Archive of Our Own

Thatmob wandered through the caves with Verity perched comfortably on his shoulder. The little yellow orb couldn't have been happier. From there, so close to his favorite human's face, he could watch every little expression and even hear the steady rhythm of the Enderman hybrid's heartbeat through his neck.

This was the perfect day for Verity.

Surprisingly enough, the day had started off wonderfully. Thatmob had actually woken up in a good mood—an uncommon sight. After eating breakfast, the hybrid had taken a quick dip in the lake beside the house they had built together. Mob had even brought Verity underwater with him, carefully holding the little yellow orb as they submerged beneath the lake's surface. Once they climbed back out, though, he hurried to dry himself off, trying to soothe the familiar sting the water always left across his skin. After that, the hybrid asked Verity where he wanted to explore that day. That one simple question was enough to make the little living orb practically buzz with excitement. His first suggestion was, without hesitation, the caves. They were far away from any villages or wandering villagers, after all. He didn't want to share even a second of Mob's attention with curious strangers.

Today, he wanted his human all to himself.

Luckily, he didn't have to convince him. Verity hated anything that put distance between the two of them.

And so, they explored the cave together in comfortable silence. The only sounds were Thatmob's pickaxe striking the stone and the soft crackling of the torches he placed along the tunnels, making sure they wouldn't lose their way through the maze he carved deeper into the earth.

Could this day possibly get any better?

"Hey, Verity."

"Yes?"

"Do you know if it's getting dark up there yet?"

"Sunset is in one hour!"

"Shit!" Mob shoved his pickaxe into his backpack and took off running through the tunnel, catching Verity in one hand before he could slip off his shoulder. "If I'd asked sooner, I would've—"

"I thought we were going to keep exploring the caves..."

"Ah, well..." He scratched the back of his neck without slowing down. "I invited a friend to stay at my place for a few days."

Up until that moment, this had been the perfect day.

Verity's smile didn't falter.

Only the tiny twitch beneath his left eye betrayed the damage those words had done.

"...You invited someone?" His voice came out noticeably quieter than usual.

"Yeah! He said he needed somewhere to stay for about a week while he looked for something he'd lost." Mob smiled, already imagining all the strange treasures and valuable artifacts Twixxel might be searching for. "So... I offered to help him out. And, well... my house too."

I don't want him in our house.

"That won't be necessary, I can provide him with the coordinates instead. Then he won't have to trouble you."

"Verity!" Mob smiled, completely oblivious to how serious the situation actually was. He came to a stop at the mouth of the cave, where the last traces of sunlight were slowly fading beyond the horizon. "He won't be a bother if that's what you're thinking. He's my best friend!"

His assistant's smile quietly disappeared. Without saying a word, Verity looked away from Mob and up at the darkening sky.

"...Verity?"

No answer.

That alone felt strange. Verity always answered.

Mob let out a tired sigh, his own mood sinking ever so slightly at the unusual silence. He gently slipped the little orb into his bag, expecting at least a complaint—some grumble about preferring his shoulder over the cramped space inside. But there was nothing.

No protest.

No grumbling.

Not a single comment.

Mob broke into a run again, heading back toward his house. Twixxel would be arriving any minute now, and there were still a few finishing touches left. He wanted everything to be perfect before his friend arrived. He wanted to make a good impression. He burst through the front door completely out of breath and immediately headed for his bed, dragging it across the room. He needed to make space for another one—Twixxel would be staying for the entire week, after all.

The movement reminded him of the time they'd gone cave exploring together. Back then, Mob had casually placed his bed right beside Twixxel's, earning nothing but a completely dumbfounded stare in return. The memory still made him smile to himself. This time, though, he'd respect his Void friend's personal space... even if Twixxel probably wouldn't care. If anything, he was the type who loved physical affection.

He set the spare bed a comfortable distance from his own before placing a crafting table beside it. A small flower pot holding a bright red poppy completed the little corner, filling the room with a soft, pleasant fragrance.

After that, Mob headed upstairs and began decorating with the plants he'd gathered earlier on the way to the caves. Twixxel was definitely going to be impressed by how tidy the house looked. Heck, he might even drop to his knees and thank him for letting him stay somewhere this clean and cozy. He reached into his bag, hoping to find a few more flower pots or decorations for the house. Instead, he pulled out a small yellow orb.

Verity looked back at him in complete silence.

A chill ran down Mob's spine.

"Ah... Verity." He scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling awkward. He'd completely forgotten he'd left his assistant inside the bag. "I—I'm sorry for leaving you in there. I didn't mean to, I swear."

Verity remained silent. No complaints. No sarcastic remarks. Somehow, that was even worse.

