Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He only had a pencil in his mouth to flip between pages with the eraser, but he didn’t care. Robo-ky’s headlight eye scanned over every page, every sentence, every word. The slowly scattering stack of papers in front of him held the key to the origin point of the many problems that had been plaguing him for ages now; his impending obsolescence. 

This was his chance to finally be self-sufficient, to no longer burden Venom with repairs and damages. He imagined how sleek and efficient his state of the art metal body would look. Or maybe he’d be more muscular? Would Venom prefer him lean? What was he into…?

“Hey Venom–?” Robo-ky looked behind him. 

“Hmh?” Venom was slumped over on the bedpost, staring blearily at the first page of the document. He hadn’t gotten far just yet. 

“Do you like buff dudes or twinks?”

Venom muttered under his breath. “Mh…?”

“Like, if I get a new body, how would you like it?”

“I like…” Venom yawned. “...I like you.” 

“Tch, cheesy.” Robo-ky blushed despite himself. 

Venom sighed, his eyes falling closed again. Robo-ky left it at that and went back to his readings.

“So weird.” He studied an anatomical cross-section of a human body, provided as an exhibit on the paper. “There’s another one? Damn, you’d think this was a human anatomy textbook. ‘Early models formed without skin, but application of stem-cell samples’…? Hang on.”

He reread the last few paragraphs, then reread them again. He flicked the pencil over to the other side of his mouth and dragged over a page he’d overlooked before, on account of it being taken up by mostly an exhibit image. The picture was of a Robo-ky MK 2 endoskeleton, placed alongside a weirdly blurry human musculoskeletal diagram. The description said something about…bioalloy-to-flesh integration?

“Ho–?” Robo-ky felt like his eye was malfunctioning. He felt like everything was malfunctioning, actually. “Venni? Venom, can you look at–!?” 

Venom quietly snored, slumped over onto his pillow and splayed out over the bedsheets. Robo-ky clamped down on his buzzing excitement and resolved to figure all this out while his lover got his much-needed rest. Tonight had been a rough one.

It was the next morning. Venom had some coffee in him, and he was tentatively forgoing the bakery prepwork to hear Robo-ky lecture him about the documents he had been pouring over all night. He had his mug in one hand and the exhibit page in the other, transfixed by the surreal diagram. 

“Okay,” Robo-ky said slowly, trying not to drop the battered pencil he was holding between his teeth. “So basically, the reason this procedure is being touted as the ‘end of obsolescence’ is that they’re putting robot brains in human bodies.” 

“Really?” Venom’s eyebrows furrowed as he read the fine print beneath the image.

“Well, I mean, that’s the elevator pitch version, obviously the real thing is more complicated!” Robo-ky quickly clarified. “See, like, the biggest weakness of Robo-series units are that they aren’t built with repairs in mind; we’re built for battle, so we don’t break in the first place. But, you know, uh–”

“That’s not exactly how things panned out.” Venom gestured to Robo-ky with the mug, then took another sip. 

“Y-yeah, basically.” Robo-ky grumbled and looked back at the paper. “It’s like, the point of doing any of this is because repairs for human bodies are more readily available in more places, so the hope is to make our bodies compatible with human medicine so that when we need ‘repairs’ we can just check in to a hospital instead of trying to find a blacktech mechanic, or a Zepp green-card, or–” 

“Wait, did Zepp change its laws?” Venom sat up. “I thought their policy was that all PWAB-related electronics are to be melted into slag!” 

“Ahh–” Robo-ky nearly dropped the pencil in his mouth. “I, ah, wouldn’t…know? So, maybe let's not risk it.”

“...I see.” Venom settled back down, shuffling through a few more papers. “So, what’s this going to look like? I hope they’re not just going to put you onto a headless ‘donor body’ or something. I don’t know how comfortable I’d be with that.” 

“Nope, nope, I’m pretty sure nobody would be okay with that either!” Robo-ky laughed nervously. “The way it’s described in here is that they’ve found a way to make bio-alloy into a kind of ‘mesh’ that can be like, the starting point for stem cells to grow on. Then, slowly, the bio-alloy will absorb into the human…uh, meat? Structure?? And within a few years I’ll be indistinguishable from a human, inside and out!”

“Oh, I see, like using catgut string for internal stitches.” Venom nodded. 

“What?”

“...Human thing, don’t worry.” Venom waved it off. 

“W-well I’m gonna have to worry about human things if I’m gonna be a human!” Robo-ky protested, then paused. “...I’m…I’m gonna…be human…” 

“Robo?” Venom looked over at Robo-ky, who was just staring at the pages in front of him. 

“I…I’ve never even imagined that as a possibility.” Robo-ky muttered on his lowest volume. “I never had a problem with being a robot. I never wanted to be anything else, until…all this.” 

Venom sat up. “Robo-ky, if you want to keep being a robot, then there’s no reason for this.” 

“Wha–?” Robo-ky looked up as Venom began gathering the papers. “W-wait! No, I wanna do this!” 

“Do you?” Venom asked, crouching so that he was eye-to-eye with Robo-ky. “Tell me why you want it.” 

“So I can have a body at all, obviously! Just look at me!” Robo-ky hopped in place on the table in exactly the way Venom didn’t want him to. 

Venom put his hand on Robo-ky’s head, holding him still. 

“I-if the body I have to settle with is a human one, then to hell with it! I’ll…I’ll do it!” Robo-ky let out a small whirring whine. “I’d rather get my old body back, but…that’s long gone now. This is my last chance.”

Venom stared at him awhile, then put the papers back on the table, carefully organizing them back into their original order. 

“I hope that you aren’t too disappointed with becoming one of us inferior humans.” Venom said, apologetic but with a tone suggesting he had found a bit of humor in it. “You’ve had quite a lot of valid criticisms of us.”

Robo-ky looked away. “Yeah. Well. M-maybe…” his voice lowered. “maybe…robots aren’t…totally perfect either.” 

Venom brushed aside Robo-ky’s hair and kissed him. Robo-ky waited for a comment, a snide remark, anything to capitalise on how he’d emotionally left himself wide open. But, mercifully, nothing came.

The bakery was closed for travel. A sizable crowd had formed to wish Venice goodbye, all of them wanted a hug or a handshake or a promise to bring them back a souvenir. Robo-ky sulked beneath the zipper of Venom’s bag, not wanting to be seen in his bad mood, or any other mood. 

“I’m sorry, I really have to go or I’ll miss my boat!” Venom opened the cab door. “I’ll be thinking of you, I promise!”

Goodbyes and farewells sounded off in a disorganized cacophony, muted with a clunk of the carriage door. Venom kept waving as the cab pulled away, only when they were out of sight did he sigh in relief and unzip the top of Robo-ky’s bag. 

“Just you and me again.” Venom murmured to him. Robo-ky felt his mood refill a little. 

“Guess so!” The cab driver laughed, startling them both. “Got any music preferences, Venni? I’m partial to rock n roll, but I’ve got jazz, soul, EDM, or just see whatever’s on the radio…”

Venom and Robo-ky exchanged a glance. 

“Radio’s fine.” 

Chapter Text

Millia met Venom at the port, just as the boat had let down the gangplank. She was in pretty high spirits, it seemed, greeting her old friend with a hug and carrying one of his larger bags for him.  

Robo-ky looked around at the city from waist-height, poking out of Venom’s carry-on bag. They walked along an overpass high above the streets, which were packed with people bustling in every direction. The buildings soared high into the sky, each one a monument. It was nothing like the small town they lived in.

Millia led them to a waiting cab, ushering Venom to sit down while she loaded his bags. Robo-ky endured the jostling, and was rewarded by Venom hugging him to his chest. 

“Aren’t you two adorable.” Millia snarked affectionately, closing the door with a solid clunk. “We’re ready, cabbie!”

The driver gave them a thumbs-up and the cab jolted forward, taking off down the street. 

Millia closed the blinder between them and the driver. Only then did she turn to Venom, sighing.

“Bicep, ankle, Latissimus Dorsi, and External Oblique, but I won’t be the one to rule out rib fractures or internal organ damage.” She listed off with absolute neutrality. 

Venom shifted uncomfortably. Robo-ky stared between the two of them in confusion. 

“You didn’t seriously think you could keep it from me?” Millia needled. “When was your last hospital visit?” 

Venom mumbled to the window. 

“What was that?” Millia pressed, leaning closer. “I think I misheard you.” 

Robo-ky stared at Venom in shock. This was how Robo-ky would act if Venom caught him collecting coins from the fountain in the town’s square. He’d never dream of Venom being the one to dodge and sulk.

“It’s nothing,” Venom insisted, a bit louder. “It’ll go away on its own.” 

“You did not just tell me that it’ll ‘go away on its own.’” Millia didn’t slap him, but she might as well have. “Because if you did, I’m going to have to remind you of all the times you nearly got yourself killed out of some misguided attempt to look tough–”

“I don’t need a doctor.” Venom replied, closing his eyes to avoid meeting her gaze. 

“What do you mean?” Robo-ky asked. “You saw a doctor after I punched you, right?”

“You PUNCHED him, did you?” Millia’s sharp glare turned to him. Robo-ky tried to wriggle back into his bag. 

“It was a duel.” Venom said, his shoulders tense. “We agreed on it beforehand, it was consensual and level-headed.”

That wasn’t exactly how it happened, but Robo-ky wasn’t going to be the one to correct him. 

Millia sighed in disgust. “You are seeing a doctor before you get on the boat home. If I have to drag you there to make it happen, then that’s exactly what I will do.”

Venom didn’t respond. Robo-ky looked at him helplessly. Venom was the strongest man he’d ever had on his side, and now his power was suddenly dwarfed. How was Robo-ky supposed to compare?

“H-hey, it was all my fault!” Robo-ky wriggled out of the bag as far as he dared. “Don’t be angry at him when it was me who–MGHF!?”

Venom’s hand was tight around Robo-ky’s mouth. Robo-ky couldn’t do anything but let Venom squeeze him flush to his chest, his back towards Millia. 

Millia was quiet for some time, then she sighed. 

“I’m not mad at him, don’t worry, robot.” Millia linked her arm around Venom’s unbruised one. “Venom, listen. All I want is for you to look out for your own health. Nobody's asking you to push yourself to your limit or swallow your tears anymore. So, if you need help learning, I can teach you how to stop putting your needs behind everyone else’s. If you can’t be motivated to do it for yourself, do it because I said so. Got it?” 

Venom’s shoulders untensed. When he spoke, he sounded small and powerless. “Got it.”

“Good.” Millia ran her hand through Venom’s ponytail. “Let me braid your hair?”

Venom nodded and let Millia yank his hair tie off. She expertly combed through and parted it into thirds, layering one, two, three, one, two three. In a few minutes, Venom’s hair was perfectly woven, not a strand out of place.

“Lookin’ good, Venni!” Robo-ky nuzzled him. Venom self-consciously smiled and ruffled Robo-ky’s hair for his teasing.

“And how about you?” Millia asked him. “You ready to have a new body?”

“Yeah, for sure!” Robo-ky exclaimed. “I can barely do anything without hands and legs! And my last body sucked too, maybe even more? I could ALMOST do what I wanted, but it was always malfunctioning or inaccurate, it sucked!” 

“The documents bragged quite a lot about this procedure being the ‘end of android obsolescence,’” Venom added. “Considering how much it has cost to repair him so far, I’d gladly make one payment upfront if it saved us future repairs.” 

Millia ‘hm’d. “Didn’t Zato explain that the government would be paying for it via a grant donation, when he came over to your house?”

Robo-ky watched Venom’s heart rate go up again. He butted his forehead on Venom’s chest, the closest thing he had to a hug. Millia noticed the shift in his mood, too, it seemed.

“So, Zato didn’t explain anything, huh?” Millia sighed through her teeth. “Guess I expected too much from him.” 

“He’s an annoying bastard.” Robo-ky complained to Millia. “He barged into Venom’s room in the middle of the night, and basically gave him a bunch of riddles before he actually told either of us why he came over. He could've just sent it in the mail! Would've been a lot less drama.” 

“...That’s just the sort of thing Zato does, I’m afraid.” Millia idly tucked Venom’s braid into his shirt collar. “Always ‘testing’ us to see if we’re ‘ready’ to his satisfaction. Odd how some things never really changed about him.” 

“He didn’t do anything to me.” Venom told her, his tone worryingly close to cracking. “Robo-ky saw it all.” 

“I’d kill him myself if he did.” Millia assured him, her voice taking on a rough edge. 

Robo-ky watched Venom’s heart rate start to slow, and his grip on Robo-ky's bag relaxed.

“He had me helping him organize this, as if I wouldn’t catch on.” Millia explained further. “Or maybe he just assumed neither of us needed to say anything. We crunched the numbers, and we decided for you that you’re not going to be able to make ends meet with the way you’re going now. We didn’t tell you about this because I guess we care about you enough to make financial decisions for you, but not enough to let you make them yourself. You should probably be angry about that, I know I would be.”

Venom chuckled wearily. “Should I be ungrateful for free money, though? I’m insulted, but if Robo-ky benefits, I’ll take as many insults as he needs.” 

“Huh?” Robo-ky looked between the two. “Hey, I don’t like the sound of that…”  

“It’s just another Zato-ism, don’t worry about it,” Millia’s gaze went down the arm of her sleek, spotless jacket. “Buying things seems to be one of his favorite ways of trying to atone, lately. I guess he doesn’t have much else to do with his paycheck.”

Venom turned to her, his expression conflicted. Millia didn’t look any more sure about whatever was bothering the two of them. 

“I can at least make sure he doesn’t pull this shit again.” Millia said firmly. “The moment I tell him to, he’ll never come to you without permission, ever. I don’t need to give him any reason other than that it’s what I want, he’ll take it as part of his atonement.” 

Venom fully relaxed, reaching over to hug his old friend. She hugged him back, careful to avoid his bruises. 

There was a knock on the cab blinder, and a jaunty announcement of “Here’s your stop!” 

“You ready to meet your maker?” Millia asked Robo-ky, opening the door for the three of them.

“Uh,” Robo-ky would have broken into a sweat if he could. “Honestly? No.” 

Chapter Text

Venom pressed the ‘call’ button on the magnet-locked double doors, and stepped back. The speaker played a jingle to indicate that something was ringing, it just needed a minute to be answered. 

“This place looks like a hospital.” Robo-ky observed, looking around at the pristine white walls. “Are we really in the right place?”

“What, were you expecting a mechanics’ shop?” Millia replied. 

“Kinda.” Robo-ky tried to look past the doors with his X-Ray vision, no luck. “It’s just really weird, is all.”

Krrchst. “Hello?” 

“Hello!” Venom spoke up in his customer service voice. “This is Venice, I’m here with the prototype Robo-ky unit!” 

“Proto…? Oh! Yeah, you’re right on time!” The doors beeped and opened with a seamless whoosh. “Come to room 207, we’ll be waiting!” Krrchst.  

Venom held tighter to the strap of Robo-ky’s bag and briskly walked on through. Millia wasn’t as focused as he was, but she had no trouble keeping up the pace.

Robo-ky tried his X-Ray vision on the other closed doors, but these were fortified against his equipment as well. They passed by one door that was slightly ajar, showing a slice of a half-lit room where two lab-coat wearing students talked in low voices, bent over a motionless metal thing, poking at inert wires with the butt of a pen. Just when Robo-ky thought they were going to look over at him, Venom noticed the room was actually 209, and took a few steps back to stand before room 207. 

He rapped his knuckles on the heavy door. “Hello?”

Silence. The trio waited, then Venom knocked again. 

“Hmph.” Millia leaned over and tested the doorknob. 

“Millia–” Venom muttered in what almost sounded like embarrassment.

“It’s unlocked.” She shoved the heavy door and let it silently glide open on well-maintained hinges. “You gotta be proactive.” 

Robo-ky’s working lenses were glued to the room beyond. A pale, somewhat bottom-heavy figure in a pristine labcoat sat on a reclining swivel-chair, either not noticing or acknowledging the trio at all. They were holding what looked like the helmet-esque head of a robot, clean-cut wires in orderly rows extending from the opening where the neck would have been. The human figure looked deeply into what might have been the robot's eyes, solemn and silent. 

“The year of 2180.” The figure spoke slowly. “I was given the task to surpass God for a P.W.A.B. paycheck.”

Robo-ky recognised the voice of the scientist before him, and was struck dumb by how little she looked of his old self. 

“I thought I’d done it,” Crow continued her soliloquy. “I thought I’d finally forged a new path out of samsara, to man-made nirvana. I readied my body to surpass flesh and become perfect machine.” 

