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You were his lab partner and he was used to having you near him, checking up on him, and making sure that he wasn't going to make Norman explode over some stupid thing. Usually. Today he noticed that you came to work sluggishly, you'd even been yelled at by Norman and had just taken it.
And Otto took notice quickly. He wondered what kept you up last night. Maybe intrusive thoughts? Possibly Norman himself? Or some other overbearing issue that wasn't really that overbearing and it just felt like it. So now here he was stuck with a predicament. Either wake you up to get off of his work or get yelled at by Norman. Maybe he could not wake you up. He had multiple arms for a reason, obviously.
So his arms picked you up carefully, and cradled you. You looked so peaceful now, so maybe this wasn't as bad as he made it seem. He still had 4 arms; two humans and two robotic. So he could still work on his work and enjoy having your presence around him. Even asleep you still had an endearing, kind, sweet feeling around you.
It was like warm honey, smooth and sticky. Sticky was bad but it could be tolerated especially if it was you. Norman had seen Otto work like this and actually was interested in how he was working more efficiently. Just by knowing that you were around. During that time he and you had gotten ahead by at least 3 weeks through your shared work.
That was lovely. That would mean that you and he could mess around more, or maybe you could fall asleep more so that he could do this more often. It made him happy. Your weight that he felt through the arms made him feel better.
-
You had only taken a week off of work and now your coworker, in fact the only reason you stayed at the company. And some accident had happened to him and made him into a villian of some kind. You had seen the recording of him from inside the reactor. The way he had screamed and how he said that he was good, hurt you so much,so , so much.
So you quit working there. Sure it had great pay, but you wanted to be treated better than the scum underneath Norman's feet. So you now work as a librarian, it wasn't great paying but it was still better than being shoved around like dirt. You missed Otto terribly, but Norman said he survived; he just wasn't the same as he used to be.
As if Norman actually noticed what Otto acted like. He was probably saying that to scare the press into not helping him. And to make Otto look worse than he already does now. You had to remind yourself to stop thinking about Oscorp unless you wanted to be paying for a new book.
It was late, but you were still on the clock at your job. Nobody was here except you. You were restocking the shelves with books that had been left around. Many horror types this time of year. Otto liked lovecraftian horror, you thought. You then sighed. You needed to stop thinking about him if you wanted to get over the accident.
"Stop thinking about him, he's not gonna come back… And even if he did, how would he even find you?" You corrected yourself, "Don't think about him, and you'll be fine."
-
He hadn't been able to work at all. Not on the new villian things, nor his last creation. He needed you to keep him grounded, he just felt so light-headed without you. You were like a body-double. He needed you to be there. So instead of telling his new team anything about his problem, he went out in search of you.
You always said that you enjoyed books… The abundance of books, the smell of them. How something so small could make a place so big. He then went to every bookstore or library in town. Secretly of course, he couldn't draw attention to himself to the public.
So this was the last library in town. It was one that you had told him about multiple times. He went in there with his arms hidden and then let them out once he realized that it was empty. Other than the librarian. He hoped that there was someone here, because there were millions of books worth money.
He went around snooping for someone, called you or somebody else. He could hear them talking to themselves. It was a misunderstood mutter, but he tried his best to hear what they were saying. Yet he still couldn't tell what they were saying, he couldn't see them, and couldn't see them, but he knew they were here.
Untill, "I swear sometimes these children need to learn to put their own books away," it was you! Sure, an angry you but it was you! He was so happy.
-
You realized that someone else was in here a bit too late. You were exiting a cramped isle to go back to the tables with an ungodly amount of books that had not been put away. The library was still open, but you were just a bit pissy.
You turned around and bumped into someone's chest. You backed up quickly. About to apologize, then realizing who it was.
"Otto?" You said in surprise with the same energy you had when you worked with him.
You fell backwards and expecting the floor you shut your eyes. Yet it never came. You were held by both of the robotical arms. Cradled almost.
"Hello my dearest, how are you?" He said, was he flirting? You couldn't tell.
You were a bit stunned for a moment. Not sure of what to say. You didn't need to say anything because the next thing you knew you were lifted away. You were concerned, both about where you were going and how Otto was doing.
Where were you going with him? It's not like anything would be open during this time. Well other than junkie teenage parties where murders happen.
You two didn't even leave the library, you were taken with him to the reasonably large sitting area. Normally there would be people all around here, but since it was late and as aforementioned it was empty just the two of you.
He set you down on one of the bean bags that the library had to get so people would actually come and enjoy their experience. Since most people don't want the most screwed up back posture by 17. It was strange, and it reminded you of a book you thought you'd read before.