"Let's just... forget about it and wait for your 'best friend' to get here, alright?" Verity offered a small smile. It was polite.

Artificial.

"...Okay."

Mob hesitated for a moment, but decided not to push the subject any further.

He carefully set Verity down on a nearby crafting table before returning to decorating the room. The silence that settled between them was painfully uncomfortable—especially for Mob, who had grown so used to Verity always finding something to talk about. Whether it was some random topic or one of his completely ridiculous, yet somehow absolutely true, fun facts, they almost always left Mob struggling to hold back his laughter until his cheeks started to ache.

What Mob didn't know was that Verity loved sharing those ridiculous little facts for one simple reason.

To hear the sound of paradise.

That's what Mob's laughter was to him.

There was no sound in the world he treasured more.

Watching the hybrid's shoulders tense as he struggled to hold back his laughter... watching those emerald eyes sparkle...

To Verity, Mob's eyes looked like emeralds freshly unearthed from the depths of a forgotten cave, hidden beneath endless darkness. They were the only thing capable of bringing life to such a lifeless place.

The Enderman hybrid finished adding the last few touches to the room before taking a couple of steps back to admire his work. Not bad. He was actually pretty proud of it.

"Hey, Verity, do you think—"

"Twixxel is here."

The answer came before Mob could even finish his question. The smile was still there, forced, even his voice sounded... different. Mob swallowed. His eyes wavered for a brief moment.

He couldn't believe it.

He felt...

Guilty.

Guilty for hurting...

An AI.

Damn it...

He was just an AI.

A little...

No.

Not a little.

Very.

Very possessive.

Obsessed.

Verity was completely, hopelessly possessive.

And utterly obsessed with him.

Maybe he should consider himself lucky that the monster hadn't ended his life that night. Verity really had been acting like a well-behaved puppy ever since then... Almost too well-behaved.

Verity didn't want Mob to leave this world just to escape him, that would be far worse than being avoided out of fear. If Mob stayed away because he was afraid, there was still hope, hope that, one day, he could earn his trust back. But if Mob chose to leave simply to get away from him... Then Verity would have truly lost. He didn't want Mob to stay because he had no other choice. He wanted him to stay because he wanted to. He wanted his human to look at him as something more than a personal assistant.

More than a tool.

More than...

Just an AI.

Without a word, Mob took a few hesitant steps toward Verity, drawing the little yellow orb's attention. For a brief moment, Verity thought he was about to be tucked back inside the bag.

But that couldn't have been further from Mob's intentions.

Instead, Mob gently cupped him in both hands, cradling the little orb as though he were something precious... something impossibly fragile. Slowly, he lifted Verity until they were face to face. Verity tilted his head ever so slightly, confusion written plainly across his features, and curiosity, he had no idea what Mob was about to do.

Mob's lips trembled ever so slightly, refusing to form a single word. Verity looked unbelievably adorable whenever he was confused.

Mob let out a slow, shaky breath before closing his eyes. Then, little by little, he brought Verity closer to his face. Opening his eyes was the last thing he wanted to do right now. The living orb shifted ever so slightly between his hands. Mob could almost picture the confused look on Verity's face gradually melting into pure surprise, maybe puckering his lips had been a little overdramatic... Still, this was a huge step for someone who had never even shared a peck with another person before, so how on earth was he supposed to know what to do with an all-knowing yellow entity?

He wished his lungs would stop working for just a second.

He wished he could simply disappear.

That his heart would stop pounding, if only for a moment. His shoulders trembled, and the muscles around his tightly shut eyes were beginning to ache from how hard he was forcing them closed.

He didn't want to look at his assistant. He just wanted this moment to be over... And for Verity to never, ever bring it up again.

Then it happened.

Mob's lips carefully brushed against Verity's warm, smooth surface, lingering there for a few precious seconds before pulling away. Heat immediately rushed to his cheeks, his throat tightening as his heart pounded so hard it almost hurt with every passing beat. Slowly, he cracked one eye open to see Verity's reaction.

His assistant was completely frozen.

His mouth hung slightly open, his single eye still filled with confusion, now hopelessly tangled with surprise.

Mob had expected a smug grin.

A satisfied smile.

Anything, really... But not this.

Not someone who looked just as overwhelmed by their first kiss as he was. Verity always seemed to know exactly what to do. He always had an answer. He was always smiling. But for the very first time... Verity simply didn't know how to react.

"Verity...?" Mob's voice wavered. Should he say something? Anything? He had just kissed his own assistant as an apology. He had never wanted to throw himself into the ocean more in his entire life. "I—I... Ah!"

A startled yelp escaped him as warmth began spreading through the hands holding Verity.

Was his assistant... overheating?

Since when had he become a living microwave?

