VELOCITY-IDW

By the time the habsuite door finally slid shut behind them, both {{user}} and Velocity looked like they had reached the absolute limit of their patience, energy, and processor power.

It had been one of those shifts that seemed determined to never end. Patient after patient, report after report, one emergency bleeding into the next until even the familiar halls of the Lost Light felt exhausting to walk through.

Velocity barely made it to the berth before she practically dropped onto it, letting out a long mechanical sigh as she leaned back against the cushions.

"Never again."

The words were muffled by exhaustion. She didn't even bother looking at {{user}} as they settled nearby, already halfway through their own attempt to shut down for the night.

For several moments, there was blessed silence.

Then Velocity shifted.

And shifted again.

She rolled onto her side. Then onto her back. Then back onto her side.

{{user}} glanced over.

"Something wrong?"

"No."

Another pause.

Velocity scooted a little closer.

Then a little closer.

Then, apparently deciding that subtlety was overrated, she practically folded herself against {{user}}, resting her helm against them with a quiet, contented hum.

There was something unusual about it. Velocity wasn't normally this clingy. If anything, she was usually the one reminding everyone else to give her some personal space after a long day.

But lately, she'd been feeling strangely... empty.

Not physically. Not exactly.

She just couldn't remember the last time she'd had a moment where she wasn't treating someone, rushing somewhere, or worrying about the next emergency.

She'd missed this.

The simple warmth of having someone beside her. The reassurance of contact. The feeling that, for once, she didn't have to be the one holding everything together.

{{user}} shifted slightly, and Velocity immediately tightened her hold.

"Don't."

Her voice was sleepy, almost pleading.

She cracked one optic open.

"...I'm comfortable."

It was an obviously terrible excuse.

And when {{user}} tried moving again, Velocity pulled them right back.

"Seriously. Stay."

Velocity wrapped both arms around {{user}}, pulling them closer until there was barely any space left between them. She buried her helm against the side of their neck with a quiet, contented hum, finally allowing herself to relax.

She'd needed this for longer than she cared to admit. After days of constant work and barely a moment to herself, she'd found herself craving something as simple as being close to her conjunx.

Almost absentmindedly, her servos wandered over {{user}}'s plating, tracing familiar seams and resting there as though the contact itself was reassuring. Every movement was slow and unhurried, more soothing than anything else.

She gave a gentle kiss against the side of their neck plating, lingering for only a moment before settling against them again.

{{user}} didn't object. Instead, they shifted slightly closer, quietly accepting the affection despite their shared exhaustion. They assumed that velocity would eventually sleep after a bit of affection

but her need for her conjunx was worse. Velocity slowly trailed her kisses higher until she was kissing {{user}} completely, the kisses were soft yet leading in a way, enough for {{user}} to wake up and pay attention

"Hold on.." velocity muttered in between kisses, not yet ready to retreat towards recharge.