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Thace’s ears pricked at the sound of something brushing faintly against the floor of the docking bay. One of his ears swiveled back in the direction of the sound. Kolivan didn’t react at all, and continued giving him a last dobosh briefing, gaze locked on his datapad. Any semblance of concentration that Thace still had disappeared as he recognized the sound of Antok’s tail tip twitching anxiously back and forth against the ground. Antok stood a couple of paces back, waiting until Kolivan was done so that he could see Thace off. Dropping his gaze to the floor, Thace tried to focus on what Kolivan was saying, rather than what Antok was doing.Thankfully, it didn’t seem like Kolivan had noticed Thace’s lapse in focus. “Is that understood?” he asked, claws tapping against the screen of the datapad he held in his hand.“Yes, sir,” Thace said automatically, even though it was a lie on his part. While he had caught and retained most of the beginning of Kolivan’s speech, the latter half of it was nothing more than a blur. Thace could only remember bits and piece of information from it.Kolivan’s ears twitched and his frown deepened just a touch, although his gaze remained trained on his datapad. “In the event you need a refresher, I’ll have Lieutenant Kost forward the mission report to you.”The fur on the back of Thace’s neck pricked up in embarrassment at Kolivan’s tone. “Of course, sir,” he mumbled.When Kolivan next spoke, however, his voice was much more sincere, and he reached out to give Thace’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Good luck, Thace,” he said, dipping his head in a curt nod. Then, without another word, he turned away, moving over to group of younger officers who were getting ready to leave on their first field mission.“You’ll be careful, won’t you?”Even though Antok seemed to be trying to play it off like he was calm and collected, Thace could still detect a concerned undertone in his voice. However, Thace didn’t get a chance to turn around before Antok leaned heavily against his back, nearly knocking both of them over. He let out a soft grunt at the sudden weight, and one of his ears twitched as he felt Antok’s chin rest on top of his head. Thace cast a quick glance over to the young officers on the other side of the docking bay, but they didn’t seem to be paying attention, so he allowed himself to relax.Thace snorted, leaning on Antok just as much as Antok was leaning on him. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”Antok gave a quiet, noncommittal hum, seeming unconvinced—and perhaps a little unappreciative of Thace’s attempt at a joke. From where he was standing, Thace couldn’t see Antok’s face, but he could still hear Antok’s tail. Judging by how it was flicking anxiously against the floor, he was almost certainly frowning and possibly had his ears pinned back.“It’s just a supply mission,” Thace said, reaching out to lightly scratch along Antok’s jaw. He allowed himself a small smile as Antok let out a soft chuff and leaned into the touch. “I think I’ll be fine…”“I thought you would be going on some important mission—”“You mean you didn’t go bother Kolivan until he gave you the mission report?” Thace teased lightly.Antok’s tail tip lashed against floor, and he let out an embarrassed sounding grumble. “I only did that once,” he retorted. “Because I was worried.”“I know, Antok,” Thace assured him. “I was only teas—”“I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” Antok’s voice was much softer than Thace had heard it in some time.Thace opened his mouth to speak, brow furrowing as his ears pinned back. He didn’t know what to say—it was difficult to imagine what he’d do if anything happened to Antok. His presence was a constant comfort, and even if it were only for a couple of quintants, he would miss Antok terribly while he was gone. For half a tick, he debated going over to Kolivan to ask if Antok could accompany him, but decided against it. That would only delay his departure, and retrieving these supplies was of the utmost importance.“Oh, you’d endure, I’m sure,” Thace said, matching Antok’s soft tone as he turned so that they were facing each other. Antok looked very much like a kicked yupper, with his ears drawn back and all three eyes downcast, but his expression brightened just a touch when Thace started scratching underneath his jaw again. He practically melted into the touch, purring deep in his chest—it was a surprisingly soft sound, though. Normally, Thace couldn’t hear himself think when Antok was purring.“Out of pure spite, if nothing else,” Thace added. His smile returned as Antok’s ears relaxed against the sides of his head again. “I’ll be back within two or three shifts,” Thace continued. “And, if I’m not, you can come and get me.”Antok sighed, rolling all three of his eyes. “You’d be halfway out of captivity before I even got there.”“You’re right, I would,” Thace said, unable to contain his grin. Though after a moment, he schooled his expression, feeling the gaze of Lieutenant Kost boring into his back. It seemed he was getting impatient and wanted Thace’s departure to happen sooner, rather than later. “Now, I have to go… I think Kost is starting to get twitchy…”Antok grumbled again, and reluctantly released Thace. “Just… be careful.”“I will,” Thace assured him. His smile persisted as Antok leaned down to bump his nose against Thace’s temple.