Chapter Text
The soft hum of the air conditioning filled the room as the cool evening light filtered through the curtains of Weisz's old childhood bedroom. Hermit stretched out, her blue-green tipped hair tousled around her, her mechanical limbs shifting slightly as she settled onto the soft bed. She was wearing a cozy, oversized wool sweater in wine-red tones because she needed to feel comfortable that evening. It had been a hectic few days since the blue-haired girl and the blonde had found a quiet moment to themselves. Repair work, daily outings with Irma, Weisz's mom, to village festivals or markets, and long, lazy evenings with Sibir and the Norma crew—everything had kept them busy.
It was all wonderful, yes, but finally, they could just… *be together.*
Weisz entered the room, balancing a tray with two steaming cups of hot chocolate.
“Careful, these are hotter than they look,” he warned with a smile, placing the tray on the bed with precision.
Hermit chuckled softly. “If your mom sees us drinking this on the bed, she’ll throw a broom at us.” She reached for a cup, the warmth spreading through her hands as she carefully sipped. The comforting sensation melted away the lingering hectic energy of earlier.
The blonde flopped down next to her, sinking into the old mattress under his weight.
“Well, I think you deserve it after everything that happened today.” He hesitated for a moment, flashing her a somewhat shy smile. “You okay? You know… after all that?”
The android tilted her head, her blue hair catching the light as she considered his question. This had been their "first time"—not in a physical sense; their actual first time had been on the *Edens Zero* during their return journey. But it was their first time in the house on Norma, within the walls where Weisz had grown up.
It wasn’t just their first time for that, though. It was also the first time they’d shared something so deeply vulnerable. The trust they had built over time had led them to this moment, and while it had been exhilarating, it was also a little overwhelming—yet much gentler than their previous encounters so far.
“I’m fine,” she said softly, reaching out to take his hand. “I think I’m still processing a little, but… it was lovely. You made me feel safe.” Her cheeks flushed slightly, a delicate beauty to her. “What about you?”
Weisz’s smile softened, becoming more genuine. “Me too. I mean, it was new territory for both of us, right? My old childhood bedroom. But yeah… I’m good. Better than good, actually.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.
A moment of silence stretched between them, the air full of unspoken gratitude as they finished their hot chocolate and placed the cups on the bedside table. Setting the cups aside, Hermit scooted closer, letting Weisz rest his head on her chest as she allowed him to hold her.
“Thank you for always checking in on how I’m feeling,” she murmured. “It means a lot.”
Weisz understood just how much it meant. He knew what she had endured at the hands of humans, the trauma of those two long years deeply ingrained in her. He still remembered how, despite her excitement and happiness, she had trembled like a leaf the first time he undressed her—a reflexive reaction of her mechanical body.
And that time, which had been their true first time, they had gone incredibly slow. Carefully, without rushing. With plenty of aftercare afterward.
Just like they were doing now.
Weisz rested his head against her chest, lying fully on her, his voice full of affection.
“I just want us both to feel good.”
Hermit smiled at his words, finding his sincerity adorable.
“You’re better at this kind of thing than I thought,” she teased, shifting the tone of the conversation slightly.
“Hey!” he protested, though his laugh betrayed his amusement. “Give me some credit, girl. I have a soft side, you know?”
As they adjusted their position, Hermit’s gaze fell on Weisz’s neck, and her eyes widened slightly.
“Oh no,” she said, sitting up suddenly. “Did I…?” She reached out, gently brushing a faint mark on his skin, peeking out from the top of his reddish pajama shirt.
The human blinked, initially confused, before realization dawned.
“Wait, are you talking about—oh.” He grinned smugly, placing a hand on his neck with dramatic flair. “Well, well. Looks like someone couldn’t hold back their enthusiasm.”
Hermit’s pale hands flew to her face, muffling a groan of embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean to! I was just… caught up in the moment.”
Weisz laughed, gently taking her hands and pulling them away from her face.
“Relax, I think it’s kind of cute.” He raised an eyebrow playfully. “It’s like a little reminder of how much fun we had.”
Hermit rolled her eyes, though her smile betrayed her amusement.
“You’re impossible.”
“And you love it,” he shot back, earning a playful smack to the head with a pillow.
The rest of the night passed in quiet comfort. They put on a movie—a cheesy rom-com that had them laughing at its absurdity—and shared a plate of snacks prepared by Weisz. Between bites, they talked about their day, some work they still needed to finish, and the little quirks they had learned about each other in these intimate moments.
At one point, Hermit reached for a blanket, draping it over both of them as Weisz snuggled closer.
“You’re warm,” the android murmured, her voice tinged with sleepiness.
“Perks of being human,” he joked, wrapping an arm around her. “And you’re… well, perfect.”
She rolled her eyes again but didn’t protest, letting herself be comforted by the warmth of his embrace. As the credits rolled on the movie, they lay in bed in a silence full of companionship, the outside world feeling like a distant memory.
“Thank you, Weisz,” Hermit said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “For everything.”
He kissed her gently on the lips, replying in an equally tender tone.
“Anytime, Hermit. You know that.”
And as the stars began to dot the night sky outside the window, Hermit and Weisz fell asleep in each other’s arms, content in the knowledge that they were building something beautiful… together.
---
“Do you want to explain why there are hot chocolate stains all over the sheets?”
Irma’s voice rang out, full of that tone only a mother could use. “I’ve told you a thousand times not to eat on the bed!”
Hermit’s cheeks turned bright red, perhaps even redder than the glowing LEDs on her sides, while Weisz scratched the back of his neck with a guilty grin.
“Uh… it’s not my fault, Mom. The hot chocolate I made was just too good,” he said, trying to deflect the blame with a half-smile.
His mother folded her arms, staring at them both. “And what do you have to say for yourself, Hermit?”
The girl, even more embarrassed, tried to come up with an excuse.
“Uh… I didn’t realize it was… dripping?”
Irma shook her head, sighing. “Are you two toddlers? Next time, at least clean up afterward.” She put a hand to her forehead and shook her head. “And now clean up everything. The fresh sheets are over there.” She pointed to a basket at the foot of the bed before adding with a chuckle, “By the way, I’m glad you had fun while I was out, but maybe be a bit more careful next time, okay?”
Hermit buried her face in her blue twin tails while Weisz burst into hysterical laughter. “Okay, okay, Mom. We’ll clean everything up,” he said, pulling the blue-haired girl by the hand toward the basket.
When Irma was out of the room, the android looked at her boyfriend with a hint of exasperation.
“We didn’t even *do anything* with the hot chocolate!”
“Why, do you want to try?” Weisz grinned at her mischievously, only to be hit in the face with a pillow several times by the girl, who was completely flustered.
“Pervert! Pervert! PERVERT!”
“And yet you’d never back down, I know that much.”
She huffed, still holding the pillow, utterly embarrassed, but a small, barely contained smile still slipped across her lips. While they folded the fresh sheets, Hermit couldn’t help but think that, chocolate stains and snacks aside, this feeling of lightness and camaraderie with Weisz was something she never wanted to lose