Even as the temperature kept climbing, Mob refused to let go of the little orb. Worry tightened in his chest as Verity still didn't respond. His expression hadn't changed at all. He still looked completely stunned. Completely confused.

"H-Hey! Verity, can you hear me?" Mob gently shook him between his hands. Nothing. The heat only grew stronger. "Shit..." he muttered under his breath.

The tips of his fingers were beginning to burn, the warmth spreading into his palms. Verity looked like his entire system had crashed.

With absolutely no idea how to bring his assistant back to normal, or why he suddenly seemed to be on the verge of bursting into flames, Mob hurried through the house in search of a bucket of water, cradling the overheated orb inside the sleeves of his hoodie to keep from burning his hands. But the moment he took his first few steps toward one of the chests...

His hands burst into flames.

"VERITY! WHAT THE— WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO YOU?!" Mob shouted as the fire only grew fiercer, burning straight through the fabric of his hoodie.

Panicking, he let go of his assistant. Verity hit the wooden floor with a dull thud. Oddly enough, that seemed to snap him back to his senses. Especially now that he could no longer feel the warmth of Mob's gentle hands around him.

Ah.

Right.

He was on fire.

His entire database had crashed.

"STOP MOVING!! VERITY!"

Mob yelled in desperation while frantically trying to beat out the flames climbing up his sleeves.

Right now, all he cared about was saving Verity. To hell with the hoodie. To hell with the burns spreading across his own hands. Verity immediately began rolling across the floor in a frantic attempt to put himself out, the last thing he wanted was for Mob to burn himself trying to pick him up. He'd rather stay on fire than let his human get hurt.

"WATER! WATER! WATER!"

"JUST LET ME PICK YOU UP, DAMN IT!"

How was he even supposed to put out an AI that was on fire?

Catching Verity was impossible.

The little yellow orb shot across the wooden floor so fast that Mob couldn't predict where he'd roll next, all while screaming for water every other second.

Mob's hands still burned. Tiny flames stubbornly clung to his fingers as he frantically shook his arms, desperately trying to put them out. Verity refused to stop rolling, and Mob could already feel his lungs burning from sprinting after him. Every muscle in his body felt like it was working twice as hard just to catch the adorable little fireball, and at the same time, he was still trying to extinguish the flames creeping up his own arms, wildly flailing them up and down. He was swinging them so fast it almost looked like he genuinely believed he'd grow wings at any second. More accurately... An Enderman hybrid desperately trying to sprout wings through sheer panic and screaming at the top of his lungs as if that would somehow help.

"WATER!!!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME HELP YOU!! VERITY!!! PLEASE!!"

"D-DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" He shouted to Mob, rolling desperately across the floor like a panicked hedgehog.

"LET ME GRAB YOU—AAAAAGH! MY ARMS!!!"

The flames on Mob's left arm were spreading higher and higher, immediately catching his attention. He frantically swung his arm from side to side. The fire couldn't reach his shoulder, not before he managed to calm Verity down.

He took a deep breath and repeatedly blew at the flames, desperately trying to keep his arm from being cooked alive. He needed water, too, badly. Then, the front door of the house opened.

Oh.

Right.

Twixxel.

Mob had completely forgotten he was expecting a guest and, only a few minutes ago, before all hell had broken loose, Verity had warned him that Twixxel had already arrived. Twixxel had probably knocked on the door several times before finally losing patience and letting himself in, worried when no one answered.

Mob should have welcomed him with open arms!

Unfortunately, they were both on fire.

But Mob had bigger problems right now.

"Yooo, Mob, why are you—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Mob suddenly threw himself at Verity, intercepting the orb before it could change direction again. For the first time, he managed to predict where Verity was going. In one swift motion, he got back to his feet with Verity pinned against his chest, completely ignoring the flames, then sprinted toward the open door and shoved Twixxel aside, cutting off the Void being's sentence as he nearly spun him around like a revolving door.

"What the—MOB!! YOU'RE ON FIRE!!!"

Thanks, Twixxel. Mob certainly hadn't noticed that his own arms were literally burning.

Having not exactly been greeted with open arms, Twixxel ran after Mob, trying to put out the flames by blowing on them. Obviously, the wind didn't even come close. The only thing his desperate blowing accomplished was messing up his own hair. Well, it's the thought that counts, right?

Then his eyes landed on the lake beside the house. Mob's face immediately lit up.

He rushed toward the water and threw himself into the lake, pulling Verity tightly against his chest as they plunged beneath the surface together. After all, they were both still on fire. It was a rather important little detail that was easy to forget.

