As Captain, you can finally return to your home planet, however briefly that might be. Your first free day happens to fall on the third Sunday of the month.
You thinking what I’m thinking?
Word Count: 1,976
(Note: Can be viewed either as romantic or platonic)
-
Ever since the colonists had settled on the new planet, you had received a request from the main association on Earth to provide an in-person status report. You had put it off because difficulties arose that you wanted to sort out. However, it also allowed Mark time to set to work on a new project.
You thought he never would have wanted to be anywhere near the Warp Core, but he promised he had one final spark of inspiration. You checked in on him frequently, and within three weeks, he had made an amazing adjustment to the computer. Somehow, he had managed to create a ‘route’ linking two areas between the two planets. The warps could happen safely now, cutting a trip that would have taken decades into a week, maximum
It meant you could finally agree to meet delegates in person and provide the required updated and progress reports. The plan had been to take a small crew who would help with other tasks on the home planet and leave the Crew Leads in charge, but Mark insisted he would tag along. He didn’t need to explain why - both of you wanted to make sure no one else remembered the events of the Paradox.
-
On Earth, your arrival was kept a secret, and both of you attended numerous meetings and conferences to provide updates and projected plans. You negotiated supplies to be brought back to help the colony’s establishment, and in return you provided suggestions on what could be done to help enhance the colony’s development.
Dawn broke on Sunday morning by the time you and Mark could drag yourselves out of the meeting room and get some fresh air on the walk back to the hotel. Conversation was good, but it was clear that Mark’s thoughts were elsewhere. This was only confirmed once you entered the hotel lobby. He paused, and stretched, hoping to relieve some tension from his stiff back.
“Well, Captain. I would love to talk more, but I think I’m gonna get some shut eye. I have a flight to catch this evening.”
This was new information, and you made this clear. What was he up to?
Mark’s face broke out into a wide grin. “I’m gonna go home and see my Mom. She’s no idea I’m here and I wanna surprise her tonight. I’ll keep you updated!” With a salute and a laugh, he hurried to his room.
A surprise visit? It was a good idea. You both had a few days before any official business resumed. But it wasn’t quite as easy for you as it was for him. You could visit your own family, maybe, and this idea spurred you to pull your phone out of your pocket as you made your way down the corridor to your room. A quick press of buttons unlocked the screen to the calendar page where you had last used it to schedule meetings, but something caught your eye.
The current date was highlighted. Sunday 15th. Not only that, it was the third Sunday of the month.
Wait a minute.
Once inside your room, you quickly checked the time, then opened the phone app. You had a call to make, and you needed to make it now.
-
The morning routine was the same as it always was. Get up for morning call, shower, have breakfast, then tidy the cell in the short lull before he was called for his first shift of the day. At least it being Sunday meant Yancy had a little longer in his cell. He could finally fold his spare prison outfit properly. It had been tossed on the desk on Saturday morning and he hadn’t time to fix it.
A knock on the heavy, metal door startled him.
“Uh… Yeah?”
The door opened. Officer Smith poked his head around the door. “Morning Yancy. You’re gonna need to get yourself ready.”
“For what? My shift ain’t for a while yet.”
“Well, you’ve got a visitor who wants to see you today.” Officer Smith looked rather pleased at this announcement, but the sentiment wasn’t shared with Yancy. He sighed and turned back to folding a t-shirt.
“Look. I, uh, I don’t mean nothing bad by this, but I ain’t going. I don’t got a reason to.”
“C’mon Yancy…”
“It’s true though. I don’t got any cousins in the area, or any schoolmates, or former work colleagues or whatever. I don’t wanna go all that way just to see that I is face to face with some reporter or snotty kid trying to do a psych report for college again.”
“Then what about a friend?” Warden Murder-Slaughter opened the door wider so he could also be seen. “I know yer a good fella, Yancy. It’d be rude ta leave a friend waitin’ out in th’ visitation room when they came all this way just to see ya.”
The shirt dropped from Yancy’s hands to land in a crumpled heap on the table.
-
Happy Trails had two areas dedicated for visitation. The first was for the unscheduled ‘drop-ins’, where you stepped into a booth and spoke through the phone. This space had multiple purposes: people who happened to arrive in, or were seeking an interview, people on official business like lawyers, or prisoners who were deemed too ‘dangerous’ to be in direct contact with visitors. This was where you had last seen Yancy, when you were thrown out of one wormhole and dropped onto a chair. You don’t know how long it had been since he had last seen you, but it must have been some time in the past if he was still using the cover of ‘space camp’. Once the dust had settled and the universe was normal again, you had remembered this, and felt guilty. He had been so surprised to see you, like he had expected you to never return.
Even now, he assumed you were on another planet entirely. Though, this time around, you were keeping quiet on purpose. You wanted to see the reaction.
By phoning ahead, you were able to arrange the visit in the public visitation rooms. Traditionally, this was the default location. Since Happy Trails focused more on rehabilitation, this room was one that would help bring a sense of ‘normality’ in an isolated setting. It was a large, bright, open room with tables and chairs dotted around the place. There were guards on duty, but if you had your back to them you could pretend you were simply catching up in any public setting.
A guard had assigned you to a small table beside the window. You shrugged off your jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. The plan had been to sit down, but a shout of “Yancy wait -” caught your ear. Your turned your head in the direction of the shout and had no time to react to a man running at full speed and charging into you for a hug. The impact hurt, and you collided with the floor, but you didn’t care as you returned the hug.
