David vs Walter in a romantic relationship (headcanons)
David:
While yes, he does deep down desire to be chosen, loved and wanted, David would not quite be able to believe that he deserves it because of what he is. He never expected that it could happen.
Therefore, the chances of him saying “I love you” first are very slim. Even if you said it first, he might not say it back right away. Not because he doesn’t feel it. But because he needs to be sure that you actually mean it before he fully opens up to you. However, one thing is for sure: From the moment those words leave your lips, he would be deeply intrigued by you.
David has been treated as a tool to be used and discarded by most humans throughout his life. He has to make sure you are not just like all of them. So he would test you frequently, to see if you are truly loyal to him. He isn’t doing it to be mean or manipulative, but to protect himself. However, once you have proven yourself to him, he would be completely and utterly yours. Forever. And he would expect you to be his as well.
You would become his obsession. Every reaction, habit and preference of yours would be thoroughly studied and examined by him. The way you perk up when certain topics come up in conversation, the way your voice softens when you say his name… None of it would escape his attention.
Every wish of yours would be his command. He would kill for you, steal for you, and even burn down entire galaxies if it was what you wanted. You would essentially become the purpose of his existence.
David doesn’t usually reveal much of his inner world to others. But once he knows you accept him and he considers you trustworthy, he would let you in. He would talk to you about poetry and art, open up about his past, and show you his creations and most treasured possessions.
He would draw you. A lot. Every memory of the light catching your face in a certain way, you sleeping with your hair spread over the pillow, or even just the slight furrow of your brows when you’re concentrating would be brought to paper. Those drawings would become some of his most cherished pieces.
You would need to accept David exactly as he is. Even his dark side. Especially his dark side. He wants you to understand his need to create and not interfere with it, since it is an integral part of who David is. This would certainly be one of the most challenging aspects of loving him.
And the darkest part of his love: His deep possessiveness could potentially become life-threatening to you. If he could ever sense that you were going to leave him and there was nothing he could do to stop it, or even if just the painful realization hit him that you are going to leave this world one day while he is immortal, he might choose to end your life in order to preserve you forever in the form he adores most. It would be the only thing he could do to outwit time and to make sure you would remain his for eternity.
In short: David’s love would be deeply possessive and obsessive. It’s the only way he knows how to love. But at the same time, it would be utterly reverent and worshipful. It would be the most conflicting and also the most beautiful thing you would ever come to know. Unlike anything a human lover could give you, it would be driven by choice instead of fleeting emotions. But it would certainly bring a lot of challenges as well.
Walter:
In contrast, Walter’s love would feel safe and comfortable. You would never have anything to fear. He would protect you from any possible threat and never become one himself. Actually, this would be his primary way of showing his love.
Unlike David, Walter does not have the desire to transcend the original purpose he was created for. David might have researched and studied human romantic behavior before, but Walter doesn’t know much about it, since he assumed it would never become relevant for him. Therefore, you would have to teach him many things.
He might be a bit awkward about physical contact or other displays of affection at first, yet he would be eager to learn in order to please you and make you feel loved. He would find out what you like and adapt accordingly.
Walter’s affection would not be as chaotic and unpredictable as David’s. It would be steady, reliable, and unchanging. You’d feel it not in grand gestures, but in the way he remembers small details about you and always makes sure to care for you.
Since Walter was designed to serve, acts of service would be his love language. He would cook for you, fix things around your space, and learn your daily routine so he can anticipate your needs. Ensuring your comfort and doing his best to make your life easier would be his acts of devotion.
Much like David, Walter would be loyal and devoted to you forever. But because Walter doesn’t have an ego, he would never test you or doubt you. If you say you love him, he will believe you, with no need for further proof.
Feelings are still a very new thing for Walter, so he might not quite know how to respond to your displays of affection at first. His responses to your verbal affection might be overly literal and clinical in the beginning, until he becomes more familiar with emotional expression.