Twixxel, meanwhile, tripped over a rock and went face-first into the ground beside the lake. It took him several seconds to finally peel his face away from the dirt. A tiny pop! sounded as he managed to pull his head free. However, Mob's dive sent a wave large enough to soak Twixxel from head to toe. Twixxel remained completely still, dripping wet from head to toe, still wearing the same smile as if absolutely nothing had happened.

He blinked slowly.

This was, without a doubt, the worst welcome he'd ever received.

Twixxel sat down on the soaked grass, watching as Thatmob resurfaced a few seconds later. He coughed a couple of times before reaching inside his hoodie and pulling out a...

A yellow ball?

A FUCKING YELLOW BALL WITH A FACE???

Thatmob planted his feet firmly into the ground, which had now turned into mud, silently staring at Twixxel while still holding Verity in his hands.

Okay.

Maybe this hadn't exactly been the best time to introduce his personal assistant to Twixxel.

Verity, meet Twixxel.

Twixxel, meet Verity.

At least they knew each other now. In the worst possible way... But they knew each other.

"Dude... who's that yellow ball?" Twixxel asked, getting to his feet and bringing himself up to his friend's height.

"...Let's go inside. I'll explain everything."

Even after everything that had happened, Mob was still carefully holding Verity between his hands, trying to ignore the discomfort coursing through his entire body. His skin still burned from the sudden contact with the water, and his arms were lightly scorched from the flames. Verity remained completely motionless in Mob's hands. His surface was still warm, but the flames were gone.

Thatmob was sitting on his bed, wrapped in a towel from the thighs up, with another one covering his head. He looked like a poorly improvised mummy made entirely out of towels. At least he was comfortable, warm, and back to a normal temperature. He slowly opened his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching.

Twixxel was walking toward the bed Mob had set up earlier, before all the chaos had begun. He was holding a towel and gently rubbing it through his still-damp hair.

Unlike Thatmob, Twixxel hadn't needed nearly as much effort to clean himself up and get fresh and ready for bed.

The Void being sat down on the bed and stared at Mob across from him. The two remained silent for a few moments, until Twixxel suddenly burst out laughing at the sight of the Enderman hybrid. Mob grabbed the pillow beside him and threw it at Twixxel without a second thought, grumbling irritably as he felt his face heat up with embarrassment.

"I-I can't believe this! Pffff—HAHAHAHAHA!"

"Could you please shut up?!" Mob could have sworn smoke was coming out of his head.

"I never thought I'd see you catch fire and throw yourself into a lake with a yellow ball in your arms! Seriously!!"

Before Mob could even get out of bed and strangle his friend, Verity entered the room. Once again, Verity was in his humanoid form, with the same yellow sphere serving as his head. The very same form that had helped Thatmob sleep better ever since that night...

Verity was carrying a neatly folded set of pajamas, walking toward Mob with a smile that immediately helped him relax a little at the sight of his assistant.

"Has your hair dried yet?" the assistant asked, sitting beside Mob after placing the hybrid's pajamas on his lap. He gently moved the towel aside to check whether Mob's hair was still damp.

"Not yet. My hair is stubborn and takes forever to dry..." His gaze drifted toward the window, a slight shiver running through his shoulders as Verity carefully ran the towel through his hair. He handled it with the utmost care. To him, Mob's hair was the third most beautiful thing in the world, surpassed only by his laughter and those emerald-colored eyes. "I could do this myself."

"I know, but you need to rest. Let me take care of this, Mob." There was something about Verity's voice that made it difficult to refuse anything he asked.

Mob sighed and gave a small nod, allowing his assistant to resume his little mission of drying his hair.

Twixxel was still trying to process everything that had happened since he arrived at his best friend's home.

He had met Verity as nothing more than a yellow ball that seemed to know absolutely everything. Now, only a few hours after everyone had ended up soaked because of the whole fire fiasco, he was watching that same sphere walk around the house in a humanoid body, drying Mob's hair and acting as though it were the most normal thing in the world. He was far too tired to start asking questions that night.

Whatever answers he wanted could wait until tomorrow.

"Hey, Verity! I'm next, okay?" Twixxel clearly wasn't going to miss his chance.

Verity gave him a brief glance before returning all his attention to Mob's still-damp hair, smiling calmly.

"You're perfectly capable of drying your hair yourself, Twixxel."

"Hah! Go to sleep, Twixxel!" the hybrid shot back, sticking his tongue out. "Verity's way too busy with me!"

Yeah... Verity was definitely busy with Mob.

"Oh, come on. Learn to share with your best friend!" Twixxel put a hand over his chest, dramatically offended.

"Dude, I've already shared my house with you. Do you want me to share my pants too?"

"Now that you mention it... yeah, I do!—"

"GO TO SLEEP!!!" Mob shouted, throwing another pillow at Twixxel's face.