Robo-ky felt Venom’s grip on his bag shift. 

“And then…” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. “...the funding for the imitation series was rescinded, on account of the numerous malfunctions of the K-series–” 

“Oh, shut the fuck up, you old fart!” A voice from the far left corner snapped. The owner of the voice was in a matching set of university branded sweats and a hoodie, pulled tight around their face. They kicked their untied shoes up on a worktable, sending tools and machine parts clattering to the floor. “You’re not some tortured genius, you’re a robo-biotics professor. You’ve got a job to do, so fuckin get it over with!” 

“Put your feet down, Twenny.” Another voice sighed, and the owner of it stood up to finally address the confused visitors. An ordinary looking human, even if they looked a little more readily dressed for the gym than a lab. They approached Millia and Venom with a polite smile. 

“Hi. Welcome to the House of Opportunity. This wing of the university is dedicated to the study of robotic and robo-biotic lifeforms, such as me,” They put a hand to thier chest. “My younger sibling Twenny,” they gestured back to the rabble rouser, who flipped off everyone. “...and, hopefully,” they carefully knelt down to address Robo-ky face-to-face. “My older brother.” 

“O-oh!” Robo-ky startled. “You’re–? You used to–?”

“Yup!” Fivoh chuckled. “If your number is 000000, then mine is 000001, and Twenny’s is 000028.” 

“That–! That’s so–!” Robo-ky fumbled all the words as he took in the sight of her. “I…you look like a human!” 

Twenny blew a raspberry, loudly standing up from their seat. 

“She sure does, huh?” Twenny grabbed the hem of their hoodie and began pulling it over their head. “Would be a crying shame if she looked like me.” 

Millia and Venom, the hardened assassins, flinched in revulsion. Twenny’s body was clearly made of metal, shining with the evidence that they’d been recently cleaned and oiled. But the shape of their body was of thousands upon thousands of individual metal filaments woven in perfect imitation of the muscles and tendons that lay beneath every human’s skin, painfully out in the open.

“Ohhh…” Robo-ky looked over Twenny’s body. “Damn, you look sick as hell!”

Twenny blinked at him. “...Thank you.”

“I’m afraid Twenny’s body type isn’t an option we're offering.” Crow piped up. “Their current state is a bug and not a feature. They need a lot more maintenance and medical assistance to stay healthy, and their lifespan is projected to be half a functional model.”

“Speaking of,” Fivoh said gently. “We wouldn’t want to get your joints gunked up so soon after cleaning, right Twenny?”

Twenny fiddled with the edge of their jacket, then reluctantly pulled it back on. Once they were clothed again, Fivoh patted Twenny’s shoulder with a reassuring smile. Twenny looked away with a grumble. 

“So!” Crow finally rose from her chair. “Now that introductions are out of the way, it's time we get down to brass tacks. You are here to convert your body and consciousness into biologic-adjacent existence, are you not?”

“I, uh,” Robo-ky looked up at Venom. “Yeah, basically? I mean, unless there are other options.”

“There aren’t.” Millia said, crossing her arms. “Not unless you step out of the university’s state of the art facilities and rough it out in blacktech market mechanist’s shops.”

“We tried that.” Venice said idly. “It was expensive, and caused more problems than it solved.” 

“Well, glad you decided to turn yourself in as the university’s lab rat.” Twenny shrugged. “It’s gonna be expensive, and it’s gonna cause more problems than it will solve.” 

“But, but!” Crow interjected. “With the university’s method, you’ll contribute to invaluable medical research, refining our knowledge and practice into robo-biotic prosthesis and bodily reconstruction! You’ll be helping other people, not just yourself!” 

“Wow, when you say it like that, it sure does sound so much more like a scam!” Twenny snarked. 

Fivoh patted Twenny’s shoulder again, and they fell silent. 

“Anyway,” Crow picked up a manilla folder off her desk and pulled out a stack of papers. “Whenever you’re ready, we have the necessary legal documents right here. Take all the time you need to look them over!” 

Robo-ky just about groaned as Venice took the papers from Crow’s hand. “More paperwork! What could be better?” 

Chapter Text

Millia, Venom and Robo-ky sat around and on a cafe table. They had considered grabbing lunch at one of the campus’ options for dining or snacking, but the lunchtime rush pushed them out to seek a regular establishment in the city. Millia had made sure they had a relatively private table to themselves in the back of the restaurant, where nothing could be heard besides a playlist of calm, new age music.

“Well.” Millia marvelled at the page detailing the financial side of things. “Zato’s going to have to go into debt if he wants to pay for this one.” 

Venom winced. “Maybe we shouldn’t make him take the brunt of it–?”

“No, I think he should.” Millia flipped to another paper. “Maybe it’ll make him less flippant about his spending, you know?” 

“Hm.” Venom looked back down at the paper that he and Robo-ky were reading. 

“Says here I won’t be able to leave the university for a long time.” Robo-ky muttered in worry. “Twenny wasn’t kidding about me being a lab rat.” 

“Well, it also says I’ll be able to call and visit.” Venom said, tinged with an attempt to be hopeful. “Perhaps I could keep the bakery closed for a while…?”

“Didn’t you hear what I said?” Millia interjected. “If you take this option, Zato’s out of money, and I’m probably going to have to cover the difference. If you don’t get back to work within the month, your little town is gonna repossess your bakery.” 

Venom made an uncomfortable noise and went back to his page. 

“Tch.” Robo-ky grumbled. “No mercy when it comes to taxes, huh?” 

“Such is the way of government.” Millia agreed. Catching Venom’s eye, her expression softened. “Look, you don’t have to do this. You really can just buy another robot body off the blacktech market, it’s a perfectly serviceable option.” 

Venom looked at Robo-ky. 

“What?” Robo-ky asked.

“It’s your body.” Venom said firmly. “You’ll have to be the one to make the call.” 

Robo-ky opened his mouth, an answer on the mesh of his speakers, then he lost his nerve and closed it again. He looked down at his reflection in the glass table; a beaten up robot head, already down an eye, his hair rubbing off more and more with every trip in Venom’s bag. 

“It’s never going to change.” Robo-ky muttered. 

“What?” Millia asked, deadpan. “This is all about changing, what are you talking about?”

“If I look like a robot to the humans I meet, they will never see me as alive.” Robo-ky amended. “Even when I had a body, I was still just the bakery mascot at best. I want everyone to know I’m a person, and if I have to change my body like this to prove it, I will.” 

Millia and Venom exchanged a glance. Robo-ky couldn’t quite read what it meant, but they weren’t smiling.

“Robo,” Venom put his hand on Robo-ky’s head. “You shouldn’t do this for anyone besides yourself. Please try to think of it from what you want.” 

Robo-ky grumbled into silence. Millia and Venom went back to their papers, Millia occasionally checking text messages and sending some back. The three were silent for long enough that a smiling waitress came by with a notepad. 

“Would you like to order anything?” She asked politely, holding up her pen. 

“Just a coffee.” Millia replied. 

The waitress scribbled on the pad, then gestured to a still-busy Venom. “And for your boyfriend?” 

“My–?” Millia choked. Robo-ky turned around, as if to check that he heard right. Venom slowly put down the paper he had been holding in his hands, put his palms to his face, rubbed his eyes and let out the lowest, most pained groan he’d ever made in his life. 

The waitress looked between the two, catching on a little too late. “Just…friends? Sorry.”  

“Tea.” Millia replied, sounding like she had just stubbed her toe on a table and had been asked to give it another kick. “He wants tea.” 

The embarrassed waitress took the order and scooted off, apologizing the whole way. The three sat silently in the wake of the interaction, with a much heavier atmosphere weighing on them. 

“Okay.” Robo-ky lifted his head again. “So like, imagine what just happened, but it’s eight hours a day.” 

“What?” Millia squinted at him, confused and exasperated.

“Imagine, every day, nobody looks at you like you’re alive.” Robo-ky pressed. “Everybody talks to Venice the baker like he’s just an eccentric bachelor who just likes to fix robots on the side, and sometimes carries his annoying little project around like a toy poodle in a rich lady’s purse. That’s all we are to our town.” 

“You’re alive to me, Robo.” Venom reassured him. 

“Yeah, but it’s just you!” Robo-ky rebutted. “I love you, but the fact that it’s just the two of us who are in on it makes it so much harder. It’s like…like diverting a river with a single bucket! If I just looked human, the river would flow in a new direction. Do you get me?” 

Venom stared at Robo-ky, looking like he had something to say, but he stayed silent. He glanced at Millia, then at the papers, then back at Robo-ky. 

“I think I do.” 

“You got the battery off?”

Venom held up Robo-ky’s head, showing the naked wires jutting out from the break in his neck. 

“Perfect. Just place him down here.” Crow patted the space right above the headless cloth-wrapped robot body, then went back to his terminal monitor.

Venom placed Robo-ky in the right spot, then brushed his hair away from his eyes. “How are you feeling?”

“Nervous.” Robo-ky replied. “And…low on power.” 

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that second one for long.” Venom tapped his fingernail on the side of Robo-ky’s head to make a dull pinging noise. “I might even miss being able to carry you like a football.” 

“Heh,” Robo-ky grinned. “When I get done with this, I’ll be the one carrying you!” 

Venom cracked a smile, petting Robo-ky’s hair. “Silly.” 

“Alright, you gotta stand back now.” A grad student waved Venom away. Venom stood and started to back off.

Realizing what lame last-words those would be, Robo-ky tried to turn his head to see him again. “VENNI!” 

“Whoah, hey!” Another student grabbed Robo-ky and set him back in place. “You gotta stay still–!” 

“VENNI!” Robo-ky shouted as loud as he could. “I LOVE YOUUUU!” 

No response, he couldn’t see or hear Venom anywhere. 

“Calm down, okay?” Crow said firmly, not looking away from her screen. “Or else we’re going to have to strap you down.” 

Robo-ky fell silent, deciding that he’d shouted loud enough for Venom to hear. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” The student stepped out of view as well. “Just sit tight, and we’ll get this show on the road.” 

“Hmph…” Robo-ky stared up at the blank ceiling, waiting. Minutes ticked by, each one felt like hours. 

He wanted to turn his head, but he realised he was too low on power even for that. 

He had no choice. He waited.

And waited. 

And waited. 

Procedure…commencing…stand back.

Chapter Text

Robo-ky stood in front of a mansion. The whole world was grainy, black and white. He looked up at the towering structure, at the starry night sky above, then looked back. 

They were far, but they were closing in. The town wouldn’t be satisfied with him gone, they wanted him dead. 

He ran inside, slamming the door shut behind him. He looked around, and saw that the ceiling of the house loomed higher than the tip of the highest rooftop. 

The hallway stretched on and on, the longer he looked the farther it went. He walked past paintings of beautiful women. Each one was many times larger than him, each one larger than the last. Some were sneering in disgust, others sobbing in terror, a few clutching open wounds even as wires and sparks spilled out. She was leaving on an airship, the last thing he could see was her tail wagging with happiness to be rid of him. 

He reached the door to the laboratory, Crow’s lab, on PWAB property. Robo-ky put his hand up, found the familiar groove of the handle, and pulled. 

The bell on the bakery’s front door jingled as Robo-ky stepped in through the back door. Oddly enough, the kitchen’s entire floor was being taken up by an foreign structure. A bed with dark pink sheets, arms and legs and spiked wheels, a spherical crowned head with crying eyes and a mouth hanging agape. Laying on the bed was both halves of a giant duck, half plucked bare, metal muscles and bone with no skin, slowly gushing blood.

What’s the matter? The duck’s head asked, its breath blowing away the torn scraps of a smudged goodbye note. 

“I’m looking for someone.” Robo-ky replied. “Someone I failed.”

What’s the good in that? The head replied. You already failed them.

“I can make it up to them.” Robo-ky shot back. “12 acres. I promised.” 

The head didn’t respond right away. With a splatter, the heart crawled out of the duck’s other half and licked its lips. 

Where did your dream come from, anyway? The head asked. Yourself, or them?

“Both.” Robo-ky tried to shout, but his voice was so quiet. “My dream was hollow until I had someone to share it with.”

“Do you want to see them?” The heart asked. 

Yes, of course. Robo-ky tried screaming with all his might, but his voice was even quieter than before. 

“Right this way.” 

His own dented, headless bodies bowed to him, his old one full of bed-spikes and his new one pool-ball-dented, spilling rocks and gravel. They straightened in perfect tandem and pointed him towards the door that led to the upstairs loft. Robo-ky’s limbs felt heavy, dragging him down no matter how hard he wanted to sprint. It took all his energy to sluggishly pull himself through, reaching up for the door handle

Inert, silent, in his lap. 

Robo-ky watched the raindrops worm into the wiring and circuits and motherboard, damaging the MK 2 unit beyond repair. Robo-ky was kneeling, helpless in prayer, powerless, but, maybe, the human, the original, save them, save us, I’ll do anything–!

Gone. Every horizon was empty. 

Robo-ky sat alone. 

Alone.

Again.

He had a moment.

He hadn’t been alone.

Come back.

Squandered it.

Idiot.

No wonder. 

Someone help.

No one.

I did this.

My fault. 

How could I be so stupid?

Was I…

Always…

Stupid…?

…

…Oh.

You’re alive?

The rain stopped. The water pooled at the base of tree trunks, around sturdy roots. Lichens clinging to the bark reveled in green life. Sunlight poured down from between the silver clouds like gold incarnate, rainbows in every raindrop on every leaf and tangerine. 

Robo-ky stared at his empty hands.

You're alive.

He was alive? Alive?

You’re here!

Robo-ky looked around. He was alone in a vast orchard, brimming with life. He was a life, alongside them.

I missed you.

Robo-ky looked up. Someone was there, lounging on the lowest branch. 

“Remember me?”

Robo-ky’s lip trembled. 

“Come here.” 

Robo-ky climbed up, falling into the lap of the grove’s soul. Each tree like a node, connected to every other tree, every other plant and mushroom and crawling and flying thing sparking and communicating like microchips and heartbeats. He was a single scale on a fish the size of the whole world, powerless but never alone. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered into their chest.

“Don’t be.” He felt the hand combing through his hair. “I’ve been happy all this time. Come visit me again, alright? I want you to be happy, too.”

“Where are you?” 

“I’m here.”

“Tell me!” 

I’m here.

“I’ll find you, I promise!” 

I’m…

I’ll find you!

I promise!

I promise, I’ll find you!

I’ll…

Heavy…

My body is too heavy…

It’s so hard to move…

I need to get up…

I need to get up. 

I NEED TO GET UP.

I NEED TO–!

“CALM DOWN!” Crow screamed above the racket of his students all yelling and scrambling to get away. “ROBO-KY, STOP!”

Robo-ky thrashed and grabbed at the kaleidoscope of colors winking out before his eyes. He scrabbled at his face, finding something and yanking it away, hard. He took a deep breath, 

…deep breath? 

Oh.

OH.

He coughed, it was wet and painful. His hand pinched around the breathing tube he had yanked, it was squishy and smooth. He could feel the breeze coming out of the two holes. The air was cold, it came in puffs, like breathing. He copied it, teaching himself the rhythm.

He found it was easier to breathe if he rolled onto his side and let all the weird fluids that kept building up in his face-orifices drain out via gravity. It was hard work to move, but the urgency to breathe gave him the hysterical strength needed to push past what he otherwise couldn’t. 

He flopped onto his face, gasping for breath, drooling onto the table, his fragile eyelids peeling apart on their own. The world was still blurry, very slowly clearing up, until colors became shapes, and shapes became faces with people and body language he could innately read. It was like his ocular sensors had been replaced with…a new model of lenses? New software? No, that didn’t even begin to describe it.

The crowd of students was looking at him like he was a rabid hyena. About half looked like they wanted to bolt for the exit, the remainder were scribbling into journals with mad scientific fervor. 

He coughed again, and looked down. He was in a hospital gown, splotchy teal with splatters of…was that blood? Could blood turn that dark?

His gaze drifted to the side, and he looked at the tube in his hand. 

His hand. 

His hand was soft. 

It had skin. 

Robo-ky jerked his head up and looked around. All of the students with self-preservation were fleeing as fast as they could safely get through the door and the disinfection station, leaving only the true science addicts to continue their observations. 

“Hh…?” He coughed, the coughing was rubbing his throat raw. “Hhhaa…?”

Someone stepped forwards. It was Twenny, holding out their hand. 

“You still in there?” They asked. “You know where you are? Who I am?” 

Robo-ky began to wobble, dizziness overtaking him again, his head nearly slammed back onto the table, but Twenny caught him before he could hurt himself.

“Gotcha.” Twenny smiled. “Take it slow, nobody’s in a hurry yet.” 

