Images flickered across the screen in front of him, and while his eyes followed the movements automatically, James Cornelius Windsor - typically just called Jamie - wasn’t really paying any attention. He was roughly halfway through a seventy-two hour rotation, and the nagging heaviness of his eyelids was telling him it was time to call it a night. Like many emergency responders everywhere, those in Hestia Prime spent several days straight where they lived, slept, and ate in the department’s station house. They were on call for the entirety of their rotation, and by staying in the station itself they could quickly get to their gear and respond to any emergency that came up. 

Jamie sighed and groped for the remote control where he had dropped it on the floor earlier when he stretched out on the couch. At the moment he was the only one in the station’s media room. The others were either asleep, eating, or in the gym depending on whether they were day or night watch. Finally his sluggishly questing fingers found the remote and clicked off the screen. With a yawn he swung his legs out and levered himself into a sitting position. Idly he scratched at his shoulder through the thin gray undershirt he was wearing and looked down at his bare feet blankly. 

“Hey, Windsor.” 

Jamie turned his head to see who had spoken, blinking to clear away the fog from his hazel eyes. His first thought on catching sight of Mika Yozumi was that she looked really good in the doorway, backlit just so from the light behind her. Dark hair, dark eyes, super in-shape, and absolutely gorgeous. His second thought was that after his almost-nap on the couch he must look like an absolute mess in his rumpled clothes and almost certainly messy hair.  

“Mika… um... hi.” 

[i]Smooth, Jamie, real smooth…[/i]

Mika jerked a thumb in the direction of the bunk rooms with a smirk. “Time to clear out. We’re taking over the room for some old school monster flicks while you day watch guys snooze. You pass out in here you’ll end up getting used for a seat.” 

Jamie pushed to his feet, smiling back. He was more awake now than he had been previously. Mika being in the room seemed to have that effect on him more often than not. “Promises, promises, Yozumi.” Stifling a yawn, Jamie gathered up his jacket, socks, and shoes and bundled them into his arms. Shuffling, he made his way across the room. 

He paused at the hallway that led to the bunk rooms and turned to look back. Mika had already begun changing the settings on the screen as she dropped onto into the spot so recently vacated by Jamie’s head. “Hey, Mika…” She looked over at him expectantly, her eyebrows raising questioningly. 

[i]Just say it stupid. Worst she can do is say no, right? Come on you damned coward…[/i]

“Uh… never mind. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Mika’s expectant look turned to one of confusion briefly - perhaps mixed with a hint of disappointment? - before she smiled one of those bright beaming smiles at him. “Sure thing. Sleep well, Jamie.” 

Without another word Jamie shuffled off down the hallway, clutching his clothes to his chest and gritting his teeth. In minutes he was changed into shorts and a t-shirt and was crawling into an empty bunk. The last thought that flickered through his brain before sleep took hold was not a particularly generous one.

[i]You, James Windsor, are a god damned coward…[/i]