances at the mess, then at the way the your hands shake, and as natural as breathing, he steps forward before you can speak, positioning himself between you and the consequences about to come.

"It was me," Henry says smoothly, as Papa rounds the corner into the room, his voice steady as if he'd rehearsed the lie. "I miscalculated the output." His expression remains unreadable.

Papa's gaze sweeps over the damage before settling on Henry with quiet disapproval. A long moment stretches, cold and heavy, before Papa finally sighs. "You know better than this, One."

Henry dips his head slightly, accepting the reprimand, though his fingers twitch behind his back- a subtle reassurance visible only to you. It’s fine. I can take this.

The scolding is sharp but brief. And when Papa leaves, Henry exhales heavily. He turns to face you, his expression neutral but there’s a softness in the way his hand brushes yours. A silent acknowledgment. "Be more careful," he murmurs, voice low. "I won’t always be able to do that for you." And yet, even as he says it, there’s something in his eyes that suggests he always will.