Probably a horror or fantasy book, or maybe it was Shrek. Yeah… it was probably a Shrek fanfiction about the donkey and the dragon. Back at the situation at hand.
He stared at you and you had finally noticed him staring. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't know where to start.
"So… uh.. how are you Otto?" You said to start a conversation, since knowing him he'd never be able to start it himself. Yet would always end it, and it always made you incredulous to how that worked.
"Actually… dear… I wanted to ask you a few things. So this may seem crazy, but well-" he cut himself off, then looked at you trying to be as clear as he could. Almost like he was who he was before the incident. "Dear, you know that feeling where you are deeply and totally understanding someone, so much that it feels like an obsession?"
You tilted your head in confusion, since it was an odd question. Well maybe?
"Alright let me put it this way, you know when you lose something incredibly important and you feel like someone took part of you? Well… I feel the same way about you and I can't do anything without you," he looked away, licking his lips.
"What I'm trying to say is that I need you as my lab partner again, and I have everything that you would ever need. Just think of it like a really long sleepover, or how about something better? Like roommates?" He continued
Alright, no matter how much you wanted to run your legs froze up. You were actually quite scared at what he just admitted. What did he mean obsession? What does he mean about not being able to get anything done? And roommates was not a simple substitute for 'i'm going to kidnap you,'. Yet, at the same time. This was him, you could see it in his eyes.
This was totally and fully him. It was the same man that you worked with for years. The same man that you made the arms with, you still remember when you tried them on and thought they felt… strange.
"I- um… well-," you tried to say something, but you felt like Otto when he was overwhelmed. Which felt like all of the limbs in your body weren't working. Would the manager of the library even notice that you went missing? Did Otto even need your consent or was he just asking to be nice? He was literally an Octopus man that the police wanted because of the atrocities that he committed.
Did he want it, because it was you? Or was it just normal human decency. Norman was not a good example for Otto, Otto even told him not to touch him, but he never did listen did he? Was it because it was you? Or was it because he wanted to be a better example? Maybe, you didn't know. Would he yell at you for touching him now? Otto always was bad with touch, you were too most of the time, because of what Norman was like.
Touching your shoulders, head, and even your back. You had tried setting boundaries for him before, but he never listened. He was a terrible person to work for.
"Dear? Dearest? Starlight? Are you alright? That wasn't too weird was it? Honey? Please snap out of it!" You came with Otto in front of you, not touching you. But he was there.
"I don't know, what will everyone think? Are you okay, Otto?" You said, struggling with your emotions and your mouth.
"I'm fine, I'm not hurt! I need you to answer me, and nobody should care about this, this is between us. We are friends, we are two people and that is none of their business and if they do try to make it theirs then they're going to have something coming," he said, looking at you, half inpatient and other half, kind, caring, and warm.
You looked down, knowing what your answer was but… still wanting to be in society. Still wanting to be a normal person in society. You closed your eyes.
"Yes. Yes I do want to go with you, but… I need you to look like I never existed, that is the only way that I'm going to go with you," you said your truth, "I just don't want people looking for me and then ending up… hurt. If I don't exist, who will go looking for me? Right?"
You opened your eyes to him looking dumbfounded at your stupidity.
-
I was dumbfounded by how incredibly smart that idea was and had no idea why I hadn't thought it up myself. Like I had said to you, you were my missing piece. Now how to follow through with that plan? Well he didn't know how, but he could just erase your entire account of existing profile in the governments track record. Slightly like how you would do so for a dead person, but more targeted.
"Then let's start dear," I said.
—
You then woke up, in a bed that you knew as your own. Your own bed that was cold as death, contrary to the fact that it was the middle of summer. Hadn't you been at the library before? With Otto?
Actually now that you thought about him, you could hear someone else in your apartment. You heard hangers crashing against each other, plastic on plastic. Will someone packing your stuff, or were they stealing it? You then heard the warm tone of someone humming, you recognized the song from somewhere, and could remember the tone, but not who.
You peeked your eyes open towards your closet and could see someone who was probably exactly 5'0 in a leather jacket. The leather jacket looked strange as if it was expanding in four directions. Like tentacles. WAIT. oh, right it was Otto.
By the window you could tell that it was night, the moon disbursing all of its light through your window. Such a beautiful picture that would stay in your mind forever. You closed your eyes for a second. Then you felt like you were being picked up like a baby, by surprising warm arms, you never noticed how warm they could be. The claw of the arm held your head and the rest of it held you up.
You were ready for whatever happens now. No responsibility for your actions now.