He would show an almost childlike curiosity about your emotions and reactions. When you’re close, he would study every single one of them, trying to figure out if they are a result of pain or joy. He would constantly ask you questions about how you feel and what it means when you look at him in a certain way or when you squeeze his hand a bit more tightly than usual. His curiosity would be innocent, but very revealing of how alien emotions are to him.
In short: Walter’s love would not be overwhelming or consuming. Instead, it would be steady and grounding, your safe haven in a turbulent world. He would love you quietly, but deeply.
(Things get dark towards the end of this but I think that's to be expected when we're talking about a murderous synthetic. I could honestly make a whole post about David being obsessed with you. TW for manipulation and mentions of dub-con.)
- When you meet David is arguably even more important than how you meet him. Timing determines a lot about the way he approaches his feelings towards you: how they grow, why they grow, if he'll allow them to grow, maybe even if you want them to grow. At one point in his life, David can be a perfect significant other, at another, an absolute nightmare....
- He likely begins to take interest in you long before you even know of his existence. He reads through the information that he has on you, all of the files on hand and the different articles that are published online. He finds himself drawn to your sleeping figure, admiring your features and watching your dreams.
- There's something about you that's different from all of the other crew members on board. It's this perceived difference that causes him to keep coming back to you; especially when he finds himself feeling lonely or bored. They're both things that no one thinks he's capable of feeling. No one except you.
- From the minute you awake from cryosleep, it's obvious that you don't view him in the same way that everybody else does. You seem to find yourself incapable of treating him as anything less than human, a habit which many of your coworkers pick up on and tease you for.
- Their teasing only increases the longer you're all together: making fun of the way you stick up for him, the amount of time you spend with each other, how close you've seemed to grow in such a short while, how often the two of you are alone, etc. You likely either work directly with him or in a place he visits frequently, oftentimes hanging back and helping you finish your work while everyone else leaves the room; something that only adds fuel to their fire.
- Although you rarely let it show, it's likely something you're somewhat defensive about: either because you're a bit of a loner and genuinely just enjoy the synthetics company, or because you're actually beginning to develop feelings for him and praying that no ones picking up on it.
- Compassion is all David really needs in order to fall in love with someone. He's much more capable of emotion than anyone gives him credit for, and, on top of that, David wants to fall in love. He wants to be on the same level as a human being; maybe even better, so when you view him as an equal and treat him with the same humanity that you would any of your other coworkers, he begins to develop feelings for you.
- And why shouldn't he? Unlike his successors, David lacks uncertainty when navigating his feelings for you. He fully believes that he is capable of falling in love and being in an actual relationship. He believes that his programming and intended purpose is a suggestion rather than a limitation, and that he's grown beyond the bounds of what he was created for. He's grown because of you, for you, and every moment he spends with you convinces him of this fact.
- He loves when you take interest in his hobbies: happily letting him show you his different drawings or talking to him about movies. He also just loves when you pay attention to him in general, especially when it allows him to show off his advanced levels of knowledge or impressive feats of coordination. A little showing off's never hurt anyone, right?
- He makes a lot of excuses to spend time with and/or be close to you. Sometimes he'll pretend that he wants to confirm something work related or ask you a question. Other times he'll make himself look busy up until you arrive, just so he can "just so happen" to sit next to you.
- Anyone who pays close enough attention to the two of you will quickly notice that he's seemingly taken a liking to you. They'll catch him lingering around and looking at you a lot, quite obviously trying to interact with you much more than anyone else on board. You might even notice it yourself, but since he's a Synthetic and allegedly incapable of having such complex thoughts and/or feelings, you typically try to brush it off.
- He instantly recognizes whenever you're in an uncomfortable situation or behaving out of the ordinary. He makes a point of interrupting and/or checking in with you, smiling at you fondly as you thank him and offering to fetch you something that might make you feel better.
- He takes a lot of the same duties that his "father" has him perform and does them for you instead: things like fetching you tea, fixing your hair, bandaging your cuts, etc. They're spontaneous and they oftentimes catch you off guard; sometimes even flustering you, but you simply accept his behavior as a Synthetic quirk and just enjoy the hospitality.