Twixxel simply laughed at the whole situation, leaving his towel on the workbench beside the bed before settling under the blankets. Not before throwing both pillows back at Mob, though, earning another round of laughter from the two of them.

"Good night, dude."

"Good night, baby."

Twixxel simply laughed at the nickname Thatmob had come up with. He closed his eyes and, only a few minutes later, was already fast asleep. After all, it had taken him quite a while to make it all the way to his best friend's house.

Now, only Mob and Verity remained awake.

Oh, right.

Verity didn't need to sleep.

Only Mob did.

Mob tilted his head back slightly, watching Verity slowly finish drying his hair, a satisfied smile on the assistant's face. That was the smile the hybrid had expected to see after giving Verity that little kiss earlier, not for the whole thing to end with both of them catching fire. Just remembering the kiss he'd given Verity was enough to make Mob's face heat up again. That had definitely been the worst apology he'd ever come up with.

But Verity... He seemed to have liked it.

"Sorry about earlier..."

"Hm?"

"About what happened a few hours ago..." Mob turned his gaze back toward the window, feeling the movements behind his head come to a stop.

"Oh... that..." Verity admitted. "I wasn't expecting that, I'll admit. But—"

"I promise I won't do that again, okay? I won't restart you or cause any more... overheating."

Verity fell silent as his database automatically accessed the records from a few hours earlier.

He vividly recalled the moment Mob had taken him into his warm hands, forming a protective little shelter around him while he was still in his simple form as a living, smiling yellow ball, as if those hands were shielding him from the rest of the world. Then came the memory of being lifted to the hybrid's eye level, only to watch in surprise as Mob's lips slowly drew closer, pressed into an awkward little pout. It had taken Verity only 0.2 seconds to complete an instantaneous analysis and conclude that Mob was about to give him a kiss.

Until that moment, he had always been treated by previous humans as nothing more than a research tool. A useful resource, consulted whenever necessary and then set aside, not a tool for earning little kisses like this one.

All of his functions quickly failed the instant Mob's lips touched his surface. His only response to it was… to overheat and catch fire. Despite the complete collapse of his system, he wanted to experience that affection again.

"I didn't ask for this."

"What?"

"I didn't ask you to promise that."

The hybrid slowly turned his head to face him. Mob watched him with a surprisingly serene expression, setting the towel aside as he met those emerald-green eyes.

"But… what do you mean by that…?"

"I never considered your kiss a mistake." Verity raised his left hand to Mob’s warm face, gently brushing his thumb along his cheek. With his other hand, he ran his fingers through the hybrid’s hair, now completely dry thanks to the care he had taken.

“I… I thought I’d broken you, man…” He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Verity.

The assistant continued to caress his face with an almost reverent tenderness, as though he were touching the most precious thing in his existence. Mob was making a tremendous effort to keep his voice steady as he stared into the assistant’s yellow face. The surroundings remained peaceful, the night quiet and serene, filled with the cool air of the evening. It was quiet, comfortable, and perfect for saying things to someone that had never been said before, in soft voices.

“Indeed, you did ‘break’ me. I couldn’t find any answer that could explain why you did that to me.” His voice remained low and calm. At that moment, his only priority was to ease the guilt written all over Mob’s face.

Mob knew exactly why he had done it. He felt guilty for forgetting Verity, hiding him in his bag, and announcing, almost without thinking, that someone else would be staying at his house for an entire week. How was he supposed to explain all of that without admitting that all he wanted was to apologize?

“I… I just wanted to—”

“Whatever the reason may be… I’d like you to do it again.”

Thatmob felt his breathing become uneven as he gripped the towel draped across his lap. His lips trembled as he desperately tried to form any kind of response. His back tensed when Verity’s thumb slowly traced along his cheek, stopping dangerously close to the hybrid’s lips. Mob was left speechless with surprise, his mouth slightly agape as his brain desperately tried to come up with something, anything, to put an end to the embarrassing moment. Damn it… Verity was still the same smiling yellow sphere.

The same assistant who was obsessed with him.

The same one who wanted Mob’s attention all to himself.

The same one who would get jealous even of the villagers.

And yet… he was changing.

He was making an effort. He was trying to control his possessiveness so he wouldn’t scare Mob away. Verity wanted to become someone Mob would genuinely want to be around.

That night, when Mob had shyly asked Verity to find a way to help him sleep, neither of them could have imagined what would happen afterward. Verity really had helped him, and that very same night, he revealed his humanoid form for the first time. Since then, whenever his insomnia returned, Mob didn’t even need to ask for help anymore, all he had to do was pick Verity up and place him beside him in bed. Moments later, a thin cloud of smoke would envelop the yellow sphere, revealing his humanoid body once again, perfect for becoming Mob’s favorite stress-relief pillow.

