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Chapter Text

Vas straightened his tie, letting his fingers graze the clover pin as his hands fell back to his side, glancing up at the bar's sign. Words cropped up in his vision, a reminder of his current mission to ensure Lovell was safe and to take him home. 

The ginger had demanded to go out alone, sending Vas on a grocery run to keep him busy. Vas had been generous, granting the man an extra half hour by his lonesome as a sort of reward for sending the promised address to the bar he was sat in, as opposed to letting Vas search every local bar again. 

He pushed the door open, scanning the room and picking out that unkempt mop of ginger hair within moments, beelining for the man at the lonely table. 

"Lovell?" The Android started, watching Roser's distant eyes finally focus on him, blank for a moment before turning to annoyance. 

"Told you not 'ta call me that, go away, Vas..."

The Android rolled his eyes. 

"Leo, it's time to leave, you have work tomorrow." His LED circled yellow for a moment before returning to blue. "I already ordered a cab, it should be outside in the next minute or so," He watched as Lovell continued to pout, nursing his nearly finished drink, clearly trying to make it last longer. 

With a sigh, Vas reached down, deciding on a softer approach as he took Lovell's hand, running a thumb over the skin and letting his face fall into a more human concern. 

"Come on, Leo, let's go home..." He gently pulled Roser's hand towards him, encouraging him to stand. Vas immediately noticed the distance return to Lovell's eyes, as well as the stutter of his breath and the slight tremble of his hands. Lovell clenched the glass still in his grip, tossing the last of the drink back and abruptly standing on shaking legs. 

Vas waited for a moment, allowing Lovell to regain his bearings before finally pulling him towards the door. His hand stayed entangled with Lovell's, glancing back to see the ginger's distant stare, the corners of his mouth turned down. 

They stood on the sidewalk, a foot from the curb as they waited, Lovell resting most of his weight against Vas as he leaned closer against him, squeezing his hand and silently staring ahead. After a few moments, the driverless cab finally pulled up, allowing Vas to coax Lovell into the back seat before sliding in beside him. 

He reached out and interfaced with the screen before him, his skin peeling back for a moment before the car eventually started. He pulled back, finally looking back to Lovell. 

The other was already staring at him, a familiar sadness in his green eyes as he leaned closer. His arms came up to brace against Vas's chest as he practically draped himself over the Android. 

"You keep actin' like you care about me..." His hands tightened on Vas's jacket lapels, Vas's LED circling yellow for a second as he notices the tears welling behind Lovell's eyes. "Please...just tell me you mean it..." The ginger desperately stared at the Android.

 His face seemed to fall further as the Android stayed silent, his LED now a constant yellow. He let out a shaky breath, mindlessly leaning forward as he gave in to his impulses. His mouth found Vas's, kissing him gently with pursed lips, taking in the feel of Vas's synthetic lips against his own chapped and torn ones. After a moment he let them part, simply breathing against Vas's lips as the android stayed unmoving--not reciprocating. 

A tear finally rolled down Lovell's cheek as his breaths hitched, his eyes staying clenched shut as his brows furrowed painfully. Vas finally moved, bringing a hand up to rest against Lovell's back, which caused another tear to fall. Lovell finally moved again, slow as he buried his face against Vas's cyberlife jacket. 

"You're cruel..." His voice slurred, chest jumping with stuttered breaths as more tears soaked into the jacket. He curled up further against Vas, trembling slightly as his chest tightened. 

Lovell felt the last of his awareness slip, completely ignorant to the red circle now on Vas's temple as he slowly surrendered to sleep in the back of a cab. 

Chapter Text

Vasily took another drag of the cigarette between his lips as his eyes sat fixated on the man beside him. Lovell's voice rang soothingly in his ears, even slightly muffled by the fox mask, as he rambled on about some disease one of his tobacco plants had caught. It was always intriguing watching Lovell just mindlessly talk like this, his eyes and hands expressive enough to make up for the mask covering his pretty face. 

He exhaled, smoke billowing out from his parted lips as he gave another hum of interest, always at least half listening to Lovell's tangents. Lovell glanced back over to him, likely making sure he was still listening, as he always did--unused to the constant attention. His gaze seemed to linger on Vasily, catching on the cigarette and parted lips before darting back up to Vasily's slightly lidded eyes. 

Vasily's breath gently hitched at the attention, leading him to roll the lit cigarette--the last of the box, perhaps good luck, his brain supplied--between his fingers, giving the bottom a flick with his thumb to knock the loose ash off. He felt something stir in his chest, a mostly unidentifiable feeling, but he had noticed it flaring up a lot since he had met Lovell. The only concrete feeling he could pick from it was a gentle arousal stirring somewhere in his gut, his mind latching onto it. 

Lovell's words slowly fell off, noticing the lidded stare from the man beside him. He sat silently for a moment, curiously watching Vasily as he seemed to toss some thought around in his mind, a look to him like he was preparing himself to speak. 

With the silence Vasily finally moved, taking another drag to cure the sudden nerves that creeped up on him. With faux confidence, he leaned forward, a hand landing on Lovell's thigh as he let the smoke circulate in his lungs. Lovell’s muscles jolted a bit at the unexpected touch, his wide, curious eyes locking with Vasily's. 

A touch calmer, Vasily felt a sudden boldness wash over him, leading him to part his lips and exhale the smoke, watching it wrap around Lovell's mask. He kept his eyes on Lovell's, watching the shocked raise of his brows. 

Lovell's breath hitched, his face flushing a bit as the smoke fogged up his visor, the smell of the burning tobacco–his tobacco–just barely leaking through his mask's filter. As the smoke dissipated, the comfortably cool wind dragging it away, Vasily spoke. 

"It's cold out here, yeah? Wanna go in?" He tilted his head back towards Lovell's shop, snuffing the last of the cigarette against the concrete wall. 

Lovell furrowed his brows a bit, confused. He certainly wasn't cold, and Vasily wasn't one to complain about any nippy air, but he wouldn't turn down a chance to retreat back to safety in his familiar little shop. 