“Here, here!” Another voice, and Fivoh’s familiar face came side by side with Twenny’s. She had something in her hands, holding it up. “I got a mirror. You should see.” 

Robo-ky was almost afraid to look. His eyes were swimming with stars, panic was taking over him, something in the back of his mouth tasted sour, a convulsion went through his new flesh, 

A human stared out from inside the mirror. His sweat-drenched hair stuck to his clammy face, pulsing veins stood out in sharp clarity against the pallid skin, as did raw pink hairline scars of where a robot’s joints would have been, where disconnectable parts had been permanently fused.

When Robo-ky raised his head, so did the human. 

Chapter Text

Robo-ky was absolutely overwhelmed by the huge amount of stimulus input all his new organs were giving him. He was feeling everything for the first time, even if he could connect each new sensation to the word that described them, there was just so much overlap and tangle that he couldn’t make head or tails of anything. He felt hungry, tired, restless, cold, warm, sick, afraid, all at once and it was too much for him to handle. 

He was on a softer, more comfortable bed now, at least. Crow and the grad students were scrambling to figure out if he was still himself, with the same memories and personality, or if they’d killed Robo-ky and animated a completely unrelated being. So far, everyone was partially sure it was the former. He hoped so, too.

A latex-gloved hand grabbed his face and held his eyelids open with their fingers. He could almost catch a glimpse of the flashlight in front of his face before it turned on and just about blinded him with light.

“NNGHHH!” He squealed and tried to wriggle away, but he clearly didn't have the strength to resist the barest efforts put in to hold him still. 

He heard the scribbling of a pen on clipboard paper, and the mutterings of medical terminology from the professor to a small audience of robo-biotics and regular medical students. Robo-ky wanted to keep his face turned away from them, but they were trying to study it at the moment, and he wasn’t being all too compliant. 

“Stay still.” Crow’s voice was tinged with annoyance. At the same time, two strong hands held him firmly down, keeping him still while a second pair held his head and peeled open his other eye.

“Gghn…” The anticipation of the pain made it worse, compounding the pain of the light searing into his other eye. “ NGGGH–!” 

“There, it’s done, sheesh!” The arms released him, and he collapsed back into the bedsheets, panting for breath. He writhed under the gaze of the teacher and students, closing his eyes to try and escape them. Somehow, the gazes were their own pain.

Is this what it always feels like? He wondered ruefully. Is this what it was like to be a human?

Pinches and prickles stung on his arm. He was slowly being vaccinated against the diseases of the outside world, the one that couldn’t be perfectly measured and sterilized and recorded.

“All done.” The med student said gently. “You did great!” 

Robo-ky glanced down at the bandaids stuck on his skin. They were uncomfortable, so he began picking at it, trying to get it off. 

“No.” The med student chided, moving his hand away. “You need that.”

“Hh…” He whined. “ Hhhrrrtsssss…” 

“I know, I know.” The med student was packing their things and turning to the door. “You just gotta learn to deal with it, like the rest of us.” 

Robo-ky grit his teeth and groaned in frustration at the blank walls. It didn’t change anything, but not doing anything felt worse.

Of everything he was being put through, Robo-ky really felt insulted by how they were trying to teach him to eat. He could already do that before! What, did they think he wasn’t smart enough for it?

“Go slowly.” The student held a spoonful of soup up to his lips. “Remember not to breathe in.” 

Robo-ky confidently opened his mouth and bit down on the spoon, immediately crying out in pain. The student whisked the utensil away while his fellows checked Robo-ky’s mouth to make sure he still had all his teeth. 

“Okay.” The student put the spoon down on the server trolley and picked up a child’s sippy cup. “Let's go with this for now.” 

Robo-ky couldn’t even bring himself to glare. He accepted the demeaning food receptacle and tried not to tear up in shame. 

“Robo-ky?”

He looked up, half sure he remembered that voice. Venom stood over his hospital bed, nose and mouth covered by one of the face masks everyone was required to wear around him. 

“Veh…” Robo-ky coughed into his own mask. “...Ven…ni?”

Venom leaned down, but stopped partway when someone told him to stop. 

“You’re not allowed to touch him until he’s fully vaccinated!” Crow reminded Venice, making a move to pull him back, but not going through with it. 

“I remember.” Venom retreated a step, then turned back to Robo-ky. He smiled, much more genuine than just polite. “I hope you’re doing well. I missed you.” 

Something in Robo-ky’s chest felt tight. His vision went blurry again, but the tears fell before he could wipe them away.

“M…” He hiccupped. “Mmmm! Mmmhh…mmissss yy-y-yyyouuuu tooooooo…!” 

Venom squatted to meet his gaze from eye to eye. “When it's safe, I’ll be back to give you a big hug. Alright?” 

“Y-y-yaaaah!” Robo-ky’s breaths were jagged. He wanted the hug now, but Venom was already being ushered away, Crow closing the door behind him. 

“He’ll be back before you know it.” Crow assured Robo-ky. “We’ll show you how to use a phone tomorrow, so we’re not risking infection.”

Robo-ky knew in his mind that it wasn’t going to be forever, he knew it was for his own safety, he knew he would be able to talk to Venom tomorrow and that everything was going to be okay. His body just hiccuped and kept on crying. 

The hospital wing was sterile and silent, except for the occasional beeping machine and voices passing outside his door. Robo-ky was alone, and would be for a while. 

He was hooked up to tubes and monitors, vital for his survival. So why did they itch? The room was slightly too cold, and the blankets slightly too thin. So, why was he sweating? He hated being surrounded by doctors and students. So why did being alone hurt so much more?

Illogical. This new body was illogical. His previous body was malfunctional, but at least it was logical.  

The door to his room opened. He heard the wheels of a food serving trolley and the footsteps of a student pulling it along. The footsteps stopped by the edge of his bed, but he didn’t want to look at whoever was standing beside him. 

“Dinner.” The student said gently, placing the sippy cup in Robo-ky’s lap, then placing his hands over the rubber-padded handles. He opened his eyes and reluctantly lifted it with both arms, up to his lips. He took a sip, and felt…better. 

He didn’t get to question it. The relief was near instantaneous. The soup was warm and salty and savory and he needed to drink more of it, as much as he possibly could. 

“Don’t gulp.” The student reminded him. “Pace yourself.” 

Robo-ky took the cup away from his mouth and panted for breath. The warmth in his gut also combatted the cold of the room, it was bliss in two different ways. How was that possible, logical? He couldn’t ponder it for long, the urge to feel it again just about made his arms move the cup back to his mouth on their own.

“Why is it so cold in here?” The student squinted at a nearby device. “Do you need another blanket?” 

Robo-ky took his mouth off the bottle to breathe again and nodded enthusiastically. “Mh-hm! Hmh! Hh!”

The student crossed the room and opened a closet, retrieving a sterile disposable blanket and coming back to drape it over his body. 

“Comfortable?” The student asked kindly. 

Robo-ky murmured and nodded, huddling into the renewed warmth. He heard the student take back the empty cup, and wheel the trolley away. Robo-ky was alone again, but this time he didn’t mind. He felt like everything was right in the world. 

Is this what it could feel like? He wondered in his cocoon. Is this why humans loved to be human?

Chapter Text

“Rob.”

Robo-ky groaned. 

“Rob, wake up.” 

Robo-ky let out a whinging growl.

“UP.” 

Robo-ky was roughly yanked by a pair of strong hands, out from between the university-branded blankets and up off the dorm mattress, suspended in midair by the scruff of the threadbare sweater Twenny had lent to him, Fivoh keeping him aloft just before he hit the floor with only one hand. 

He stayed limp, squeezing his eyes shut in protest. “Shrshhhhghhh…”

“Hey, are you able to move on your own, or do you need more gertiatric bone supplements in the medical wing?” Fivoh pinched Robo-ky’s cheek, earning a scream through gritted teeth from her older brother. “You’re not gonna get any stronger if you don’t push yourself!” 

Robo-ky quieted down with a final, vindictive huff. “Hghm.”

“Nobody in this university gets to sleep in on a weekday.” Fivoh grunted, hauling her frail older brother up into her arms, carrying him across the dorm room and setting him down into his wheelchair. “You’ve gotta get with the program!” 

“Plenty of people in this university sleep in on weekdays, you early-bird demon.” Twenny snapped, looking just as exhausted as Robo-ky, leaning on a far wall without the reprieve of a wheelchair. “And why do I have to be up, as well?”

“We’re having breakfast as a family.” Fivoh said, irritatingly cheerful. “Mom has time between classes right now, so we’ve got to hurry!” 

Crow wasn’t at the cafeteria when they got there, and no matter how many times Fivoh tried calling him, he wasn’t picking up. 

“Looks like she ghosted us.” Twenny patted Fivoh’s shoulder in a way that Robo-ky was tempted to read as sarcastic. “Come on, your food is getting cold.” 

Fivoh reluctantly took her hand away from her ear and started eating her cold omelette. It hardly looked appetizing after such a long wait, but there was no sense in wasting food. 

Speaking of, Robo-ky carefully put the soft rubber spoon in his mouth, trying to finish his already-soggy fiber-rich cereal as fast as he could. It wasn’t something he was keen to rush, though, between the danger of spilling and the danger of choking and the danger of biting his tongue and the danger of getting laughed at again…

“Well-p,” Twenny smacked their lips, crumpling up the wrapper of their finished sandwich. “If I stay any longer, I’ll be late for class.” 

“Your class isn’t until noon.” Fivoh reminded them.

“Yeah, and if I don’t finish getting the sleep I need, I’m gonna nap right through it!” Twenny replied, passing by Robo-ky’s wheelchair to give him a shoulder-pat as well. “See you at sundown, Rob.” 

“Mghrp?” Robo-ky looked up, spoon dangling from his mouth, but Twenny had already walked away. When he turned around, he noticed Fivoh staring at their turned back, not quite angry but not quite sad. Frustrated? Maybe that was it.

When Fivoh noticed Robo-ky’s stare, her expression softened back into its polite neutral. 

“Well, it can’t be helped.” She went back to her cold omelette. “Make sure to finish your food, you’ll need all the energy you can get.” 

“Stand up.” Fivoh commanded, gently authoritative. 

Robo-ky gripped the fuzzy exercise bar and wrenched himself off the bench and to his feet. His whole body shook with the effort, and he leaned on the bar with all of his bodyweight, trying to remember not to breathe in his own spit, and that he couldn’t breathe while he swallowed, and to keep his tongue away from his teeth or else his jaw would clamp down and bite it…

“You’re going to have to be able to do this without the bar by the end of the week.” Fivoh reminded him. “You’ll also have to improve your form, or you’ll just be here longer.”

Robo-ky’s gaze was blurring, he watched his own sweat drip off his chin and hit the floor. The sweat that dried to his skin itched and irritated him, demanding to be wiped away before it could make his poor condition any worse. It was worst around his most recent vaccination bandage, the only thing keeping him from ripping it off was the exhaustion in all his limbs.

“Rob.” Fivoh snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Can you hear me? I said sit down.” 

The action took as much effort as standing, all his body wanted to do was collapse to the floor right then and there. But he reached back with one arm, found the bench’s surface, and with every muscle screaming he kept himself upright just long enough to collapse there instead. 

Fivoh let him gasp for air, wiping his sweat-soaked face with a towel, then putting a water bottle to his lips, waiting patiently for him to drink. He ended up letting half of it splatter the front of his shirt, which…didn’t feel so bad?

“Here,” Fivoh cupped her hand and poured some water into it. Making sure that Robo-ky was watching, she rubbed it onto her face. “Nice and cool, huh?” 

“Hmh,” he cupped his hand in imitation, but Fivoh helped him cup both hands instead. The water was near painful with its cold, but it was a relief from the pain of heat and muscle strain. He splashed it on his face, and the relief spread, sending a tremble through his aching body. It was over too fast, he wanted another splash.

“Come on, get up.” Fivoh batted his hands away when he held them out for more. “I’ll give you more when you get another one in.”

Robo-ky huffed and started to reach out, but Fivoh infuriatingly stopped him again.

“Use your legs this time.” She made him pay attention to the way she sat down and stood up with no help from her arms. 

Robo-ky’s head swam, and his body ached even more from just the thought that he’d have to figure out how to move like that. He gripped the edge of the bench, making helpless little whimpers to try and get Fivoh to take pity on him.

“Use your words, Rob.” Fivoh pinched his cheek. “You can only improve at talking by doing it more.”

“Whhh…” Robo-ky swallowed. “Wahh…watr…wat-errr…”

“Yup,” Fivoh held up the bottle and shook it teasingly out of his reach. “When you do another one.”

Robo-ky growled at Fivoh, taking a cheap swipe at it. She parried him without a hint of effort, pinching his other cheek just to rub it in.

“Come on, you big crybaby.” She chided. “Stand up.”

“I’m not lookin, ya big dork!” Twenny made a big show of turning their head away from the crack in the shower curtain. “But you need to learn how to clean yourself off, or else someone’s going to have to clean YOU off.” 

Robo-ky grumbled and cursed under his breath, sitting on the shower-chair meant for the elderly, struggling to peel off his disgusting gym clothes. He wasn’t letting anyone see his body if he could help it. Well, the med students who gave him sponge baths already saw him, but they were doctors. He was pretty sure Twenny wasn’t a doctor. 

“Don’t leave them on the floor, pass them to me.” Twenny reached their hand through, making a gimme motion in midair. Robo-ky reluctantly tried to give them the dry parts to grab on to, hoping it’d be a little less gross for them. 

“Alright, ready to turn on the water?” Twenny asked. “Just turn the knob, slowly, so you don’t–” 

Robo-ky’s struggle to get the knob to slightly turn resulted in him twisting it all the way to the side, pelting him with a hose of ice-cold water, making him scream and gargle in pain. 

Twenny’ hand expertly found the knob and twisted it back off. “–blast yourself in the face.” 

Robo-ky’s teeth chattered, and he shivered like he was dying. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll do it.” Twenny’s hand turned the hot and cold knobs in just the right amounts to put the showerhead on the setting for a soft stream of warm water.

“Make sure to use soap, and when you’re done, get a towel on so I can teach you how to shampoo your hair without burning your eyes.” Twenny paused. “Also, I know the soaps look and smell delicious, but don’t drink any of them.”

“Whuh…?” Robo-ky squinted at their silhouette. 

“I’m not saying that because I think you’re stupid,” He could see them shrug on the other side of the curtain. “It’s because I was that stupid.” 

Robo-ky didn’t respond. He decided on the one with the soap-dispender nozzle, mostly because he was the most sure that he wasn’t going to drop it on his foot. 

“Look, don’t be discouraged.” Twenny leaned on a wall. “Humans have to learn all this too, technically, we just have to learn it a lot later. It’s like growing up knowing a language versus learning the language as an adult.” 

“Hmh…?” Robo-ky glanced up from his efforts to suds himself up.

“Augh, wait,” Twenny sounded frustrated. “Sorry, I’m used to explaining to humans what robots are like. I forgot I was talking to another robot.” 

“Mmh…” He went back to his task, getting into every nook and cranny he could reach.

“Okay, it’s like…” He heard Twenny tapping their finger on the bathroom tile. “Do you remember how we used to record battle data?”

Robo-ky blinked. Those days felt like a lifetime ago. “Khhh…kinda…?”

“It’s like, you gotta learn things, but nobody quality-checks your uploads, and the data gets corrupted within minutes of your recording them, so you have to record the same thing over and over. Like, eventually you learn a version of how to do it, but it’s not the exact thing.” 

“Hmh…” Robo-ky mulled that over. 

Twenny’s voice betrayed that they weren’t satisfied with that assessment, either. “…It’s mostly just weird, yknow? All of this. All the time.”

“Yeh…” Robo-ky busied himself with cupping water in his hands and splashing his face. The sensation was still refreshing, but much different now.

“You done, by the way?” Twenny sat up. “You’ve been in there a while.”

“Mhm.” Robo-ky carefully closed the knobs, and actually managed to get it closed without any fuckups. He couldn’t help but beam with pride. 

“Alright, here.” Twenny held a fluffy towel out for Robo-ky to reach. They waited until he confirmed he was wrapped in it, then pulled the curtain aside. 

“Ahhh,” Twenny looked Robo-ky over. “Alright, uh…good first attempt! Next time, I’ll just leave this to the med students, so they can help you wash your back.”

“I dihh..!” Robo-ky protested, reaching back and finding a fistful of unwashed suds on his shoulder. He slumped in defeat. “Nnrgh…”

Robo-ky lay on his dorm bed, carefully dialing the number he had memorised. He listened to the phone ring, once, twice, then…

“Hello?” Venom’s polite voice carried over the speaker. 