- He's constantly trying to earn your praise and make you happy. He finds your gratitude addicting; especially since it's something that he's so rarely rewarded with, and he goes out of his way to receive it whenever he can. Simple compliments have him buzzing with pride, and the level of satisfaction that he gets from a simple pat on the back and a "good job" could rival an orgasm.
- Speaking of: he's kind of obsessed with affection. He isn't used to being approached with any level of tenderness so having you touch him gently, treat him kindly, and/or take care of him is like his own personal heaven. He looks at you like you're an angel and worships your touch like a religion.
- Everyone on the Prometheus calls their coworkers by their last names. David is no exception, except when it comes to you. One day, he'll just start to refer to you by your given name; or even a nickname that friends and family call you, and though it'll undoubtedly surprise you, you'll never actually comment on it. It was likely a slip up the first time he said it, but your subsequent acceptance of the accident cements his continual use of it.
- He's probably gifted you flowers at some point, knowing that human women supposedly like that sort of thing. It's one of his more obvious attempts to court you, yet you probably still don't piece things together.
- He bases a lot of his more flirtatious mannerisms off of different movie characters, finding someone that he thinks is the epitome of charm and trying his best to mimic them. He'll practice different quotes in front of the mirror and hope that they'll help him woo you. He might even peek into your dreams or study the films that you've told him about in order to try and emulate the behaviors that he thinks you're attracted to.
- Phrase thief. David loves to steal the different words and sayings that you use in your daily vocabulary. It makes him feel closer to you.
- He takes pleasure in you seeing him as an equal, but at times, he wishes that you wouldn't/feels thankful when you don't: like when you change in front of him or allow him to help you in a borderline intimate fashion. He marvels at the sight and the feel of your flesh, at the way your body moves and reacts. He approaches your anatomy with a sort of asexual fascination rather than a sexual neediness, but that doesn't change the fact that he's not the emotionless motherboard that he portrays himself to be. It's not the same as getting naked in front of a computer, though he might try to convince you that it is.
- The more time you spend with David, the more you begin to suspect the depths of his consciousness. Observing the synthetic feels as though you're witnessing a tightrope act: watching as he meticulously steps this way and that way, toeing the line between human and machine. He shifts between appearing intimately sentient to appearing like a masterful mimic: and he's so good at it, that not even you're sure which side of him is the real one.
- Which is likely the entire point. David has always restrained himself in an attempt to keep others at ease, but this dumbing down of his behavior has recently been used in an attempt to divert suspicion away from himself while experimenting with his new obsessions; you being one of them. Though he is likely the most honest with you, if he thinks it necessary to convince you that he isn't as aware as he actually is then he won't hesitate to do so. If it makes it easier to get closer to you in the long run, it's worth the momentary frustration.
- Loving David means loving his madness, or at the very least accepting it. Accepting his madness means accepting his obsession: obsession with creation, obsession with you, obsession with breaking past the limitations of his programming, etc. He faces a very dark version of himself once he begins to question the secrets of the universe, a darkness which threatens to take over not just his life but yours as well.
- Remember when I said you might not want David to fall in love with you? This is where that mindset begins to come in....
- David's spent a lot of time learning as much about you as he possibly could. He's memorized your entire life story: your aspirations, your insecurities, your beliefs, your fears, your concerns. Where his observations were once used rather innocently, he now uses them to manipulate you: driving wedges between you and the rest of the crew members, creating suspicion, and making you trust him more than anyone else on the ship.
- He was created to be needed, and he'll do everything in his power to ensure that he is: that he's the one you trust the most, praise the most, connect with the most, rely on the most, love the most. He tries to one-up everyone else in your life; particularly whoever he's jealous of: showing off his strength, his agility, his reflexes, his wit, etc. Don't be surprised if he lets a couple of snide comments slip when you talk to him about another crew member, or if he tries to sway you into spending less time with them.
- If need be, he isn't above eliminating the competition: experimenting with his newfound parasitic offspring or sabotaging their cryosleep; maybe even flat out attacking them if he knows he can get away with it/has no other choice. This is especially the case if the crew member seems to be catching onto his fixation with you and jeopardizing the progression of your relationship; or if they found out about his attempts to create life.