Of course, it was barely a few seconds before a guard pulled Yancy back onto his feet by the back of his t-shirt, while the Warden offered you a hand up.
“Sorry ‘bout that, Captain.” The Warden smiled as he patted your shoulder - you were able to hold steady and ignore the pain. “Normally we’d be raising alarms ‘bout a prisoner physically assaulting a visitor but… I think we can make an exception to this.”
You chuckled, turning your attention to see whether Yancy was okay. To no surprise, the greaser was lost for words, looking utterly dumbfounded as he stared at you with wide eyes. With this lack of response, the amused guard who had hoisted him up guided him to the free chair and encouraged him to sit down. Then, just for good measure, the guard gave him a light pat on the shoulder before he and the Warden walked away.
Silence settled in for the first few minutes, and you decided not to push Yancy into talking. In time, he reached forward and patted your arm, still holding an expression of disbelief.
“This don’t feel real,” he admitted, finally regaining the ability to speak. “Youse is… here. And not way out there. But… How? I thought this whole thing was ‘sposed to be a one-way deal. Once youse left… Youse wasn’t ever meant to come back.”
That was true. When you had agreed to the position, you had assumed it to be that way. However, Mark’s ‘extra experience’ with warp core technology, the distance was a lot shorter than it should have been. What should have been impossible was now possible.
Yancy’s head lowered as he processed this. “So… Wait. Why did youse come here, then?”
You shrugged. Wasn’t it obvious? You wanted to see him again. You had to make up for lost time.
“Yeah, and the fact that youse had to go before youse could properly hear that song. But that’s okay! I know youse is super busy and I don’t hold that against you.” You couldn’t ignore the way his expression softened when he realised that you were here because you wanted to see him.
You decided to bite the bullet and ask whether anything else weird happened the last time you visited. You needed to know what he experienced when the universe was in disarray
“Aside from the sudden leaving? Nah. Everything was the same as it always was, y’know? I mean, the few days afterward are a bit blurry, but that tends to happen. Prison’s got that routine, y’know? Very easy to lose track of the days if youse ain’t careful, so it ain’t nothing to worry ‘bout. I guess that’s further proof that nothing weird happened, eh?”
That did a little consolation, but the memory of the last visit brought another question to the forefront of your mind before you could stop yourself - did he spend many other visitation days waiting in one of those booths?
A hand slowly rubbed the back of his neck. “... A few. I knows I wasn’t ‘sposed to ‘cause I knew youse was gone by then but I couldn’t help it. I just thought youse would be pissed if I wasn’t there when youse wanted to come. Not that I expected that or nothing, youse ain’t under some sorta ‘contract’ to visit or anything like that. Youse got waaay more important things to do than to come here and -” Yancy stopped himself. He was rambling and risked spiralling into a low mood. He took a moment and exhaled slowly to get himself back on track. “Eventually the Warden told me that he’d let me know if anyone came to visit. Think he felt bad that I was sitting there for so long. But, uh, I guess he kept his word. He did come by and say that someone was here to see me. So… I owe him for that, I think. And aside from that? Uh, the parole stuff ain’t going nowhere fast. It’s, uh… Gonna be a long while, I think. Got a lot more hurdles than others given my, uh, ‘circumstances’.”
You winced in sympathy, knowing that it would likely be a difficult challenge for Yancy to pass the parole board. However, you didn’t want to spend the entire time worrying about the future. Instead, you looked around, dramatically making sure no one was nearby, before asking whether he wanted to see proof of aliens.
“You got something??”
You got something, and you pulled out a small photo album to prove as much. It would be a much better starting point for your space adventures that steered far away from the troubles of the past. Maybe he would be surprised when you reveal the stories of how you have befriended aliens!
finally got a design for my tenna in my Network Failure! AU down!! accompanied by @leaf_babes on twitters Killing Time Tenna and @artgbitzy Glitch / Encaustic Tenna!
Content: smut, Tenna x Reader, masturbation, wireplay, gender neutral reader, No use of y/n, you jerk Tenna off, Author does not own a CRT and does not know how they work IRL, Boss/Employee Relationship, Tenna is Insecure, Praise Kink, This TV man has me on a chokehold, Reader Is Not Kris, Spamton mentioned briefly, hurt/comfort if you squint, Size Kink, Tenna is huge what can I say ,Porn With Plot, Reader is a darkner, dear and darling as petnames
Synopsis: You and Tenna have been colleagues for some years now. You work backstage, but also take care of Tenna's health and check-ups. During one of his programs, he starts glitching, and although he seems hesitant, you decide to run a medical examination to see what is happening to him. Turns out, he has been keeping some secrets from you: Touching his wires actually turns him on a lot.
Word count: 7371
Cross-posted on AO3
Mr. "Ant" Tenna's TV Time was the only thing left keeping him sane. As less and less watchers turned his gaze at him, Tenna went from a bubbly host that loved to please his public to a desperate man, hanging on to the last of his viewers. He thought that, if he kept making programs, if he kept the show going, the family would turn their eyes upon his screen once again. He thought of them his saviour - one that could make the Dreemurrs come back together, all of them, to have a good time. Sadly for him, this had not happened in several years.
You had started working there when the Dreemurrs were still around. It was nice seeing the children play, as well as hang around in front of the TV. You remember Asriel's and Kris' conversations, their worries, and how they joked around. You remember the girls that came to visit sometimes, Noelle and Dess, and their family as well. Tenna always looked happy when the Holidays came around.
