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It was another exhausting cycle gone by for the Sleeper. Another cycle feeling torn and broken, holding and keeping together their remaining functioning parts of their synthetic body, always at risk of decaying and breaking from external stress.
The crew has been engaging in a row of contracts as of recently. Jumping from settlement to settlement, meeting different people and getting into different tasks. Stillness was unachievable and dangerous, as threat can peer just around the corner with each cycle the crew spends in one place. Serafin and Sleeper were still on the run from Laine, a chase that was almost unavoidable. Sleeper can't quite understand why or how, but they believe that Laine can in some way connect to their body, making it so he can trace their steps in the wide space the Starward Belt has to offer. During each stop on their travels, the Sleeper has been relentlessly looking for clues, finding ways to understand what is happening to their body and how to stop Laine from tracking them. But the search has been arduous, grimy, tiresome…
And now, they've got nothing left to do but put their declining body to rest for the cycle, stress seeping away from them like sweat.
The Sleeper is alarmed when they hear the sound of mechanical doors opening, and their tired glowing eyes quickly dash to spot a thoughtful Serafin walking into the Rig bunks. He flinches a little when he notices the Sleeper seated, realizing his sudden appearance may have caught them by surprise and his expression softens to a weak smile.
“Oh, Sleeper. Sorry, I didn't know you were here.” Serafin smirks a little with sympathy, easing the Sleeper’s nerves a little. His expression shows signs of concern as his eyes watched the state of Sleeper's body.
“It's alright.” Sleeper quietly replied, not feeling bothered at all by the presence of Serafin in the room interrupting their thoughts. They actually felt quite comfortable when Serafin was around, and they wanted to admit that resting alone hasn't been helping much as they thought it would.
Serafin raises an eyebrow, concerned “Where is Bliss? You're not looking in good shape…”
Right, Bliss was their other crewmate, responsible for maintaining the Sleeper and fixing their body aside from also keeping the Rig operating and running. A surprise addition for the crew, who was too broke to pay for their rescue and repairs when they got stranded after the attack in Hexport. But the witty mechanic was nowhere to be seen at the moment.
“Bliss went out to discuss with traders. Probably gather parts and scrap.” The Sleeper answered, their voice raspy and robotic. “Was waiting for them so they can fix me up.” They shrug a little, their face emotionless.
Serafin sighs, and floats closer to the Sleeper, the zero-G making the strings of his necklace wave around his neck.
“You've been putting too much on your back lately.” He furrows his brows, worried. “You've been working harder than anyone else here, and stressing your body too much. You need to catch a break.”
Sleeper deviates their look from Serafin when he approaches to land a hand on their shoulder, firm but gentle.
“We can't stop. I want to figure out what is wrong with me.” The Sleeper looks down, gazing their own hand and watching as their synthetic and torn fingers twitch and glitch, a jagged sizzle with each component whirl.
“And we are going to help you figure that out, okay?” Serafin lowers himself so he is face to face with the Sleeper, his bright eyes piercing through them. “I. Will do my best to help you with this. You just have to trust me.”
Serafin rests his hand on Sleeper’s severed hand. It twitches and glitches as a response, scaring the Sleeper to control its movements and almost retreating it, afraid of hurting Serafin. But they held themselves together, letting the warmth of his hand be felt, sending signals of relief into their body.
“...I trust you, Sera.” The Sleeper spoke softly, its synthetic eyes gazing into Serafin’s, feeling his gentleness and kindness through his words and sight. Despite having a tough shell on the outside, the man had a mellow interior that only a few people knew of.
“Good.” Serafin smiles, a little shy. He looks down a little, trying to hide any hint of embarrassment.
He continues speaking “...So, it's been a while since we got a moment of peace like this. While you wait for Bliss, is there anything that maybe I can do that can help you feel better?”
“You? I don't know…” A teasing smirk grew on the Sleeper’s face. “Engineering isn't one of your strongest points.”
“Wow, thank you for reminding me of that.” Serafin’s eyes widened with mock offense, picking up on the playful tone in Sleeper’s voice. “That is true... But, something else?” His voice softened again and his head tilted gently.
The Sleeper hummed, thoughtful. Despite not needing to breathe, something like a sigh escaped from their mouth. Their twitchy fingers slowly closed around Serafin’s, gently so as to not pinch them with their jittering, and their other hand reached to Serafin’s shoulder, pulling him towards them and catching him off-guard.
“Just stay here for a while. Close.” They spoke quietly, Serafin's body floating closer to the Sleeper as they held onto them. He could feel some warmth grow in his cheeks.
“...Of course.”
Serafin closed in the distance between them by carefully embracing Sleeper with his arms. They couldn't float off because of the seat strap tightened around the robot’s waist, so they stood still like that for a while… the warmth of Serafin's body heating up the Sleeper's synthetic skin, sending signals through their system and making them feel rather… pleased? It felt weird at times, but closeness and physical contact was one of the things that the Sleeper figured out they really enjoy.
“...You have to be more careful.” Serafin whispered, his hands gently caressing Sleeper’s back. “We can't have you beaten down every cycle. Take it easy.”