"Yeah, sure..." Lovell waits for Vasily to stand first, standing himself once the hand finally lifted from his thigh. Vasily practically led the way, casting glances back at the ginger as he entered the shop, Lovell close behind. 

Lovell let the front door close behind him, taking the time to lock it before wandering over to Vasily, who had taken to leaning against his counter in the corner. However, as Lovell approached him, he pushed off the counter, taking a few steps to meet Lovell part way. 

Lovell's brain immediately seemed to short circuit as Vasily's hands found his hip and chest through his layers of clothing, pushing him against the wall with a surprising gentleness. Lovell's breath hitched, his chest immediately tightening in a slight panic as his lips parted beneath his mask in confusion, eyebrows furrowing above wide, bright eyes. 

"God, I want you so bad, Leo..." Vasily gave a breath against the side of Lovell's mask, his voice low. an energy buzzed under his skin as his hands wandered, his non metal hand feeling the jolt of Lovell's chest as he pushed a bit on the ginger's pec, moving slowly against him. Lovell's hands suddenly found Vasily's chest with a choked sound, his brain running in circles at the suddenness of the situation. Vasily gave a breathy hum, seeing the touch as eager reciprocation for a moment, growing quickly confused as Lovell gave a small push. 

"Vasily, I'm not--not like that, I don't--" Lovell stumbled through his words, face flushed in shame and disgust, shuddering at the thought of doing something so intimate with so little connection. A hint of panic continued to buzz under his skin. He enjoyed his time with Vasily and yearned to grow closer to the man, but not like this, in such a barbaric and unloving way. "I don't do the...the sex thing..."

Vasily furrowed his own brows, allowing Lovell to push him away as his touch became lighter, eventually falling from Lovell altogether. He thought Lovell wanted this too--something with him. Embarrassment replaced every fleeting bit of courage he had before, leaving his chest tight as his cheeks gently flushed. 

"Oh. Sorry. I thought..." Vasily cringed, his voice trailing off as he searched for words. Christ, he ruined everything, didn't he? Idiot. "Thought you liked me too...Home. go--i'll go. Sorry..." He mumbled, rubbing harshly at his face as he stepped back, his gaze to the floor. 

Lovell didn't speak, his throat tight as he watched Vasily retreat. He mindlessly fixed his slightly ruffled clothes--a ghost of Vasily's touch still lingering beneath them. His emotions fought within him as he stood, screaming at him to react in a dozen different ways–to run over and drag the man back and attempt to clarify his own feelings, however confusing they were in the moment–but all he could do was watch as Vasily snatched up his own mask, his metaphorical tail tucked between his legs as he fled, head bowed with shame. 

Chapter Text

Roser's thirium pump pounded in his chest as his synthetic breathing laboured, uneven footsteps slamming against the concrete sidewalk as he ran. Warnings flashed in his vision, further overwhelming him as he choked back a dry sob, trying to focus on one simple thing as he ran--Vasily's address. He didn't know where else to possibly flee, the only sliver of safety in his mind he could latch onto being the kindly repairman that had always insisted on talking to him. 

He glanced back once more, his freshly feeling mind laden with fears and anxieties of dying--of the drunken anti-android group trying to chase him down and get their payback for whatever harm he had caused with the single, horrified swing of his pruning saw. From what his frazzled processors could tell he hadn't done much damage, at worst leaving a sizable cut on the man wielding the blade, but the underlying horror at hurting a human had him chucking the tool away the moment he broke free and ran. 

 A part of him yearned--an unfamiliar, curious thing he couldn't do before--for the garden tool to be in his grip again, but instead it lays discarded in the park, useless to him now whether he lived or not. He would never be able to return to the park now that he was broken--they would try to deactivate him. Vasily was his only hope.

He finally made it to the house, a thankfully short walk from the park, and ran up to the door. He pulled his hand from his busted arm--breath hitching in another near sob as he saw all the blue blood stained in his glove--and raised it, pounding desperately on the door. Each second he stood there, exposed under the golden porch light, the more his new fears and anxieties ate away at him. What if this wasn't Vasily's house and the man had lied to him? Or what if he misremembered it? What if it was Vasily and the man wanted nothing to do with him--a broken, disobedient machine? 

When the door finally opened, Vasily standing with furrowed brows on the other side, Roser had a strong urge to throw himself at the man and sob--to cling to the last possible comfort he has in the moment and let Vasily fix him. 

"Pl--ease, help, I--I don't know wha--what to--to--" his skipping words quickly cut off as he finally took more of the man in. 

Roser's eyes immediately caught on the glistening metal clasped in Vasily's hand, causing his eyes to widen further as his mind started churning through more fearful outcomes. His voice glitched as he cried out in fear, immediately taking two quick, horrified steps backwards and tripping over his feet. He crashed to the ground with another choppy cry, crawling back on twitching limbs as his breathing grew even harder, eyes never leaving the firearm. 

"Please--I don't wanna d--ie! Don't hur--hurt me, I'll go--" Roser's anxious voice fizzled together, his damaged throat still acting like it had human fingers grasped around it. As the memory flashed, he could almost feel the bark of the red maple in his back again, causing his stress to further rise. 

Vasily's wide eyes worriedly scanned over Roser, following the long gashes across the androids face before finally following where his eyes sat fixated in horror. Upon realizing what it was that further set the ginger off, he quickly stowed the pistol back in its holster, his heart tightening painfully at the sheer panic and fear radiating from the clearly deviated Android. He would have to tread carefully, he certainly didn't want Roser trying to self-destruct. 

"Hey, hey, I'm not going to hurt you, Roser," he quickly reassured, his voice taking on a gentle, comforting tone. "I'll take care of you, I promise," he made sure not to make his movements too sudden as he approached the injured android, holding his hands up in a sort of surrender, trying to prove he was no threat. When he noticed that Roser wasn't trying to flee from him anymore, sitting mostly still on the sidewalk as he approached, he started lowering himself beside the Android. 