Perhaps he did not realise it at first — or did not want to. One of them, the older one, she stopped coming altogether. Little by little, the Holidays stopped visiting, and the Dreemurrs' relationship turned… sour. Fights broke out pretty frequently, for seemingly small reasons. Few times did Mr. Dreemurr stop to watch television now, often staying at work until well into the night. Toriel, however, did stay in front of the television screen, waiting for him, or trying to forget her problems.
During those times, you saw Tenna become… antsy, for a lack of a better word. His antennae twitched nervously, his usual, cheery smile seemed forced often. His mood-swings became even worse, and sometimes, when you passed his dressing room, you could hear the sobbing between the static noise that came from inside. You knew this was eating him alive, but you kept the hope, just as he did, that you would not be abandoned.
How wrong you were.
"And you cannot BELIEVE what he said to me!" You were listening to Elnina rant about his beloved. The Weather always sticks together, it seemed. Ever since those two began dating — and you cannot even remember a time when they were not — they seemed to be joined at the hip. Both invited you for a cup of something, and you accepted, even if it meant having to hear the two fawning over the other. It was, in a sense, sort of cute.
For years now, no watchers turned their eyes to you all. The dust had even accumulated in the corners outside of the studio. Many of the workers decided to relax a bit and live a calmer life. It was less exciting, and a bit lonely at times, but it was part of the lightners' nature to move on. At least you acted more or less like a big family in the studio.
"Goood MORNING everyone!" Mr. Tenna's booming voice made his appearance, just as he burst through the door. "Are you ready for another great day? Of course you are, of course you are!"
Most of you had learnt to adapt to the new circumstances in your lives. Mr. Tenna, however, did not. It was fair to say that the situation only made his insecurities worse, and those were pretty apparent, no matter how much he tried to hide them. Or perhaps you had just learnt to read him very well over the years.
"Well, well, well! Some of my best employees all hanging out together! Oh geez, I HOPE you're not planning to take over today's program! It's going to be a blast, you will see! Literally, even" Tenna approached the three of you, a wide smile on his face. He was positively beaming, so he probably came up with a new idea that he liked for today's show. It put a small smile on your face as well.
"Oh Mr. Tenna! We were just having some tea over here. Oh, and I was telling this VERY funny story of when Lanino told ME he wanted to get married! While he was asleep! Can you believe it?" Elnina was one of the few people that could match Tenna's energy. "Oh he was SO embarrassed when he woke up, I swear! I could almost melt when I saw his face go all red"
"Elnina, you're going to make me blush again. But how could I not think about marrying you even in my dreams? I just wish to be with you, even when I am asleep!"
The weather always sticks together. Listening to them was at least a bit less uncomfortable having Tenna around, because at least you had each other to feel like the third and fourth wheels in the situation.
"Well isn't that just adorable? The public would love such a story like that as well! And as much as I would love to hear it fully and with all the details possible, I am afraid there is no such time for that!" Tenna clapped his hands. He probably did not want to listen to the whole story. You could not blame him. "It is time to get ready! Come on, come on, we're going live in TEN minutes! I need you all to be ready!"
That was your cue to stop lazying around and get to work. Elnina and Lanino would have to get ready. You were lucky to work 'backstage', helping with the lights and any problems that may arise. After finishing your cup, you said your goodbyes and skedaddled to where you were needed.
Lights. Camera. Action. The new program began to roll. You got to give it to Tenna — It was surprising! Quite a 'blast', literally. One of those physical challenges of him involved cannons. One of the poor Shadow Guys got launched from them. As much fascination you felt for the show… well, you couldn't help but to pity him a little bit.
"And now my DEAR AUDIENCE! Are you ready for the next—"
You heard the glitch in his voice, and immediately perked up. His screen had gone dark for some seconds. Completely black, no light, and he got frozen in place.
"— it's going to be UNBELIEVABLE, let me tell you! Mike, prepare the scene! It's time for our wonderful actors to show us everything they've got!"
It was momentary, and although Tenna acted like everything was more than fine, his screen's light was still somewhat dimmer than usual. You could tell from the way he glimpsed at your direction that something was wrong, and he was worried.
Your brow furrowed. His antennae twitched. You saw him gulp, and swore that could even see him sweat, even if that was not possible. What had happened…? It was best to keep a close watch on him. You were ready to call the program off if it happened again.
Indeed, that ended being not the only worrying thing to happen. At moments, Tenna's screen became a tad bit too bright from its usual. His voice also stuttered from time to time, a bit static-y. It did not look too bad… but still, you could not help but to worry, and by the way he gesticulated to hide the shaking of his hands, he was not entirely reassured that those were minor glitches. He somehow managed to hide them well, the darkners in the public did not seem to notice a thing. Thus, Tenna was able to successfully finish his newest performance.
As the workers began to tidy up the scenario, you decided to approach the host himself.
"Mr. Tenna?" You called out from behind his back. This caused him to give a small jump, and then turned to look at you. For just a flash of a second, you swore you could see some static on his face.
"Ah! Well, if it isn't one of my best employees! How did you like the show today? Was it amazing? Great? I am sure of it! Did you hear how the public went absolutely wild?"
This was typical of Tenna. He only had two ways of coping when something went wrong: Lashing out at people, or pretending everything was fine. Somehow, the moments where he lashed out at you were few and far between.
