TO could hardly sleep that night, not from nerves and anxiety as had so often been the case in the past, but from excitement. Though it had only been five days, the sudden loss of their freedom and privacy had weighed on TO and the idea of having a few extra hours alone with DH made them inexplicably excited. They only slept a few hours, and when they woke up several hours too early, they couldn’t go back to sleep, no matter how hard they tried.
Once they were up, everything seemed to take too long, and time passed tediously slowly. They ate, showered early, and then tried to do their research While DH ran their scans. TO couldn’t focus of course, so they went through the lists of extra tasks to give to Kei instead. After some consideration they thought that checking their food supplies would take the longest amount of time; Kei would have to go into the storage areas behind the walls to do that, so it would keep them out of the way.
It would probably keep them away for most of the day. Given how Kei was so careful, and so fastidious, TO was certain that they wouldn’t rest until they checked every piece of food on the ship.
While Kei did that, TO decided that the best place for DH and themself to go for their ‘date’ was the emergency ship. If Kei needed them for anything, they were unlikely to look for them in the emergency ship and would instead send them a message. They would have privacy, and they’d even be able to see out into space and enjoy the view! Sure, it wasn’t as nice as the weapons bay, but they didn’t want to force Avery out; They had grown to like the quiet silence of the weapons bay, and the large space they could call their own for a few hours.
With the time and place picked, TO now had to decide what to do; they knew that they’d probably end up watching a show with DH, but they wanted to make the whole thing a little more special than that. They wanted to do something like they had back when they set up the surprise back in the training center.
They realized suddenly that they could! They took a blanket from their bed and wrapped up a dessert that the civilians had packed for them, as well as the bottle of bubbly wine. TO had hidden these away, saving them for the short time between when they dropped off Kei and Avery, and when they arrived on Arkane. It felt like a much better idea to use it for their date.
“You’re more excited than I’ve seen in a while.” DH said, amused. When TO turned to look at them, they could see their ears twitching with suppressed laughter. They felt their own ears dip and flush as they returned their focus to wrapping up the food.
“Aren’t you?” they asked.
“I am!” DH said. They got up from their chair and headed over to TO, “It’s just good to see you this excited too.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t be?” they asked, grinning. They turned back to what they were doing, being careful to wrap up the bottle carefully so it wouldn’t break.
TO’s concern about the drinks and the food slipped from their head as they felt DH press their lips to the back of their neck. They stopped, shivered, and leaned back against DH as though trying to coax them into more, to get them to trail those kisses towards their ears, or along their shoulder. The brief neck kiss lasted only a moment, though. TO did their best not to whimper as DH pulled their lips away from skin and just held TO for a moment before heading back to work.
It was odd. DH seemed so much more affectionate now that they had other synths in the ship with them. Maybe it was because they were trying to make use of the little time they had alone. TO wished they could do that too, but now that others were around them they felt like they were always on edge, always worrying that Kei would come down through the elevator and see them.
What would they do if they saw them? Would they report them? If they got reported, what would happen? They had finished their training, so would any higher officer leave them alone, or would they call the two of them back and deal with them? Even if the officers did nothing right away, would other synths mock them as they had C12?
No, it would be worse; C12 had been a retiree.
Would their higher ups separate them and DH afterwards? TO didn’t know, but they knew it was better not to risk it. Still, soon they’d have their freedom back entirely. Until then they had their date on the emergency ship. TO only hoped that when they were alone again and they could pursue all this at their leisure, that DH would still hold the same enthusiasm as they did now.
======
When the four of them finished their lunch after they finished their tasks, it took everything in TO’s power to not simply throw the extra work at Kei, grab DH, and run. No, they had to be subtle and present the tasks as though they were a genuine officer. They presented tasks for the day to Kei, commenting only that they should take their time and be thorough. Of course, that comment didn’t seem to sit well with Kei.
“I am always thorough.” They said, “There is no point in doing a task for King Decon if one is not.”
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.” TO had agreed; they didn’t want to argue, they just wanted Kei to go away so that they could go with DH to the emergency ship. Kei didn’t seem worried or curious about how fast TO agreed, or how quickly they spoke; they just nodded and turned to the elevator. As the door to the elevator slid shut, TO held their breath. They were certain that something would happen, that Kei would stop and suddenly refuse to do the work. They were certain that something would ruin the date.
The doors closed, and TO let out a long breath of relief.
Kei had to go down to the maintenance shafts to do this, which was accessible from the small hallway that led to the emergency ship. They’d have to slip into the narrow area between the walls and go to where they kept all the food, which wouldn’t be a big concern for them, and wasn’t dangerous. The biggest problem with this was that TO and DH couldn’t just rush off. They had to wait until they knew Kei was out of the way.
Five minutes; that’s what they would give the other synth. Though TO was the one who was watching the time, it was DH who suddenly got up from their console just a few minutes later.
“Well.” They said, “I suppose I should get ready for my ‘date’”
“Get ready?” TO asked, their ears quirking forward. Did DH want to take another shower or something before they left?
DH went into their sleeping area and after just a moment they came back out with a necklace around their neck. It took TO a moment to recognize it as the crystal they had given them, but it now had some thin wires wrapped around it, with a longer, thin chain holding it around their neck.
As TO stared at it, DH glanced aside, their ears flushing. “I found some old wires in the command center of the ship.” They said, “I looked around, and found a bit of chain too. I worked on this a little by little while you were showering.” They put their hand over the gem. “I was going to wait until we got to Arkane to wear it, but it should be fine for now, right?”
TO got up and closed the distance between them. There was an odd twist in the wire, so they leaned forward and fixed that quickly, letting their fingertips brush against DH’s light blue skin for just a second before they leaned in and gave DH a quick, soft kiss on the lips.
“It… it looks good on you.” TO said, “But you should be careful that Kei doesn’t see it.”
DH’s ears dipped back, “I know.” They muttered. “I want to wear it all the time but… I mean, there’s nothing against it, not technically.”
“There’s not.” TO agreed. They ran their hands down DH’s arms and held their hands. “But… but just in case. Just in case Kei sees it and suspects. I don’t want them reporting what they might think is going on.”
“Do you really think they would?”
TO nodded, “I have no doubt.” they said, “I’m positive that if Kei were to think that you and I were-”
”In love?”
“Romantically involved in one another in any way.” TO said as they felt the heat rise to their ears, “Then they’d waste no time in telling their superior-“
“And their superior would tell Ark-1?”
TO nodded. “They might separate us if that happens.” TO said. “Like how C12 was separated from Snout.“
“But do you really think that they would suspect just from a necklace? Do you really think that they’d see it and think that there was anything romantic between us? Even if they did, do you think our superiors would think that’s reason enough to separate us?”
“I don’t know.” TO said truthfully. They looked up at DH, staring into their sad eyes. They wanted to tell DH to go ahead and wear the necklace all they wanted; All they wanted was for DH to be happy.
In order for DH to be happy, they had to protect them.
“I don’t know.” TO said again, “But I don’t want to take the chance.”
DH nodded, “Should I take it off then?”
TO almost said yes, but they stopped, and gave DH’s hard squeeze, “.. I think it might be fine for our date.” They said with a grin. DH’s face lit up, and for a moment, TO thought that their heart might burst from feeling so full. It still confused them, how DH’s face lit up like that, how seeing them so happy made them want to cry simply because they felt so overwhelmed with happiness.
It confused them, and they didn’t entirely understand it, but this was one thing they weren't concerned about understanding.