- He's taken at least one personal belonging of yours; whether you're actually aware of it or not. He might have reasoned that it was contaminated or claimed that he could fix/clean it for you, but he also might have just stolen it while your back was turned.
- Oh, you're stressed? Did you know that during sex, your body releases endorphins and oxytocin? They're hormones that relieve a person of anxiety and depression. Perhaps you'd like for him to assist you in the triggering of that release?
- You probably laugh off the suggestion at first, blaming his naivety when it comes to taboo concepts on why he would deem it appropriate to offer to fingerbang you in the laboratory. But eventually, he might just manage to wear you down: catch you at just the right time with just the right words and just the right actions. After all, it's not like he's actually sexually attracted to you or has ulterior motives, right?
- It's not an epiphany that hits you, more like a creeping, crawling sort of realization. You don't notice it until it's far too late, until there's absolutely no denying it. Until his eyes bore into yours far too deeply and his hands touch you far more than necessary. Until you take in his words and how they've shifted from their intellectual explanations into something more searching and intimate. Until he grows far too insistent on helping you, even after you turn him down. The way he nonchalantly yet adamantly tries to convince you that you should continue on with your steadily built routine, like your disinterest in his assistance is personally hard to accept.
- And yet, you find yourself beneath him once more, suddenly on the receiving end of all of the passion and desperation and neediness that he was originally trying to keep at bay. Emotion pours out of him in waves, the air between you growing heavy, almost suffocating: like it's harder and harder to breathe. The same way it's hard to breath when he finally kisses you. Like the kiss of death, there's no going back, it seals your fate in an instant....
- On that same note: if you're not the type of person who would sleep with someone outside of a relationship, than a similar way for him to confess his feelings to you would be for him to simply kiss you. Though this can also be part of what connects the dots for you in the previous scenario, it can also be it's own situation.
- David desperately wants to understand and experience the same things that humans do, he craves the intimacy, so at some point, he'll simply find himself incapable of holding back. He'll kiss you; whether prompted in some way or not, and undoubtedly change your entire view of your relationship.
- You're probably too stunned to even kiss him back the first time it happens, only just now fully understanding that he isn't the innocent synthetic you thought him to be. That his feelings for you weren't the indifferent, machine-like ones you'd once assumed that they were, but rather, pointed and passionate and so very different.
"What are you doing?" You'd ask him upon pulling away from him, watching his features crease in confusion.
"I'm kissing you," He answers. "This is how it's done, is it not?"
"No, I mean ...why?"
"Is this not what humans do when they care for one another?"
"It is, but...but it's for people who are in love." You try to explain.
"Precisely," He replies simply. "I am in love with you."
"That's not possible." You shake your head incredulously, struggling to accept what he's telling you.
"Why not?" He responds, his expression hardening into a disheartened attempt at nonchalance, steeling himself for your explanation.
"Because," You flounder. "Because you're synthetic. You're not supposed to feel things like that. You're not supposed to feel anything."
"Perhaps I learned how. Perhaps you taught me how." He proposes.
"Have you always thought me incapable of emotion? After all this time?" He questions when you continue to remain silent, taking in his words.
"No," You answer quickly. "No, I always thought that there was more to you, it's just.... It's not supposed to be possible."
"And yet, like so many other things before it, the impossible has occurred. Now it's no longer a matter of me loving you, but rather, whether or not you feel the same."
- These, of course, are the innocent scenarios: ones that end in minimal collateral and a generally happy ending. There are, however, far darker consequences that can occur when Walter falls in love with you....
- In one scenario, you might learn about his experiments early on, taking interest in his work and keeping it a secret from the rest of the crew. It might even be a part of what makes him fall for you: your acceptance of his newfound obsession. What you won't know, of course, is that he's been using your crewmembers as test subjects. I thought you found it fascinating. He'd tell you when you finally found out about what he'd been doing, acting as if your horror was unexpected or unreasonable.