“Vhhhh…” Robo-ky mustered the remainder of his exhausted concentration. “Vh. Veh. Venni…!”

“Oh, Robo…!” His voice turned warm and fond in recognition. “I was just about to call. How are you? How was your day?”

“Fr…frus,” He wiped a drop of spit off his chin. “Frrruhhhh…ssstrrr…aaatiiiing.”

“Frustrating?”

“Yhuh…!” 

“Sounds like it.” Venom chuckled. “I hope you’ve been working on pronunciation! That way we’ll get the most out of these phone calls.”

Robo-ky felt his gut twist. “Mmnnhh…!”

“Yes?” Venom sounded a little confused that time. 

“Whha…whhaat,” Robo-ky swallowed and wiped his dry chin. “yyyou, donnn…do. Doi.” He shut his eyes and concentrated. “You…do..ing?”

“What am I doing?” Venom corrected.

“Yeh!”

“Nothing, not yet.” Venom said lightly, Robo-ky could practically hear him shrug. “Could you believe I’ve been back in town this long, and I’m still trying to get used to the time difference?"

"Houh..." Robo-ky couldn't think of a reply, but it'd take him too long to say it, either way.

"…I’m also trying to get used to being alone in the bakery. It’s too quiet without you.”

“Hhmh…” Robo-ky whimpered. “Mssss…yyyou.”

“I miss you too.” Venom mumured. His voice was so soft, it sent a blossom of warmth through Robo-ky’s body, it made something in his chest unwind. “I can stay on the phone for a little while, but,” Robo-ky heard the shift of bedsheets. “If I fall asleep randomly, you’ll know why.”

“Mmhm.” Robo-ky sighed, curling up for warmth under his thin blankets. “L…loohh…vv…!”

“I love you, too.” Venom whispered. “I’m learning too, see? Learning to say I love you.”

“Lovvve…yyou…!”

“I love you, too.”

“I…Lov…you…” 

“Love you too.”

Chapter Text

“Alright,” Twenny leaned against the bathroom door frame. “Let's see it.” 

Robo-ky gripped the edge of the sink with one hand, and with the other, carefully measured a dollop of toothpaste onto the bristles of a toothbrush. He set the tube aside and picked up the brush, careful not to fumble. He watched his own progress closely in the mirror, until he’d successfully lifted the brush all the way to his mouth. Moving as quickly and carefully as he could, he brushed it over his teeth, getting the front and top and back, then the other side, front and top and back. Once he was done, he spat into the sink. On the home stretch, he opened the faucet to clean the bristles off, then cupped some water to his mouth so he could give a final rinse and spit. Finally, though his arm and legs were screaming in pain, he lowered himself back onto his wheelchair, and sat down soft as a feather. 

Twenny clapped, with more enthusiasm than they ever showed before. “Way to go! You got the hang of it just like that.” 

“Heh!” Robo-ky allowed himself some well-earned pride. 

“Just goes to show what a little support gets you.” Twenny stood out of the way while Robo-ky adjusted the wheelchair’s angle so that Twenny could pull the chair out of the bathroom. “I remember when I was at your stage, I was wasting half the tube trying to get it right.” 

Robo-ky scoffed. “Bet Fivoh…called you slob…!” 

“The hell are you talking about?” Twenny poked him in the back of his head. “I was turned before Crow even got her job!”

“Huh?” Robo-ky looked back at Twenny. “You’re…first?”

“Yeah, obviously?” They pulled the wheelchair backwards so they could shove the dorm room open with their hip. “Why do you think I look like a horror movie monster when she looks like a gymwear model?”

“Y-you're not mon–”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Twenny rolled their eyes. “I’m not so bad once you get to know me, but everybody who doesn’t get to know me? I see the look in their eyes.” 

Like diverting a river with a bucket, Robo-ky didn’t have time to say. 

“Okay, how's this to motivate you?” Twenny suggested as they wheeled him down the hall, past the groggy morning crowd of students and to the rest of the university. “When you get back from your appointments, I’ll show you my ‘baby pictures’ and we can both laugh at how stupid I used to look. So train hard, yeah?”

Fivoh was too busy yelling at Crow over the phone to notice that Robo-ky was shirking his exercises. Not that it mattered, because he was already able to stand with no balance beam for minutes at a time before his knees started hurting and he had to sit back down. He was practically ready to graduate, as far as he was concerned!

“Ahem.” Fivoh stared down at Robo-ky, who flinched back.

“H-hey.” Robo-ky smiled sheepishly. 

“Hey.” Fivoh leaned down so that she was face to face with her brother. “You wanna get to work or do you wanna be left behind?”

“Mgh.” Robo-ky looked away, bracing his hands on the armrests. With a huff of hesitation, he stood and wobbled on his feet. 

“Alright, you’ve pretty solidly mastered standing up!” Fivoh gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Now it’s time to learn the next step, literally.”

“Hnh?” Robo-ky barely had a chance to recuperate. Fivoh grabbed his arm and just about yanked him off his feet, dragging him towards a pair of metal bars at waist-height. 

“Today, we’re starting walking training!” Fivoh said with a smile, putting each of Robo-ky’s hands on the metal bars. “Take your time, walk over to the other side.”

Robo-ky stood, breathing deeply and feeling dizzy. Soon enough, his head was spinning so hard that he had to sink to his knees, falling into a puddle on the floor.

“Rob.” Fivoh sighed.

“Mmmghh…”

“You’re making this hard on me too, you know.”

“GGHHHRRGGHHH!”

“Do you want to be pushed around on a chair forever, or do you want to be an independant walker?”

“…Hgh.” Robo-ky reached his hand up for the bar, and missed. “Help…”

Fivoh lifted Robo-ly as easily as a moderately overweight cat, and set his hands back on the bars. “Just get to the other side, okay?”

Robo-ky did try to make it to the other side, though each step took more than a minute, and more than every ounce of energy he had left. He didn’t have much help, because the moment he turned his back on his sister, she was on the phone again, shouting at their dad.

“Alright, breathe in.” 

Robo-ky obeyed, trying not to be too loud. 

“Sounds clear!” The med student closed the spell circle she had opened over Robo-ky’s ribs. “Alright, I think that’s it for today. I’ll tell your mom to come pick you up.”

“Huh?” Robo-ky looked up. “Whuh ‘bout…Fivoh?”

“Iunno,” The student shrugged, gathering her things. “She just said the professor would be picking you up.”

“Oh…” Robo-ky sunk into his chair as the student wheeled him out of the room and into the hall. She left him in obvious view but slightly out of the way, to make it easy for him to be seen but not obstructing anyone in a hurry. She waved back at him as she walked away, and he waved back until she went around a corner.

And Robo-ky waited. And waited. 

Some people walked past the hallway he was in, but not down it. He sat alone with empty walls and echoed bits of conversation, too far away to hear. 

He didn’t trust himself to get up from the chair. Sure, he could use the exercise, but these were hard tile floors, and there was nothing in front of him to hold on to. He could fall and make a fool of himself all he wanted on the padded gym floor with Fivoh, but here he had to be more careful. 

Robo-ky checked his phone. Less time passed than he thought. He sent another text. He waited for someone to show up, Crow or otherwise. 

He waited.

He waited, with nowhere else to go.

He waited, completely alone. 

He waited, like a robot head on a charging dock, supposed to be powered off, but secretly waiting, waiting for someone to come see him. 

He dialed Venom’s number. 

He waited. 

Ringing. 

He waited. 

Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, please leave a message…

He hung up. 

He waited.

He wrote up a text, long and winding, about his day and how it had gone wrong.

He sent it.  

He waited. 

He checked for a reply. 

He waited. 

He checked for any replies to any of his messages. 

He waited a little more, then sighed bitterly and shut his phone off. 

He rested his head on the flimsy back of his wheelchair. 

He waited with his eyes tracing the ceiling tiles. 

His eyelids felt heavy. 

He waited with his eyes closed. 

He waited

And waited.

He sat behind the register. Venni was in the kitchen, shaping bread and putting it in the oven. He watched, looking for a moment that he could step away. 

Footsteps. Coming closer. 

“I’m here.” 

The wheelchair jerked forwards, he was being pushed along. 

“Venni–?” Robo-ky looked up and was startled to see Crow’s chin just above his head. 

“It’s just me.” Crow grumbled. 

“Croh…?” Robo-ky blinked the blurriness out of his eyes. 

“Yes, I know I’m late, sorry .” She hissed through her teeth, straining to push the chair forwards. “How the hell does–?” 

Robo-ky reached over and pulled the wheel’s parking brakes open, and Crow nearly shoved him forwards into a wall. 

“GAH–!” Crow stumbled to collect himself. “...Agh. I see. Forgot how these…right.” 

“Hmh?” Robo-ky looked up at her again. She was looking at where she was going rather than down at Robo-ky. 

“Look, I’m sorry I made you miss your appointments.” Crow grumbled. “I had office hours, and there’s an exam coming up, and I have papers to grade…” 

“Mh…” Robo-ky’s gaze went back down to what was in front of him. 

“I don’t know why Fivoh insists on these stupid things!” Crow huffed. “Anyone could have taken you, why did she tell everyone that I was going to do it? I told her I was busy! I’m always busy with something!” 

Robo-ky hunched down in his seat. “S’rry.” 

Crow didn’t reply. He left him in front of Twenny’s dorm room, knocked, and left before Robo-ky’s sibling could unlock the door.

“Tw’nny?” Robo-ky muttered. 

“Open your mouth when you talk.” Twenny replied, rummaging through a dusty backpack. “You’re slurring all your words together, it sounds like you’ve been drugged when you talk like that.” 

“Hrrgh…”

“Tw-eh-nny.” His sibling flicked the side of his head. “Come on, don’t you have a whole dedicated speech therapist teaching you?”

“Tw…eh…nny.” Robo-ky repeated. “Twenny, what’s Fivoh’s…prob…problem?”

Twenny paused. “...Nah. C’mon, she’s not the one with the problem, it’s like…it’s just me and Crow are the ones who have a problem, okay? We’re always too sluggish and mean, while she’s just trying to get us to behave like a family. We’re the assholes for not giving her something as easy as a family breakfast.” 

“Really…?” Robo-ky squinted. 

“Look.” Twenny snapped their fingers in front of Robo-ky’s face, which made a strange metal grinding sound. “Crow is never gonna be there for you. He’ll always have an excuse about office hours and exams and grading papers. Fivoh will cancel an appointment to talk you out of something you’ll regret. That’s the difference between someone you can rely on and an asshole.” 

“Was I ‘sposed to…rely on her, when I missed…all MY appointments?” Robo-ky retorted. “I was in a hallway…for hours! I fell asleep!”

Twenny sighed. “Look, I’m not saying she’s perfect. I didn’t come get you either.” 

“Tch…” Robo-ky leaned his head back again, gaze rolling over into the middle distance. “All…stupid.” 

“Yep.” Twenny nodded. “Alright, found it!” 

“Uhn…?” Robo-ky looked down at the book Twenny was yanking out of its time capsule. “What's…?”

Twenny let the yearbook fall open on their knee, flipping through it with the familiarity of someone who knew it from front to back. Eventually, they stopped and held up the book to a clearly well-worn page. 

“See that?” Twenny tapped their finger on a picture. “That’s me.” 

Robo-ky leaned over and squinted. There was an image that looked to be a late-night flash photograph of a banged-up MK2 robo-ky unit holding a pool noodle, accosted by a surprise attack of similarly armed frat boys. The robot was down a leg, a shoulder busted into a naked metal joint and stripped wires, missing a sizable chunk of their head, as well as their entire jaw. The lighting of the photograph made it feel like a horror scene, a pack of vultures descending on something that might have had a chance to survive if unaccosted. 

“Oh…” Robo-ky leaned back, looking at the other parts of the page. The caption at the top denoted this spread to be the yearbook funnies, other photographs were of tame pranks and school projects gone wrong. 

“And here she is.” Twenny held up a second book, significantly newer and more sophisticated and boring with its layout. The spread was a collection of achievements by the robo-biotics students and faculty. There was a conspicuously clean and well-kept MK2 unit standing in the group picture, right next to a more familiarly gaunt and sickly Professor Crow. 

Twenny took the book back before Robo-ky could get a better look, and started flipping through the pages to a different one. 

“And here…I am.” Twenny held up a page, sharing a spread with the accomplishments of the environmental preservation club: the political sciences. There was one picture, bigger than all the rest, was of Twenny in a prim suit and tie, leaning over a microphone, flashcards clutched tightly in hand. 

“Oh…!” Robo-ky glanced up at them. They were beaming. 

“Not too shabby, huh?” Twenny rearranged themself to sit more comfortably on the floor. “It's been a while since I did that speech, but I think I can be proud of how high I managed to climb, yanno?”

Robo-ky stared at Twenny at their prime, but then his eyes flicked down to the old funnies page. “Did…they…apologise?”

Twenny paused, looking at where their brother was pointing. “You mean, the guys in the old picture? Nah, they’ve all graduated or dropped out by now. This was forever ago.” 

“C’n still–!” 

“Speak UP, dude.” 

“They–can–still–!” He strained to get his words out fast enough, but Twenny clicked their tongue.

“People don’t like apologising.” They took the old yearbook out of Robo-ky’s lap. “People don’t like to think of themselves as bad people, even if the ways they try to deny it makes them act even worse.” 

Robo-ky glanced back down at the pictured Twenny, then back up at the real one in front of him. 

“What were…” He pointed at the flashcards. “You talking ‘bout here…?”

Twenny balanced their cheek on their fist with a wry smile. “I was arguing to the illyrian government that I should be allowed to enroll as a student in this university.”

The faint blue glow of the phone spell kept his empty dorm room from plunging into total darkness. He was under his new electric blanket; warm, but alone. In a way, he wanted this, in another way, he hated it. 

Sorry I can’t come to the phone right now, please leave a message…

Robo-ky listened to Venom’s tinned, faraway voice. He hung up before anything could be recorded, and dialed again, waiting to hear him again, and again, until he fell asleep.  

Chapter Text

There was something he was forgetting. Something he had on the backburner of his formerly robotic mind, but the more he tried to recall it, the more he–

“Banana.” The voice therapist repeated a little louder, shaking him out of his thoughts.

“Grrhh.” The flash card held out in front of him had a picture of the fruit, the regular spelling, and the phonetic spelling. All Robo-ky had to do was say it.

“Ba. Na. Nuh.” The therapist repeated. 

“Banamamanam…” Robo-ky balled his hands into fists. “Sorry.” 

“What’re you apologizing for?” The speech therapist had a very particular neutral tone, non judgemental.

“Ghhh, its jusst…hhh…” Robo-ky swallowed and looked up at her. “It's the…re-pea-ting. Rep. Re-pe-tition.” 

The therapist placed the card down on the table. “Don’t be discouraged, alright?”

Robo-ky fiddled with the card, like he was going to flick it back to her, but thought better of it. 

“Try again.” She said, putting the card down in front of him. “Say it over and over until you get it.”

“This SUCKS!” Robo-ky threw his head back and groaned at the ceiling. “Why the HELL is it so hell–har–hard for hhhhhhhumans to learn things!? I used to be able to learn fighting moves the MOMENT I saw saw–some–some–someone else perform-form them!”

“...It’s just the way your brain works now.” She said patiently. “I know you were used to photographic memory as a robot, but that’s not what your mind is built for anymore. Humans need to build up familiarity with repeated experiences.”

“...Inferior.” Robo-ky growled. The therapist glared at him, and he shrank down in his seat. 

“If we’re so inferior, then I guess you don’t want any snacks.” 

Robo-ky watched as she cut up a real banana from the fruit bowl she had brought with her. She picked up one of the larger slices with her gloved hand and held it out to him. 

“Every time you pronounce it right, you get to eat one.” 

“Thank you.” Robo-ky took the slice with his hand and popped it in his mouth. 

“You’re welcome–” She was cut off by Robo-ky spitting the slice out and gagging. 

“No–” cough “–No thank you!” Robo-ky scraped his tongue with his fingers to get the taste off until the therapist gave him some water and napkins.

The therapist tried the banana and didn’t find anything wrong with it, but she let Robo-ky pick the next fruit from the bowl. He pulled it over, getting a closer look at them all, and something caught his eye so suddenly that his mind needed a second to catch up with it. 

“Tan…”

“No,” The therapist selected the card. “Orange.” 

“Tan….ger…!” Robo-ky closed his eyes, trying to remember how the word sounded to his audio sensors, and which shapes he needed his mouth to make. 