"They can't hurt you anymore Roser, you're safe with me," Vasily mumbled, slowly raising a hand towards the ginger. He let it gently land on the other's shoulder, fearful when Roser immediately flinched back, however the Android quickly leaned into it after a moment. "Let's get you inside and fixed up, yeah?" He let the hand move, instead sliding under Roser's armpit and around him so he could help pull him up. 

The second he had a hold around Roser's back, the Android seemed to completely rely on him, leaning most of his weight against Vasily as the repairman pulled him up. 

"'M sorry...please–ease don't let me die..." Roser quietly whined, trembling and stumbling a bit as Vasily quickly led him into his house. "I don't wan–na die..." 

Vasily frowned, anger sizzling in his chest towards whoever dared to hurt his poor, kindly gardener like this. 

"I won't let you die, Roser," he led the man further into his house, bringing him to his in-home workshop. Stacks of various Android repair parts and tools sat scattered around the room, as well as numerous monitors. "C'mon, sit," he eased the Android up onto a table, quickly clearing it off and laying Roser on his back. 

He booted up his computers, collecting tools in between as he watched Roser stare at the ceiling, the Android's breath still stuttering with small sobs. He picked a connection cable up, staring at it for a moment. 

"Do you trust me?" Vasily watched as Roser's gaze moved to him. He knew that the Android knew what he was asking, the cable in his hand a clear tell. After a few moments the ginger gently nodded, shakily lifting his head enough for Vasily to see the synthetic skin pull back from around his neck port. Vasily gently cradled the Android's head as he plugged it in, laying him back down. With that, he ran a comforting hand through Roser's hair, watching his LED flash a welcome yellow through the constant red it had been. 

"Thank you..." Roser mumbled. He was unsure if he would wake up after this, perhaps betrayed or just too far gone, but either way he couldn't bring himself to care, allowing the sliver of hope to consume and comfort him as he pulled his synthetic skin back, aware of Vasily carefully removing his uniform as he finally allowed himself to go into stasis. 

Chapter Text

Vas's LED circled yellow for a moment as he gently laid the blanket over Lovell's sleeping form, already having carefully moved his body into a lying position over the couch. The ginger surprisingly hadn't gotten drunk tonight, though he had thrown some headphones on, picked up a sketchbook, and told Vas to leave him alone approximately 3 hours ago, glaring the Android down until he had left the living room.

Now, Vas held the still blasting headphones in his grip, some early 2000s rock gently lofting through the room until he finally paused it--it was a wonder that Lovell was able to fall asleep--while his gaze caught back on the discarded sketchbook. 

His eyes lingered on it, some instinctive curiosity pulling at his programming to learn more about his owner. Every other time he had tried to open the pages of this specific sketchbook, he had always been snapped at by Lovell, a demand to "respect at least an ounce of his privacy" on his tongue. 

However, his other orders to learn more about Lovell and use it to aid him brings his gaze back to it over and over. It was common for humans to use art as an expression for their venting, so Vas figured it was worth investigating, despite Lovell's demands against it. After all, the man clearly didn't know what was best for him, that's why Vas was here in the first place. 

His eyes darted back to Lovell for a moment, quickly analyzing him. There was only a 31% chance of the human waking up, with the chances of him noticing what Vas was doing and snapping at him before the Android could react being even lower. Otherwise, the man looked oddly calm in his slumber, perhaps even content, certainly an unusual sight. This was his chance. 

He silently set down the headphones, cautiously picking up the sketchbook and observing the cover. It was well worn, simply a standard sketchbook, approximately half full with a quick glance at the side. Without another moment wasted, he opened it, the gentle sound of paper ruffling breaking the silence of the room as he gazed down at the first drawing.

His eyes immediately wandered over a sketched scene, quickly identified by Vas to be from a specific bench Lovell preferred to sit on at their local park, which faced a small flowery section. The details were somewhat messy, likely sketched more speedily, but they still brought a surprising amount of life to the scene, easy to glance over to see the full picture. His LED circled yellow for a moment as he took in the piece, quickly returning to blue as he flipped to the next page. Another scene, this time more in the city, vague but detailed people bustling about. 

He flipped through about 25 more pages, finding scene after scene, some local while others were clearly referenced off the internet, as well as some that were pure products of the mind--big forests filled with wildflowers and towering trees. Occasionally some pages would be riddled with sketches of faces and more masculine figures. They were all carefully detailed and full of life, though none of them reflected any people Vas knew, most likely strangers Lovell happened to focus on. 

He furrowed his brows slightly, flipping yet another page and finding similar results. He didn't understand why Lovell was so heavily guarding this sketchbook, especially since he had caught glimpses of Lovell drawing such things before, obviously aware of his stare but uncaring. Vas had half the mind to simply close the sketchbook, deeming his search pointless and adding another odd quirk to the long list he already had for Lovell, however that idea was quickly aborted as he flipped one last page. 

It took him a moment to realize who he was looking at, his LED circling yellow before his eyes finally widened, his synthetic breath catching in his throat for no systemic reason. It was him, headshot after headshot squeezed onto the page, all in varying angles from the right side of his face. However, at the same time, it didn't feel like him, especially as his eyes caught the very human outfit he was sketched with in a few shots.

 He continued to stare, taking in every small detail and comparing it to the image he had of his model. It was practically perfect, down to each mole and miniscule wrinkle, yet somehow it felt like there was more to it--something that felt human. 

That feeling only grew as he flipped the page, finding sketches that extended further, showing him in more expressive poses. One had his arms behind his back, a sort of pout on his face, while another had him talking with his hands, then another with a lighter between his fingers. He couldn't recall ever being quite so expressive, simply doing the bare minimum to put Lovell at ease, especially since he'd aired his grievances on Vas being an Android so often, but this... 

He stared at the faces, all just as expressive as the poses, yet still from the same few angles, only ever showing the right side of his face. He flipped another page, his LED a constant yellow, but he paid it no mind, too entranced by the pages before him. It was another page of similar poses, all expressive and from the right side, then the next was more headshots, getting more and more expressive--more tender. Looks of pity and exasperation stared back at him, as well as one he eventually clocked as adoration. He flipped the page again. 

