Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rain continues to clash onto her window, muffled. Cecilia leans back from her chair, vision out to the noises outside, thunder crackling. A sigh, her mug half-filled with tea long forgotten, the wound down otomo on her table, eyes closed and content-like look. 

Cute, it's sleeping... 

She pats the small creation on the head, one she calls her own— Cecilia stares back at the stubborn rain, 'well, carefully helped by someone...' , her thoughts lingered to pink, eyes similar to the beach sand, changing to the ocean.

She turns her head back again to her desk, 'this thunder would scare her.' She sat there, motionless, frozen— no, she's just contemplating. 

What would be a good choice at this moment? Should she go to her? Or should she wait until something changes— 

There's a knock on her door, how fateful the gods are. She stood up, hastily. Opening the barrier to who she suspects. Pink hair, ears tucked back, a plush of familiar shape greets her, "Ceci?" Ah, there's the sandy gold eyes.

“Can I—”

Without making the panther finish her question, Cecilia has already moved out of her door, signaling the shorter woman to go in, "Yeah, you can sleep with me. I don't mind." She whispers to her, slotting her hand around Raora's waist. The panther's tail wrapped around her hand before sliding off.

"Thank you..." 

"Of course, Raora." She guides her to the bed, sheets neatly made, dipped by the weight as the feline hides deeply to the pastel green blankets. Cecilia watches, before she follows suit.

“The weather has been a bit gloomy hasn't it?” The automaton decided to ignite small talk, nothing but a brief nod answers her, carefully she drapes her arm around the feline. She felt the tail wrapping itself around her torso.

Their legs were a tangled mess under the blankets, keeping each other locked in a hold— a careful one. Cecilia covers the violent thunder, shielding the feline, arms secured around the other— Raora's back pressed on her front, ears tucked back still. 

"You're alright, don't worry about the storm.." She whispered, enough to muffle the tapping on her window.

The feline yelps as crackling broke through the walls, loud. Poor Raora probably hears it, tenfold even.

The mentioned feline turned, they're now facing each other before she snuggled hastily to Cecilia's neck. The automaton moved her free arm, gently petting the panther's ears, she breathed— loud enough for the other, her body's internal system making itself louder— the swirling of gears.

Everything she's doing is for Raora to sleep much calmer— everything for her. "Ceci.." She leans down, a hum of questioning, "Thanks.."

"Anytime, Raora. You could just climb into my bed whenever you want.." 

A soft laughter, different from the panicking from earlier, "Really?" Tail now brushing against her leg— she isn't ticklish, but it still made her move a bit.

"Yeah, really, I don't mind. I got someone to wind me up in the morning if so."

Raora's humming rumbles through the automaton's upper body. "You won't mind? Even if it'll become a recurring thing?" An answer to her system’s swirling, her gears getting stuck to each gap of teeth.

"If it's you? I don't mind." Cecilia continues, smiling against Raora’s pink hair as she hears the purring. A sense of pride for herself, being able to create a barrier against the rain, for being the protector— to be someone useful for the feline.

“And it'll be easier to tell you good morning, maybe even catch your bedhead and grumpy face— I don't mind.”

“What?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

Raora shakes her head against Cecilia's collarbone, a quiet giggle, “No, it just caught me off guard.” 

Seafoam eyes take in account the snuggled feline, her hair so carefully shined by the blues of moonlight, the thunder now forgotten, it seems— it still rumbles though, never away.

“I said something too intimate, didn't I?”

“Yeah, you did. But that's alright Cecilia Immergreen, I know what you—” Another crackle close to the window, and a yelp out of Raora as she hides herself more into the former’s shirt. “S-sorry..”

Cecilia smiled amused, a hand patting on the base of the tail, lightly and gently, the fur standing upright from the shock, “It's alright.” She chuckled, hiding her face on top of the pink hair, a sigh out of her throat. “I'll keep myself awake until you're in deep sleep, I'll protect you. Like I always have, you know?”

