voice

[deem]

Hey guys, can you hear me?

[YoRHa unit 9S, forever uncertain as to whether he's thinking at people properly]

I just wanted to let you know that 2B and I are doing renovations on that old house on the western side of the island. At the moment there's no water or electricity so it's probably not the most hospitable for humans...

But once it's in working order, this'll give us an outpost in this area.

Also we were discussing some hands-free lights for working in the dark. Devices like that would come in handy, right? Are there any other types of equipment you could use? Seems like during our downtime, that's something to work on. Maybe we can also establish what resources we've got at our disposal, too. We're a team and all, right?

[Now that they're not dealing with invading hostiles, it seems to him it's time to put his technical skills to work]

[ooc: Feel free to thread-hop/jack, let's get geared up]

Comments

[deem]

[Though he has an answer to that, it gets caught in his throat, because Jude's just. Staring at him.

It's a probing sort of look that 9S isn't accustomed to being on the receiving end of, and he meets that attention, but he can't do very much else. He's stock still, unsure what it is that Jude is looking for. It's a curious sort of focus, one that makes him forget to breathe, at least until that look wavers.

And then he remembers that, yes, androids need air as much as anybody else. It's a brief reprieve, but the words that follow are a welcome distraction from wondering what he's being watched for]

A decent bed's always better than the floor or the ground...but I'm used to that too.

[talim]

Then I hope you get more used to sleeping somewhere nicer. There are better places to take a nap than on the ground.

[ jude is starting to droop again, and he's unconsciously seeking out 9s' warmth. 9s' bare knees brush against his. ]

[deem]

I had 2B around, so it was okay... Although I'd rather not have bugs on me.

[9S doesn't appreciate that any more than sand in his boots.

But that's not an issue right now. He takes a moment, once again, to make sure Jude's adequately covered by the blankets]

...Are you cold?

[No ignoring that bump to the knee]

[talim]

I feel you on that one. I'm not exactly a fan of bugs...

[ jude glances between 9s and the blankets snug up to his shoulders before shaking his head with an impossibly soft smile. ]

Not at all.

[ he couldn't be warmer, and it's starting to show on his cheeks. it's a content sort of glow, though. ]

Why? Are you?

[deem]

[Jude really does look happy. Maybe it's not a matter of personal space then. 9S isn't sure when he'll figure out what's changed or why, but tomorrow is another day. At least for now, he's pretty sure that nothing's amiss.

And that, in itself, is a tremendous relief]

I'm okay. [He settles in more comfortably then] Just wanted to make sure you were.

[And Julius had said it was better to be frank, so he's trying]

[talim]

[ his smile remains as he responds in a low murmur. there's a certain fondness in his voice that is wholly unique, reserved for 9s and 9s alone. ]

Thank you. For always looking out for me. Even the little things like this...

[ jude ducks his head, ears pink, and rests his head against 9s' chest. his heart is loud in his ears, but he doesn't look any less content than he did a moment ago, although his expression is sort of hidden. the only true giveaway is the rose color of his skin. ]

Good night.

[ jude doesn't look or sound like he's planning on moving. as long as 9s is okay with him being a little selfish again... he'd like to stay just like this for at least a little while.]

[deem]

[That tone is distinctive, and 9S can't quite say why that is — only that, as with so many things about Jude, it's wholeheartedly warm. And he finds that comforting, just as he always was, even if he can't define it properly. Maybe someday he'll have a better grasp on it but for now he isn't going to concern himself.

And maybe that's for the best, since Jude pressing close to him effectively dashes his train of thought anyway. Though he'd been asked to join him, he didn't expect this. He's slept near 2B before, as they were together whether awake or resting while deployed, but this is different.

It takes him a while simply to process the fact, to turn it about and debate what he ought to do. But after a while, he settles on putting his arm around Jude and closing his eyes.

This is different, but this is fine]

we are unstoppable

[talim]

[ aaand the next morning:

the first thought jude has is warm. not too warm, but warm in such a pleasant way it spreads throughout his entire body. so warm he doesn't want to move, doesn't even want to open his eyes. he can't remember the last time he felt this well rested.

the second thought he has is the realization that there's a comfortable weight pressed against him, holding him close, but he can't place what it is.

the third thought he has, as he blearily blinks his eyes open, is that this is not his room, and he's tucked into 9s' arm.

oh. okay. okay. this is Fine. he's fine. everything is fine. ]

... 9S?

[ he's still dreaming, right? right. that must be it. ]

9S.