The therapist blinked at him, then shuffled through her deck for a different card. She found it and held it out to him. 

“Tangerine?”

“000348?” Fivoh asked, looking up from her book. 

“I met them! Out…in the field somewhere!” Robo-ky clenched his teeth in frustration at himself. “Their hair was field–fall–falling out, and an optic sensor was busted!” 

A passing library aide shushed him, and the three went silent again. They busied themselves with books they weren’t actually paying attention to, glancing down the otherwise empty line of shelves until they were sure he’d passed them by.

“I can’t…access location data!” Robo-ky insisted, gripping the handle of his cane like he was going to jump to his feet. “I need to…to see the records…of–” He coughed. “ALL of the model 2s!”

“You wanna get up?” Fivoh teased, and he slumped back down. 

“So, was this meeting in a dream?” Twenny sat down at a nearby terminal that the librarians used to find books in the system. They typed in a code that Robo-ky wasn’t so sure they were supposed to know, and scrolled through like they’d done this a hundred times already. 

“No, they–” He coughed. “Aughhh…” 

“Just talk slower.” Fivoh passed her older brother a tissue box. “There’s no rush.”

Robo-ky took one out and wiped his mouth, pondering the mix of blurry memories and whatever fractured bits he could remember of his strange dream. For a while, there was no sound except Twenny’s occasional typing.

“348 was a broken down MK2 I met in the illyrian badlands,” He recalled slowly. “Just…following me around, I think their directive was to take me in for scrap. I was trying to get tangerines to make a blacktech power source. But I ended up meeting the original Ky Kiske, who was hunting me down. I don't think he even knew there was more than one of me, he was just–! Anyway…we started a fight and…and 348 took the blow that would have killed me.” 

“Hm...” Twenny frowned at the terminal screen. “It…doesn’t look like they or their parts were ever recovered. Sorry, Robert.” 

“Why do you guys keep calling me that?!” Robo-ky snapped. “I’ve always been Robo-ky!” 

“Okay, sorry.” Twenny shrugged, and logged out of the terminal when another aide glanced in their direction. 

“Well, it’s your legal name now.” Fivoh replied. “I don’t call myself Robo-ky, even though there’s a part of me that is still the PWAB’s battle data programming of Ky Kiske from before he became king. I’m my own person, with my own memories.”

Robo-ky was quiet. He looked away, wiping his face with the napkin again. 

“One of the things the PWAB took out from Dad’s design when the K-Series went into mass production was your obsession with defeating Ky Kiske, made sure we stayed on directive. Me and Twenny never felt attached to our old names, you know?”

“I don’t care about Ky Kiske anymore, either.” Robo-ky grumbled. 

“Didn’t you say he struck down 348?” Twenny asked, leaning back in their chair. 

“He was aiming for me.” Robo-ky crumpled the napkin in his hand. “...When 348 fell, Ky started picking tangerines to help me revive them. I’m the only one to blame, really.”

Twenny looked at him. “Picking tangerines, you said?”

“...Yes?” Robo-ky looked back at them.

“So you were near at least one tangerine tree.” 

“Yes.” 

Twenny went back to their terminal screen. 

“Well, I’m glad to hear you moved on from your Ky obsession!” Fivoh continued, trying to inject some artificial cheeriness into the situation. “Having an evolving mental state and personality is a good sign that you’ll be able to integrate into human society.”

Robo-ky looked down at himself, remembering his patient smocks with all the various stains had left on them by sweating, being bad at eating, wiping tears and snot, forgetting to swallow spit and drooling on himself. Right now, he was wearing a boring blank polo shirt and khaki pants that he had been training not to get fluids on. 

“Do you guys ever…” He remembered to swallow. “...regret this?” 

“Regret what?” Fivoh asked, studying his face. “Becoming humans?” 

Robo-ky nodded, his movements stilted with lack of practice. 

“Not really.” Fivoh smiled. “It’s not always easy, but I’m not alone anymore.”

“Speak for yourself.” Twenny grumbled. “Fivoh, don’t pretend like all of us can make it in the human world. Plenty of humans can’t survive in human-made society.”

Robo-ky was about to ask them to elaborate, but Twenny sat up with a cry of triumph. 

“Robo-ky, come look at this!” Twenny gestured to their siblings to come over, and pointed at a clipping of an amateur local newspaper.

A pick-your-own-fruit tangerine farm, with a niche oddity. The rusted plates of a metal doll were tangled into the roots of one of the trees, curled up as if asleep, just as Robo-ky had left them to rest. 

“So, when do you think whe–we can go?” Robo-ky asked, out of breath from his extended explanation. “I mean, I’m not in a huge rush or anything, but hu–you know! I’d like it if we could get a rush–around to it, when I get back!”

“Robo, slow down…” Venom yawned on the other side of the line. 

“I can save up!” Robo-ky continued. “What time can what-we go?” 

“Robo, you haven’t even come back yet…” Venom sighed. “You want to go all the way out into the countryside?”

“Well–!” Robo-ky swallowed. “I–it’s a plan for the future, you know? I gotta do something in my life, and I want it to be this.”

Robo-ky heard a shift in the sheets. Venom had gone quiet. 

“I…thought you were coming back to the bakery?” Venom said, an odd edge to his voice.

“Huh?” Robo-ky felt like a rubber-band had been yanked in his brain. “What–of course I am! I can’t just leave you! Where else can I go?” 

The silence on the other side of the line felt like a thick pressure in the air. 

“Robo…” Venom’s voice sounded different, quieter. “Do you…want to come back?”

“Of course!” Robo-ky pleaded. “I don’t have anywhere else to stay, I told you!” 

“Do you want to come back here?” Venom asked urgently. “Or do you just feel like you have to?”

“Huh?” Robo-ky squinted. “I…I want to come back to you.” 

Venom sighed, like a release. “I want you to come back, Robo. But, I don’t want to be the only place in the world you could belong.”

“Well, it works out, right?” Robo-ky half-laughed. “So, what’s the issue?”

“Robo, pretend something happens to me, an accident or trouble with passports, and you can’t come over.” Venom explained. “What would you do until that was resolved?”

“Huhh…” Robo-ky curled up. “...I don’t know. I haven’t really made any plans yet. I-it’s just been ‘deal with whatever’s in front of me and let tomorrow come,’ since I started this…what is it, transition? Does this count as a trans–trans–transition? I mean, like, in the way you trans-transitioned…?”

“Robo…” Venom’s voice was soft. “Give it some thought. Please, the whole point of this is for you to be your own person. I don’t want you to feel like you owe me.” 

“I mean,” Robo-ky chuckled. “I do kinda k-owe you. Like, a lotta money.” 

Venom remained quiet. “I don’t like the idea of trapping you in one path in life. It happened to me, and I wasted years torturing myself over nothing. I want to make sure I’m not doing it to you. All I want is for you to think about it, come up with an answer. Okay?”

“I…” Robo-ky swallowed. “Yeah. Definitely. I’ll def-do that.” 

Venom yawned suddenly. “Robo…?”

“Yeah?”

“…tell me what time it is over there?”

“Uhh…” Robo-ky looked around and found his bedside alarm clock. “19:27, why?”

“Oh.” Venom yawned again. “It’s 21:45 here.” 

“Huh?” Robo-ky squinted, then he remembered. “Damn it. DAMN it, I forgot timezones are are-a thing!”

“Can you leave me a voicemail?” Venom asked. “I promise I want to talk to you more, but…” 

“Yeah-yeah, I’ll…just get some sleep!” Rbobo-ky felt his face heat up in regret. “I'll-I-I love you.” 

“I love–” Yawn. “--you, too.” 

Click, beep.

Chapter Text

Robo-ky was 14 minutes into his daily 30 minute treadmill walk, and for every second of it he wished for nothing else than the chance to go back to being a disembodied head.

“I h…hate…I HAATE…” He wheezed and clutched at the railings as his trembling legs took step after step. 

“So dramatic…” Professor Crow lightly jogged on the one next to him, fixing his earbuds to drown out the noise a little more. 

“Almost there!” Fivoh cheered. She stood in front of Robo-ky’s treadmill with his water bottle and towel. “You’re on your way to beating Dad’s best time!”

“What was that?” Crow took out an earbud.

“NOTHING.” Robo-ky snapped at him. Crow rolled his eyes and put it back in. 

“Okay, 3…2…1,” Fivoh hit a button on her handheld timer. “halfway break!”

Robo-ky nearly collapsed to the floor right then and there, but he took his cane and followed Fivoh to the nearby bench. Wheezing and sweating buckets, he flopped down and went completely limp, just gasping for air. 

Fivoh handed him his towel and water bottle, which he caught without looking. He half-smirked in pride of his sick move, then went back to gasping like a beached whale.

“Make sure to drink up,” Fivoh thumbed at the new little machine in the corner. “your throat might be a bit dry because of the dehumidifier.”

Robo-ky did as she said, wheezing and complaining every chance he got. “Stupid…human legs need so long to upgrade!” 

“Come on, you’ve really improved you know!” Fivoh continued. “A lot of humans forget how important proper maintenance is, and many don’t even know how to do it without hurting themselves. It’s a science in and of itself, you don’t really get it until you can interact with it with your own muscles aching and heart pumping! It’s the…”

She saw the look Robo-ky was giving her, and paused her excited ramble. 

“You seem to really like your job.” Robo-ky said, distractedly putting his untouched water back on the bench.

“Yep.” Fivoh pushed the water towards him again.  

“You said your old job was to look after Dad, right?” Robo-ky lifted the water to his mouth, but put it down without drinking again. “Does this job you’re doing derive from that?”

“Yes.” She pushed the water to his mouth a little more firmly. “Dad programmed me to want to help around the lab, and help her with cramps and pains. It became really obvious really quickly that his lack of physical activity every day and his lack of an organizational system was what was keeping him back. And when she took me to the university, there were so many other people who were as scattered as he was, I knew I had to make myself as useful as possible to everyone!”

“Everyone?” Robo-ky’s hand started to fall again, until Fivoh grabbed his hand and put the bottle to his lips. 

“DRINK.” She insisted, and didn’t say anything else until he’d been intimidated into a few sips. At that point, he fully registered how parched he was and began gulping water as fast as he could. 

“Ahh…” Robo-ky sighed in satisfaction, wiping his mouth. “So, you’re completely happy with your life? You wouldn’t trade it for anything else?”

Fivoh studied his face. “You keep asking variations of the same question.” 

“Well….hmh.” Robo-ky turned away and took another sip. 

“I’m happy because I’ve found my calling as a physical therapist and gym coach.” Fivoh said, a little wistful. “I have so many friends and colleagues who share in my passions and help me reach greater heights, and seeing my patients come back over and over and improve themselves over time makes me feel that every second was worth it. Transitioning to a human was just one step of a whole journey of belonging where I didn’t before.” 

Robo-ky looked back at her. “How do I know where I belong?”

“You have to look for your place.” Fivoh said, shrugging. “There’s no absolute path to follow. I almost went into neurology, you know! And I had good times with the professors and students there, and I could still see myself dedicating my passion to that if I could live two lives. But for what I have, I’m happy.” 

Robo-ky swallowed. “I’m gonna go live with a baker. He’s really passionate about his work, but I can’t get through a single page of a cookbook without falling asleep.”

“Sounds like he’s the brains of the operation.” Fivoh suggested. “Can you think of any part of the process you really enjoy?”

“Uhh…” Robo-ky thought back. “...eating.” 

Fivoh snorted. “That’s not an…unimportant role, right?” 

“It’s usually the customers who do that part!” Robo-ky leaned back. “I don’t know…I’m…”

Fivoh tried to catch his eye, but he turned his head away. 

“What if I go back, and I can’t handle being like this?” Robo-ky muttered, his voice tightening a little with panic with every question. “What if I’m too much of a burden? What if he doesn’t want me anymore? Where the hell do I go?”

Fivoh put her hand on her brother’s shoulder. It was firm and strong, the hand of someone used to keeping other people steady. “You can come back here, and we’ll help you put a resume together.” 

Robo-ky’s shoulders drooped. “What, I can’t even reap the benefits of nepotism?” 

“What nepotism?” Fivoh laughed. “I got this job from my own blood, sweat and tears! Dad can’t even hack it well enough for tenure, she’s good at inventing robots and that’s IT.” 

“HEY.” Crow wheezed from his treadmill just as he finished his set. “WHAT ARE YOU TWO YAPPING ABOUT?”

“YOU, ASSHOLE!” Robo-ky flipped him off, but Fivoh immediately slapped his hand back down.

“I think we’ve had a long enough break.” Fivoh said brightly. “Let's get back on the grind, Robert!”

He glowered at Crow, just long enough for the man to mockingly smirk at her son, wheezing like a moldy accordion and clutching a stitch in her side.  

“Twenny, it says right on the box–” Robo-ky held it up. 

“Just ignore it.” Twenny didn’t look up from their homework. “That’s only on it so they don’t get sued.”

“‘Not for use inside the ear’ it’s like, exactly the opposite of what you’re saying!” Robo-ky looked at it again to make sure he didn’t hallucinate. “It’s not even close to vague.” 

“Look, it’s only dangerous if you stab it all the way in and pop your eardrum!” Twenny snatched the box and put it off to the side. “Just forget it, you can have your ears all gunked with wax for all I care.”

“Well great, thanks for being such a terrible hygiene coach.” Robo-ky crossed his arms and fell onto the stiff mattress that every college dorm room was stocked with. “Not like I had a professional one appointed by the school or anything.”

To his surprise, Twenny actually turned around and glared at him. “You wanna be coddled? Go back to Fivoh and she’ll give you an earful of that frou-frou bullshit about how humans can accept robots if we just try hard enough. I’m not pretty enough for that lifestyle the two of you get to have.”

Robo-ky didn’t break eye-contact with them, and decided to roll over so he was sideways, but face-to-face. “I guess you never really ‘turned human’ huh?”

“No. And I don’t wanna.” Twenny rolled their shoulder, showing off how their dulling metal muscles stretched and flexed under their tank top, evidence that they needed a cleaning. “You know why the two of you get to be pretty and perfect looking? Because humans treated me like literal trash. A human from this university graduated with the highest honors for nearly killing me. The reason I was put on the experiment table was because they expected the spell to twist up my motherboards and let me die by malfunction, just like the dozen of scrapped models that the university couldn’t figure out how to use. Why did I survive, anyway? They only have theories. All their reliance on science, and they couldn’t explain me.”

Twenny’s voice cracked just then, and they turned away. “No more questions, alright? This is due tomorrow.” 

Robo-ky was trying to, but he couldn’t let go of the feeling that was roiling in his guts. Bitter anger, roiling to be given direction.

“Ironic, isn’t it, that I have the very feelings you are so sure I lack?”

Twenny looked back at him, but they didn’t scold him yet. 

“The only reason I’m here is because a model like you and Fivoh took a blow meant for me.” Robo-ky sat up. “348 insisted to the very end that they only protected me because their mission was to capture me, not because they cared about me as a human cares for another human. They cared about me as a robot cares for another robot. You think I’d just stomp all over that!?”

Twenny propped their elbow on the back of their chair. “Your point?” 

“I’m still a robot! I’m still Robo-ky!” He felt a tightness in his chest, like his heart was twisted in a knot. “I haven’t forgotten the life I’ve lived until now! I’m just as angry as you are, you know!?”

Twenny tilted their head, as if staring down their nose at him, even though he stood taller than them. 

“And where are you putting that anger?” Twenny asked. 

“I…?” Robo-ky felt like he’d had an answer, until he actually looked into himself and found a gaping void. A void he’d just been throwing years of endless anger into to no avail, like rocks into a lake. “I…” 

“There aren’t a lot of us from back when you were a cutting-edge innovation.” Twenny said, kicking up their feet. “For various reasons. Did you know our dad faced jail time for whatever the hell the ‘justice copy’ was? She was let off on the technicality that the project failed to kill any ‘real people,’ nevermind all the model 2s he tested that behemoth on.” 

Robo-ky’s mind conjured a shambling mess of sparking wires and stuttering joints slinking across the american desert, while a shadow’s red eyes watched from afar. 

“There’s a whole legal debate going on,” Twenny looked over at the inert radio, and the holes in the desk and drywall that looked suspiciously like a pen clutched in a metal fist had been stabbed into it in rage. “As far as the Illyrian government is concerned, the moral implications of creating ‘ambient intelligence’ in artificial bodies and selling them to government militaries or private consumers aren’t set in stone yet. The politics of robots intelligent enough to feel emotional pain are being done by humans who have money to make off of tech hype and shiny new products. Whether or not artificial life can be put into microwaves and refrigerators and radios and sold for a premium are being argued by those who don’t feel like they have to see us as being alive enough to protect from murder. And guess what, appliance companies would like to sell whatever makes them a buck without being legally culpable for selling living things, no matter what the actual harm they’re inflicting. I’m studying to change that. You’re gonna go live with a baker.”