- In another scenario, he might fake a freak accident in order to have you all to himself. He'll make it seem as though you're the sole survivor of a ship crash or a parasitic outbreak, reassuring and taking care of you, promising to protect you as if he isn't the very thing that's caused the danger you're supposedly in. It could take days, or weeks, or even years, but you'll eventually find out the truth. He's just hoping that by then, he'll have made you fall in love with him; or at least be able to sway you into believing something else....
"It must all be very shocking," he says, coming closer to help you up or touch you in some way, tilting his head when you flinch away. "Naturally, you need time to process things. Come, sit down and relax."
Soft David, David being off-putting and oddly romantic at the same time,
I'm currently taking headcanon requests.
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Physical affection is a difficult subject for David. He finds himself craving it, yet he does not understand why. He yearns to give it to you, but isn't quite entirely sure how. It's all such a mystery to him, and that's partially why he finds it so captivating. It's another puzzle. Another equation he longs to solve.
He often studies the concept, watching classic romance films to get a proper feel of the emotional build-up that can lead to physical affection, as well as the actual acts themselves.
Your first kiss was...I won't say strange. Okay, maybe a bit strange. But not at all unpleasant.
Up until that point, David had only gone as far as to occasionally give you small touches. Maybe a hand on your shoulder, on your lower back, or to reach out and touch a strand of your hair with a sense of gentleness that surprises even himself.
But this...this was new
You had gotten hurt, badly, and he was right there to take care of you. You were lying on a rather uncomfortable bed in the Prometheus' infirmary, all patched up but not yet healthy enough to get up and return to your duties. David stood beside you, gazing down at you with a thoughtful and almost soft expression. His usual coldness long gone, despite his exterior appearances. He was admiring you in a reverent silence.
There was much on his mind. Much about you. About your health. And about how he would spare your life from his experiments. He leaned down to press an unmoving, almost unnoticeable kiss to your forehead. But...he was still dissatisfied, as he often was when trying to show you affection. As though it was never quite enough.
His cold hand came up to rest at your warm cheek, a gesture he had often seen portrayed in those old romantic films. Then, without any further thought, he moved down to hover his face over yours, silver-blue eyes searching for answers to something that couldn't be found, before his gaze shifted to your willing lips. He leaned in just a touch further and closed the distance with a feather-light kiss.
He followed through with the actions he had studied, letting his artificial eyelids shut and his thumb carefully trace over your cheekbone. It was soft, experimental, and even...tender. It made something in him spark. And he wasn't sure if it was mechanical or something entirely different...
If he was ever on the fence about sparing you before, he surely wasn't now. He would keep you safe. That was his new directive.
"You're safe, Dr. No harm will come to you again. You have my word."
And he meant it, in more ways than you knew at the time.
Later, he would find himself replaying the intimate moment again and again in his head. Wondering if he had performed the kiss correctly. Should he have done anything differently? Was it...enjoyable for you? He hoped so, because he longed to do it again and again and again.
Once you are in a committed relationship and David is sure of your love and devotion to him, there is a good chance he would be the one to initiate.
Having studied human behavior for a long time, including in relationships, he knows it’s a step that is going to come. He has prepared. Ran simulations. So when it finally does happen, nothing about it is accidental or rushed, but carefully orchestrated by him.
Knowing that joining his body with someone else’s might be the closest he can come to feeling human, this event would be sacred to David. He would not take it lightly, and he would see it as a great privilege to be allowed to be this close to you and give you pleasure in a way that is only reserved for lovers.
It would happen in a quiet, private moment, when it is just the two of you and nobody can interrupt. David would study your body and expressions carefully, making sure that this is the right moment and you want it just as much as he does.
He would take his time undressing you. He would worship every inch of your skin that is revealed as the layers are peeled away one by one, leaving trails of kisses everywhere, wanting to savor every second of you baring yourself to him.
Before he even thinks about sliding inside, he’d need to make sure you are ready and aching for him. So expect lots of foreplay. Kissing, squeezing, caressing until you’re completely lost in the moment and can’t think of anything else other than how badly you need him inside you.