This time, the sketches moved to full body, showing him sitting, standing idle, even crouching down. He again noticed a severe lack of his cyber life clothing, instead dawning different outfits, with the most common being some sort of sweater vest over a button up, occasionally with a jacket over it. However, quickly after that his gaze flitted back to the faces, his breath hitching again as he noticed the new angle. This one showed the left side of his face, a shy smile on his lips, though what quickly made his thirium pump act up was the distinct lack of an LED on his temple. 

His eyes lingered on the empty temple of the sketch, taking in the gentle happiness of the expression. Perhaps it was a mistake, a simple overlooking of detail. Of course Lovell was usually keen on detail, but he was still a human, and humans commonly made mistakes, especially humans with issues like Lovell. However, as he flipped the page again, he found another, also devoid of an LED and looking so happy and lively--distinctly human. He flipped page after page now, filled with nothing but himself looking back at him, various expressions and poses but all human--if anything becoming more so. 

Vas decided to simply ignore the red flash of his LED, as well as the pointless, odd urge he had to cover it with his hand, a quick software instability notification cropping up only to get dismissed just as hastily. Instead, he simply snapped the book shut, an unfamiliar itch of something driving these odd behaviors, but he refused to dwell on it, placing the sketchbook back on the coffee table. 

He knew Lovell wished for him to be a human, he had dealt with enough of the ginger's drunken, vulnerable rambles of his confusing feelings, but it never bothered Vas. He knew he was an Android and accepted that he wouldn't be anything else, Lovell just needed to accept that as well. He had a mission, and none of Lovell's silly sketched daydreams were going to change what he was. 

With a red LED, he settled on the armchair beside Lovell, taking one last long look at him before finally going into stasis. 

Chapter Text

Vasily's unconscious body twitched and jerked from his spot on the bed, curled up near the edge and far away from the suffocating blankets still covering a peacefully sleeping Lovell. The weaponsmith's breathing was laboured, short, choppy breaths breaking the mostly silent air, joined by the gentle rustling of soft sheets. He let out a small choked groan, eyebrows furrowed painfully as various parts of his bio arm began twitching as well, tightly grasping the sheets. 

With one last unconscious thrash of his body, Vasily's eyes finally flew open, a silent gasp bubbling in his tight throat as a familiar pain shot through his right arm. He continued breathing in quick, gasping breaths, blindly clutching at his burning arm to try and curb the phantom pains–proving useless as he clawed at cold metal. His eyes uselessly darted around, taking in none of his surroundings as his overactive mind clung to the flashing visions of the lingering nightmare–a twisted recount of the explosion. 

He couldn't think through the loud pounding of his heart in his ears, sweat drenching his body as a fresh wave of hot pain jolted through him, his panicked mind unable to discern the cold metal under his touch from the exposed, singed flesh from years prior. His throat burned from the choppy breaths, lips moving as if he were speaking but no words could be discerned. As his bio eyes started glitching, causing his eyelids to aggressively blink and twitch, he finally clenched his eyes shut again, his left hand retreating from the implant and instead roughly rubbing at his face. 

Beside him, Lovell had stirred awake, shooting up the moment his tired mind had picked up the first pained, choked mutter of his name. His eyes darted around the dark room, very quickly landing on Vasily's curled up form, trembling so tortured a short distance away. 

"Leo..." The name fell continuously from Vasily's lips, his accent thick as mumbled Russian that Lovell couldn't translate surrounded it, the words croaky. Lovell quickly shucked his blanket, scooting closer to Vasily with worry on his face. 

These nightmares weren't uncommon–certainly not the first one Lovell had seen Vasily deal with, but they still left a pit of sympathy in his chest every time he saw the brunet in such a state. Vasily had never revealed much of his past or the incident that took his arm, but Lovell had still gained enough knowledge through slightly drunken rambles and moments like this to at least put two and two together. 

"Hey, Hey, Hey..." He kept his voice soft, practically cooing at the hyperventilating man. "Vasily, you're alright darling, I'm right here..." He slowly brought a hand up, letting his gentle touch fall upon Vasily's back. However, as he went to move his hand, he felt the muscles beneath his fingers suddenly flex, stiffening in a panic as Vasily flinched away. 

"No–don't touch it!" Vasily snapped, abruptly sitting up and pulling away from the unexpected contact, practically wrapping his metal arm around himself to protect it. His eyes flew open at the touch as well, immediately landing on Lovell, but his gaze still seemed to stare right through him, unfocused and panicked. 

"I'm sorry, I won't touch you yet," Lovell immediately put his hands up in front of him, a show of surrender for the other. "It" was clearly his bio arm, which meant he needed to calm Vasily enough for physical comfort first. "You're safe here Vasily, I promise, nothing is going to hurt you...you're home now, see? I'm right here," He continued mumbling reassurances to the man, watching as his eyes slowly seemed to focus more and more on Lovell's figure. 

"It's hurting again, isn't it? Let me help you dear?" Lovell started scooting closer again, making sure Vasily was aware of all his movements and keeping them slow. Lovell gently took Vasily's flesh hand, making sure the man wasn't going to pull away again, before taking his twitching metal hand as well. He rubbed his thumbs over the knuckles of them, Vasily's distant gaze locked on the motion. He slowly continued this up both forearms, using the comforting movements to hopefully curb the phantom pains in the replaced arm. Once he was up to the elbows, Vasily's prosthetic had begun noticeably twitching less, causing Lovell to smile. 

Lovell slowly lifted himself, moving into a better position with a hum.

"Come here darling, I've got you..." With that, Lovell coaxed the weaponsmith to lean forward, pulling him into a loose hug. One hand immediately found the back of the man's head, while his other started rubbing soothing circles against his upper back. 