Robo-ky sat down, heavily. Twenny went back to their homework. 

“I don’t fault you.” They said, their voice soft for the first time. “For all my insults, I’m the one studying to be something as useless and universally hated as a politician.”

Robo-ky flopped over on his back and stared at the ceiling. 

“...I know a kid.” Robo-ky eventually replied. “At my old town. His dad works on the city council, and the kid looks up to the old fart so much he threw rocks at me.” 

“Throw rocks back.” Twenny grumbled. 

“No, I saved him and he apologized for throwing rocks!” Robo-ky snapped. “Like, he changed his mind. I’m just saying, I don’t think you’ll be hated by everyone, okay? The robots you’re fighting for will know they’re not alone, like I did. And if they see you’re genuine, at least some humans will change their minds.”

Twenny didn’t reply for the rest of the night. Robo-ky stayed in their room and fidgeted with q-tips until his alarm went off and he had to go back to his room to sleep on time. 

Robo-ky wasn’t allowed to call Venom’s phone over and over again, but he could listen to the voicemails Venom sent him to tide him over. 

His finger hovered over the ‘play audio’ button. He knew how it would sound. He knew every word and every lilt of his voice and every breath in between. He’d fallen asleep to this voice clip every night, and he knew it like a song. 

He switched tabs, opening a phone call. He waited with bated breath, on the off-chance that Venom might actually pick up, but then it went to voicemail like he expected. 

“Hey, Venni.” Robo murmured into the speaker. “I’ve been giving it some thought. What we talked about, back when I was telling you about 348? I still don’t know what I’m gonna do, but I have options. Like, more than I thought I did before! I have a family I could rely on, I could study for a different job, I could look into a ton of different things. But, like, what I really want to do for the future I can dream of...I still wanna be with you. I know it’s kinda redundant, since I’m gonna see you tomorrow morning, but I know I’m gonna forget to say all this by then. I know how my mind works, thanks to my training here, haha! …So, see you soon. I love you.” 

Chapter Text

It was finally the day that Venice came to the university to take Robo-ky back home for good. Strict to Crow’s suggestions, he brought napkins for his face, warm clothes for the cold, and a sandwich + soup meal from an outside cafe. 

But first things first, that hug.

Robo-ky idled and fidgeted beside Crow as the grad students gathered around. Crow announced that ‘Robert’ had ‘graduated from robot to human’ thanks to the hard work of the university’s robo-biotics students and staff. When the applause subsided, Crow led Robo-ky up to Venice and passed him on to the other man. 

Robo-ky’s hand shook as the tips of his fingers felt Venom’s palm for the first time. But just as his mind reeled from that, Venom gripped the hand and pulled Robo-ky in for a tight, warm hug. Robo-ky squeaked in surprise, but thankfully any further noises were muffled by Venom’s new jacket.

“Welcome back, Robo.” Venom murmured, rubbing Robo-ky’s back. 

Slowly, though his twitching hands were unsure of their purpose, Robo-ky returned the hug as best he could. 

Robo-ky crunched through the sandwich while he waited for the soup to finish warming in the cafeteria microwave. Everyone was sitting around the table nearest to it; a much-coveted spot, but everyone knew to make way for Robo-ky and his family on his special day.

Robo-ky had tuned the conversation out to focus on eating politely. It was a good tasting sandwich, so the brainpower was much better spent here, anyway. The bread was toasted, the lettuce was crispy, there were these little…vegetable bits mixed in with the pink stuff in the middle. He didn’t know the names by heart, and he felt self-conscious to ask about such basics when Venni was around. 

Robo-ky’s concentration was broken when Venice laughed with perfect politeness at something Crow had just said. Fivoh wasn’t laughing, but she was still keeping up appearances when examined. Twenny did not even begin to mask how put off and bored they were, but smirked a bit when Robo-ky caught their eye.

“I bet he’d know all about it, huh?” Twenny suggested. “Come on, how many times did Fivoh manage to get us all to have breakfast together?”

Robo-ky was still pretty hungry, but he resolved to be polite enough to answer the question before he took another bite. “Crow never showed up for breakfast, I’m pretty sure, but I remember he was there for the staff pizza party—” 

The table erupted into laughter, minus Crow. 

“Twice.” Crow sounded genuinely offended. “It was at least twice, I ate breakfast with you three!” 

“Out of MONTHS, dude!” Twenny kept laughing. “You SUCK!” 

“Oh no, I shouldn’t have asked, I’m so sorry!” Venice was tamping down his laughter into something more polite. “I know how work can get.” 

Crow slumped in her chair, muttering something about the differences between the jobs of a professor and a baker. He was startled by the microwave beeping, and again by Robo-ky getting up to retrieve his soup. 

“You’ve got quite the appetite.” Venice said to Robo-ky as he sat down. 

“Thank you!” He said cheerfully, mixing through the soup with his spoon. After a few seconds, he glanced at Venice again and asked. “...That was a compliment? Right…?”

Venice put his arm over Robo-ky’s shoulders and hugged him close. Robo-ky kept the spoon he was holding over the table at arm’s length so that he wouldn’t drop any soup on Venice’s clothes. 

“So, anyway,” Fivoh looked to Venice. “What were you thinking of doing while you’re both in town? Rob said you’ve got some time before your boat ride sets off.”

“I’ve been planning to show him around the city, as a matter of fact!” Venice beamed, grip on Robo-ky only loosening when he made moves towards finishing his food. “A friend of mine suggested a few places to show him, thankfully, I haven’t been in town long enough to know where to sightsee.” 

“Ah, word of advice,” Twenny piped up. “don’t go to see popular monuments during rush hours, and make sure you know if they allow you to go inside, and if they sell tickets to let you inside, and if they will sell you the ticket even when they’re full to capacity and won’t actually let you inside, and make sure you have pepper spray in case–”

“Alright, slow down, urban explorer.” Crow snarked. Twenny scoffed, but shut up all the same.

“Thank you for your advice, I will keep it in mind.” Venice said with sincerity. “I don’t know when our next vacation will be, so we should make the most of it while we’re here.”

Robo-ky swallowed. “Well, it sounds fun! I haven’t been outside the university much. I actually haven’t been around much of the university campus, either, but…”

“Oh, oh, we could show him around!” Fivoh stood up. “Like an open house invitational, but more one-on-one!” 

“Maybe after he’s finished his food?” Crow tugged on Fivoh’s sleeve, pulling her back down to her seat. 

“Yes, yes.” Fivoh looked a bit embarrassed. “Take your time, don’t choke.” 

Twenny paused. “There's a joke I can make–” 

“Don’t.” 

“That is the performing arts building.” Crow pointed to an unassuming building, if not for the advertising banners for theatrical productions that the students would be putting on in the near future. “They mostly only run classical theatre works, but every so often a student gets to make the script as their final exam, and if there’s enough budget, they can even run it.” 

“Do you wanna go see one, Venni?” Robo-ky asked. “I never really had the time to, so…” 

Venice was still just absently nodding, but his gaze seemed elsewhere. Robo-ky’s eyes kept being drawn to Venom’s hand, but that was mostly just motion tracking. It looked like it was something in Venom’s jacket that he was fidgeting with, but Robo-ky couldn’t figure out what it was.

“That there’s the chem building.” Twenny pointed to the next building coming up on the left. “They’re brewing all kinds of potions in there.” 

“Potions?” Fivoh laughed. 

“Potion of burn your throat and die, AKA Hydrochloric acid.” Twenny grinned and accepted the punch from Fivoh, even if it was mostly a light tap on their shoulder. 

“Guys,” Robo-ky felt weirdly embarrassed, even though part of him knew Venom probably didn’t mind. He just…hadn’t been picturing his siblings and parent being here for his first meeting back with his lover. 

Fivoh seemed to pick up on it, somewhat. “Maybe we can go somewhere a little more scenic, Mom?”

“That building is just a bunch of undergraduate professor’s offices.” Crow pointed down a dead-end in the walking paths. “Buuuut, if we go that way, we can short-cut to the studio arts building.” They pointed down a desire path worn into the thin layer of snow and grass, leading towards a building covered with advertisements for student art exhibits. 

“Race you!” Fivoh tapped Twenny’s shoulder and took off at a brisk jog down the trail, and Twenny took off after their sibling with equal enthusiasm. Crow groaned, but followed with a decent power-walk. 

Robo-ky almost ran after them, but then noticed that Venom had stopped in front of a green bush that had been placed just off the path. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Venom asked, as Robo-ky walked up to him.

Robo-ky had been ignoring the odd plants that the university seemed to just have around for no reason other than aesthetics, but now he had to pay attention. “I guess?”

“It’s flowering.” Venom kneeled down and brushed some leaves and snow aside. Robo-ky looked closer, and discovered that it was in fact covered in small white flowers, tucked away between the pointy evergreen leaves. 

“Oh!” Robo-ky leaned down. “They sure are…flowers.” 

Venom glanced at him. “It’s also thorned, so don’t get too close.” 

“Ah–!” Robo-ky stepped back. “The hell’s the point of that!?” 

“The thorns?” Venom asked incredulous but humored. “The point is to point.” 

“No, I mean like, the…why is this here?” Robo-ky gestured at the shrub. “I’m not seeing the logic of the university having a thorny plant with flowers you can’t see unless you touch it.”

Venom silently took Robo-ky’s hand and pulled him closer. “Do you smell it?”

Robo-ky felt a bit embarrassed to be doing this in public, but he relented and leaned in to sniffed the air. “It smells…sweet?”

Venom smiled. “Nature isn’t always kind, but it isn’t always awful, either. Humans like to keep and curate the parts that are beautiful and sweet, to make the world a nicer place to live in. Even if the animals and plants have thorns and claws, that doesn’t mean they must die, that there is nothing beautiful about them. I think it’s innate, to look for and find beauty in this world, you know?” 

“Oh! Yeah, yeah, definitely.” Robo-ky nuzzled against Venom’s side, hoping for a hug. “You’re beautiful.”

Instead of catching on, Venom reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet box-thing. Robo-ky stared at it, uncomprehending as Venom stepped back to face him. 

“I was planning to say this on our anniversary, but…” He laughed, nervously. “I’ve been learning to get a bit bad at waiting, so…here goes.”

Venom surprised Robo-ky by kneeling down to the snowy ground. He popped open the top of the box, and inside there was a sturdy looking little ring with a shiny little stone. 

“Oh.” Robo-ky felt like he’d just eaten a bunch of candy and then someone punched him in the gut. “That’s the…‘marry you’ thing. From the movies.”

Venom laughed, the way he did whenever Robo-ky said something stupid, whether he knew it or not. “Yes. From the movies. It goes like, ‘Will you marry me’ and you say ‘yes.’” 

“O-or no, right?”

“Are you saying no?!” 

“Ye-No! I mean,” Robo-ky forgot to swallow and choked on his words. “I’m saying, yes–I will–marry–!?”

Venom stood and grabbed Robo-ky in a crushing hug. Robo-ky’s arms went around Venom’s waist, barely able to squeeze him with a fraction of Venom’s strength. His hands brushed snow off the damp outside of Venom’s jacket, wetting his already freezing cold hands, but he didn’t care. He’d never felt warmer in his life.

Venom let go of Robo-ky, wiping his eyes. “...We should catch up with your family.” 

They both turned to find that Crow, Twenny and Fivoh were standing just off to the side as an impromptu audience. Evidently, the trio had realised rather quickly that the two men weren’t following, and had come back to see what the holdup was. 

“Aww, look kids, your little brother is all grown up and married~!” Crow cooed sarcastically.

“I’m older!” Robo-ky insisted, looking between Venom and his siblings. “I’m the eldest brother, alright!?” 

“Eldest and shortest, pipsqueak.” Twenny teased.

Fivoh grabbed Robo-ky in a hug and spun him around. “I’m so proud of youuu!”

“AAURGH–!” Robo-ky held onto his sister for dear life, trying not to be flung in some random direction.

“May I have him back, please?” Venice waited for Fivoh to stop spinning and let the dizzied man back on his feet. He gratefully stumbled back into Venom’s arms, grumbling nonsense under his breath.  

“Well, we might as well finish that tour.” Venice patted Robo-ky’s shoulder. “Studio arts building, you said?”

“Yeah, yeah! Right this way!” Fivoh motioned for everyone to follow her and led the way down the snowy desire path, as a family. 

Chapter Text

Venom checked that the cab seats were dry, then helped Robo-ky in after him. When the door was closed and the divider was shut, Robo-ky realised that the two were alone for the first time in a long time. 

“Vvv…” He lost his nerve partway through the sound. But Venom still looked at him. 

“Yes?” He murmured. Venom’s arm went back over Robo-ky’s shoulders, but this time it felt more like teasing. 

Robo-ky’s face flushed. “We’re, uh,” He looked around for a distraction, and he found the pleat of Venom’s dress pants. He ran his fingers along the length of the stitching, enamored by the fabric’s texture and softness. 

“Are you interested in the pants?” Venom’s cheeky tone cut into Robo-ky’s bruised ego. “We can buy you some new clothes while we’re here.” 

Robo-ky whined and hid his face. Venom hugged him close and kissed his forehead. 

“When we get back to my room, you can touch whatever you’d like.” 

Robo-ky squeaked and buried his face in embarrassment, letting Venom laugh and hug him in a good-natured apology. 

The hotel Venom was staying at was full of new sights, sounds, smells and textures. Venom had to remind Robo-ky not to wander off more than once, since the size of the place mixed with clientele of all backgrounds meant that Robo-ky’s training at the university couldn’t fully help him here. 

“When we get back to our room, you can explore everything without worry.” Venom assured him. “Just be patient.” 

The bell above the elevator rang, and the two stood a little straighter. Robo-ky didn’t understand it, but Venom snorted, then let out a chuckle. 

“You too?” He asked between laughter. “It sounds a lot like the bell we have back at the bakery, I almost said ‘Welcome!’”

Robo-ky laughed too, much more nervously, following Venom into the empty elevator cell. 

The carpet was soft under his bare feet. The wallpaper had miniscule grooves that made a sound when he scratched it from left-to-right, but not up-and-down. The radio crackled in his ears in a way that gave him goosebumps down the back of his neck, up until a voice started talking about the news. Paper bags crinkled, the suitcases were hollow and sounded a lot like knocking on the door, but the suitcase that was full sounded a lot like knocking on the noise-absorbing wallpaper.

Venom sat to the side, watching Robo-ky comb every inch of the hotel room. He was mostly silent, unless he was responding to Robo-ky. Every time Robo-ky looked over at him, Venom started smiling again. 

At last, Robo-ky tired himself out, and he flopped on the bed.

“This is…'' he wriggled around on it. “...REALLY good! Way better than the beds at the university.” 

“It’s a bit of an expensive hotel, so it’s only natural they invest in creature comforts at least.” Venom got up and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Or else this whole place would be a big scam.”

“Dad said hotels are all scams.” Robo-ky recalled. “Well, all the ones in the capital city, anyway. Back when he was moving around a lot, he said he…”

Venom lay down next to Robo-ky, and Robo-ky lost his train of thought, stuttering to a stop. 

“Keep talking.” Venom said softly. 

Robo-ky thought he was used to seeing Venom’s face from all his time at the bakery, at the very least he’d thought Venom would be the most familiar person in the world. But…

“You smell nice.” Robo-ky said softly. “Like…you’re sweet.”

Venom’s chuckle was soft, deep, it came from his chest more than his throat. He reached up and brushed Robo-ky’s hair away from his face. “You have such a cute blush.”

“Hah?” Robo-ky put a hand to his face, and sure enough, his cheeks were warm. He turned away in embarrassment. “Damn it…” 

“I said it’s cute!” Venom protested. “Robo, what’s the matter?”

“Nothing!” Robo-ky huffed. “I’m really happy! I promise, I’ve been dreaming about being here for months. I guess, it’s just…this wasn’t how it happened in my head.” 

“Hm.” Venom put a warm hand on Robo-ky’s shoulder. “That’s the difference between reality and dreams, I suppose.” 

Robo-ky swallowed. “I wish I could’ve seen you more often. I was…really scared and…mostly bored, actually. Kind of lonely? Even though there were lots of people. The students kept writing everything I said, and the food was all stale, and it was always so cold in there! I…kind of hated it, but it wasn’t so bad when Fivoh and Twenny were there? They were the ones who knew what I was going through, I didn’t feel so alone. And I was thinking of you a lot!”