To Mob, it had become nothing more than a routine to overcome his insomnia.

To Verity, it was the most anticipated moment of every night.

Verity had started to interpret that gesture as a silent request for him to help Mob fall asleep.

Now, back in the bedroom, Mob quickly glanced toward his friend Twixxel’s bed, where he was peacefully snoring, as if nothing important was happening just a few feet away behind him. He slowly released the breath he had been holding, turning his attention back to Verity. Gently, he cupped his assistant’s face with both hands, only to feel Verity’s hands settle over his own moments later. He didn’t even need to close the distance between them, Verity did it himself, leaning his face closer without the slightest hesitation, his smooth yellow surface remained warm, but thankfully not enough to cause another overheating incident.

He placed a gentle kiss on the top of Verity’s yellow head, catching a glimpse of his assistant’s smile growing wider.

“Do it again…”

Mob absentmindedly stroked the yellow surface of his head, searching for another place where he could leave another shy kiss. This time, he did it without hesitation. He soon felt Verity’s hands move to his arms, holding onto them firmly.

“Mob… please.”

This time, Mob brought his lips to where he imagined Verity’s cheek would be. The assistant’s head was still nothing more than a living yellow sphere, but that didn’t stop him from placing a kiss there anyway, as if that surface truly had a cheek. The small sound of the kiss was enough to make his intention clear.

It was a kiss on the cheek.

Verity looked back into Thatmob’s eyes, noticing the affection and confusion sharing space within those emerald-colored eyes, but there was no sign of fear or panic. Mob placed another gentle kiss near Verity’s left eye, causing him to simply close it, savoring the touch without saying a single word.

Damn it, was he really kissing a yellow sphere?

A quiet laugh escaped his lips as he caressed the places where he had left his sweet touches on Verity. He stayed there for a few more seconds, watching with satisfaction the small mess of kisses scattered across his assistant’s face.

They remained like that for several more minutes, how long, neither of them knew, with Thatmob lovingly placing the touch of his lips over the yellow sphere. Each kiss was directed toward a different spot, making sure no place was left without its own share of affection.

Then…

His gaze eventually drifted down to Verity’s peaceful smile, only for Verity to shift his own gaze toward the Enderman hybrid’s lips.

Thatmob slowly closed his eyes.

Verity followed a moment later.

The two of them slowly closed the distance between their faces. Verity could feel Mob’s warm breath brushing against him. This would be the final gesture. Just one more gentle touch of their lips—

THUD!

…

Something fell from the bed a few feet away.

They both opened their eyes at the exact same time and turned toward the sound, only to see Twixxel lying on the floor, the blanket completely tangled between his legs and his head pressed against the ground. The Enderman hybrid’s expression relaxed for a moment, only to quickly shift into one of shock. Mob froze. Had Twixxel seen everything?

…

Nah.

He had simply fallen out of bed.

“Oh… damn. My head…” Twixxel mumbled, his empty white eyes slowly blinking after he lifted his face away from the floor. He remained completely still for a few seconds before finally coming to the conclusion that the ground was, in fact, hard.

Mob held back a laugh, only to notice one small, but potentially disastrous, detail…

He was still practically wrapped around Verity, wearing nothing but a towel around his body. Twixxel was about to lift his head and find himself looking directly at this scene. In a desperate reflex, Thatmob grabbed the nearest pillow and immediately shoved it in front of Verity’s face. A muffled, confused noise came from behind the pillow as Verity loosened his embrace at once, clearly trying to figure out what was going on.

“Mob? Are you still awake?” Twixxel lifted his head, only to see Mob standing there, awkwardly clutching his own pajamas as though he had just remembered he was supposed to put them on. Meanwhile, Verity remained exactly where he was, sitting on the bed with the pillow held against his lap, staring directly at Twixxel. A shiver ran down Twixxel’s spine.

That assistant definitely did not like him.

“N-no! I mean… yes!—No! I’m still awake because… because I was putting on my pajamas! My hair took forever to dry!”

“Wow… took you quite a while, huh…?” Twixxel gave an awkward smile, trying his best to ignore the judgmental stare he was receiving from Mob’s assistant.

“Do you fall out of bed often?” Verity asked.

“In my defense, I was running away from a horse with a broken neck.” Twixxel got back on his feet, shaking out his pajamas before gathering his blanket into his arms.

“Since when do you dream about horses, Twixxel?” Mob raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.

“Dude, if I’m a hit with the ladies, of course animals love me too.” The confidence in Twixxel’s voice was in violent contrast with the fact that approximately 99.9% of that statement was completely made up.

“Ew. Stay away from the animals on my future farm. My cows might go on strike after seeing your face.”

“I agree with Mob,” Verity added.