The grumble of the feline, much obvious as she's close, skin to silicone. A whine out of her throat. “I'll just feel like a burden!”

“Hey.”

“And I really don't like this storm..” The automaton moved slightly, making it easier for her to look at Raora.

“Raora.” Cecilia calls out, leaning down to touch her nose to the other, “Just focus on me, then. Sleep deeply in here, with me.”

Raora’s sandy eyes widened from surprise, cheeks turning red— the automaton registered what she said, seafoam looked away, unable— not wanting what the other’s reaction was— “Ceci.”

She answered in grumbles, about to turn before the feline's hold tightened around her shoulder. Her face however turned to the window, “Oh look at that, the storms gone—”

“You can't say that and then change the subject— mi fa male il cuore, Cecilia..” Raora's knuckles white from gripping onto the automaton's shoulder joints, eyes of aquamarine hoping— yearning—

Cecilia can feel it through her paneling, through the silicone and metal of her so-called skin— far beyond her complex system, pointed at her soul. She caught those certain words, her understanding already picked up the context clues—

“It would mean you don't—”

If she could, Cecilia would have gulped down the lump in her throat, her devastation would be vocalized— seafoam stares down to the other, eyes now meeting, “No, no.” She panicked, hands now holding onto the feline's cheeks, “I mean every word, it's just—”

There's laughter, giggles that trickled out, quiet, quite different to how Raora's outbursts of laughter work— it was different in a way; fragile rather than messy, timed and controlled rather than outbursts, it was anxiety that was previously there.

“I know.” 

Oh her voice— deeper and intimate— yet trailing up a mountain. It pulls Cecilia deeper than ever, it makes her stay, around the feline’s hold, hand around her torso. “I know you mean it that way.” The same fragility, it killed the automaton, despite her immortality— it stabs deep into her heart.

“Apologies.” Cecilia admits, the tapping of the rain now leaving, short.

“I know.”

Chapter Text

In the morning, Raora has something resembling a routine; if she ever wakes up early for it, so to say— she would already be out of her pajamas; her wear being that for a workout session, which today is such perfect weather for it.

She tugs on her hoodies’ strings, and then reaches over to the empty bottle on her desk, collecting it before going outside the room. The feline walks over the kitchen, refilling it and heating up water in the electric boiler. Moving across the kitchen as she pulls out a mug, autopilot flowing through her to create herself a cup of coffee.

Ears twitching as the sound of a familiar wind-up key filled the room; but there’s a difference than the one she knows far too well, Raora looks down— there, an otomo was looking up to her, sound of ticking as it smiled at her, she kneels to the level of the otomo, “Good morning, otomo!” She greets, the small automaton’s key spins, it jumps in place, the same smile— “It’s nice to see you too!”

And in an instant, the smile changed, not quite lost but it became smaller— it reminded her of its creator, the same realizations that they are needed to do something. Very cute. It quickly skirted back to where it came from, leaving Raora — and carrying back something, it approached the feline again. Raora hums in curiosity as the otomo hands her a card, she accepts it; a tingle in her stomach as she feels the paper.

She opens it carefully, ‘Good Morning, Raora!’ is written. A feeling of intimacy creeps to her heart, the familiar handwriting, she pats the otomo's head as it exclaims its excitement at her. She continued reading the whole card, ‘Wind me up? Thanks.’ Gentle laughter, as she finishes her coffee mug, setting it down in the sink.

With a hum, she walks ahead of the otomo, the card on her hand is pressed with a kiss in secret. The destination is already set before she goes outside.

The feline knocks on the door, opening it and watching the small creation enter, she peaks in, slumped onto the desk— Cecilia, silver hair messy. The smile on Raora’s face grew as she entered, making way to the automaton’s desk, claws scratching the wood, a small knock.