“I was thinking of you, too.” Venom sighed, his eyelids fluttering. Robo-ky was about to say something in response, but Venom stifled a yawn. “It’s getting a bit late.”

“OH!” Robo-ky sat up. “I forgot to brush my teeth!” 

Venom stayed where he was for a minute, then sighed and sat up too. “Thanks for reminding me.”

Robo-ky had to take more time to clean up than Venom, which he decided was to be expected. But it was still a surreal feeling to glance to the side and see Venom getting undressed, as if no one was watching at all. 

He glanced back down at the sink in front of him. He felt…dirty. Like he was intruding. But, like, he wasn’t, was he? Venom could have closed the bathroom door, asked Robo not to look over, stood out of the line of sight for the doorway. But he was standing in the conspicuous slice of light cast into the darkness of the hotel room, his back turned to Robo, in no rush to pull his pajama pants up over his legs. 

Robo felt himself grow warm in a familiar way. His first instinct was to hide it and try to keep anyone from finding out, but there was only Venni. And maybe…he wanted Venni to know how his little show was making Robo feel. Maybe he wanted it really badly .

He wiped his mouth on the cleanest towel he could reach, then stepped out of the bathroom. He had barely put his foot on the carpeted floor when Venni turned and fixed a single sharp eye on him. Robo froze in place, like he’d been caught shirking his exercises. He felt ashamed, suddenly. Did he read the situation wrong?

“Sorry.” He mumbled, looking down. The heat in his body wasn’t cooling, it had reached his shoulders and the tips of his ears. But now, it had gone from excitement to annoyance, like a dog whose constant barking had worn out its welcome. He wondered if it was too late to shuffle back into the bathroom and lock the door. 

The bed creaked, and Robo couldn’t resist the urge to look up at the reason. Venom was sitting on the edge, lifting the sheets and leisurely laying down. He looked like he hadn’t a care in the world, except—

“Turn the light off, Robo?”

“Ah!” Robo fumbled for the bathroom switch, and with a click bathed himself in impenetrable blackness. He stood in shock, flustered more by his own stupidity than the obvious cause-and-effect fact that turning off the lights would result in no more light in the room for him to see with.

Robo heard Venom sigh quietly. The bed creaked again, followed by imperceptibly soft footsteps on the carpet, then a warm hand taking Robo’s. 

“Mnh…?” He let Venom gently guide him to the bed. He heard Venom lay down, then move over to make a space for Robo to sleep next to him. 

“Sh.” Venom murmured, tucking the thick blankets around Robo’s shivering body. “Sleep.”

Robo swallowed, hoping he wasn’t drooling. He put a hand to Venom’s chest, feeling the soft cotton of his button-down shirt, playing with the closed collar. “Can…we…?”

“Tomorrow.” Venom whispered, putting his hand on top of Robo’s head, idly petting him. “Sleep.”

It took some tamping down on his racing heart and wild imagination, but Robo-ky was finally able to calm down. It had been a long day, he decided. Of course it was a bad time to ask. Maybe, tomorrow, they’d have more time for it.

Chapter Text

After breakfast at a cafe, they took hot drinks to go. The warmth seeped into Robo-ky’s stiff fingers, so he held it below his nose to warm it with steam. He knew he’d just burn himself if he tried sipping it when it was fresh from the pot, but it smelled so good that he was sorely tempted to try anyway. 

The city seemed to be made for sightseeing as much as it was for people to live and work. Tourists like them traveled mainly in herds or pairs, it wasn’t the time of year for a single person to be looking out for themselves in an unfamiliar country. Didn’t stop the occasional backpacker or hitchhiker roughing it out on their own, learning the lesson the hard way. 

Robo-ky stood a little closer to Venom as they walked. He thought of trying to link their arms so he wouldn’t fall behind, but he decided that was not what an independant walker would do. Besides, the hot drink was good for warming his cold fingers.

Their trek stopped at a greenhouse sculpture garden in between three symmetrical monuments. The atmosphere spell kept people out if they weren’t wearing a certain armband, and the armbands cost a world-dollar each. 

Lockers were coin-operated, if the pair didn’t want to be carrying their heavy jackets around the whole time. Venom sighed with relief as he took off his, but Robo-ky sweated for a little while as he wondered where to put his cold, untouched drink, until Venom finally took it for him while he shrugged his own coat off. 

The garden was criss-crossed with pathways, the sculptures and plants that surrounded them roped off for the safety of the plants more than the visitors. Robo-ky took a deep breath of the warm, humid air. It was oddly refreshing, more so than usual. 

“You aren’t going to finish that?” Venom nodded to the drink that Robo-ky was very reluctantly sipping from. 

“I’m trying…” Robo-ky scrunched his nose and tried to gulp. He almost felt like he was going to gag, but he clenched his teeth and kept it down. 

“Don’t force yourself.” Venom grabbed it, glanced around to see if anyone was looking, and threw the contents onto a nearby plant plot. “Let's find a trash can.” 

Robo-ky walked behind Venom, trying to keep pace. There were less people here than on the streets outside, but they were all packed into a much smaller space. He had to dodge and weave if there were other people trying to use the same walkway, and the stone walkways were purposely uneven in an artsy way. But somehow, Venom’s white hair kept Robo-ky on the trail, even when Venom had somehow gone a few more paces ahead than Robo-ky could reach without breaking into a jog. But finally, he reached his love’s side, and tapped his shoulder. 

“Slow down, I’m gonna fall!” Robo-ky gasped for breath, his tone still half-joking. Venom turned and–

A white-haired lady, who looked nothing like Venom at all, and was not even wearing similar clothing, was looking back at him in confusion. She had a boyfriend, who was now looking at him with more than a little hostility. 

“Ah–!” Robo-ky stepped back. “I-I’m sorry, I’ve–ahhh–” His head spun as he stammered, the looks they were giving him were almost physically painful in his chest. “I-I-I’ve lost track of my partner! Have you guys seen a man with long white hair and dark skin?” 

“No, sorry.” The man relaxed a little, and the woman sheepishly put a hand to her own hair. 

“I hope you find him.” She said apologetically. 

“Sorry to…” Robo-ky petered off and stumbled off in a random direction. 

The garden was much more stressful when Robo-ky couldn’t appreciate the plants out of his sudden panic at being alone in a strange new place. He kept stumbling around in circles, passing by the same plants and people, trying to find a new direction to search in. 

Eventually, he couldn’t take the exhaustion and panic anymore, and he collapsed into the first empty bench he could find. He sat gripping his knees, trying not to cry at his own stupidity, ignoring all the people and plants and just staring at the floor. 

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he wiped it off before it could itch. He tried to go through his memories of training, what could he do in a situation like this. 

If walking…if lost…? He couldn’t find the databank. He didn’t have databanks anymore, what? What was he thinking? He swallowed. Think. Humanthink. If lost, find. Find? NO, there are no databanks. He wiped his brow. Think. If lost. STOP DOING THAT. If lost. STOP. If lost. STOP. STOP. STOP–

A hand softly grabbed his shoulder. “Robo?” 

Robo-ky looked up and Venom was looking down at him, worried but infinitely more collected than Robo-ky had ever been. 

“Venni–” Robo-ky’s voice cracked, and he dropped his head back down to wipe his eyes. Venom gently guided him to stand up, and to Robo-ky’s surprise, took him by the hand. 

“Come on, they’re going to feed the flytraps.” Venom pulled his stunned lover along. “It’s the most crowded exhibit in the garden, we’ll miss it if we don’t hurry.” 

“I thought I had it.” Robo-ky grumbled, scuffing his shoe on a jutting pathway rock. 

“Hm?” Venom looked up at him, distracted from checking his pockets for the locker key. 

“What was the point of all my training, if I can't even keep up with you?” Robo-ky gritted his teeth, trying to avoid slipping into a whining tone. “I’m trying to look normal, I swear. Is it this hard for anyone else, or am I just stupid?”

Venom stared at him with an expression Robo-ky couldn’t read. Maybe it was boredom? Was Robo-ky boring him?

“Sorry.” Robo-ky hissed a sigh and glared at patterns in the ground, as if his self-hatred could be radiated out of his head by sheer force of will.

He felt something soft against his shoulder and looked up. Venom had just handed him his jacket. 

“You’re not stupid, Robo.” Venom assured him. “It was a very normal mistake to make.”

Robo-ky set his jaw and focused on putting his jacket on by himself, trying not to wonder too hard about what made a mistake normal or abnormal. 

“Ven–?” He looked up, and for a heartstopping moment he couldn’t see where Venom went. He looked left, he looked right–oh, there he is, giving the key back to the guy behind the desk. 

“Don’t scare me like that!” Robo-ky pleaded when Venom finally got back to him. 

“I was right there.” Venom said flatly. 

“I just got lost, and you leave me alone again–!” Robo-ky heard the whining in his voice too late, and clamped his jaw in frustration. 

“Robo.” Venom leaned down to try and catch his eye. “I’m right here. Tell me what you want.” 

Robo-ky took a deep breath, glancing at Venom’s shoes in a failed attempt to look him in the eye. “...Can we hold hands? Just so I don’t…” He mumbled the rest, looking away. 

Venom took one of Robo’s hands into his own. His hand was warm, firm, anchoring. 

“Holding hands is also a very normal thing to do.” Venom chided. “It also has the side advantage of making sure we don’t lose each other in the city.”

Robo-ky squeezed Venom’s hand back. “For the record, I can walk on my own. I just wanna hold your hand because it’s romantic.” 

“The result is the same.” Venom shrugged. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.” Robo-ky sighed, relaxing his shoulders and willing the distressed expression off his face, putting back on a mask of neutrality that still didn't quite fit right on him.

The two walked hand-in-hand to the exit, but upon noticing a sign that read ‘NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED’ in big bold letters, they broke into a brisk jog down the snowy street.

Chapter Text

There was a decorative fountain in the city that was built to be an ice-skating rink when it froze over in the winter. Millia met the pair at the kiosk that rented out ice skates, and helped Robo-ky lace up the odd sportswear. 

“Is it supposed to hurt at the ankles?” Robo-ky asked, trying not to give off the aura of someone who was having second thoughts. 

“No–” Venom said, worried. 

“Yes.” Millia said, not worried. She grabbed Robo-ky by the arm and hoisted him onto his feet. “The only part that matters is if you can stand up.” 

He wobbled a bit, but he was standing on the two thin blades. Despite the fact that Millia had his arm in a death grip, she had the uncanny ability to not help him balance at all.

“See? Perfect.” Millia said, still not letting go. “Lets get on the ice, the tickets only give us two hours.” 

“Only?” Robo-ky wheezed, trying not to trip over his heavy new equipment. He was about to make a follow-up dig at Millia’s pushy behavior, but when he turned back to see that Venom was still sitting at the table, it took out the wind in his sails. 

"Hey, uh-"

"Look where you're going, idiot." Millia snapped her fingers in front of his nose.

He had realised a little too late that Venom was going to be the one staying behind with their bags, which was the moment after Millia pulled him onto the rubber-matted steps by his wrist.

“Just hold on,” She took his other hand to stop him from tipping over. “Try not to push yourself. This rink doesn’t have handrails, but I’m steady enough on my feet for both of us. Just lean on me, okay?”

“Uh...” Robo-ky looked backwards again. Venom cheerfully waved. 

“If you want to switch out with him, you can just sit on the bench. Alone.” Her tone took on a more bold hint of annoyance, and Robo-ky had to consider whether he wanted to try something new or sit by himself on a bench again.

“I’m good!” Robo-ky smiled, hoping it didn’t look too forced. Millia seemed to accept it, anyway. 

Millia stepped onto the ice, then turned back to Robo-ky. “Alright, step up.” 

He did, confidently, and within half a second he fell back so hard that he could feel the shape of the bones in his shoulders. Millia hadn’t let go of his hands, or given off any sign of losing her balance. She silently pulled him up, entirely unsurprised and nonplussed. 

“It’s slippery.” She said, much too late. 

“Thanks, I figured.” Robo-ky grumbled through gritted teeth, allowing himself to be fully yanked onto the ice and to nearly fall on his ass again, held up only by Millia’s expert strength and his poor (certainly injured by now) shoulders. 

"Pull yourself up." Millia said, giving his arms a tug upwards. "Don't worry about moving, just stand."

It took every bit of effort his body could muster, but he did manage to stand. His ankles ached from the unfamiliar task of supporting his body weight, his arms were burning with the effort of stabilizing him without even the help of his cane, and Millia's judgemental stare made him feel like he would rather just give up entirely. But he was standing.

"Alright, good enough." Milla said flatly, and effortlessly kicked off with one foot to glide across the ice on the other. Robo-ky just let the moment wash over him, too stunned to do anything else. She wasn't going as fast as she could, that much was obvious, but even with dead weight in tow she was handily outpacing a good chunk of the skaters on the rim of the rink.

Then, just as quickly as she started, she turned her blade and they both came to a halt. "You try now."

Robo-ky stood, frozen and sweating.

"I'll catch you." Millia said plainly. "Just try."

Robo-ky took a deep breath and, hesitantly, kicked one leg behind him. He skated a mere few centimeters before he came to an awkward halt, arms spread and shaking like a tightrope walker, but he'd done it. He turned back to Millia for more snark and beratement.

"See?" Millia smiled, relaxed and encouraging. "Now do it again."

Ice skating was intensely nerve-wracking, but after some time oddly fun. Each step was more like coasting off of the force of pushing forward, though whatever energy was spared by the less amount of leg movements was more than made up for by the effort it took to balance. 

“This is–AH–!” Robo-ky wheeled his arms out as one of his blades completely lost their footing, but he was easily caught by Millia without much fanfare at all. “Ahhh…hah…really hard!”

“It just takes practice.” Millia shrugged, effortlessly pulling him upright. 

“Okay, well, how much practice do you have, then?” Robo-ky tried to get back into balance. 

“My whole life, I think?” Millia recalled, letting Robo-ky stand and wobble on his own. “I used to love skating when I was little.” 

Robo-ky opened his mouth to reply, but Millia was looking off into the middle distance as she reminisced. 

“My childhood skates were a gift from my mother,” She said, holding her arms close to herself, something like a self-hug. “there were times when I was more ready to die than give up those skates. I don’t have them anymore, though, they’re likely rotted at the bottom of some lake.” 

Robo-ky was struck with the image of a pair of little shoes with little blades, their little laces floating up among the seaweed fronds, swaying as fish passed them by. 

“It hardly mattered, I suppose.” Millia turned back to him, rubbing her face with one hand. “I was always terrible at it. But it always beat trudging through the snow or sitting cooped up in my boring old hideaway all winter. If I’m ever thinking of a good memory, it’s probably about ice-skating.”

“So, how long did it take for you not to suck at it?” Robo-ky asked, reaching for her hand again.

“Years.” Millia shrugged, pointedly not offering it to him. “It’s the sort of hobby you’re either an amateur at or obsessed with.” 

“Please don’t let me fall.” Robo-ky whimpered. 

“Just walk over.” Millia coaxed him. “Slowly.”

Robo-ky, completely forgetting the day's lesson, lifted his foot as if he was walking. Predictably, the other one immediately slipped out from under him. He nearly face-planted onto the hard ice, but Millia expertly caught him. 

“I never had anyone to catch me when I was learning.” She smiled, dusting him off. “So now, whenever I can, I catch others.”

“...Like Venom?” He asked, looking up at her. Something he couldn’t quite read flickered behind her eyes. 

“It was a little more complicated than that, I’m afraid.” She murmured. “But…in some respects, he and I were there for each other.”

Robo-ky smiled back, but then winced when he straightened up. “My ankle hurts.”

“Time to switch out, then.” Millia took him by the arm and pulled him back to the picnic tables where Venom was waiting. 

It occurred to Robo-ky, as the two were switching ice skates, that Venom didn’t look very oblivious to the conversation the two had been having on the ice. It also looked like Venom also didn’t need any help with his balance, but accepted Millia’s steadying hand anyway. 

Chapter Text

The open-air mall was full of shoppers, unbelievable sales and holiday carols over the speaker system. Robo-ky felt like his eyes were going to melt out of his head from all the neon and glowing signs and larger-than-life advertisements.

“Make sure not to wander off.” Venom held Robo-ky’s hand tightly, tugging him along past a dozen ritzy storefronts. “Don’t trust that anyone’s mall security until they show proof, they’re definitely scammers if they start asking for fines to be paid upfront, they’re supposed to print tickets–”

“I know!” Robo-ky had already heard all these tips and warnings three times. “Where are we going, anyway?”