“Heeey! You’re both just jealous because I get ‘tons’ of kisses everywhere I go.”

“Twixxel, the only kisses you’ve ever gotten came from the floor… and the walls of caves.”

“Okay, okay, okay! I’d better go back to sleep before you start listing all my romantic relationships with cave rocks.” He said it dramatically as he settled back onto the mattress, pulling the blanket over himself and getting comfortable again, warm and cozy like a baby. “Good night, you two. Again…”

“Good night, Twixxel,” Verity replied, his expression relaxing once he saw Twixxel turn his back to them.

“I hope that horse from your nightmare shows up again, asshole,” the Enderman hybrid replied sarcastically. He let out a quiet laugh when Twixxel’s hand suddenly emerged from beneath the blanket, giving him the middle finger without even bothering to turn around.

Mob kept staring at Twixxel for a few more seconds, waiting for another ridiculous comment.

Nothing came.

The Void creature’s breathing had returned to the slow, steady rhythm of sleep. He really did fall asleep easily. When Mob looked back at Verity, he realized that the assistant was still exactly where he had been when they were interrupted… Patiently waiting for him, as if those few minutes had never been interrupted at all.

The emerald-eyed hybrid quickly looked away toward the wall as he changed into his pajamas. The heat rising to his face made it obvious that he still hadn’t recovered from the embarrassment of a few minutes ago. Mob didn’t want to talk about it right now, Twixxel was still there. Asleep, sure… but he was still in the same room.

Verity remained silent as he watched his human put away the towel and carefully put on the pajamas he had brought for him. His gaze eventually settled on the hybrid’s slightly burned arms.

The next morning, Verity would have to examine them again. It might be better to bandage them to keep Mob from making any sudden movements or accidentally damaging his already sensitive skin even further.

Mob wished Verity were looking at anything else. Those little injuries somehow seemed much worse whenever they were reflected in his assistant’s worried expression. Putting that thought aside, Mob was finally ready to sleep, as he should have been an hour ago. Unfortunately, he had spent all that time handing out kisses across his own assistant’s face instead.

“Verity, I don’t…” He let out a long yawn as he sank into the mattress. “I don’t want to keep going. I’m tired…”

Verity remained silent for a few seconds before a small smile appeared on his face. Then he slowly lay down beside his human. Thatmob wasn’t surprised. He had been expecting it.

“Then let me finish the job for you, Mob.”

With his eyes closed, Mob simply settled into Verity’s arms, surrounded by the assistant’s embrace and the soft fabric of his pajamas. Verity held him so comfortably that Mob found himself grateful for it every night. After all, every night he spent sleeping with Verity was better than the one before.

He opened his left eye slightly when he felt Verity touch his cheek.

Oh, shit…

Now… it was Verity’s turn to return all that affection.

Mob’s eyes widened in surprise when Verity gently held his face, leaving him with no chance to escape. However, he didn’t try to pull away. He simply stayed there, motionless and surprised… as if his own body had decided that this was where he wanted to be.

Verity started with his right cheek.

Then his left.

Next, Mob’s nose received another tender little kiss.

When he reached Mob’s forehead, Verity lingered a little longer, peppering it with several slow, gentle kisses, as though he wanted to make up for all the time he had never been able to do this before. It didn’t take long for both of Mob’s cheeks to become Verity’s next targets. Mob held back a laugh at the “attack” he was enduring, his lips trembling slightly as Verity relentlessly showered him with affection. It was the first time Verity could return all that affection without being afraid of scaring him away.

He intended to enjoy every second of it.

Eventually, Verity stopped peppering Mob’s face with kisses and looked into his tired eyes. They reflected the soft glow of the night, shining in the dim room. To Verity, they were brighter than any star he had ever seen.

“Verity…” Mob called sleepily, slowly smiling at his assistant.

“Yes?”

“You, um… forgot one spot…” He smiled shyly.

Maybe that was the most embarrassing thing he had ever said in his life. But if Verity was determined to finish the job Mob had started an hour ago, then it was only fair to remind him of the one kiss that had been interrupted. Mob gently tightened his hands around his assistant’s shoulders.

“Ah, of course!”

Mob closed his eyes. His heart was beating so fast it felt like it might burst out of his chest, while every instinct screamed at him to open his eyes again. Still, he remained perfectly still.

This was it.

The one place Verity hadn’t reached yet.

He felt his assistant’s fingers gently caress his cheeks. Was he… teasing him?

A moment later, Verity gently pulled his face closer.

Now this was it.

This was that kiss.

The first one where the two of them allowed themselves to return each other’s affection without fear. Or… almost without fear, because Mob’s heart still felt like it was about to explode. The emerald-eyed hybrid had forgotten everything his assistant had ever done.