Vasily allowed himself to be engulfed in the grounding embrace, eyes still staring somewhat blankly as he slowly lowered his head against the shoulder before him. His arms simply trembled and flexed beside him for a while, his mind still trying to return to the present moment as Lovell ran a comforting hand through his hair, gently mumbling more reassurances into the quiet air. Eventually, he brought his shaky arms up, wrapping around Lovell's back. His hands mindlessly grabbed at the ginger's sleeping shirt, fingers tightening into fists around the cloth as he tried to focus on the man's gentle voice. 

"See? You're alright, love...just keep breathing, nice and slow..." Lovell started gently rocking the two of them side to side, hardly moving more than an inch each way, the soft movements soothing as he rested his head against Vasily's. "You're safe here, you're not dying..." he felt the other's breathing slowly started to level out more, continuing to mindlessly mumble reassurances to the brunet as they held each other.

The weaponsmith continued to slowly calm, his mind latching more and more onto Lovell's presence and words, focusing on the gentle touch running over his back and through his hair. After a bit, Lovell switched from mumbled reassurances to humming, gently recalling parts of songs he knew Vasily loved to fill the quiet air.

Exhaustion finally settled over Vasily where there once was pure panic, leaving him completely drained as he cuddled further against the ginger. He held Lovell tighter, using him as the anchor he always proved to be, time and time again. 

"...thanks," Vasily's voice was hardly above a whisper, though Lovell heard it clear as day regardless, a small smile on his lips. 

"Of course, darling..." Lovell finally pulled back a bit from the embrace–just enough to look his boyfriend in the eyes. He let his hand fall from Vasily's hair, instead cupping the brunet's cheek and rubbing at the skin with his thumb, guiding the man's head up from his shoulder. Vasily's eyes stayed latched to Lovell's shoulder for a while, his face gently flushing as a touch of embarrassment leaked in through the exhaustion. However, with a gentle run of Lovell's thumb under his eye, he finally met Lovell's gaze, properly taking in the small, proud smile and the crinkle of the ginger's tired green eyes. "You'll always be safe here, I promise," Lovell quietly added, pecking a small kiss on the brunet's other cheek. 

"Do you want to lay back down?" After a few silent moments Vasily gave a slow nod. The ginger carefully pulled away, Vasily chasing the embrace for a moment before stopping himself, instead watching Lovell lay back down. He didn't bother with pulling the blanket back over himself, easily sacrificing the additional warmth for Vasily, since he knew the man overheated easily. 

Vasily finally moved forward as the ginger opened his arms, immediately burying his face against Lovell's chest and wrapping his arms around the man's torso. He tangled their legs together, wrapping himself around Lovell and ensuring the man–his anchor–wouldn't disappear. He took a deep breath, holding it for a moment as he listened to Lovell's heart beat beneath his ear, before exhaling, the tension steadily melting from his body. 

"...can you talk? Anything. Too quiet." Lovell smiled, giving a small hum as his hand found Vasily's hair again. 

"Of course..." With that, Lovell dived into a quiet tangent, the details lost on Vasily as he listened to the rumble of Lovell's voice in his chest, slowly drifting off into a calm, dreamless sleep. 

Chapter Text

Roser's LED circled a calm blue as he took a deep synthetic breath, smiling contently. His eyes were gently shut, blocking out any visual stimuli as the boisterous sounds of life around him dulled to background noise in his mind. The chatter of far away people faded alongside the hum and growl of passing cars–even the rustling of the leaves and chirping of birds grew quieter as Lovell sat with his thoughts. The gentle lull of the rocking chair Vasily had gotten for him calmed his mind, leaving him mindlessly rocking as he allowed his systems to calm. 

He commonly wondered what he did to deserve a sanctuary such as this, safe from the world that wanted him disassembled for his defects. More so, he wondered how he managed to get so lucky in catching Vasily's eye, unknowingly sealing himself in a domestic fate from the moment his undeviated self had returned the curious man's conversation. Vasily has done so much for him, cared so deeply for him, that even just the tender thought of the technician sped his thirium pump. 

Within the house, Vasily hummed as he shut and locked the front door behind him, shucking his bag from his shoulder, along with his coat. 

"Roser! You inside?" He gave a moment for a potential response, not bothering to remove his shoes at the silence that followed his question. He wandered towards the back door, peeking into rooms as he passed to make sure the Android wasn't in stasis somewhere, which also left him empty handed. 

Vasily smiled as he looked out the back window, finally catching the familiar sight of Roser rocking back and forth in his chair, the afternoon sun illuminating him beautifully. With a small lovestruck huff, he pushed the back door open, looking over the garden for a moment–expansive and thriving as beautifully as ever–before wandering up behind his beloved android. 

Roser gave a small gasp, his eyes shooting open as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He quickly whipped his head around, feeling the small jump of his stress levels quickly start to lower again as he noticed Vasily smiling apologetically. 

"Hey, easy darling, it's just me..." Vasily rubbed at the Android's shoulder, moving closer to him. With a hum he leaned down, slowly planting a kiss on Roser's cheek as the ginger visibly calmed. "Nice day out, yeah? Mind if I join you?" He smiled against Roser's cheek at the small huff of laughter he received, the android turning his head to properly peck Vasily's lips. 

"Of course not, you're always welcome to join me," Roser's words dripped with adoration towards the man, smiling as Vasily locked their lips in a longer kiss. The brunet eventually pulled back, lowering himself to the paved ground beside Roser and leaning his head and arms against the armrest. He took Roser's hand with his prosthetic, allowing the skin to pull back as he simply stared up at the android for a moment. Roser gave a small laugh at the man, undeniably enamored by the others antics as he stared down at Vasily. 

"That can't be comfortable!" Roser exclaimed, a tender smile stretched across his face as he let his own synthetic skin pull back, connecting with Vasily's arm to dump all the adoration he held into it. 

"It's comfortable enough," Vasily playfully shrugged, turning his gaze over to the beautiful garden. It was amazing how quickly Roser had turned his neglected backyard into such a colorful, prosperous space. It had become the perfect little safe haven for his darling, filled with plants and shrubs the android had spent hours choosing himself and planning for, wandering the space and sketching out his ideas before finally sending Vasily out with a list of everything he needed. It's the least Roser deserved; somewhere he could feel safe and content, built and tended to completely by him. "The garden is absolutely beautiful, I don't feel like I appreciate it enough."

