Work Text:
STL sat at the table in the kitchen of Team 2’s dorm. It was late now. STL could still vaguely hear whatever cartoon Crackhead had left on in the living room. STL let out a sigh, he’d have to remember to turn that off whenever he finally finished with these reports. Technically, they didn’t need to be done tonight, but, he already had them out, so why not?
‘Just a few more hours…’
He said to himself despite the yawn that punctuated the statement. STL hardly noticed as his hand began to slow on the paper, his letters becoming shaky with exhaustion. He hadn’t quite realized when the sound of the TV being turned off could be heard nor the footfalls coming into the kitchen as his head began to droop towards the table…
“KKKKSSSHKT.”
“ARGH!”
STL jumped up so fast his chair clattered to the ground. As he whipped around with his pistol raised he realized what—or rather who—was behind him. STL huffed a heavy breath and shook his head as he returned his pistol to the holster on his hip as he looked up into the face of the youngest member of their team. Freshman stood there almost statuesque.
“Kkssshh.”
STL mumbled something vaguely frustrated back as he turned around and reached to pick up his chair
“Yes, I know, F-3. Lights out was two hours ago. I was the one who told BB-23 and CH-102.”
“Kkkssss”
STL placed his hands on his hips as the android beat him to grabbing the chair and righting it. STL moved to pull it back from the table and sit down to continue his work only for F to immediately push it back under the table. STL turned and looked at the android with a confused look, before attempting to pull out the chair again. Once more F pushed it back under. STL yanked on the chair against F’s grip, a useless endeavor but it was the principal of the matter, damnit!
“F. I am working here”
“…”
The android simply stared at him, his hand not moving even slightly from where it held the chair under the table.
“Freshman.”
“Kssstk”
“Well, no, it’s not urgent, but—“
“Kushk”
STL rolled his eyes. Was an AI seriously trying to boss him around? No, F was a lot more than an AI. He cared for the humans around him. STL let out a reluctant sigh.
“Fine, I’ll go to bed as soon as I finish one more page—“
STL was cut off with a yelp as he suddenly felt arms wrap around him and lift. He kicked out uselessly trying to find a foot hold as his arms came up to find purchase wrapped round F’s shoulders
“F! Put me down!”
STL whispers harshly, careful of his volume as the android carried him into the hallway and past BB and CH’s rooms. The only response he got was a quiet burst of static and the slight tightening of the arms around him. STL let out an annoyed sigh and, relenting in his struggles, rested his head on Freshman’s shoulder. He let himself briefly just exist there in the android’s grasp, F smelled like grease and iron and if he listened closely he could hear the quiet noises of the internal mechanisms going about their work. It was all quite comforting to STL. He couldn’t quite place the familiarity of it all, but somehow everything about F always made him feel safe. It was a silly idea, to say someone, a robot, felt more like home than any place the team leader could remember being. He hadn’t even realized he had begun to drift off until he woke as F shifted the human in his grasp so he could open the door to STL’s room.
“Mm… hey, F-3.”
“Ksshk.”
“Did I fall asleep again..?”
“Kkshhk.”
“Heh… thanks, big guy.”
STL nuzzled into F’s shoulder as the android stepped into the dark room and maneuvered towards the bed in the corner. STL let out a small hum as F sat him down on the edge of the bed and gently pulled back from his grasp. STL didn’t pull his hands back down quickly as he let out a yawn and stretched like a cat. F made his way to the dresser that sat opposite the bed and shifted through the clothes before settling on a pair of jogging pants and an oversized grey shirt. STL hummed as he saw F bringing the clothes over to him, he let out a small laugh.
“F, I’m a grown ass adult. I can dress myself.”
STL shook his head slightly and bent over and began undoing the laces on his boots. He paused suddenly as he felt F’s hands on his head. STL lifted his face towards the AI. He blinked as the hands gently trailed along to undo the clasps on the team lead’s gas mask. STL let out a small breath as the mask was gently pulled away, his eyes followed F’s hands as they trailed down to his chest and began to slide his oxygen pack off. STL watched as F stood and took the oxygen tanks and placed them in the corner next to STL’s dresser. STL pulled his eyes away from his teammate and began to take off the hazmat suit. Pulling down the hood, he shook his head in an attempt to get his ashy brown hair to lie flat, a pointless attempt but a force of habit. He slid the annoying plastic suit off his shoulders and swapped his white undershirt for the soft grey sleep shirt F had brought him. Next he stood and kicked off his boots before sliding the suit off the rest of the way and sliding on the jogging pants. STL yawned loudly as he picked up the suit and undershirt and tossed them in the general direction of a small laundry basket. F caught the clothes just as it looked like the would come up short and dropped them into the basket. The android then walked back over to the edge of the bed where STL stood. STL tilted his head and smiled up at the android
“Let me guess, you wanna stay?”
F only responded by leaning down so STL could reach his face. STL had to resist the urge to chuckle at the gesture as he reached up and began to fiddle with the gas mask the android wore. It was more for show than anything, hell, F’s oxygen tanks weren’t even filled, after all, F didn’t even have lungs to breath with. STL sat the mask on the bed behind him as he pulled the hood down off of F’s head. The android’s body had been based off of one of the scientists who had worked on him. STL was of the opinion that F was a fairly accurate portrayal of the scientist, dark skin, strong nose, wide eyes, neatly kept dreadlocks, the only major difference being the fact that F’s eyes were a bright glowing white. Not to mention, STL was far more partial to F than he was to any of the scientists. STL gently brushed his fingers through the synthetic locks F always kept pulled back in a ponytail, minus a few that were too short to reach all the way back and hung loosely in F’s face. Even STL couldn’t deny that it was fundamentally cute. His hands lightly trailed along the back of F’s neck.
“Your clothes are in the bottom drawer of the dresser, let me go grab them for you.”
F let out a soft static hum in response as he stood back up, letting STL walk over to the dresser and pull out the drawer grabbing out a matching pair of pajamas that he knew F liked best. He brought it over to his teammate before turning away respectful to allow the AI to dress. STL could almost swear that burst of static sounded a little like laughter. F, once he was done dressing, stepped up to turn STL around and wrap his arms around his leader’s waist, resting is chin on top of the smaller man’s head. STL made a small huff, far more fond than annoyed.
“Aren’t sentient AIs supposed to be mean and evil?”
STL joked and F only squeezed him tighter and began to gently guide the older man toward the bed. STL chuckled warmly as he sat on the bed, pulling F along with him. The android settled next to him and pulled him close to his chest. STL wrapped himself around the robot before maneuvering the weighted blanket up over them. F’s hand trailed aimlessly through STL’s hair while the smaller man, finally, quietly drifted off to sleep.