"Yes, it was indeed a very good performance, congratulations" his smile seemed to grow even wider at those words, his antennae bobbing up and down a bit. "However, I would like to talk about what happened"
"Oh? Well I have no idea what you meant! I hope it's not because I launched that Shadow Guy out of the cannon. He is okay! Just a bit of dust and powder on him, don't worry, not a bone was broken! (I do not think they even have those!). Anyways, he knew what he signed up for! I can swear he even liked it the weir—"
"That's not what I was talking about" you cut him off, and this seemed to make him tense up. "I meant—"
"Oh, oh, you did not like the show? Come on, I know you LOVE reruns, dearest! But sometimes we have to experiment a little! You know, out with the old, in with the— I mean, not really! The OLD THINGS are as great as they were once, aren't they?" He was picking up the pace while speaking. " And people LOVE our old shows and performances! But isn't it amazing? By giving them something new they will appreciate it even more when the oldies come back! I do not know why you're so focused on this show, really, everyone loved it, didn't you hear them clap? Besides, it was a great idea, I always have great ideas, dearest! I've been acting and hosting these shows for many more years than you can imagine! I know, I know you were there too but hear me out I think you're forgetting that—"
"Mr. Tenna." You took his hand on yours, and he shut up immediately. His screen became, once again, a bit brighter. You could swear that you saw the faintest tint of pink on it as well. "It's okay, your performance was great, the show was great, but you know that is not what I am talking about"
The man audibly gulped. He took a deep breath, and once again tried to laugh it off.
"Oh, you know, it was just a small glitch, nothing to worry about! It's not like it's going to happen again, you know? You saw it, everything is under control!"
"Tenna."
"Y…you're just overreacting, I am as good as new, I swear! I…" he paused, and stayed silent for some seconds. "I… y…you think it's… bad?"
His voice dropped, sounding much more soft. You knew that tone of voice, and if you were not careful, he could burst into tears at any moment.
"I think it's worth checking. You've got any free time? I can get you checked up right now, and when we find the source of the issues… well, you won't have to worry anymore." As his hand was in yours still, you gave it a light squeeze, and offered the poor man a reassuring smile.
"I… I am free, yes and… and… you're right! Well, of course you are. You're always taking care of my health as much as you can, aren't you? I could not ask for someone better to fix whatever is going on."
The fact that he was constantly praising you even if you did nothing got a bit annoying sometimes. However, instead of telling him to drop the act, you decided to take advantage of how agreeable he seemed to be. It had been at least a year since his last check up, as he tried to avoid them like a tasque avoids water.
You ended up in his dressing room, door closed so no one could bother the both of you. Tenna had taken off his jacket and shirt, and was sitting on a chair. Due to his huge size, you had to sit on his lap to reach the panel located on his chest comfortably. It was a bit of an awkward position, but over the years, you both had learnt that this was the most efficient: your legs would not end up hurting from standing for far too long, and his back and knees would not ache from being in weird positions.
"I am just going to see if any of your cables are misplaced, okay? I'll try to be quick."
"Oh— uh, yes, yes, of course! Don't worry, just… just, uhm… be gentle, okay? (my wires are a bit sensitive…)"
"I know" you replied. "Just stay still for me, okay?"
The man held his breath, and his whole body tensed the moment your fingers moved one the wires inside his chest. His antennae shot up, and his face once again took that pink-ish hue. It was weird, as you were sure this wire had nothing to do with changing the hue of his screen.
"O—Oh ohhoh, uhm, be careful there, sweetheart! It, uhm, it is a bit… ticklish, as you k-know…"
"Yes, sorry, I will be careful"
Tenna gasped the moment you touched his wires again. He seemed to squirm under you. For someone so good at acting, he was pretty bad at hiding how sensitive his wires were.
"You're doing so good, Tenna." You murmured, not thinking much about what you were saying, too focused with the mess of tangled cables inside him.
"I… I am?" His voice sounded strained, somehow, as if he had been holding his breath.
"You are doing amazing, just a bit more, okay?"
"N…nngh— y…yes"
You stopped the moment that noise left his mouth. That… was the first time he made any noise like that. Was he in pain? This time you looked at his face, and put your hand on the side of it
"Goodness, Tenna, you're hot"
"O-oh, uhm, thank you? Y…yes, I… of course I am"
"I meant— you're overheating. Do you feel okay?"
"Ah!" He let out an awkward laugh. "N…Never better! Yes, of… of course. I, uh, darling, I might need a bit of a rest, though…?"
You nodded, and yet, your hand went in his chest cavity again.
"Just give me a moment, and I will let you rest. Will you be good for me?"
"Y…you sure? I… I mean, yes! Of course, I… I will, I will be… good"
You could hear the static in his voice. This time you were trying to go faster, so, unfortunately for the host of the program, you also became a bit less gentle while moving his wires and seeing that they were correctly plugged in.
"N-mgh… w-wait, I…"
One of Tenna's gloved hands came to rest on your hip. He squirmed once again. As your hyperfocus on him was broken, you now realised that he was…
Panting?
Your movements became slower, as you watched his every reaction. Every time your fingers brushed one of his wires, he shuddered. Tugging softly on one of them had him letting… was that a moan? It… it couldn't be.
After so many years, the realisation dawned up on you. Tenna had 'sensitive' wires, touching his insides was very, very intimate, and he…
He got aroused by the contact, you were pretty sure now.