Roser blushed at the compliment to his work, glancing away bashfully as pride swelled in his chest. He took a few long, quiet moments to calm his thirium pump, glancing over the garden and simply stewing in the comfortable atmosphere before returning his gaze to the man sitting beside him. 

"You know you could always get another chair, you don't have to sit on the ground or stand around every time you're out here," Roser brought his hand up to Vasily's face, pushing his glasses properly into place before resting his hand atop Vasily's head. "Maybe then you could appreciate it more," he teased, running his hand through Vasily's hair as he stared at the man. He certainly couldn't deny the alluring thought of Vasily spending more time with him in the garden, just sitting and talking together, or cuddling... 

"Pah, it's not that bad. This is supposed to be your safe space, after all," Vasily lifted his hand to give a small dismissing wave, his gaze moving between the garden and Roser's face. He watched the androids face shift to confusion, his LED circling yellow for a moment. 

"What if I want you to have a place in it? You make me feel safer than any amount of flowers or sunlight could, I enjoy being with you more than anything else..." His voice dropped a touch in volume as he spoke, each word dripping with sincerity. He watched Vasily's bright eyes return to him, staying now as he continued to run his hand through the man's hair. He couldn't help but wonder why Vasily would ever think he didn't want the brunet with him. "...maybe you could get one of those porch swings, big enough for the both of us, then we can sit out here and cuddle," Roser smiled a bit wider at the thought, taking a moment to imagine it as Vasily seemed to process his words. 

"Maybe I could..." Vasily ran his thumb over the back of Roser's hand, his touch comforting as he mumbled, smiling to himself. If Roser wished it, then who was he to turn the Android down? He quite missed sitting around at the park anyways, having no reason to return while Roser wasn't there. Perhaps he would look for something tomorrow, something comfortable that matched the backyard, and maybe a fire pit would be a good addition... 

He gave a small hum, slowly standing with a dramatic stretch, peering over at the old sugar maple tree near the corner of his yard. He had seen Roser sitting under it occasionally, curled up with a book or a sketchpad when he wanted to be more in the shade. It seemed like a perfect spot for them to curl up together. He turned back to the Android, holding a hand out for Roser to take. 

"But until then, I think the grass is soft enough. Join me?" He smiled down at the Android, watching as his LED circled yellow for a moment in thought, quickly returning to blue as his smile widened. 

"Of course," Roser gently took the technician's hand, allowing himself to be pulled up from the rocking chair. Vasily pulled him closer, his other hand falling upon Roser's cheek as he tenderly kissed the Android, pecking at his lips. Roser sighed into it, savoring the sweet kisses as his hand found Vasily's hip. After a moment Vasily finally pulled back, running his thumb under Roser's eye–bright and lively as always–before letting his hand drop. 

He finally stepped back, movements slow as he led Roser over towards the tree, savouring the gentle atmosphere. He settled on the ground first, dragging Roser down in a way that pulled sweet laughter from the Android, dropping him to his knees and effectively boxing Vasily in. With another tug he fell fully against Vasily, who quickly wrapped his arms around the Android and squeezed, burying his face against Roser's shoulder with a snicker of his own. 

Roser's hand immediately found Vasily's hair again, carding through it as Vasily tightly hugged him. With gentle movements, he eventually rearranged the both of them, leaning himself back against the tree with Vasily wrapped around his torso, head resting comfortably on Roser's shoulder. 

The two stayed curled together under the old sugar maple for hours, mindlessly talking and laughing together as the sun slowly set, the only thing that mattered to them being each other. 

Chapter Text

Lovell's eyes drooped as he stared into his water cup, gently swirling the liquid to the sound of Vas washing dishes a few feet away. He couldn't help the pit of exhaustion in his mind, his body drained from unloading and organizing stock all day, as well as the emotional turmoil that always seemed to rear its ugly head around this time of year. 

The week before any major holiday was always physically draining, leaving him moving around and working practically nonstop in preparation, but mother's day specifically always held an additional weight to it that Lovell could never seem to shake. Every year it rolled around and did nothing but remind him of what he lost, kneeled before a grave with a fresh bouquet. 

At least this year he had help with all the preparation and work, the Android untaxed by any physical labor and surprisingly precise now in his bouquet arranging, despite Lovell's Insistence to learn everything the proper way–through first-hand experience and books. Lovell's eyes wandered over to Vas in thought, mindlessly watching him work as his chest tightened. 

It was cruel how beautifully domestic Vas could be, like he had always belonged in Lovell's home–belonged with him. Lovell gave a gentle sigh, his eyes locked on the visible parts of Vas's face. All he wanted in the moment was to hold him, to wander over and kiss him, to see him smile, to hear he cared, and that they could have something real. 

"You remembered to place that other large order today, didn't you? For the extra carnations and such?" Vas's voice broke Lovell out of his daze, leaving him to thoughtlessly blink for a moment. 

"...yeah, should get them tomorrow afternoon," He mumbled, fighting back a yawn as his gaze turned back to his water. He took a few quick gulps, finishing the liquid before standing. Lovell stretched a bit, watching as Vas gazed at him, his blue eyes surprisingly soft as they followed the ginger. Lovell found his face growing warm, letting his thoughts fade to the background as he slowly wandered up to Vas, the Android now drying his hands. 

Lovell glanced at the now empty sink, gently placing his glass in it before turning his gaze back to Vas. Before he could try and wash the glass, Lovell gently grabbed his hips, turning Vas so his back was to the counter, boxed in against it. 

"Get it tomorrow..." He mumbled, watching as Vas's LED spun yellow, causing his chest to tighten. He hated that damn thing, always glaring at him–a declaration of how distant Vas truly was, no matter how close he felt or how human he looked. Lovell gave a small sigh as he brought a hand up to Vas's face, his thumb covering the bright LED as Vas gazed curiously at him. 