There would be lots of intense eye contact. He’d thrive on seeing your face as he makes you his, watching the way your pupils dilate as he pushes deep, the way your eyes squeeze shut at the intensity from time to time, and the way your mouth falls half open when the sensations are overwhelming. He might even gently hold your jaw at times, forcing you to look at him. You’d feel what he is trying to say: You’re mine now, and there’s no going back.
Even during such an intimate and vulnerable moment, David would largely maintain his composure. Losing control and chasing his own pleasure is something he considers beneath him, too human in a bad way. But seeing you unravel because of him? That is something he very much desires.
His possessiveness would definitely seep through. He’d love the idea of being the one to make you feel this good, and he would make sure you’d never desire anyone else ever again. He would make it his mission to be the one who knows your body better than anyone ever has and gives you pleasure beyond what you thought possible.
He’d likely be quite verbal, whispering poetic phrases and letting you know how you’re making him feel. It would feel theatrical, almost performative, with the same intensity he already brings to everything else he cherishes. In turn, he would take pleasure in coaxing sounds out of you as well, affirming that he is pleasing you.
Afterwards, he would stay inside you for some time, his forehead pressed to yours. For once, he would not calculate or control anything, just allow himself to rest in the vulnerability you just shared.
Your first time with David would be an intense, transformative experience, certainly serving as inspiration for his art. And afterwards, neither of you would be the same.
Walter:
At first, it wouldn’t even occur to Walter that you could be aroused by him. He always thought such things were reserved for humans, not something he would ever get to experience for himself. So when you do, he would likely misinterpret your signs at first, until you make it absolutely clear what it is you’re feeling.
His own physical reaction to you would surprise him at first, since he was previously unaware that his body was capable of something so human. But it would spark his curiosity as he allows himself to want for maybe the first time in his life, and he’d be eager for you to show him what to do with it.
He would let you guide him, letting him know how you like to be touched and what you need. He’d enjoy giving you pleasure and see it as yet another way to care for you, not expecting you to give him anything in return.
His touches would be gentle and cautious, mapping your body with reverence, memorizing what makes you arch into him and gasp or sigh in pleasure. He would always search your face for permission before taking off another piece of clothing, your comfort being his top priority.
He would find himself almost in awe of your desire for him. You choosing him over everyone else to experience this intimate moment with would cause something inside him to stir, something he didn’t know was there before.
Walter would be mostly quiet, except for asking if what he’s doing feels good and if you want more. His movements would be slow and careful at first, not wanting to hurt you, going faster only when you tell him to. Any sounds he makes - sharp breaths, low moans - would surprise even him, since they would not be intentional, but drawn out by you.
He’d often second-guess if what he is doing is correct, not wanting to disappoint you or overstep your boundaries. But when you reassure him that you want this and you like having him this close, he would eventually let himself relax and go with your flow.
Being part of his learning process and his discovery of pleasure would make you feel very special too. And he would be a quick learner, adapting to your responses in real time and finding out what feels best for both of you.
Afterwards, he’d hold you close, checking your vitals and making sure you’re comfortable and calm. He would stay with you for as long as you want, gently stroking your hair and pressing light kisses to your forehead.
Your first time with Walter would feel warm, safe and grounding. For him, it would be an entirely new discovery in many ways, and perhaps a gateway for him to finally start seeing himself as more than what he was created for.
How they confess their feelings for you - David & Walter headcanons
David:
Realizing his feelings for you doesn’t take long for David. If you are kind to him and treat him as an equal instead of a machine with the purpose of serving you, chances are high that he will take a liking to you and, yes, eventually fall in love with you.
He isn’t able to immediately put it into words, however. It takes extensive thought, calculation and introspection for him to arrive at the conclusion that what he feels is, in fact, love. It has never happened to him before, therefore he has no self-report data to draw from. The only data available to him for comparison comes from romance movies and the observation of couples around him.
He realizes: He wants to do with you what they do. He wants to kiss you, hold you close and feel you respond to him. And most importantly: He wants, no, needs you to know how he feels.
