In the middle of the frozen forest, Izzy and Grayson sat next to each other in wait of their target. They’d been waiting for nearly an hour and the sun was going down, taking what little heat in the air with it. 

Izzy huffed and clicked the contact on his phone, “I’m calling the boss. He said they’d be here by now. Something’s up.” he waited until the boss picked up the phone. “Sir, the target still isn’t here. Do you have a location on them?” 

Grayson looked around the clearing, watching as an owl swooped down and picked a mouse off a branch. They blew into their hands and rubbed them together, regretting leaving their gloves at home. 

Izzy sighed and hung up the phone, “Boss lost location on the target. They should still be passing through here tonight, so we just have to wait.” 

“I wish ‘here’ was somewhere warmer,” Grayson muttered under their breath. 

Izzy chuckled and looked over at them. He noticed their bare hands and rolled his eyes. 

“Here,” he said. He took his gloves off and handed them over, “They’ll be a little big, but I have pockets and you don’t. If you somehow lose them, I’ll never do another job with you.” 

Grayson smiled and put the gloves on, not saying anything. 

The pair sat in silence for the next hour, still waiting for their target to pass by, but there was no sign of them. 

“I’m calling the boss again. We’re gonna freeze out here if we wait any longer.” Izzy clicked the contact again and held the phone up to his face. “Sir, Grayson and I are freezing out here. Even if the target does show up tonight, we won’t be able to see them. We’re leaving.” 

He stayed quiet for the boss’ response and tilted his head, “...sir?” there was another moment of silence before he spoke again, his voice quiet and breathy, “Yes, sir.” Izzy put his phone back in his pocket. “We’re staying another five minutes. Then we’re leaving.” 

Grayson nodded and rested their head on Izzy’s shoulder, smiling when he didn’t protest. They could make it five more minutes. If you ignored the hole in their shoe and the wind blowing through their jacket, and, of course, the numb feeling in their nose and ears, then they were fine. Just five more minutes, then they could go back home and curl up under their covers. 

A twig snapped and Grayson sat up straight, straining their eyes to see what was moving. They nudged Izzy in the side and pointed in the direction of the disturbance. Izzy nodded slowly and stood up. 

Grayson watched as he slowly crept forward with a needle in hand. A little longer than five minutes wouldn’t kill them. If they finished the job, then they could suck it up and deal. 

Izzy stood behind the target and plunged the needle into them, holding them tightly against his chest. There was a soft thud of something landing on the ground and Grayson stood up, ready to leave. 

Leaves rustled nearby and Izzy turned with his fists up, there was only supposed to be one person. 

“Grayson, run!” he managed to say before something hit him over the head and he fell to the ground, blood trickling onto the ground. 

They turned around and ran into the woods, tripping over roots and fallen branches. They needed to be quiet. If they could make it back to the car, then they could get out of the forest. 

Then, they thought of Izzy. Izzy, who they’d done more jobs with than they could remember. Izzy who always brought extra food for them, who made sure they were safe. 

No, he would be alright. There was no way he’d be defeated with this job. He was going to go out in a blaze of glory. If Grayson went back to help him, they’d just end up being scolded for putting themself in danger. He would be fine. 

Grayson pushed the button on the car keys and watched for a flash of the headlights. They ran to the light and locked the door once they were in. 

They drove out of the forest, watching as the trail grew less wild and more used. They passed campsites and bathrooms, slowing down in front of large groups of people in case someone ran in front of them. 

It seemed like the cabin was further away than it was earlier in the day. Grayson parked sloppily and went inside, turning all the lights on and checking all the windows were locked. 

They’d look for Izzy in the morning if he wasn’t back when they woke up. He’d be fine. 

Izzy watched as whoever hit him on the head picked up the person he drugged and left him behind. The blood was warm on his skin, for a moment he almost forgot a cut on his head was bad. His vision was blurred and one eye was swollen shut from falling on a small twig, but he would be fine. He had to get back to Grayson by morning. 

He tried to get up, but his arm wasn’t working. It must have broken when he fell. But why didn’t it hurt? Maybe it did, he couldn’t tell. Whoever knocked him over the head must’ve done something else because his thoughts were all jumbled and he couldn’t control his body. 

He was so cold. 

Maybe if he just took a small nap, then he’d wake up with more control of his body. Besides, he was so tired. A small nap wouldn’t hurt him, right? He closed his other eye and tried to roll over, maybe he did, he didn’t know. 

~

Featuring the spoon himself, @ninjahaku21art's Vincent

And idk who else lol