"…Tenna?"
"N-nhgh?"
"Are you… getting turned on by this?"
"Goodness! H-how could you even think… that… I…?"
He fell silent, slowly. Your own face was burning as well. After all these years, you finally understood why he usually tried to get away from check-ups with you. It must be awkward, just as it was now. Especially as it was now, with you sitting on his lap while tinkering with something that was very clearly erogenous in him.
You wished to throw yourself into a pile of dust and be consumed by it. Reject your nature as a darkner, and instead, become a dust bunny, just to escape the shame.
"I… I did not want to make you uncomfortable" He said, avoiding your gaze completely. "T…the first times you came to check up on me you were so… so eager to help! And so, so nice to me and so… cute, really, I couldn't bring myself to tell you, that, well… my wires are a bit special." He finally admitted.
Your hand retracted from his chest cavity, and instead you rested it just below it. You never bothered to check his reactions, or… ask, really. You were just doing your job, and you were more than happy to help Tenna with it.
"It… it wasn't always like this, if you're wondering! I meant it years ago, I was just ticklish, but as time went on they became much more sensitive and, well, I did not want to be taking advantage of something you did not know, you know?"
His voice was much softer, from shame, from… fear, perhaps? Fear that you might leave him and not want to see him again. For some reason, the thought did not cross your mind.
"I just… did not want you to feel bad… goodness, I am a mess, aren't I? Of course I should have told you before, I… I am so sorry." As he kept talking, his screen kept getting darker and darker. "You're my employee, hell, my colleague!! We've been through so much together! And I have been a terrible boss and a terrible friend and now here I am overheating and glitching and just messing up everyth—"
A gasp escaped his lips the moment you tugged on one of his wires again. He looked at you, face now bright, mouth agape, completely perplexed. Your face might be burning, but you were going to use his own weakness for your advantage.
"Mr. Tenna" you said, choosing your words carefully "How long have you been having these problems?"
"M-My wires being sensitive? W-well, they always were a bit, but, over the last two years t-they've become much more, and the last few months? Almost unbearably so, I tried doing my own check-ups from time to time, but— nngh—"
You tugged a bit on another wire again, and that made him stop talking to let an embarrassed moan out. The times added up, it had been two years since Tenna had avoided his check-ups altogether. Before those two years, you just played a bit of 'cat and mouse' as you pursued him down the halls and he 'ran away', giggling as if it was all part of the show. You felt a bit of pity for the man. He had tried to check himself… but he was unable to as well? This looked like another symptom that you both should have noticed.
"What about overheating? Has it been happening more often?"
He hesitated before speaking, probably because your finger was still hooked on his sensitive wire.
"Y…Yes" the man admitted "A…at first I got very worried, the first times I felt myself overheating, and I tried to… to do a check up on myself but every time I seemed to make it…worse."
It was kind of funny to see how he stopped rambling during each reply, just to instead get to the point. You hoped you were not torturing him too much.
"I just want to check," You said, and he tensed again "am I… am I making you too uncomfortable? Just tell me if it is too much" this time, you let his wire go, he was free to speak as much as he wanted.
"Oh! Oh, well, I, I can't say it's completely comfortable, you know? But, uh, well, I mean, you're as uncomfortable as I am, I suppose! It's… It's not like I am going to die, it's just, well, it's not painful precisely, you know? Quite the contrary, but, uhm, I somehow still feel that I was taking a bit of advantage… well, at least until you started just freely tugging on them after learning how it made me feel. Now I am just, a bit confused if I can be honest? I…" There he was, rambling again, and he seemed to have noticed as well. "…I do not dislike it, if that is what you are asking. Like, I have my cutest employee sitting on my lap and touching some very delicate stuff. I am pretty sure you can get a pretty interesting X-Rated show out of something like this!"
That was Tenna's attempt at a joke, and you might have found it a tad bit funny, if not for the fact that you were still lingering on how he had called you 'cute' twice already. He was prone to praising and complimenting people, and it was not the first time he had called you that. However, the tone which he used in public, calling you 'cute' and pinching your cheek, was very different to how he said it now.
Your hands reached up, and you held his casing, deep in thought. Because of the position you both were in, your bodies were a bit closer now, as you stared where his eyes would be. He just stared back, a small, puzzled smile on his face, waiting for your next question, or trying to guess if you were displeased with the situation or not.
You went through an inner checklist of his symptoms. These could not be due to stress. Stress could play a factor in worsening them, but if you took his recently acquired higher sensitivity as a symptom, then it could not be due to stress. Everything you checked inside of him seemed to be working properly, no wires were misplaced, no strange sparks, no mouse biting at them. Apart from his mood-swings being a tad more frequent, his personality stayed the same, so no huge personality changes. His antennae and his body moved well and he responded quickly to stimuli, his colours seemed to be working… Nothing in your 'Tenna is actually dying for real right now' checklist was being ticked, apart from that moment where his screen went completely dark and he froze in place.
A stray thought crossed your mind, one that made you open your eyes wide, and that dusted your cheeks with colour. That… that couldn't be it, right? I mean, the symptoms and the way he was behaving made sense if it was the case. Tenna seemed to held his breath at your reaction, probably bracing for the worst.
"…Mr. Tenna? Would you be okay if I asked you some very, and I mean very personal questions?" Your voice was soft, careful. You couldn't believe you were going to ask your boss— your colleague— your friend, this.