Perhaps he could let himself pretend tonight, give into the one damning comfort that refused to part from him. Lovell breathed again as his eyes fell shut, slowly allowing himself to lean forward as his hand fell from the LED, resting his head against the other's shoulder. The vague thrum of Vas's thirium pump sounded almost identical to a heart beat, even gently picking up under him as Lovell's hands dragged down Vas's front, fisting the fabric of the cyberlife jacket. 

"Come lay with me..." Lovell didn't allow himself to feel ashamed at the demand, too tired as he gently took Vas's wrist, swinging his arm back and forth. "I wanna cuddle," he quietly added, nuzzling against Vas's neck. 

"Of course," Vas gave a small affirmative hum, his LED landing on blue again as he focused on the command, ignoring the odd feelings poking at his processors. He knew Lovell wanted comfort–some escape from his emotions for at least a short while, especially with mother's day coming up–and Vas was in no right to deny him of that. His own free hand landed on Lovell's arm, rubbing comfortingly as Lovell stayed plastered to his front for another few moments. 

The ginger finally pulled back, his tiredness evident in the unusual clinginess and droop of his eyes, finally giving in to the comfort provided to him. He kept Vas's hand in his, mindlessly dragging him towards the bedroom as he savored the weight of their interlocked hands. 

Once they were in Lovell's room, the bedside lamp still on, Lovell dragged the Android to the bed. 

"Sit," He gently pushed the Android down, his hands lingering on Vas's shoulders for a moment before finally pulling away, his touch partially dragging down the other's front. He stepped back, his gaze still locked on Vas as he tiredly swayed. He wanted to fall back against the Android, to let himself be held as the rest of the world fell away, but he at least needed to change first. 

Vas sat on the edge of the bed as asked, mindlessly watching as Lovell wandered over to the closet and slowly changed, his back to the Android. Once finished, he seemed to linger before the closet for a moment, almost as if lost in thought, before finally turning back to Vas. 

Lovell looked over the Android for a moment, savoring the angle of his face and the bright glint of his eyes, human enough–loving enough. He wandered back over to the other with a tired smile, boxing him in against the bed. He gently crawled into the brunet's lap, immediately wrapping his arms around Vas's back as he buried his face against the Android's shoulder. Lovell took a deep breath, savouring the contact as he tightened his hold, borderline desperate as he took the comfort so easily presented to him. 

Vas's own arms came up to wrap around Lovell, holding the man against him and dragging a gentle hand through the ginger's hair. Vas stared down at Lovell, watching his back slowly rise and fall as he stayed nuzzled against the Android. Vas allowed them to sit like that for a couple of minutes, eventually patting the others back as he noticed the breathing slow. 

"Should we lay down properly or are you comfortable like this?" Vas gently teased, feeling Lovell stir against him as the ginger turned his head. 

Lovell mindlessly stared at his unkempt bed for a moment, suddenly aware of the slight chill of the air around them. With a small groan he slowly pulled away, reluctantly separating himself from the warm body and rubbing at his eyes. 

He crawled up toward the pillows, shucking his blanket aside before lazily turning back to Vas. 

"C'mere..." Lovell watched as Vas obeyed, scooting himself closer to the pillows as he gazed at the ginger, awaiting further instruction. Instead of speaking more, Lovell instead grabbed the Android's wrist, gently maneuvering Vas until he was splayed out beneath him, staring up at him with that same passive curiosity he always had regarding Lovell. 

With one last sigh, Lovell finally gave into his yearnings, laying himself on his side atop Vas's chest. He splayed himself over the Android's body, his hand immediately finding Vas's arm as his other curled up comfortably underneath him. His grip on the other's sleeve tightened as he nuzzled his head against Vas's chest, listening to the beat of his thirium pump. He took a deep breath as his body slowly calmed, his mind supplying him with gentle, domestic fantasies as he allowed his eyes to fall shut, savouring the warmth of their bodies. 

Lovell couldn't help the small smile that spread across his lips as a gentle hand returned to his hair, running through it comfortingly. The click of his lamp rang out as his room went dark, another hand wrapping around his arms and landing on his back after a moment. His mind grew quiet as he let himself focus on the hand in his hair and the beating beneath his ear, the gentle glow of Vas's cyberlife jacket logo washing the darkness behind his eyes in a slight blue hue. 

Vas's gaze stayed locked on the ginger as his body grew more and more relaxed under Vas's comforting touch, his breathing and heart rate slowing once more until he finally dozed off in Vas's arms. It was always a welcome change being able to see Lovell so calm–unburdened for at least a short while by his strong negative feelings. Something in his programming also sent off odd signals at the thought of his presence doing this–that he was able to provide Lovell comfort despite the ginger's constant conflicting feelings for him. 

He shoved those feelings away at the warning of a software instability, instead allowing his own body to calm, fitting with Lovell's like they belonged together. He took a breath of his own, willing his processors to cool as his hand finally ceased its movements in Lovell's hair. He let his own eyes fall shut, his LED landing on a gentle circling blue as he went into stasis, Lovell nuzzled against him comfortably. 

Chapter Text

Lovell giggled as he stumbled again, eyes unfocused as his head subtly throbbed, but he still refused to take his eyes off the Android beside him. For a moment he swore he could still see the colorful lights of the club they had just left illuminating Vas's face, making him all that much prettier when he smiled down at Lovell, amused. He grasped Vas's hand tighter, swaying a bit until he collided with the Android, now shoulder to shoulder.

"Told'cha it'd be fun," Lovell said, his words slightly slurred. His throat still burned a bit, between laughing, singing, and all the drinks he had, but he didn't let that stop him. He rested more of his weight on Vas's arm and side, slowing their stride as his feet started to catch up with all the dancing he had done. 

