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“Bua, it is 3 AM… go to bed,” Satya announced with a frown, standing with her arms neatly crossed.
Actually, she hadn’t said anything at all, but the way she was standing by the stairs, Niran could tell that’s what was probably running through her mind.
It wasn’t often that she was up at this hour. Her daily routine had to adapt when she slept over, but she was pretty firm on heading up to the second floor of his living arrangements at a very specific time. That way, she could get up at six in the morning sharp like she usually did back in Utopea.
Her rigid sleep schedule, a full eight and a half hours, had been like that for as long as he had known her that any deviances were probably his fault. He had a lot of growing up to do back then, sometimes too loud with his projects or making some monstrosity in the kitchen late at night. He definitely understood why she liked to tease him and call him the third best roommate.
“Oh, I hope I didn’t wake you, love,” he softly answered as he leaned over to turn the music on his computer down.
She shook her head.
“Can’t sleep?”
This time, she nodded as she stepped into his makeshift study. In reality, it was just his living room with a desk surrounded by the work he consistently brought home with him.
The housing units on the Arcology had wide open spacing with no interior walls. An entire entourage of both biolight and natural plants dominated most of the area downstairs, leaving little room for any other sort of furniture. A cramped place for two people and a multitude of projects all over the place.
It was a stark difference to the life he had long ago, back when he had dozens of rooms at his disposal. So many that he and his family never had a use for most of them, a fanciful and arrogant display of wealth.
But after leaving such a wasteful life behind for the complete opposite end of the spectrum for the past several years, a small, private place like this was a little slice of heaven. No need to be on the run from danger, no need to play a role he didn’t wish to play. Just a place he could work at his own pace.
Satya being here was just the cherry on top.
Niran’s eyes trailed down, noticing that she was only dressed in his shirt. Well, the shirt he had given to her over a decade ago.
He still remembered how he had wanted to toss the old thing away when he found it in a drawer. It didn’t even fit him anymore after a series of growth spurts, thanks to his parents’ meddlesome genetic engineering to make the perfect heir.
Satya had complained about him for wasting perfectly good clothing at the time, so he let her keep it, even though he insisted he could’ve bought her dozens of clothes with her slim figure in mind. Anything would’ve been better than a T-shirt with terrible flower clipart he had gotten at a botanical festival when he was a teenager.
By now, the image on the front had faded that it was almost unrecognizable, but the shirt itself was very identifiable by the most unusual shade of pea green. Obviously, she wore it a lot for it to reach this state, and it brought him joy to see it so thoroughly cared for. In retrospect, giving her that stupid shirt ended up being one of the best decisions he had ever made.
She probably didn’t think anything of it, but it made him feel both greedy and fulfilled to see her wearing his clothes.
Especially after all this time.
“Come here,” he beckoned with a small smile, “my dear, sleeping beauty.”
Niran could tell she was incredibly tired, not only from the way she shuffled over, but because she didn’t roll her eyes at his overly sweet comment. He wondered if she had woken up in the middle of the night or if she had stayed up this whole time waiting for him.
“Take a seat, dearest, I’ll make you some tea that’ll help you drift off to a pleasant slumber,” he cooed softly as he pulled out the chair next to him for her. “You’d like that, wouldn't you? I have your favorite flavor that I could brew.”
While he had invited her to sit, he definitely didn’t expect Satya to do so on his lap instead. He leaned back in surprise, awkwardly staring at her as she slumped her dead weight onto him.
“Satya?”
“Mm?”
“I… can’t exactly make you tea like this,” he said with a slight laugh as her head rested on his chest.
He opened and closed his hands, unsure of where to put them.
On the desk? Her waist? Her thighs?
Neither one of them had made it clear where the lines were drawn anymore. He wasn’t certain if he could fall back on old times, or if they should start from scratch now that they were adults, almost strangers to each other. Reuniting was a bit more complex than they both expected, occasionally having to tiptoe around what was both familiar and new.
She made a small noise that he took for acknowledgment.
“I’ll take that as a no on tea for now, hm?” He asked, deciding it was fine to rest his palm on the small of her back.
She remained quiet, so he continued his work for a little while longer.
Even though he usually left his research in the greenhouse on days Satya was visiting, an idea had sprung into mind that he had to fiddle around with it. It was hard for him to stay still as it was, but it was even twice as bad when his hands were more than ready to put his ideas out there while they were still fresh.
She was understanding when he said he wanted to work on something at his desk downstairs, but that had been hours and hours ago.
He occasionally glanced over at Satya every now and then, watching as she rested on him. She wasn’t entirely asleep, but she was teetering on the edge.
Perhaps she had gotten lonely upstairs while he was holed up in his research.
Whatever the reason that had brought her down, it was nice having her here, cuddled up to him when he usually spent his time alone. Not that he minded the tranquility of being the only one awake at that hour, but still, he would never turn down an opportunity to be with his favorite person in the whole world.