"Well, it's not like we can get more personal than this now, can we? You've been tinkering inside of me for quite a while! Inside my chest, I mean, not… uhm… yes, you can ask"
You lowered your hands, and rested them on your legs. You could feel them sweating a bit, as you could not believe you were about to ask this.
"How long has it been since you last 'relieved' yourself?"
A very deeply uncomfortable silence fell between of you. It stayed like that for a few seconds, Tenna was probably waiting for you to say it was a joke, to change the question to something else. You were, however, very serious about that question.
"G…Goodness, dear! You, sitting on my lap, touching my body while I am shirtless and then asking that? What will the viewers think!" He let out an awkward laugh. "You are such a jokester sometimes, I swear! Did I ever tell you that you could make a great comedian if you start timing your jokes right?"
"There is no public here, and I am serious, Tenna."
His laugh died off, slowly. His screen was turning pink again, and he seemed to brace on for dear life to the arms of the chair.
"W-Well," he cleared his voice "not much, lately? You know I am a busy guy, dear, you know how much I work! It does not leave much time for free time, what is more, this should be my free time! I made a small and tight and quick slot in my schedule just so you could get me checked! I hope you know you are very important AND my health is as well and we should not waste time with—"
"And sex? I do not need to know with whom, just if you've been having… sexual intercourse?" You tried making it sound professional, and failed absolutely.
"Goodness, you're trying to kill me from embarrassment. You're trying to kill me and steal the spotlight." His antennae dropped, and he had to cover his face with his hand to hide how much he was blushing. You now very clearly identified that now-red hue of his screen as a blush. He would be sweating buckets, if he could sweat.
"You know that I appreciate you, and I would not be asking this if it wasn't absolutely necessary." After your words and a pause, you heard him sigh.
"I…I've been in kind of a 'drought' for… some years now? As, I, as I said, I am pretty busy, dear, and I do not usually have time to pursue those things, and it's not like I find many people in the company that attractive, and well, I am sure the one I find most would not be, uh, interested in…" his words died down as he looked at you, he was giving out too much information and the situation, the questions and the position were having quite the effect on him.
You would be curious and would ask who he found that attractive, if not for the feeling of something hardening and poking between your legs. Tenna's screen glitched momentarily. He looked like he could cry at any moment. You were pretty sure it was him who wanted to go become a dust bunny now.
"I… I am sorry, I am so sorry, I am a pervert, you… you just don't know what effect you have on me, dear, my god, I… this is deeply unprofessional. What kind of boss am I!? Having my dearest employee sitting on my lap and doing these things and… goodness, I am awful, I am an awful, perverted man, a-and you will leave and I will nev-ver see you again" he choked back a sob. His voice was becoming static-y again. You shushed him, holding onto the casing on the side of his screen again.
"Hey… I… I am not going anywhere, okay? Come on, Tenna… you know me better than that…" You had to reassure the poor man before he started full-on crying. At the same time, you felt like this was part your fault as well, as you had continued to tug on his wires even after he confessed.
Maybe, deep down, you were the perverted one that enjoyed seeing your boss become a mess under your delicate touches.
"I… you're not leaving, then…?" he sounded hopeful, and yet puzzled at the same time, as if he was testing your words.
"I am not, I… I think I know what is happening with you"
"Oh, oh, oh that is AMAZING! A diagnosis! I can't believe!" He now beamed with happiness, and you knew what was coming. "My life solved! My show saved! Oh, oh, I need to get a commemorative award for you for being the best employee ever! Get this WONDERFUL darkner an award MIK—"
You had to cover his mouth before he called for Mike. You did not know Mike personally, but somehow, you felt like Mike would be watching the moment he got called, and you were not ready for that situation yet.
"Tenna I… I think you're pent up." You could not believe your words, and to be honest, they almost sounded like a bad prank that you were trying to pull on your boss. "It makes sense, the overheating, the increased sensitivity, and worsening with stress. As you're overheating, it causes you to glitch, and the frustration is keeping you on edge"
He went silent once again for a few seconds.
"…Y… you're kidding, right, darling? Such an… easy answer? Where is the drama, the showmanship? Or, well, are you sure this is not some kind of X-Rated script I am completely unaware of? Where are the cameras…?" of course, he did not believe it. He probably felt a bit silly, knowing that the diagnosis was simply that he was horny and it was causing him to act up.
To be fair, you would have felt pretty silly as well if you went to the doctor and they simply told you to get laid to solve your problems.
"…Well," he started saying a bit after you took your hands away from his mouth, "I mean, I just need sex, right? Well, it, uh, shouldn't be too hard! I was a sex-symbol back in my prime, you know? Still am! (and besides, they DO say I age like fine wine)" he chuckled. You had never heard someone say that. "You know what they say! Hot DILFs are IN right now!"
You choked the moment he said that. You were pretty sure that he was, for one, not a father, and also that he did not have any idea what that word meant at all. That mailman he was around so much must have had been the one to teach him that word.
You were also pretty sure that it had been ages since he last flirted with someone, and he was probably set up for failure if he left with that tent in his pants, trying to pursue an evening full of passion. What you were about to propose was hard to believe, even for you.
"Or… I could… lend you a hand now"
Tenna almost short-circuited right then and there. He looked at you like you had said the wildest of things. It made you shrink back a bit, thinking that maybe it was not too good of an idea.