Venom stopped at an intersection of hallways, looking around. 

“Are we lost…?” Robo-ky asked, suspicious and worried. 

“No.” Venom said forcefully. “...There.” He pulled Robo-ky down another hall, and into a storefront that felt like a very random choice.

Immediately, the cacophony of harried voices and blaring pop music from the rest of the alley muted into slow jazz from a single speaker. They were in an outlet clothing store, disorganized shelves were full of last season’s trendy clothing in sizes that didn’t fit the average shopper, and the returns that chain stores wouldn’t dare put back on their shelves.

Venom sighed in relief, letting go of Robo-ky’s hand. “Alright, this is the place. Pick out something in your size and try it on.” 

Robo-ky blinked a few times, still coming down from the neon fever dream. He returned to reality a little faster when Venom encouragingly patted Robo-ky’s back, gently pushing him forwards. 

“Uh–okay!” Robo-ky approached the nearest rack of hangers. He rummaged through and pulled out a leather jacket with a giant red dragon embroidered onto the back. 

“...No.” Venom took it from his hands and put it back where he’d taken it. 

“But you said–!” 

“ No .” Venom said firmly, picking out a beige sweater. “Try this on.” 

“No!” Robo-ky crossed his arms, then uncrossed them when he realised he was acting like a spoiled brat. “I mean, I-I don’t think it suits me.” 

Venom put the hanger to Robo-ky’s collar. “It certainly fits you.” 

Robo-ky pushed it away. “I wanna pick my own stuff out. I’m not helpless.” 

“...Very well.” Venom put the sweater back on the rack, looking a little more annoyed than before. “But I’m not buying you anything crazy, alright?”

Robo-ky wasn’t listening. He was too busy gleefully reaching out for a graphic tee, emblazoned with a comically ripped man slicing a monstrous gear in half with a chainsaw. 

“No.” 

“Come ON!”

Robo-ky was in the changing room, waiting for Venom to return from…whatever he was doing. Robo-ky was supposed to be changing into each outfit to make sure they fit, but it turned out the beige sweater was really warm and soft and he didn’t want to take it off just yet. 

He twirled in the mirror, quietly laughing at himself. He didn’t expect the black cotton pants with fleece inner linings to match the boring sweater, but maybe the point of boring clothes was that they easily matched, so that nothing stood out. He still didn’t like it, but the utility made logical sense to him now. 

He sat down heavily on the rumpled clothes pile, bumping the back of his head against the painted wall, staring out at nothing. The muted jazz continued, drowning out everything else going on in the store, except footsteps slowly approaching the changing rooms. 

Robo-ky knew how Venom’s footsteps sounded, so he paid the unfamiliar gait no mind. At least, he tried to, up until they walked right up to his room’s door and stopped. 

Knock, knock, knock.

“Occupied!” Robo-ky called. “Sorry.” 

The footsteps didn’t move. There was no response. Robo-ky looked at one of the side walls, wondering if all three rooms were full for some reason. 

Click.

Robo-ky’s blood went cold. The door he thought he’d locked silently swung open, letting in a tall, blonde man with an unusual pair of eyeglasses. Robo-ky looked a little closer, trying to parse what was so weird about it, until he realised he had a belt on his face.

“Oh, hey!” Robo-ky relaxed with a laugh. “You’re, uh, that…Zato? Guy?” 

“...Just Zato is fine.” He closed the door behind him, and locked it. 

Robo-ky’s unease returned. “Well, hi? Were we supposed to meet you here today? We met Millia at the ice rink the other day…?” 

“Not ‘we.’” Zato’s tone was cold, but blank. “Just you, as I have been forbidden from talking to my student.” 

The distant memory of an uncomfortable cab ride floated to the surface of Robo-ky’s mind. 

“Oh.” Robo-ky swallowed. “Okay.”

Zato suddenly kneeled forwards, his face close enough that Robo-ky could feel the cold of his breath, it smelled of mint half rotted. Robo-ky stiffened, and curled back as far as he could. 

“I need you to tell me what you know.” He commanded. “I will know if you do not answer truthfully.” 

“Okay.” Robo-ky said, mouth too dry to swallow.

“Has Venom attempted to kill anyone?” 

Zato’s voice had gone so low, Robo-ky was sure he had imagined the words. 

“Can you…say that again?” Robo-ky felt stupid for asking. He felt too stupid to be alive. 

Zato leaned in closer, right beside Robo-ky’s ear. He didn’t whisper or mutter, his voice was clear and professionally enunciated, but too quiet to overhear.

“Have you been witness to Venom killing another human being?” Zato said, talking slower. 

Robo-ky held so tightly to the folds of the cheap clothes, he thought he might break his own fingers. “No, I haven’t.” 

“Do you suspect that Venom has been killing in secret, hiding the evidence, perhaps?”

Robo-ky resisted the urge to cry. “N-no, I don’t.”

“Do you trust Venom not to kill you?”

Robo-ky closed his eyes and failed to keep his tears back, his panic turning into a half-scream. “He wouldn’t–!” 

Zato’s hand was clammy over Robo-ky’s mouth, fingertips pressing the insides of his cheeks against his molars hard enough to bleed. He had never felt more like a trapped animal; his head was Zato’s, his to free from Robo-ky’s neck as he pleased. 

“He could.” Zato said with absolute certainty. “That is the part you should be wary of.” 

A sob wracked Robo-ky’s body. In Zato’s silence was disgust and disappointment like nothing Robo-ky had ever felt. 

Zato let go of Robo-ky, and Robo-ky slumped down on the wall. He considered trying to move away from Zato, trying to run. As if he had a chance.

“I’m going to give you my phone number.” Zato said, summoning a phone spell over his ear. “One day, Venom will kill again. Whether that happens tomorrow, or 50 years into the future, call me. I will stop him.”

Robo-ky didn’t move or speak. He just waited for Zato to finish fiddling with the spell circles, trying not to exist. 

“Tell him I came by.” Zato said, finally. “Millia won’t be happy, but if Venom has the motivation not to disappoint me, he will be less likely to relapse. Understood?”

Robo-ky made a small noise, in between crying as quietly as he could.  

Then, suddenly, he was done. Robo-ky looked up at Zato, who bowed, turned and left, locking the door behind him. Robo-ky didn’t hear any footsteps walk away, just silence and muted jazz. 

Venom eventually knocked on the changing room door, but Robo-ky was feeling more than a little put-off from clothes-shopping. 

“Did you find anything you liked?” Venom asked, looking over what Robo-ky was wearing. “Oh, I knew you’d look good in that one!” 

“I was…” Robo-ky saw the relaxed smile on Venom’s face. Venom, Venni, Venice. The baker, his soon-to-be husband, the former murderer. 

Fuck that, actually. Zato was just being a goddamn annoying bastard, as per usual. Robo-ky wasn’t an assassin, Robo-ky didn’t need to pass Zato’s stupid test or play his stupid mind games. He was just going to love Venom like a person, like he deserved. 

“...Fine, you win.” Robo-ky tried to pass off his embittered demeanour as childishly sullen, getting up from his seat. “This stupid sweater is pretty warm, and I like its texture. I still don’t like the color, though.” 

“We can keep looking.” Venom set a bag down and shuffled through the pile that Robo-ky had made into his chair. “How about this blue one?”

Robo-ky’s attention snagged on the unmarked bag. Was it a gift for him? He could only catch a glimpse of the heart-decorated packaging peeking out, so he sidled over and leaned down to grab it from the floor. 

Venom picked it up just before Robo-ky could. He turned his back to Robo, busying himself with clothes in silence. 

“…Can I see?” Robo leaned in closer.

Venom hesitated. “Not here.”

Robo caught a glimpse of Venom’s face. His cheeks were flushed dark red.

“Ok~ay!” Robo smiled teasingly, propping his chin on the palm of his hand. “But you’re not gonna keep it secret for ever , are you?”

Venom suddenly pinched Robo’s cheek, and the conversation was firmly back to sweaters and fleece inner-lined pants. 

Any more attempts Robo-ky made to so much as reference the bag was met with a very firm change in subject, so he stopped trying very quickly. There were more present matters to attend to, like picking out jet black jeans with ironed-on flame print and spiked chains hanging from the belt loop, a sleeveless torn tank top with a vulgar joke about about the reader’s mother on the back, and a hat with a diagram denoting which sections of his brain were for eating pot-laced brownies and which were for taking a dump in a cat’s litter box. 

Admittedly, his choices were becoming less about clothes he wanted to actually wear, and more so that Venom would pluck the offending items from his hands and sternly shove into his arms a pile of terribly boring but functional clothing. Within the hour, Robo-ky’s worries about Zato were pushed to the back of his mind, right behind the spot the hat labelled as ‘making out with smokin hot babes.’ 

Chapter Text

It was the last day before the pair were to leave. Robo had been pretending to be asleep, anticipating another sight-seeing or shopping trip, not thinking too deeply about why he didn’t want to go anywhere.

“Robo.”

Robo stayed still. 

“Robo, listen.” Venom sounded slightly annoyed. “Last night’s snowstorm hit too hard. The fairground operator said that all bookings are cancelled.”

Robo opened his eyes and sat up. “So, we’re just staying in?”

Venom blinked at him. “…I was saying, we can go out to a restaurant, if the snowploughs clear the streets up—”

“But we can just stay here?” Robo asked, dropping all vestiges of subtlety. 

Venom sighed. “We won’t have the chance to see this city for a long time.” 

“I don’t want to…!” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I mean! I mean …I’d rather see you than this city, okay?”

Venom stared at him. “You’ll be seeing me for the rest of our lives.” 

“Yeah!” Robo held out his arms. “So let's get started on that! I want to be held by you right now! So, please hold me?”

Venom wasn’t moving, and Robo’s arms were getting tired. He took Venom’s hand and pulled him closer, but Venom still wasn’t climbing back into bed. 

“Please?” Robo begged. “We’re snowed in, all alone, in a one-bed hotel room in the city. What could be more romantic?”

“Our reservation not getting cancelled, for one thing.” Venom replied sullenly. 

“Ahm,” Robo-ky pressed his lips together in a tight line, glancing away. “Yeah, yeah definitely, that…we–we both woulda preferred that, obviously!” He cleared his throat. “But…you know! We can make the most of what we got, that’s what romance really is!” 

“Right.” Venom grumbled. “Just stay inside all day, for our anniversary.” 

“Hah?” Robo blinked. 

“Our anniversary.” Venom sighed, his gaze somewhere in the middle distance. “On new year's day last year, we began our relationship under a tree and with fireworks. There were going to be fireworks for the new year, in the fairgrounds north of the town. But it snowed too heavily, so, there’s nothing. Except being snowed in.”

Robo-ky hesitated, then put a hand on Venom’s chest. “Wanna know something?” 

“Hm.” Venom stared away. 

“I botched it.” 

“Hm?” Venom looked back down at Robo-ky. 

“When I confessed to you.” Robo-ky played with the button on Venom’s collar. “I botched it. I didn’t find a spot where we could be alone, I fumbled my words, and I didn’t steal your heart the moment I poured my soul out to you. Every time I look back on that night, all I can think is ‘why the fuck did I do it like that?’ But, like, that doesn’t matter, right? I mean, it’s not the be-all end-all. The important part is that we’re together, now.”

Venom remained quiet. He slowly put his knee on the mattress, then climbed the rest of the way on, sitting in front of Robo-ky.

“Alright.” Venom murmured. “You win. We’re snowed in, and it’s romantic.”

Robo-ky beamed, throwing his arms around Venom’s torso, resting his cheek on Venom’s collar. 

“Ssssso,” Robo-ky said, trying not to sound too excited before he’d asked the question. “If we’ve got nothing else to do, can I give you the ‘royal treatment’ with my upgraded specs?”

Venom blinked at him. “Sure?”

“Mnh!” Robo huffed in excitement, burying his face in Venom’s chest. He fumbled with Venom’s buttons, trying to get them open. He panted like he was burning up, but no matter how much his frustration mounted, he couldn’t disrobe Venom of his pajamas.

“…Venni?” Robo looked up at him, wiping spit off his chin. “Can you…can we…?”

Venom wasn’t looking at him. He stared off into space again, until he noticed Robo looking up at him.

“Sorry.” Venom murmured, unmoving.

“Sorry?” Robo asked, excitement turning to worry, and panic that he’d been doing something very wrong. “Are you okay?”

Venom stayed silent, but slowly, he wrapped his arms around Robo, pulling him down onto his side. The two lay in clothed embrace, Robo’s head tucked under Venom’s chin, Venom’s expression frustratingly out of view.

“Venni…?” Robo asked softly. “Is something wrong?”

Venom’s silence stretched further and further, until finally, he spoke in a frank and dull voice.

“I’m not feeling it.”

“Huh?” Robo squirmed in his arms. “Not feeling what?”

Venom let go of Robo and rolled over, staring up at the ceiling. “The…’romance.’ I’m not quite getting whatever that is. From this.”

“…That’s fine!” Robo propped himself up on Venom’s broad chest. “I don’t think it has a meaning, actually? It’s like, when people look at something, and then they judge whether or not it’s romantic. There’s not really a way to preemptively measure or…” 

Venom had turned his head back to look at Robo somewhere in the middle of his speech. Robo petered off, caught in his lover’s eyes. 

“What were you saying?” Venom asked, his voice still flat. 

“Hmh…” Robo hesitated, then leaned forward. “...I wanna kiss.” 

“Go on, then.” Venom muttered. 

Robo gripped the front of Venom’s shirt, then leaned forward a bit more, puckering his lips in anticipation. 

“Mmmm–!” He hesitated again, feeling Venom’s breath on his face. After waiting a few seconds too long, Robo opted to kiss Venom’s cheek instead, and leaned away to pant from the exertion that apparently took. 

“...Are you alright?” Venom leaned over to look at Robo. 

Robo bit his tongue against the urge to whine. He looked back at Venom, whose expression hadn’t changed from resigned boredom. 

“I’m…” Robo swallowed. “...can you kiss me? Like, how you used to?”

Venom took some time to respond, propping his cheek on his hand and staring off into space again. 

“It’s different now.” Venom murmured. “You know when…we were talking about how human minds are affected by appearances? My mind is doing that.”

Robo held onto the hem of Venom’s shirt. “It’s still me.” 

“I know that.” Venom sighed, moving his arm so Robo could cuddle closer. “I know the logic that you are still yourself, and that you are the same little Robo I used to carry in my bag. But,” He closed his eyes and rubbed his face. “It feels different . It’s…” 

“Illogical?” Robo offered. 

Venom let his hands fall back to his chest, one draping over Robo’s back. “Yes. Very illogical.” 

Robo sighed in contentment, the weight and warmth of Venom’s arm was a new kind of ease on his mind and body. “Honestly, yeah, it’s been incredibly weird. Like, getting to know exactly how illogical a human body can be, up close and personal. A lot of it was just plain uncomfortable.” 

Venom chuckled. “That’s a good way to put it. Most of life is just trying not to be in pain by being uncomfortable.” 

Robo put his head on Venom’s chest, rearranging himself to take the strain off the leg that had been getting sensations of pins and needles. “I’m comfortable.” 

Venom rolled over, putting both arms around Robo, bringing their foreheads to touch. Robo’s heart just about stopped, staring into Venom’s tired eyes. He was terrified he’d say something to ruin the moment, he just wanted–

Venom closed his eyes, brought their lips together and softly kissed Robo, whiting out everything else on Robo’s mind. He didn’t know what else to do with himself, so he just trembled in Venom’s arms, wishing it’d never end.

It did, of course. Venom let his head fall back on the pillow with a sigh, leaving Robo flushed and wanting. 

“W-wait, I–” Robo swallowed. “I didn’t even get to kiss you back!” 

“Hmh,” Venom murmured. “Then you’d better come and kiss me.” 

Robo scooted closer, reaching up to hold Venom’s face in shaking hands. He closed his eyes, too, and pressed his lips to Venom’s chin–damn it–he opened his eyes to see what he was doing, and pressed his lips to Venom’s, kissing him in a way he desperately hoped wasn’t awkward or unwanted or uncomfortable or—

Venom hugged Robo close and kissed him back, smothering him in warmth and love until Robo had to whimper for a break. They broke the kiss, but within seconds Robo leaned in for another, clutching the collar of Venom’s shirt in illogical desperation.

Venom was the one who needed a break this time, resting his face against Robo’s forehead with a heavy sigh. 

“Robo?” 

“Hn?” Robo looked up at Venom, and realised his husband was smiling. 

“I’m comfortable.” Venni murmured. 

Robo let his arms rest around Venni’s shoulders, sighing in bliss. “Me too.”