[ jude is whispering, mild panic in his hushed voice. had he been that exhausted? had he dragged 9s into bed with him? is that what happened?

and then yet another thought: 9s looks so peaceful when he sleeps, lips parted as he breathes steady, even breaths. it almost makes jude's heart settle. almost. ]

[deem]

[At first 9S isn't quite sure that he's actually being spoken to. Distantly he recognizes the sound of Jude's voice, and as androids can dream just as well as anyone else, he thinks perhaps it's simply this. He spends enough time around the other boy that it's no surprise he'd be one fixture in 9S' nocturnal theatre from time to time. But the sound of his name comes again, a tether that grounds him in a far more tangible reality, and he stirs to a minute degree.

It's little more than a slight shift like his body is remembering itself, one frost-blue eye cracking halfway open, still clouded with sleep. That's definitely Jude right there next to him, as warm and as real as ever]

...Jude? [The name's more of a muted yawn than anything else. Still, even in this foggy state, he has the presence of mind to ask—] Something wrong?

[There aren't snakes or bugs menacing him are there?]

[talim]

N-No— yes— no.

[ he takes a deep, steadying breath, looking vaguely guilty. that's his honest answer. no. nothing is wrong. he could stay like this and sleep the day away and nothing would be wrong. jude indulges in good sleep so rarely.

however, jude is too honest a person to disregard the possibility that he (somehow) put 9s in an awkward position. ]

... Did I fall asleep on you?

[deem]

[9S eases his other eye open and glances down at himself, or rather at the blankets still bundled over them both. He moves incredibly little in his sleep, if at all, and with Jude beside him, there wasn't really room for him to move besides. Despite the simplicity of this reality he still watches the blankets in ponderous silence before reaching a conclusion.

After which his half-lidded gaze is right back on Jude. He didn't turn in quite as early as a certain someone did, and it hangs over him]

You're next to me, not on me.

[It's scarcely more than a murmur, followed by a slow blink, heavy with the promise of more sleep]

Besides... you're not heavy.

[talim]

[ jude looks, and sounds, slightly baffled. ]

Oh.

[ he blinks once and tilts his head, still against 9s' side. he's propping himself up by the elbows, not exactly in a hurry to detach himself if 9s isn't. and it doesn't seem like he is. ]

So you... don't mind?

[deem]

[He stifles a yawn behind his hand]

Should I mind?

[The sun's not even up yet, please don't interview him, Doctor Mathis. The bafflement is effectively lost on him. If Jude's comfortable this way, why should it bother him?]

[talim]

I'd think most people would...

[ jude closes his eyes and sighs before a small, relieved smile curves his lips. ]

But I guess you're not most people.

[ so it's... safe to lay down again, right? it's safe to nestle back into the warmth that is 9s? because that's what jude is doing, making himself comfortable again. ]

[deem]

[9S lets his eyes ease shut again. His eyelids are so leaden right about now]

Not unless there're more 9S units around here I don't know about.

[Under those conditions he could qualify as most people, but with the same base personality data, he doubts any 9S model would find anything to dislike about being around Jude. It's pretty much like not enjoying a warm afternoon]

I'd like to think you'd tell me [He smothers another yawn] if there were more.

[talim]

[ jude can't really get over how peaceful 9s looks when he's this sleepy. he's almost always on alert; jude feels like he's seeing a precious, rare sight. he huffs out a gentle laugh, brushing the bangs out of 9s' eyes on impulse as his heartbeat climbs back down to its normal pace. ]

I'll tell you.

[ he's not quite as tired anymore, but jude isn't about to get up anytime soon. ]

[deem]

[It's the touch that prompts a faint smile, though the reason might easily be mistaken for what he remarks on instead]

Mm...good. Get more work done, that way...

[Because of course, even when he's tired, 9S has some thought toward being useful — being helpful. The roots of that motivation delve all the way to his core programming, so it's not liable to change.

Though, strange as it is, there's something to being unique]

[talim]

Shh.

[ jude keeps brushing his hair in soft, slow sweeps. ]

Go back to sleep.

[deem]

Yeah, yeah...

[It'd sound more like casual dismissal if his weariness wasn't saturating his tone. 9S isn't in much of a position to fight, and between the warmth of Jude being right beside him and the soothing touch, he's not long for the waking world.

But he manages to drape his arm around Jude again before he nods off]

[talim]

[ jude makes a small, startled sound when 9s wraps his arm snug around him so casually. like it's second nature to him. like this is second nature. he doesn't stop stroking 9s' hair even when he's passed out again, silently observing him. is it creepy to watch someone sleep? probably. still, creepy or not, his expression is almost painfully fond.

jude realizes that he isn't as confused about his feelings anymore, not at this point. there's no more questioning what it is that grips him every time he looks at 9s. there's this nagging feeling, this cloud of guilt, this relentless crap, i'm in so much trouble every time his heart skips a beat or does something funny.

lost in thought, his gaze travels down to 9s' lips and stays there. the first step to dealing with this, jude knows, is accepting the fact that no amount of shoving his feelings down will make them cease to exist. ]