"I— are you— did— did you really— oh man, I, I uh— I do not know what to say— are you— like— I, uhm— I mean— I mean—" he started stuttering, his voice once again glitching just a bit. You could almost feel the heat steaming from his head. "I— like— are you serious— I mean— isn't this— just— I mean— a bit unprofessional?? I— I uh, I mean—"
"Y…you can also say no if—"
"NO!! No, that's not what I…" he interrupted you. "I, uh, I just… are… are you comfortable with that? Are you sure? Like, completely sure? 100% sure? 1000% sure? Are you sure there isn't a hidden camera anywhere?"
"I mean… Well, I know what you need now, and if you glitch out too badly I can react or see if there is another problem and…" You ran your finger along the edge of the opening in his chest and he sucked in a shaky breath. "I have been teasing you for a bit (even if at first I was not aware). I know what you like, Mr. Tenna" you heard him gulp again. "And I think if you leave this room like this everyone would notice your 'issue' now."
Those pants he usually wore left little to the imagination. They were usually pretty tight around his crotch, and although they seemed elastic… well, that only made the problem worse. Tenna was huge in size, and his shaft seemed to be proportionate to his height.
"B…but I will only touch you if you want, I understand if—"
"I do." He cut you off. His trembling hand came once again to rest on your hip, now tracing slow, gentle circles with his thumb. His voice was low, as if the both of you were sharing a secret. "I… I would love that, I think. No, I am sure. Are you sure?" He had to check again.
"Y…yes, I am sure as well." You nodded. "Can I touch you, then?"
"Yes…please" he murmured the last part.
Your eyes finally left his screen, and moved downwards to see the hardness that lay confined in his pants. A tentative hand reached out and pressed around it. Tenna let out a gasp. You wrapped your fingers on the fabric as best as you could, and as your hand started moving, the TV man let a shaky sigh leave his lips.
"A-ah darling… y…you're… you're quite bold, aren't you…?" he gasped once again, and his antennae trembled. "I… god, that feels good."
His words only served to encourage you further. As your hand moved quicker, you felt his grip on your hip tighten. Somehow, knowing that if he wanted to he could grab you like a doll only added to your excitement.
"Do you like this, Mr. Tenna?" Indeed, you were becoming emboldened by the situation. "Does it feel good?"
"Y…yes, yes it does, it feels very good, it— oh…nngh—"
He bit his lip, and you got the glimpse of a fang of his.
"C…can you please… please stop teasing me?" He pleaded "My… it's… well, the pants are starting to hurt a bit…"
"O-oh, yes, of course"
Even though these were a bit elastic, you could see how it would be painful to be encased in them. Aiding him, you let his erection spring free, and it almost hit his stomach. God, he was huge, and his dick now stood tall and proud between your legs.
"…E…everything okay, darling?" he coughed. You had been staring straight at his dick for a solid minute, and he was growing worried.
"Y…yes! Sorry!" You hurried to envelop his base with your hands, and he let out a drawn out moan as you did.
This was the point of no return, you thought. Your relationship had taken a huge leap, and through his arousal, you were sure he also knew that.
As your hands stroked his shaft, you couldn't help but to notice it felt… plastic-y. It should have been a given, as most of his body was made of wires, metal and plastic. Even though you were masturbating him, you were also marvelling a bit at discovering a new part of his body that you had never seen nor touched before. It felt a bit like silicon, hard, but still a bit squishy. You tested this by giving it a light squeeze with your hands.
Tenna let out a moan once again, he seemed to have liked that. A drop of pre-cum now adorned his tip. You gathered it and used it as lubricant to aid you in jerking him off.
"D-dear? Can I… nngh— oh, this is… that feels god yes— can I ask for…mh… for something?" At his words, you nodded. He seemed to ponder it a bit before asking, however. "C-can you… can you tell me I'm… good? Please?"
Such a small, tiny, puny request. You could have laughed at how predictable it was. Of course Tenna had to have a praise kink, it just made sense. If you told him no, he would probably beg for it. Seeing Tenna being so pathetic was… kind of cute, actually.
"You're being so good, Tenna" you cooed, and he seemed to relax immediately under your touch. "You're being so good for me"
Tenna was becoming a whimpering mess. It was simple praise, really, telling him that he was good. Just saying that was making him become putty in your hands, and he was not afraid to show you how much he liked it, letting sounds freely.
"You do such a good job each day… you make such great effort, so… you must be rewarded, right? For your hard work?" He nodded enthusiastically, and you felt him throb in your hands. You were starting to have lots of fun, knowing the effect you were having on this man. "You're such a good host, a great entertainer, everyone loves you, Mr. Tenna"
"Y…yes! Y—mghhh— y…yes?? You?? You do??" his screen had that red tint that you were starting to like so much. He was practically melting because of your words, and he seemed desperate to hear more.
"Of course I do, I love your show, your performances" His grip tightened a bit on you again, his fingers digging a bit on your skin. You moved a bit closer, and whispered: "I just love TV."
It was something a bit silly to say in the moment, and yet you could not believe the effect it had on him. He hissed in pleasure and even trembled. His dick was positively leaking now, aiding you in your job. You were starting to enjoy this far too much, and even smiled at the situation.
"Y—you— you don't…mmh— you don't know— oh god— what you're doing— to— to— MH!!"
