The next time I see Badger, he barges into my bunker unexpectedly late at night. He seems upset.

"Woah, woah. What's wrong?" I ask as he fights back the urge to cry.

"I didn't know where else to go. I'm sorry. I can leave. What am I even doing-"

I grab his shoulders and pull him into a hug. The dim light above us sways gently, casting a plethora of different shadows across Badger's face. Through the dark, I can still tell how upset he is.

We sink to the floor together, and I cradle his head the way he did mine when we kissed. His hair is as smooth as it looks.

"What happened?" I ask delicately.

Through snot and anger, he speaks.

"It's just been a hard day. Can I stay with you for a bit?"

"I thought you hated this bunker."

"I don't mind it so much anymore." He says through his tears, and I bring us up to a standing position.

"You can take my bed. Do you need anything?" I ask, and Badger shakes his head. He settles down and gets under the covers. He seems to be calming down.

"I'll put something on the TV." I say and switch on the small TV sitting in front of my bed against the wall. The bunkers issued to us were not extravagant by any means. They supplied us with a dingy, dark room with a bed, a table, a lamp, and a small TV. The rest of the facilities were in public areas throughout the institute.

"I just, I feel like I can't do anything right." Badger lets out a shaky sigh and sits up in my bed.

"Well, that's obviously not true." I state it as a fact, and Badger shakes his head.

"It is. I try to make a poultice, and Eve tells me it's not strong enough. I couldn't power the right crystals for healing. I wrapped a warrior's wounds today and he told me he could barely move--"

"You wrapped mine fine." I interject.

"Just... just listen." He lets out a defeated sigh, and I stop talking.

"Today, I hurt my instructor with a potion I made. She drank it and it started burning her mouth. She had to spit it out before it reached her throat. I get hired here to heal people, and I just mess everything up. I can't even use my herbs for good. None of the prototypes I've made have helped."

The room grows silent.

"I don't get why I haven't been fired yet."

"Do you want me to tell you?" I interject carefully this time.

"Sure. Go ahead." He pulls the blankets tighter to himself.

"They see the potential in you. When I first got here, I was skinny and weak. I had no idea what I was capable of. I was lurking around a village searching for food when Liri found me and took me in. She made me capable of what I am. It takes time to perfect your abilities. I used to be so bad at fighting." I laugh, and Badger presents a small grin.

"I believe that." He teases, and I furrow my brows in retaliation.

"That's beside the point. I meant it when I said you were intelligent. I know you are, and I know you'll be capable of great things once you channel your abilities right. It just takes practice and time."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I barged in here a crying mess with no context."

"I actually like when you barge in here believe it or not." I tease him, and he laughs softly.

"Oh, Mitah..." The way my name rolls off his tongue stirs my stomach in the right way.

"You look good tonight." I tell him, getting a burst of random confidence. He looks to the wall in embarrassment.

"Bold of you to say."

"Easy of me to say because I mean it."

Badger looks back at me and motions for me to come closer.

I do.

"You know healers aren't really meant to do this type of stuff."

"What type of stuff?" I ask innocently, as if I am completely unaware of the tension building in the air.

He pulls me by my neck in for a kiss. This one is much different from the first. I immediately pushed him back on the bed. I get over him properly, kissing him down into the mattress. He groans when I let a knee fall between his legs.

He grabs me by the shoulders and flips us, so I am laying with him on my stomach. He seems flustered and playful. I like this expression on his face.

"You... you--" He stutters and brings his hair away from his face. His hair, now mid length from when we first met, is glistening with a light sweat. He looks great like this.

"You distract me so good." He says, which sounds very odd coming from his mouth. Out of breath, he finally declares "I need to leave before I break my oath."

"Pity." I pout, and he gets off me and leaves my bunker. Not before throwing me a glance that hits me right in the chest.

This guy will be the death of me.