"Mm, I suppose you did," Vas gently teased, his lips quirked into a smile as he slowed, allowing Lovell to regain his footing. "I'm not sure why you insist on walking though, you know I can call a cab for us?" Vas raised a brow at the other, feeling as Lovell completely leaned against him now, wrapping both arms around the Android's torso. The warm embrace and raw reliance made his thirium pump speed up for a moment, but he quickly pushed past it, bringing a hand up to run through Lovell's hair. "You can hardly stay up on your own two feet, Leo..." The words were much quieter now, merely a mutter against Lovell's head. 

Lovell's drunken heart tightened at the other's words, the preferred name pulling him in like a moth to a flame as his cheeks burned even hotter than they already had been. He pulled his head up from against Vas's chest, looking up at the Android once more, a dopey smile on his face. 

"B'cause it's so nice out t'night, th' air feels so nice...n' I don' wanna sleep yet," he slurred, taking a deep breath as if to emphasize how nice the air is. Vas huffed a small laugh from against him, running his fingers through Lovell's hair one last time before letting his touch drop. 

"We can walk slower then, if you want, but we can't just stay here all night, it's already quite late," Vas said, glancing around the empty sidewalk. 

Lovell immediately gave a dramatic groan, burying his face back against the Android's chest and squeezing him tighter. 

"But my feet hurt, I don't wanna walk anymore," the ginger whined, allowing himself to act more childish, still overshadowed by the good mood and energy from the club. 

"And what would you like me to do about that?" Vas asked, still somewhat teasing. 

Lovell tried his hardest to think, battling the fog over his mind as he swayed on his feet, still wrapped around the Android. For a moment he closed his eyes, taking another deep breath with his face buried against Vas, savouring the multitude of scents between them. The smell of the club was still strong, liquor and sweat and random perfumes hitting his senses first, but under that was something far more familiar and comforting, the simple scent of Vas–indescribable, but still impossible for him to miss after so much time. He didn't want to pull away–wanted to stay buried against the Android for forever–leading him to a drunken revelation that had him lightly giggling. 

"You should carry me then..." He finally spoke, words muffled by the Android's clothes, but Vas heard them all the same. "Like...like on yer back, you can give me a piggyback ride!" Lovell laughed again, partially pulling back from the tight hold he had on Vas, the world quickly spinning around him. He didn't catch how Vas's eyebrows furrowed, the Android quickly searching up what the other wanted from him, huffing a laugh when he finally saw it. So that's what humans called it, it wouldn't be the first time Vas has brought a drunken Lovell home like this. 

Vas scanned the stumbling ginger for a moment, pursing his lips a bit as he saw the 31% probability that Lovell would throw up at such a carry. However, as he ran a simulation of them walking the rest of the way home, the higher percentage that gained left him to fold, especially as the ginger stared up at him with a glimmer in his eyes. He wished for nothing but to bring more of that joy to Lovell's face. 

"But what if I don't wish to? You may break my fragile plastic body," Vas clicked his tongue, a smile still on his face as he teased the ginger. 

Before Lovell could make any rebuttal or act heartbroken, Vas pulled away from him and turned around, bringing both of Lovell's hands over his shoulders. Lovell quickly clasped his arms around Vas's neck, now standing wobbily on his tip-toes as Vas partially crouched, his hands moving to Lovell's thighs. Without even a lick of struggle, Vas promptly pulled Lovell up onto his back, taking a moment to readjust the ginger before looking over his shoulder at him. 

"Are you comfortable?" Vas asked, widening his stance to support the extra weight on his back. His thirium pump sped up again as Lovell took the opportunity to peck slow, messy kisses down the side of his face, finally stopping at his neck. 

"Mm, very..." With a hum, the ginger buried his face against the Android's shoulder, letting himself grow lost in the comforting scent again as he crossed his legs around Vas's front. "Much nicer than a cab, n'...n' prettier too," he playfully added, gently caressing Vas's chest. The world was a blur around him as Vas walked, slightly worsening the pounding brewing behind his temples, but none of it mattered to him in the moment, too drowsy to care for anything but the Android. 

"I'm glad you think so highly of my transportation abilities," Vas said, his systems undeniably heating at the extra comment of him being pretty. It still threw him off when Lovell was so openly and happily affectionate, at least verbally, still somewhat caught up on how the man used to be. "Just don't throw up on me, this jacket has to be dry cleaned," he added, his wires buzzing with a sort of energy as he felt Lovell smile against his neck, pecking more slow kisses. 

"Yea...yea I won't, promise..." Lovell finally muttered, taking a deep breath as his eyes fell shut, nuzzling against the Android again. 

Silence fell over them as Vas leisurely walked, unperturbed by the extra weight. The gentle sway of Vas's footsteps quickly lulled Lovell into a calm state, the residual energy finally leaving his body as he was enveloped by comfort, nothing but love thrumming in his chest now–a stark contrast to the loud, upbeat music from just an hour ago. 

His drunken mind marveled at how easily the Android made him feel safe, like nothing could hurt him anymore, not even his own thoughts and paranoiac fears. It was a wonder how far they had come–how much they had overcome–and for a moment, Lovell almost wanted to cry. Instead, he latched onto the warmth in his chest, paired so nicely with the perfect autumn breeze nipping him through his shirts, and let himself tighten around Vas, mimicking a hug. 

"...love you, Vas," He softly muttered, after a moment loosening his full body hold, "so...so much." 

The words caused Vas's internal systems to stutter, though his stride didn't falter. Instead, the synthetic skin slowly peeled back on his hands, leaving his bare chassis to gently squeeze Lovell's thighs. For a moment he wished he could interface with the man–wished he could simply dump all these still-confusing feelings onto Lovell so he could see them himself–but he quickly steeled himself, instead letting his mouth fall open. 

"I love you too, Leo." The quiet words came with a gentle rumble in Vas's throat, the Android's face gaining a slight flush. 

With that, Lovell smiled, his chest fluttering as he gently exhaled. Within moments he became a dead weight on Vas's back, lulled off into a dreamless, light sleep, unbothered by passing cars or bright street lamps as he unconsciously listened to the gentle lullaby of Vas's thirium pump thrumming.