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The night is quiet, dark, and concealing. Most toons would be getting some well-deserved shut-eye by this time, yet that wasn't the case for a certain fossil toon.
As Shelly dusts and dusts away at the fossil in her hands, the corner of her eyes begin to crinkle as she blinks more and more frequently. She can feel her eyebags drag her face downward. Truth be told, she wasn't staying up to finish cleaning these fossils she had recently received from her handler, she was instead waiting for a certain someone to come knocking on her door.
The previously stated and anticipated knock has her head snap to the door as it happens, and she sets her fossil down to tend to her late-night visitor. As she opens the door, a familiar green figure slips through and immediately closes the door, not wanting to draw attention from anyone who may be outside to herself.
"Vee..." Shelly moves forward to embrace the television toon in front if her, which is returned by a hug (albeit shallow and lacking emotion) from Vee. "How have you been?" The ammonite toon's voice is soft, hushed, tired, though she makes an effort to sound presentable for Vee. "I've been fine, as always." Vee replies in her standard monotonous speaking voice.
"Stay tomorrow morning?" Shelly has a hopeful yet anxious expression, putting herself on her tiptoes to kiss Vee's cool metal exterior to sweeten the deal. "No, can't tonight." Vee shuts her suggestion down, walking to Shelly's bed and motioning for her to do the same. "Lots of toons are gonna be up early tomorrow. We have our weekly early opening tomorrow, remember?" Shelly looks down, disappointed as she mutters, "Yeah... but still, why can't you stay?"
Vee frowns, crossing her arms. Shelly sighs, "You 'can't let them find out', yeah yeah, I know... but why?" A sinking feeling lands itself in Shelly's chest. "My image, Shelly." Vee sounds exasperated as she reiterates the phrase to the ammonite toon. "I just... I can't. I love you Shelly, trust me, I really do." The television toon tries her best to sound sincere, to ease the internal ache of longing shared by both her and the toon beside her.
"Don't think about it. You have me here tonight, don't you? Here." Vee leans in to embrace Shelly, but the frigidness of her metal limbs makes Shelly momentarily flinch as they make contact. Nonetheless, Shelly and Vee roll themselves into bed, holding each other as the blanket covers their figures.
Vee can't exactly kiss Shelly, with her not having a tangible mouth, so she instead provides hugs to compensate for her lack of kissing as affection. A ding goes off inside of her head, and a system notification flashes in her vision. Shelly takes notice of Vee's sudden stiffening and clutches onto her tighter.
"Ah, I'll be shutting down in a few seconds." Vee states, turning to face Shelly, "Good night Shells, love you." She presses her screen to Shelly's forehead, the heat of her screen bringing a comforting warmth to Shelly before she shuts down, her glowing green face disappearing along with her consciousness.
Shelly sighs, placing a kiss to Vee's now empty screen before settling herself into bed. This arrangement between her and Vee had been going on for quite some time now, Vee comes to Shelly's room for the night, stays until the morning and then leaves as quickly as she came, only for it to happen again the following night, and the night after that.
Shelly tries to convince herself that Vee's presence is enough, but not even she can deny her own desires, desires for something more. Every night that they come together, she wishes for something more to come out of their nightly escapades. Of course, nothing new occurs, and she doesn't think anything new will occur for a while, so she forces contentment on herself for the foreseeable future.
She knows that Vee holds herself in high regard, it's for her character and all, but what's so bad about her being in a relationship with the ammonite toon beyond acquaintances (or friends) that she has to make an effort to hide their connection?
What's so bad about her that Vee can't openly love her in public?
Would it be selfish for Shelly to want something more out of what they already have, for them to be able to hold hands and act affectionately towards each other in public? Vee already loves her in private (at least, she claims to), so why must she restrain their relationship with secrecy? If Vee truly loves her, then why is she so afraid of the others finding out about them?
Does she really love her? Is she just taking pity on the ammonite toon? Does Vee hate her–
Shelly gasps as her chest tightens, panting as she desperately tries to get herself to sleep. Cold sweat drips down the sides of her head, the thumping of her heart overtaking her eardums to the point that all she can hear is herself.
Sleep eventually befalls her, yet a lingering pain is left within her as her consciousness drifts into dream land.
–––
The sudden beeping of Shelly's alarm makes her jump up from her bed. She lazily reaches a hand over to cease the noise.
Sunlight peaks through her window, but even with the golden rays of sun illuminating her being, she feels the cold of the night still trapped within her, a reminder of last night, and more importantly the toon with her last night. She also notes that the one previously with her is no longer here with her, an expected behavior, but one that she'll forever dislike.
As she forces herself to clamber out of bed and go through the motions of her morning routine, an image of her and the gameshow host lingers in the back of her mind, the both of them sat down on a park bench, happier than she's ever seen the two of them be.
She blinks, mentally blocking out her imaginary scenario that's so outlandish and self-indulgent that even she knows it's practically unattainable for her. A fantasy is all it is.
A fantasy is all her and Vee's 'love' will ever be.
You only love me when we're all alone.