Chapter Text
Al-An found himself unable to sleep.
To match sleep cycles with Robin, he would link their minds before she drifted off, allowing him to "sleep" with her. While Al-An did not require the same amount of rest that she did, he found it enjoyable enough that he would do it frequently. He still did need to enter rest mode, after all, with the occasional ion-recharge to keep his energy levels high (a solar-recharge would be difficult this deep underwater). Plus, being in close proximity let him monitor her vitals and ensure that she was okay.
But not tonight.
Al-An simply watched Robin as she slept. She lay curled against the Architect's body, one arm draped over his torso. Her face was pressed against his upper chest. The pulse of her circulatory system was soothing, comforting; partly because of it's rhythm, and partly because it meant Robin was functioning fine.
The light lines of Al-An's body cast a soft violet glow on Robin, illuminating her features in the darkness. Al-An turned to the tank where the creature eggs pulsated softly. He turned back to his human's sleeping form.
Tentatively, the Architect reached a claw forward to touch Robin's hair. She had braided it tight, like a rope. Efficient. But it was hardly the best for examining the strands.
Carefully, he used one of his enormous floating arms to remove the band of elastic without waking Robin, setting it on a table before continuing.
Her hair was soft.
It felt silky between his claws, flowing through them like sand or the very water they'd grown so familiar with. The Architect tilted his head as he examined the ends of the hairs. Keratin. A line of dead proteins woven tightly together. The hair shone, and Al-An could tell from it that Robin had been getting her required intake of the vitamins E and D, as well as her omega-fatty-acids. A diet of Peepers and mineral-rich Garryfish would be the source of such health.
He traced his claw down against the side of her face, feeling her smooth skin against the ridges of his appendage.
Every part of you is so soft, Al-An mused to himself as his claw wandered down to her neck. The pulse of blood in the vessels of her throat beat continuously, never-stopping. It reminded him of his own kind, the eternal beings and the work that lived with them.
He had never gotten to investigate Robin's body. Al-An had admired and examined from afar, though he had never truly been able to touch Robin too much, to interact with her closely. Her organic form was fascinating. At the cellular level, her cells worked with a most inefficient type of respiration and glucose consumption but the whole thing was quite amazing to behold. From the electron transport chains that kept her cells going, to the vast body-systems made of billions of these aforementioned cells, Robin was beautiful.
He was curious about her form. Of course, he had seen her body from her perspective.. but another perspective would certainly be more helpful and interesting. And, at that time, she had been reluctant to let him investigate or even answer his questions on her.
Not everything was soft, Al-An realized, as the tip of his claws met Robin's clavicle. Though he found Robin's physical form to be highly inefficient for a number of reasons, the human bones were a surprisingly effective support for her musculature. Spongy bone to absorb shock and add a springy recoil to force, compact bone to protect the inner layer and provide a stong shell, a place for tendons and muscle to attach. Truly a useful aspect of Robin's body, if her environment weren't so dangerous.
Most predators on the planet could fracture her bones easily if given a chance.
Al-An protectively curled around Robin, holding her close to him with both arms, squeezing her gently against his chest. She groaned in her sleep, adjusting.
He had to keep Robin safe. He couldn't live without her. No.. not after all that she had done for him and the planet.
She was beautiful, and he had to.. to preserve that beauty. He needed her, just as she needed him.
The human's eyes opened slowly and she rubbed at them with a hand, yawning as she woke. Al-An looked down at her cocooned securely in a swathe of blankets, held together finally by his arms.
"Al, what's going on..?" she tried to push herself upright, but Al-An didn't let go.
"I worry," Al-An said, "that you are not equipped to survive this world."
"Al, what do you mean?"
The Architect lay his chin carefully on the top of Robin's head.
"I cannot lose you, Robin. You are all that I have."
"Al." Robin gave Al-An's shoulders a firm squeeze. He couldn't help but notice just how small her hands were compared to his enormous self. "I know, Al. You're.. you're really important to me, too... but.. you don't need to worry too much about me.. okay?"
The lights on Al-An's body dimmed to a deep, concerned maroon. He traced his claw against Robin's face again, feeling the softness and warmth of her skin.
Robin chuckled softly, placing her hand on the ridge just behind Al-An's claw. "Heh heh.. you like being close, huh?"
"I do." The Architect paused. "You are my network, Robin. You are important to me. I enjoy not only your aid to my work, but your companionship as well. I am yours, and you are mine."
"Aww," Robin laughed, "Al-An, that's so sweet of you."
"In addition," Al-An added, "I am curious about you. I wonder about how you and your body function, and I find your mind intriguing.. I wish to understand you better in all these aspects, and explore your body and mind in their entirety someday. With your approval and agreement, of course."
To his surprise, the blood rushed to Robin's face and she averted her eyes, looking visibly reddened in the dim light. Al-An tilted his head, thinking about what it was he said that evoked such a reaction in her.
"Robin? Are you all right?" Al-An surveyed her with his sensors, trying to percieve what had gone wrong, but she simply shook her head. Her pattern of physiological reactions, plus the expression on her face, were one that he had begun to recognize as "embarassment". She laughed softly.
"Sorry, Big Guy," she chuckled, "I was just.. well, the way you said that, heheh, was kind of.."
"What was it?" Al-An was legitimately curious, leaning in to listen.
"Well, the body thing, it was a bit.. errm.. suggestive.."
"..Suggestive? Of what, exactly?"
This brought another wave of heat and blood to Robin's face and she lowered her head into her hands. "H-how about I.. um.. tell you later?"
"If you insist." Al-An adjusted his long forelegs, his lights returning to their usual bluish-purple. "In any case, Robin, there are still approximately three hours and forty-seven minutes before the sun rises and we begin our day cycle. Would you like to continue sleeping?"
Robin yawned at the mention of sleep, settling back into Al-An's tangle of arms and forelegs. She pulled his limbs on top of her, weighing them on her shoulders and torso. The Architect tensed, careful not to leave his full weight on her lest he crush her.
"Yes," she muttered, "Just like this, Al.."
"Of course." Al-An's facelights dimmed as he, too, entered rest mode.
He reached out for Robin's mind, connecting, feeling the comfort of another's presence before drifting into sleep with her, entering the dreams he sought with her.
Sleep well, Robin……