Sleeper softly scoffed. “...Someone needs to do some work. Your arm is still recovering, Sera.”
“I'm not useless yet, though. I can still go places, run small errands…” He smiles politely, his firm hands still cradling the synthetic skin, rubbing carefully to not strain any scars.
“...But only that.” The Sleeper muttered. “You already are… our designated driver, so…”
Their voice fails as Serafin's hand travels gently to the back of their neck, sending a wave of information that crashes onto the Sleeper, making an awkward grunt escape from their mouth.
Serafin’s reaction was almost instant, his hand retreating and his body backing up to look at the Sleeper's face.
“Shit– sorry!” He spoke, eyes alert with worry and embarrassment. “I’m sorry that hurt–”
“N-no… don't…” Sleeper replied, still a little astonished. “...That didn't hurt me.”
Sleepers didn't really feel actual physical pain, but their emulation could mimic the anguish felt by it through alert signals sent from their body upon scarring. But the Sleeper knew it wasn't that at all, as Serafin's hands were only softly caressing them, not anything else. They reached their hand to the back of their neck again, trying to understand what happened.
“...You sure?” Serafin spoke.
“Yes…” Sleeper answered, still feeling slightly distracted by the feeling that crossed them, busying their mind.
After a brief moment of quietness together… Sleeper looks up to Serafin.
“It actually felt… good.” They say sheepishly, their eyes briefly turning away. “It felt nice…”
Serafin arched a brow, a red tint growing on his cheeks “Nice?”
The Sleeper nodded, their hands gently pulling Serafin back, as his hands hesitantly landed to rest on Sleeper's shoulders. Their faces were so close that they could see each other's eyes and all its details… Serafin's shiny blue iris reflecting the digital yellow glow of Sleeper’s.
“... How nice?” Serafin quietly spoke, his voice sturdy and yet gentle.
“I don't know…” They answered in a low tone as well. “It was just… nice, different.”
There was a hint of confusion in Serafin's eyes, confusion over how the Sleeper's body experiences touch in comparison to the human body. He couldn’t help it but let his hand travel slowly to Sleeper's back again.
“I don't really… understand.” Serafin spoke, his curious hands moving up as he did. “I just touched the back of your–”
Sleeper's fingers jitters around Serafin as the feeling returns once again. This time no sound escapes their mouth, but their face betrays them as it reacts to the touch again. And Serafin definitely caught that this time.
“--neck…” Serafin completed, a little shocked. It really wasn't a reaction of pain…
Was it… pleasure?
Sleeper couldn't help but jolt their head back in embarrassment, avoiding Serafin's sight. That felt unlike anything they've felt before… overwhelming their senses with such ease…
“...What the hell…?” The Sleeper gasped, feeling some unknown warmth grow in their body as Serafin watched them closely with attentive eyes.
“You're… sensitive.” He commented, looking somewhat proud of the discovery. His hands kept cradling Sleeper's back to give them comfort.
But the Sleeper kept evading their shy look “Ugh, this feels… weird…” Sleeper muttered, and they shuddered after realizing these feelings may be more intimate than they thought they were at first. Were they supposed to feel like this? Was it normal? They couldn't help it but let these thoughts rush free through their head.
“If you want me to stop, you just gotta tell me, okay?” Serafin comforted.
Despite it all, the Sleeper still didn't want to push that away, thinking that this closeness might be something that they needed for a long time.
Sleeper's hands carefully traveled across Serafin's back, pulling them ever close and gripping into it. With their chests against each other, they could feel it move with his breathing, somewhat irregular after pulling him closer. Maybe the Sleeper wasn't the only one panicking at this moment.
“Hah…” was the only sound that could escape from Serafin's mouth as he felt shy, feeling the hands of Sleeper reciprocate the action. His head fell on the Sleeper’s shoulder, briefly.
“Hmm? Are you good?” They call as they notice it.
Serafin quietly muttered “Yeah, yeah… it's just…”
He lifts his head again to look at the Sleeper, gently touching his forehead against theirs. This small action surprises Sleeper a little, and that warm within them grew alongside it, tingling their cheeks.
“...It feels nice to be this close to someone.” Serafin confessed sheepishly. “Especially someone I care for a lot.”
Sleeper listened to him attentively, and a gentle smirk grew across their robotic face.
“So you feel that way too?” They replied softly.
He quietly nodded. The Sleeper's hand raises up to caress the back of Serafin's neck, watching them react to the touch. A short sigh leaves his mouth as his hands lift to wrap his fingers around Sleeper's face.
“It's good…” Serafin whispered, a softness in his face that was rare to see. They enjoyed the moment quietly, making the Sleeper even forget about the weariness and brokenness of their mechanical body. The warmth from cuddling was able to overwrite any unpleasant signals from their damaged components.
Sleeper gazed upon Serafin's eyes that hung half-closed. A peaceful sight… and then Serafin's mouth trembled, taking a sharp breath before leaning forward and landing a kiss on Sleeper's synthetic lips.
Serafin’s eyes were closed, while Sleeper’s opened theirs wide. A wave of information and alerts crashing their body with this single motion, even stronger than before. Their body jittered and trembled as a response.