Raora leans down, her face close to the other, she breathes carefully. Tapping on the wind-up key, “Oh, Ceci.” She muzzles gently on the other's shoulder and, then cheek, pressing a kiss on the cheek, she pressed on the jointed shoulder, wanting to redden the porcelain skin— a possessiveness for her, for Cecilia— no. She shouldn’t.

The feline growls quietly, as she rotates the wind-up key, adjusting accordingly, slowly, listening intently for the clicks of the gears. Her head is still leaning on the inactive automaton's shoulder. Aquamarine eyes studying the internals, the way the system flows, gears moving. Then seafoam meets hers— sleepiness that lances so humanely. She wipes her thumb on the other's cheeks.

“Good morning, Cecilia” Raora whispers, quiet, a thrill lancing at the end of her greeting, the automaton’s quiet chuckle joined it, as the jointed hands pat the feline’s back, patting on the tail carefully, hands wrapping around her waist.

“Good morning.” She grumbles, prompting the feline to sit on her lap, Cecilia's face dug on Raora's neck, “Seems like otomo has given the card to you…Good, is it up to your satisfaction?”

“Very sweet, Cecilia. Very.”

“I'm glad.” The automaton snuggles herself more, arms tightening. The feline breathes heavily, her finger wrapping around the silver hair, soft. “Raora?” Cecilia calls out, voice deep and rumbling against Raora’s chest, it drags her under so easily. “Were you planning on going out?” 

She frowns, looking down at the automaton— that caught her off guard, and then, there’s that smile greets her, eyes half-lidded; seafoam once again. Her hands climbed up to porcelain skin, holding Cecilia’s face close to hers. “Yeah, why do you ask? Do you want me to stay home?”

“No, not really…” The automaton looks away, her hands still resting on her waist, tapping carefully, tracing the feline’s hips. “Just wanted to know how long you’ll stay outside…”

“Oh! Not that long! just 2-4 hours, why? You'll start to miss me?” A smirk planted on her lips, the automaton scoffs. “Alright then. Wanted to shut down again…”

“And then wake up to you rewinding me again…”

Cecilia wasn’t looking at her, avoiding her eyes, but Raora caught the steaming of the wind-up key, she activated the god eyes— pulling Cecilia by the shirt, forcing her to look, “What’s on your mind, Ceci?~” She traces her collarbone, then up to her neck, face. Leaning closer than ever.

Eyes drifting to her lips, seafoam squinting as they share breathing— one forced out of her usual system, the other from the tension growing around them— “ach ficken mich.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing.” That was a growl out of Cecilia, voice graveled harshly. The feline’s tail flicks behind her, swaying carefully, pupils dilating, a thrill out of her throat, purrs caught between.

A snicker out of the automaton, she pats close to the base of the other’s tail, causing Raora to stand up with a yelp, ears pinned back as her face flushed, “Ceci!” The pink tail flicking back and forth, wary of the other. The automaton laughs, raising her hands. “You can't do that!”

“My bad, my bad! Just go do your thing, I'll keep myself awake for you—”

“You're insufferable!”

Cecilia chuckled, “Not my fault you smell of coffee!”

“You could have said that earlier! And that isn't relevant!” Raora's tail hits Cecilia's side, soft, not of any other intent but to gentle threat. “I'm going to hide your tea!” Laughter filled the room.

“Alright! Alright, have fun.”

Raora’s smile tugged further, Cecilia stood up beside her, leaning over with a kiss hanging around the air with them. The feline leaves her hanging, seafoam glaring at her sandy eyes. “Sure, fine, that’s fine.” She mumbles, moving away—

A pull on her shirt as the other pressed their lips together, instantly pushing away. A lick on the feline’s lips, the automaton unconsciously leaning for more, Raora presses a finger onto her lips. Moving away from Cecilia, a card put on her desk, “Ciao, Ceci~”

The pink tail being the last thing that Cecilia saw of her. The automaton looked at the card on her desk, a light pink kiss stain on the card the otomo gave Raora, she scoffs, amused.