Though, perhaps it was because she at his side now that he could afford to say that. He knew being on his own for too long only caused him anxiety. When she wasn’t here, he tended to work in the greenhouse because there’d be other people and omnics around that he could greet and chat casually with. Just enough to feel like he wasn’t alone.
It was strange to think that the last eleven years had been spent enduring hell on earth, forced to leave the person he cared about behind because of the severe circumstances.
The concept was so absurd in hindsight, that he could ever possibly be away from her for that long. All over something beyond both of them, something that still weighed heavily on the back of their minds. Despite all that they did to make things seem normal between them, they knew their bond would never be the same as before.
Some days, he wondered if there would ever be a normal for them.
Another glance at Satya’s face softened his expression, his worries fading. Now wasn’t the time to stress out over things he couldn’t control.
It was worth enduring the limbo of Vishkar’s pressure if it meant keeping her in his life again, and Satya finding her way here, burrowing herself in the crook of his neck, meant she felt the same.
He wasn’t tired, but he figured that he might as well get ready for bed now, so he didn’t have to do it later.
Satya had probably already brushed her teeth based on the soft mint scent coming from her gentle breaths. A reminder to him that she kept a toothbrush in his bathroom, a reminder that she had a presence here even when she was gone.
Gently hoisting his beloved friend, he easily held her up on his hip with one arm. She leaned further into him as he carried her to the bathroom with him.
Satya let her arm hang around his neck loosely, her forehead resting against his shoulder.
Looking at their reflection, he couldn’t help but smile at how clingy she was being. Her walls only lowered this much when she was tired, but even then, she was often far too proud to let any vulnerability show around other people.
A sense of pride filled his heart, knowing she still included him behind her sturdy defenses.
He gently kissed the top of her head.
Times like this felt so nostalgic, he could picture the old dorms with bittersweet memories. Satya was the only thread that prevented him from viewing the academy and university entirely through jaded eyes.
His radiant Satya, his reason to live.
“All right, time to get some proper rest,” he announced after brushing his teeth.
Ever since the Arcology had become a frequent destination visit for her, he had decided that it was probably best to make her her own bed. Too many times one or the other would take the couch that enough was enough.
The hardlight construct proved to be a wonderful addition to his place, he always thought anytime she was over. He never failed to enjoy seeing her nestled under the covers whenever he'd come back after a conference or working on his late night projects. She was someone to come home to, a simple, mundane thing he never thought he'd get to experience again.
He would never take her presence for granted ever again, he promised himself. Every moment with her was something to be grateful for because he never knew what the future could hold for them.
Naturally, it didn’t take long for those old feelings to creep up on him. Every time, he’d just ignore the soft yearning in his chest, passing her by and trying to convince himself that laying a few steps away from her was fine. That it was more than he deserved.
“…”
Satya squirmed a little in his arms when she felt him lowering her down.
“No?”
He glanced over to his own bed set parallel to hers. The wrinkled comforter was hanging off the mattress, still unmade since… Actually, he wasn’t sure when the last time he had ever made his bed.
Lifting her up a bit to adjust her in his arms, he carried her over to see if that’s where she wanted to be.
Satya didn’t budge this time, even when he laid her down and picked the blanket off the floor.
Before he could pull the comforter over her, she reached out and grabbed his sleeve. Her grip was firm, not letting go, even when he gently tugged back.
She really was the cutest.
In his clothes, in his bed.
Niran swallowed hard trying not to think anything of it, but he couldn’t stop his heart from fluttering. He knew she wouldn’t be able to hear it, but it didn’t make it any less embarrassing to experience the gradually increasing thump in his chest.
“What is it? You want me to sleep with you?” He guessed, unsurprised when she nodded again. His heartbeat made him feel like he hadn’t outgrown being a lovesick fool for her.
He peeked over his shoulder towards the doorway. His research was waiting for him downstairs, and while he had committed an astronomical amount of progress, his fingers still itched to further his ideas.
Then he turned back to find gold eyes staring at him earnestly.
“I wasn’t planning on going to bed just yet,” he tried to reason. “Why don’t you go to sleep, and I’ll come lay down with you later? You must be awfully tired being up at this hour.”
Satya sighed a little, looking a bit disappointed, but she nodded in understanding.
“Or… I’ll just lay with you for a bit now. Could always use a bit of rest,” he said, immediately giving in to her whims. “I’ll get back to my work with a fresh mind when I wake up.”
She hardly ever asked anything of him. If he was more than willing to indulge her, then why shouldn’t he just lay next to her side?
He smiled at the pleased expression on her face. Oh, if only everyone could see just how lovely she was when her eyes lit up like the stars that hung in the sky now. But at the same time, he knew that he enjoyed being the only one who knew how affectionate and soft she really was.
Perhaps, he hadn’t entirely shed the youthful selfishness he had tried so hard to get away from.
