G.u.n Verse! BEFORE THE FALL - Blog Posts

“   you had me worried .   ”

"for a moment there, i couldn't find you. you had me worried."

julius glanced up, a smile lighting up his expression at the sight of james stone leaned against the doorframe into the g.u.n break room. james returned that smile, easily & readily. he pushed off the frame and walked into the room itself, gently setting down a file onto the table and sliding it over so that way julius would catch it.

"your field test results, revised after our studies." james sounded, proud, and julius could feel his heart pounding in anticipation yet fear. even with james' help, what if he'd failed? what if⸻

"julius," his attentions were brought back up to james yet again. met with that affectionate and yet ever-confident smile, "let's have some coffee in your quarters. while we go over the results."

his eyes brightened, a sort of goofy giddy smile crossing julius' expression as he hopped up out of his seat, "i'll grab the coffees then," james knew that julius preferred doing this. it was why he had mentioned it: a way to take julius' mind off the anxieties and fears that had hung over him like a darkened cloud.

his gaze lingered where julius had been seated, now following julius' pepped up step over to the nearby coffee machine in the break room. a small laugh threatened james, but he stifled it, "i'll meet you there." & trusting julius to know he meant his quarters, james turned and left the break room, that file tucked under his arm.

"Robotnik will lead your squadron," their supervisor announced, lowering that page back onto the clipboard. he was about to turn away from them all, but julius stepped forward, clearing his throat,

"Sir, with respect, i-" he motioned over to stone, "erm, shouldn't Stone be leading the squadron. he's far more capable than i-"

"you've got rank and seniority, Robotnik."

"so?" julius said it without thought, and the supervisor seemed almost offended that julius dare question his decisions. "stone's got better experience in the field, and he's-"

"YOU are the leader, Robotnik."

julius' eyebrow twitched, and he exhaled, nodding.

"hey, don't sweat it jules," wolfe grinned, clasping a hand onto julius' arm. julius gave him a small, polite smile, "i trust you."

the others in the squadron all pat julius' shoulder, agreeing in their own ways. clearly trying to blow air under his sails, and he enjoyed their company, but he doubted their opinions. they hadn't seen how abysmal his files were on field work. he could gather samples and scout things, but actual physical missions that required sheer tact, understanding and know-how on leading?

was the room spinning? did he feel warmer? he felt a hand cupped at his face, then, and julius blinked, "julius, look at me," stone's voice. and julius did, glanced over at stone, staring down at him. stone smiled, "you can do this. and even if you think you can't, you can work at it until you improve."

stone always knew how to put things in a way that julius respected. he nodded, expecting stone to pull his hand away. stone's gloved hand lingered against his face, though. julius blinked, head lilting to the side a touch. what-?

stone's hand slipped away, and he gripped at julius' wrist, tugged him so that way julius began to walk alongside stone, "come on, i can run you through some basic potential field scenarios so you can study."