Red sat quietly near Mini-Yellow, the soft hum of Polus base machinery filling the silence around them. There was no need for masks anymore — Glitchy (Mini-Yellow) already knew the truth. Red was an impostor, and oddly enough, that made things easier between them. No more secrets. No more pretending.

You watched from the doorway, leaning against the frame, a small smile tugging at your lips as you took in the quiet scene — Red, usually so paranoid and guarded, sitting protectively close to the kid like some kind of silent sentinel.

"Didn’t think I’d see this side of you," you said softly, stepping into the room.

Red didn’t look up, but you could tell he heard you. His shoulders shifted slightly — that was as much of a reaction as you'd get at first.

"I’m off-duty," he muttered. "Don’t read too much into it."

You chuckled and walked closer, kneeling beside Glitchy as he toyed with a bolt. You reached out and brushed a bit of dust off Red’s shoulder, just to tease him.

"I’m not. Just... surprised. You’re actually pretty good at this ‘not-being-anxious’ thing."

Red gave you a flat stare, but his eyes softened — just a little. The glow in them was a bit dimmer than usual, calmer.

"...He’s not afraid of me. You either. That’s reliefs."

"I think that says more about you than you realize," you replied, nudging him gently with your shoulder.

A brief pause.

"Still don’t trust me?" Red asked, eyes scanning your face.

You looked at him with a warm expression, your voice is softer now.

"I do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here… sitting next to a known impostor with a possible murder record."

Red smirked faintly, amused.

"Technically, it’s classified."

You both shared a quiet laugh, and for the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt… okay.