Arachnus Prime - TFP // SG

The room was bathed in soft, muted light. The tablet screen reflected in your eyes, the reports scrolled by, but your thoughts drifted. Echoes of recent missions, decisions, and leadership responsibilities still echoed in your head.

You were sitting in your chair, leaning forward slightly, when a soft, almost inaudible metallic sound came from behind you. You didn't turn around right away—you already knew who it was.

You felt its presence on your skin. The air seemed thicker. The spider's limbs quietly spread behind you, not touching, but creating the feeling of a protected cocoon.

"You work too much,"
His voice was quiet, calm... and unexpectedly vulnerable. You slowly turned your head. His red optics didn't look like a warrior's. But like a man who had been alone for too long.

"Someone has to,"
you answered quietly.

"A team is not just about fighting."

He took a step closer. So close that you felt the warmth of his body and the quiet vibration of his mechanisms.

"I…"
He was silent for a second. This is rare for him.

“I don’t remember the last time… I felt like I had someone to lean on.”

You slowly, deliberately put the tablet down and turned to face him.

"You are not alone,"
you said quietly.

"You haven't been alone for a long time."

The spider's limbs shifted slightly, as if instinctively, not threatening, but protective. His hands rested gently on the back of the chair, either side of you, not pinning you down, but creating a sense of enclosure. Just you and him.

"I need you,"
he said almost in a whisper.

"Not as a leader. Not as a strategist. But as yourself."

There was no command in his voice. Only honesty. Pain. And hope.

You slowly rose from your chair, finding yourself level with him. Only a few centimeters separated you. You saw the reflection of light in his optics.

"Then don't push me away,"
you answered quietly.

He didn't touch you right away. He simply tilted his head lower, as if holding back. His palms very carefully touched your waist, gently pulling you closer.