Serafin pulls away as he feels Sleeper's body react with the kiss. He had given in to his senses, and upon looking at the confused and shocked Sleeper, he immediately felt embarrassment come to fruition.
“Shit– I got carried away–” Serafin muttered to himself, looking to the side and covering his mouth after realizing what he did.
But before he could even say sorry, he felt a tight grip around the collar of his jacket, violently pulling him back as the Sleeper reciprocated the kiss. Taken by surprise, he did not dare pull away this time, closing his eyes tightly and wrapping his hands around the Sleeper's head.
Kissing a Sleeper felt… different, to say the least. He couldn't feel much warmth on their breath, and their rubbery lips were much tougher than soft skin. But he could still feel their desires seeping through, from the way Sleeper pulled Serafin closer, their trembling hands fighting to hold onto him despite its glitches.
They pulled away for a brief moment, giving Serafin time to catch his breath again. The Sleeper watched him as they both processed what happened, taking in the sight of a flustered but delighted Serafin.
“...Sleeper…” He gasped. Sleeper looked at them attentively, expecting more to say, but Serafin just stared. Then, they feel his hands unclip the belt around Sleeper’s waist, taking them away from the cushioned seat. They were both now suspended in the air, with Serafin’s arms now wrapping around the Sleeper's waist.
It wasn't enough for both of them yet.
Serafin leaned in again to continue what they started. Sleeper allowed it effortlessly, feeling his warm breath, humidity grow inside the Sleeper's dry mouth… They weren't sure what they were supposed to do, even though the feeling of kissing someone was strangely familiar, like a distant memory locked away from their mind. But they ignored it and let Serafin lead and follow his actions, learning from every touch, every puff of breath, or any daring move. Their body involuntarily reacted with jolts and jitters, but it wasn't a response out of pain… maybe they were enjoying this a little too much.
Now with them floating through the zero gravity room, Serafin felt more comfortable to pull the Sleeper closer, holding them against his lap with firm arms embracing their waist. A kiss after a kiss, after another… deeper and more daring than the last one. A cheeky grin escaped his face as he pulled away in satisfaction, reading through the limited expressions in the Sleeper’s face, telling him that he wasn't the only one enjoying this.
“... You're actually good at this.” He complimented. The confused Sleeper looked away, clear shyness spread across their face.
“I don't even know what I'm doing…” Sleeper admitted, processing still that organic taste in their mouth… one that particularly belonged to Serafin.
“That's okay, you'll learn.”
He cups the Sleeper's cheek, pulling them back, gently and passionately. Sleeper's legs were now wrapped carefully around his waist, anchored onto him. They wanted to learn from it, to enjoy this moment. Every worry on their head was gone from an instant in time, allowing Serafin to overwhelm the rest of their senses. They wanted this, they wanted him, and they only wish this intimate moment could last forever…
“What. The fuck.” A voice comes from the back.
The alarming jolt that spread across the two made them launch away from each other to almost completely different sides of the room. They were both wide eyed, with Serafin turning his head to look at the open door, spotting a shocked and dumbfounded Bliss.
“Bliss…?” He gasped awkwardly, a hand cupping his own cheek as to hide the complete utter embarrassment of being caught making out with your crewmate. The Sleeper just stared at them paralyzed, absorbing all that awkward energy within the room from the interruption.
It was difficult to read Bliss's expression, a mix of shock, disgust, and second hand embarrassment altogether. But they lifted a hand in front of their eyes, blocking the view as they gestured with their other hand.
“Nonono– that's my bad. My fault. Didn't knock. Sorry, didn't see anything.” They spoke so fast as they backed away awkwardly out of the room, lowering their pinky to pick one last glance of the two. “Won't interrupt again. Uhh… I'll be at the workshop if… anyone needs me.”
The door closes immediately the moment Bliss backs off, leaving the two lovebirds to awkwardly float in the silence. Serafin slowly turned his head to look at Sleeper, and Sleeper just stared back, feeling lightheaded.
“Uhm.” Serafin's eyes rolled to the side, a clear nervous tone in his voice. The air within the room proved to have changed completely.
“Well, that… happened.” Sleeper muttered, letting out a half smile. They couldn't tell if the joke would lighten the mood or not, but at least it made Serafin let out a weak scoff.
“...Indeed.” He replied, still shifting awkwardly.
They look at each other in silence, the heat of the moment already gone. A lot of processing left to do, and the awkwardness of the moment brought Sleeper to remember the malfunctions of their body and the weary limbs.
Serafin lets out a soundly sigh. “...You should go and see Bliss… to check up on you.”
Sleeper nodded, still somewhat scatterbrained. “Right.”
They floated down, moving carefully and slowly towards the door as Serafin watched. He coughs behind them.
“Uhm, we can maybe continue this… some other day.” He looks to the side, shy at his own suggestion. “If you want. Somewhere else, maybe.”
The Sleeper looks back expectantly, pondering for a second before giving him a weak grin. “We'll see.”
And then, the Sleeper leaves, the mechanical door closing behind him and leaving Serafin alone in the room. They had a lot of processing to do by themselves now… and probably now owed an explanation to Bliss.