Niran pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor. He could feel her stare become more stern, so he quickly picked it back up and placed it in the hamper.
As he undid his pants and put it with the rest of his dirty clothes, she pointed to his prosthetic.
“Oh, fine, fine,” he said, knowing she was right.
Sleeping with cybernetic gear on wasn’t advised, even though he sometimes did out of sheer laziness. Though the times that he did remove it for the night, more often than not, he’d forget to put it on the charging port. Unlike Satya, whose prosthetic was in its rightful spot on the nightstand that was settled between their two beds.
He doubted her cybernetic arm had ever gotten lower than 70% before with how meticulous she was about making sure it was charged. She even carried a portable power bank for emergencies, something he often had to borrow from her on outings.
“Comfortable?” He asked, he asked once they were both under the covers.
She nodded her head, a soft hum emphasizing her answer.
He wasn’t bothered by her lack of words today. It was normal between them, and he was able to communicate with her just fine.
They had gone through a plethora of methods growing up, so he had plenty of ways to figure out what she wanted if a simple yes or no wasn’t sufficient.
To this day, she worried that being non-verbal at times would be a burden or a nuisance because of how other people in her life treated her for it, but he could never see his wonderful, sweet Satya as anything but the treasure of his life.
Accommodating her was the bare minimum anyone could do, he always figured, even at a young age. It was awful that others could hardly even meet that standard. He would do anything to go beyond that low bar for her, not for his own ego, but because it was what she deserved.
He leaned his head down, intending on observing her for a little bit more, but the second he landed on the pillow, he realized how tired he really was. His eyelids were straining that he had to give in and let them close. The rush of exhaustion felt like his body had been waiting to punish him for his hellish sleep schedule. Though, it was less of a schedule and more like a sporadic wheel of chance.
Maybe it was a good thing that she had come to fetch him when she had, otherwise, he probably would’ve spent another night conking out at his desk. He still had a terrible habit of focusing way too hard on his biolight experiments, leaving everything else as a hum in the background.
Being here would save him from waking up to the cold air with a weird crick in his neck again.
Still, it was rather difficult to sleep when he had a cute princess watching him so intently.
“If you keep staring at me like that, Satya, I’m going to think you want a goodnight kiss,” he replied, only meaning to tease her. “Close your eyes already.”
He could hear her shifting next to him, and he opened his eyes.
She was a lot closer than before.
“… Actually?”
“…”
Niran sighed, ignoring how she tilted her head up towards him. Instead, he pressed a small kiss on her forehead.
There was a low grumble.
She must have wanted a kiss on the lips. Something they hadn’t done in over ten years.
He didn’t realize she still enjoyed the feeling of his lips on hers.
“Not tonight, dearie,” he said with a laugh. “If I do anything more, neither of us will go to sleep. You’re the one who has to get up at six.”
Satya was still only for a second more before she pulled herself up onto her elbows and kissed his cheek. Though, it was more accurate to say that she had kissed so dangerously close to the corner of his mouth, purposely skirting the line.
What a cheeky, little thing his Satya was. Everyone assumed she was a dutiful rule follower, but he knew better. She liked to find small, almost undetectable loopholes to go about things in her own way.
“All right, you win,” he replied, gingerly moving her chin with his hand, guiding her lips to his.
The kiss was quick, chaste, but full of adoration. Just like all the kisses they had shared before it.
He looked up at her, studying her face with the moonlight coming in through the glass walls. She had become such an incredible person. He had left Vishkar at the slightest inconvenience and learned to become someone entirely foreign to his past. Yet Satya, raised and molded by the company her whole life still managed to stay true to her compassion and integrity after all this time.
“… I love you, Satya,” he quietly whispered, knowing he wouldn’t get a verbal response back.
Immediately, she offered another kiss, one that was a bit longer and lingered warm on his lips. They had never kissed this long or firmly before, giving him all the confirmation he needed that his feelings were returned and more. He resisted taking it further, even though he knew the energy between them would have allowed for it.
Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulder, and she reluctantly pulled away. Her eyes spoke volumes on how she was feeling, making the corners of his lips twitch.
“Goodnight, Satya, perhaps in the morning–”
She gave him a look, and he rolled his eyes.
“Okay, late afternoon, or whenever I wake up…” he flatly replied, making a dramatic wave of his hand to make her smile. “Perhaps then, you and I could go on an outing together. You know, on a date.”
She curled up further into his side, her head nodding against his chest. He sighed with relief, putting an arm around her shoulders. Niran would never tire of thinking about how much he missed Satya. Every shared glance, every touch, every connection rekindled, he was so thankful to be able to welcome her back into his daily life.
There was still uncertainty in other areas of their lives, Vishkar influencing all of them, but here and now, each other’s company was all that mattered.
Rebuilding ruins only meant building onto the sturdy foundation lying underneath, and they were both skilled at working together to create something exquisite.