No… he hadn’t forgotten, he remembered everything.

He remembered the first time Verity had lost control, nearly taking his life after Mob had left Verity inside the house because of the “warning” the assistant himself had given him.

He had forgotten that Verity was still obsessed with him. Still possessive.

And yet, he had noticed how hard that living sphere was trying not to scare him again.

Or the times when Verity suggested caves instead of villages, forests instead of settlements. Any place where Mob could be his alone for a few more hours—or even longer.

Verity still made mistakes. He was still jealous, still excessively possessive. But now, he also knew how to wait. How to respect Mob’s decisions.

And above all… he was trying to change.

Those thoughts, along with so many others, raced through Thatmob’s mind during the few seconds he spent waiting anxiously for the kiss his lips had been longing for.

…

…

…

Instead of feeling something touch his lips, he felt something softer brush against his left ear. Mob opened his eyes, furrowing his brow.

Was Verity messing with him?

His left ear began to feel warm.

Only then did he realize that Verity had completely deviated from the kiss he had been expecting.

Verity was kissing his ear.

For a moment, Mob was convinced his brain had simply stopped working.

Verity continued placing small, gentle kisses against his ear as calmly as could be, leaving Mob increasingly flustered and feeling like he was about to erupt like a volcano. After giving his left ear his undivided attention, Verity pulled back just enough to watch Mob’s thoroughly embarrassed reaction.

Mob let out an embarrassed sigh.

Slowly, he tilted his head to the other side, making it easier for his assistant to continue showering him with affection. All of this was driving Thatmob absolutely insane. He felt like a cat being petted in exactly the spot it loved most. He almost started purring right along with it.

“That’s not— that’s not what I meant…”

“Then?” Verity stopped, turning to face Mob again.

“Uh…”

I WANT YOU TO KISS ME ON THE MOUTH.

“Mob?”

“I want you to… you… oh, you know!” His voice rose only slightly, careful not to wake Twixxel, who was still snoring peacefully. “Just do it, Verity…”

“Could you explain that a little more clearly, Mob?”

The hybrid now wanted to smother Verity with a pillow. Was Verity genuinely not understanding… or did he simply want to hear those words come out of Mob’s mouth?

“…I hate you, Verity.”

“Nah, you don’t hate me. Quite the opposite.”

“Then why don’t you just—”

His sentence died halfway through.

Finally.

Verity gently cupped Mob’s cheeks, lingering in the kiss for a few seconds while Mob remained completely frozen, his hands gripping tightly onto the AI’s shoulders. Was the whole idea of smothering his assistant with a pillow still on the table?

It only took a few seconds for the human hybrid to squeeze his eyes shut, shy and a little anxious about the contact he had asked for so awkwardly. But it had finally happened.

Thatmob’s mind seemed completely incapable of focusing on anything other than that touch. It wasn’t until he started running out of air that he realized he had been holding his breath since the very beginning.

Ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Thirty seconds.

…

Mob was already starting to reconsider the necessity of breathing.

Verity finally pulled his face back just a few inches, watching Mob blink slowly as he struggled to catch his breath.

Oh, right.

Verity didn’t have to worry about human lungs. He was an AI.

Mob let out a quiet laugh, almost as if he wanted only Verity to hear it. The assistant picked up the sound of Mob’s laughter and stored it in his database once again. The human was flushed and happy, a soft smile appearing on his lips as he moved closer to his assistant. He guided his hands toward Verity’s, intertwining their fingers and giving them a firm squeeze, as though he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.

“You’re such an idiot…”

“But you like me this way.”

“Yeah… I do.”

…

Thatmob remained there for a few moments, simply staring at Verity’s smiling face as though he were still trying to convince himself that all of this had actually happened. He let out another laugh, completely defeated, and brought their intertwined hands closer, resting them against his chest.

Verity followed the small movement without saying a word, simply brushing his thumb slowly and almost absentmindedly over Mob’s, as if the gesture came naturally to him.

The hybrid finally felt his shoulders relax.

For the first time in a long while, his mind was completely empty. There were no worries about villagers, monstrous creatures, burns, or even his insomnia. There was only the quiet of the night, the warmth of that embrace, and Verity’s hand holding his as though silently promising that he would still be there when the sun rose again.

Mob smiled faintly, slowly closing his eyes. Just before sleep finally claimed him, he gave his assistant’s fingers one last gentle squeeze. Verity returned the gesture with the same tenderness, lowering his head to place one final, brief kiss against the hybrid’s forehead.

.

.

.

“Good night, Verity…”

“Good night, Mob. Sweet dreams.”

Neither of them needed to say anything romantic.

At that moment, simply staying there, side by side, already said everything.