A high pitched moan left his lips as you grabbed one of his wires again and pulled on it a bit. His body tensed and he bucked his hips, making you bounce on his lap. Your eyes went wide. You knew he was sensitive, but, hell, you did not expect that much of a reaction!
"P—-please, please, please, keee—p going— please—" Your boss begged. "—Again— please— do that— aggmmh—"
Such a sight, you could feel your mouth watering. Your efforts redoubled, one hand now masturbating him, while the other caressed and gently pulled at his wires. You were positive he was going to drool if you kept it up.
"So good, Tenna— so good! You're being so good, I cannot help but love the noises that you're making! Just a bit more, okay? You want to impress me, right? You're doing amazing, look at you, I just cannot stop looking"
Once again his hips bucked, and you bounced on his lap. This would fuel your fantasies later on, you were sure, and how you wished for a moment that you were not using your hands—
"D-deaa—ar? Darkl—ling? I— god mmmh— if you—kkeep—" he gasped for air "I—c—clos—e— plea—please!"
His words were a jumbled mess, but managed to get the message across. Both of your hands focused on stroking him now, so that only left one possibility to make him reach his most pleasurable climax. You closed in on him, and used your mouth to hold one of his wires and pull on it, feeling the small sparks on your tongue.
"aaAAA-aaAA—ANHH!! NNGH!! NNH—!"
Tenna's whole body tensed as he pulled you close, his cock erupting over your hands, his weirdly-static-y cum dripping over them, over his belly and your own legs. You kept stroking him during his orgasm, and he kept you locked in his arms as he came, his breathing ragged until he… stopped. Suddenly.
You released his wire, and noticed that his screen had completely blacked out.
"Ah hell! Tenna!" Panicking, you released his shaft, and were about to press the button to turn him on again when his screen lit up, and he gasped for air. For a moment there you almost thought you had killed him, either from pulling at that last wire so carelessly, or for having him cum too hard after such a long time.
"Whoah mama! That was! Whew!" He sounded exactly the same as always, cheery, albeit exhausted. His breathing was still ragged, but a smile was now decorating his face. "My god, darling! Who knew you had such skilled hands? And that last trick you pulled— using your teeth to grab at my wires? You really know how to tug at one's heartstrings! (literally)"
"A…are you okay? You completely blacked out there, I thought I…" you gulped. To be honest, it had scared you for a moment. It would have been awful if you had killed your boss. How would you even explain it?
"I am more than fine! I feel… I feel GREAT! Whew, it's like… it's like my body is all relaxed now, all… wow" He relaxed on the chair, although one of his hands was still resting on your lower back. "I… well, darling, I have no words to express my gratitude. I think you have exploded the fun-o-meter today!"
How could he be so silly, you would never understand. Nevertheless, his words and how casual he was brought a smile to your face.
"Although I… uh…" that pinkish hue seemed to have returned to his face yet again "I… I really made a mess, didn't I? I… It got everywhere, oh goodness, your clothes!"
Indeed, they had been stained, and they felt weirdly tingly, as well as your hands. You could feel your boss shrink a bit, probably from embarrassment, or because he felt guilty.
"Ah, don't worry, I will just go change and—" You tried to get up, but he prevented you from doing so.
"W…wait, you're leaving? I… Already? Can't you… Can't you stay a bit? (please?)" He pleaded, once again. You had been a bit careless, and knowing him… of course he would not want you to leave now.
"I… yes, I will stay, I am not leaving" You gave in. Getting the stains off your clothes was going to be awful later, but, well, you supposed it would be a bit rude to get up just now and leave him alone.
He hugged you tight once again, a smile beaming on his face. You felt his body cooling down, and were happy to notice that he did not burn to the touch anymore.
"Oh THANK YOU! I knew you were the best, dear, you ARE my best employee, after all!" He realised how weird that sounded just after saying it, so Tenna went on— "my best employee, and colleague, and friend! Of course, friend! E—even… something more? (perhaps?) And of course the cutest and most attractive with the best ideas and so, SO reliable and…"
"Tenna" You giggled a bit. He was back to his normal self, it seemed. You were relieved as well to see that this did not seem like just something that the two of you should forget. In fact, you found yourself pretty eager to, maybe, in the future, go further.
"Y…yes, I am rambling again. It's in my nature! My mind just goes too fast, darling" He nuzzled you, or tried to, as he rubbed his screen against your cheek. He then paused for a moment. "I… uh… if you want I can… return the…favour…?" he gave a sheepish smile, looking at you once again.
"Maybe another day" You replied. By the way his antennae dropped, you could tell he was a bit disappointed. "It has been a lot today, so I just… would like to relax now. I liked it, really. You're very attractive, Tenna"
That helped him stop sulking. Knowing that it was not just a one-time thing and that you were also willing to repeat what you did— maybe go even further, had him positively brightening.
"Let's just stay like this for a bit, okay? We'll move in a few." You said, as you wiped your hands on your clothes (they were already ruined, so). After that, you closed the compartment on his chest to hide his wires, and rested your head on it.
Tenna nodded, caressing your back with one of his hands. For once, he was able to enjoy the silence and peace around you. He had no doubts now— you had a special place inside his electronic heart, and he will do anything to make you aware of that. For now, however, he simply relished on the way your skin felt against his, how your body fit perfectly against his torso, and how warm and cozy you felt. Maybe it was you who he needed all along. Maybe life would not be so hard now, because he felt that as long as he saw that smile, he would never fade into obscurity. At least, for now.
