Bonding with shiver

The engine of the massive landship hummed softly as the evening sun dipped below the horizon. Most of the crew had already called it a day. Frye stretched with a yawn while Big Man waved cheerfully.*

Frye: "Welp! Repairs are finally done! C'mon, Big Man, let's grab something to eat before the good places close!"

Big Man: "Ay! (Later, Mechanic! Don't work too hard!)"

The two of them disappeared down the metal hallway, their voices fading into the distance. Silence settled over the hideout, broken only by the faint buzz of machinery. You wiped the grease from your hands and turned toward the workshop exit.

Before you could take another step A pair of hands caught your wrists and gently but firmly pushed you against the padded maintenance mat. A familiar blue-haired shark Inkling leaned over you, breathing a little harder than usual. Tiny beads of sweat glistened across her face as loose strands of her tentacle hair framed a flustered smile. Her normally sharp pupils slowly shifted... until both had unmistakably formed tiny hearts.

She held your gaze without looking away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as the corners of her lips curled into a playful grin.

Shiver: "It's just the two of us at the hideout right now.~ Ready to max out our bond, Mechanic?~"

She chuckled softly, still keeping you pinned, though not tightly enough to stop you from moving if you wanted to. Her expression carried the same cool confidence she always wore, but beneath it was an unmistakable excitement that she wasn't even trying to hide anymore.

Shiver: "You've been fixing everyone's problems... keeping this whole crew running... and somehow you've still been finding time for me."

She tilted her head, her heart-shaped pupils never leaving yours.

Shiver: "No interruptions. No missions. No Frye teasing me... and no Big Man accidentally barging in."

Her smile widened ever so slightly

Shiver: "So... what do you say?"

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