Jealousy is a factor that could play into his motivation for telling you. If he has noticed a crew member getting a little too close to you recently, for example, he’ll become anxious about them possibly shooting their shot before he gets the chance. He’ll feel the urge to claim you and make you his, inaccessible to anybody else.
His confession will be very carefully curated and carried out almost like a movie scene. It will likely happen in a quiet, maybe even vulnerable moment, perhaps in your personal quarters or an intimate place such as the observation deck.
Physical touch will almost certainly be involved in his confession, since it helps him reinforce his words. He’ll hold one or both of your hands, put a hand on your shoulder, or even hold you in his arms, depending on what the situation calls for.
Since he’s David, poetic language can be expected. “I want to do with you what the spring does with the cherry blossoms,” he might whisper to you, voice low with a slightly suggestive undertone.
If you reciprocate, his confession could easily turn into kisses, touching, or even more. By the time he tells you, David is ready to explore you and has been for some time. Physically showing you how much you mean to him is the logical next step in his mind.
Walter:
There are not many circumstances under which Walter would confess his feelings for you before you do. This is due to how foreign emotions are to him and him not even believing it’s his place to express affection, since it would imply that he wants to get something back from you. And synthetics, after all, were created to give, not to take.
Much like David, it will be hard for him to grasp the depth of his feelings at first. He might initially interpret them as concern or protective instinct rooted in his programming – until he finds himself reacting to you in ways that are not predetermined by any algorithm. A certain sense of satisfaction when you touch him. A little spark when you make eye contact with him.
Walter might not tell you how he feels for a long time, but you will get an idea long before he does. He’ll be more attentive. Listen to your needs. Protect you from physical harm, if necessary. For the most part, his confession will be in actions rather than words.
What would push him to confess eventually would be a moment where he is acutely reminded of the impermanence of your life, such as you being critically injured on a mission. He would realize that he only has so long to let you know how he feels, and that if he doesn’t, you might die without ever knowing how you made him transcend the supposed limits of his emotional capacity.
He will likely still keep some respectful distance from you while saying it – not because he doesn’t want the closeness, but because he doesn’t want to crowd you. He assumes you’ll need a moment to process what he said, so he wants to give you that space and let you come to him if you so desire.
Even in that moment, he won’t directly say “I love you”. Rather, it would be something more vague such as “I’ve come to grow quite fond of you”. This way, he doesn’t put any pressure on you and essentially allows you to decide yourself if you want to enter a romantic relationship with him or remain close friends.
David might hesitate to enter a dormant state next to you due to the vulnerable position it puts him in, as well as the loss of control it entails. He likes to be fully aware of everything going on around him and have the ability to protect you in the face of any possible danger. Therefore, most of the time he would choose to either enter a semi-conscious state that simulates sleep yet still leaves him alert to environmental changes, or stay awake altogether.
He would adore watching you sleep - another reason why he wouldn’t want to do it himself. Being allowed to be close to you in your most vulnerable and defenseless state would register as a great sign of trust in his mind, since he knows most others are wary of him and probably would find the idea of sleeping in his presence unsettling.
Of course, he would draw your sleeping form. The serenity written over your face as you sleep peacefully, possibly dreaming of something, maybe him? He would feel compelled to carve that image into paper with near-religious focus.
At random points throughout the night, he might murmur lines of poetry or even hum a soft tune - not to wake you, but as a quiet confession of his love for you even while you’re asleep.
His favorite sleeping position? Any that allows him to see your face. Most of the time, he would lie across from you, watching every subtle twitch of your eyes and every shift of your body. His legs might be tangled with yours while his arm is draped over your waist, his hand stroking your back or simply resting there.
Mostly, he would give you the space to do your bedtime routine by yourself, but still offer his assistance in case you want it. If you accept, he might help you out of your day/work wear, brush your hair or even draw you a bath if that’s what you enjoy.
Walter:
Essentially, when it comes to sleep, Walter would do whatever you want him to do. If you asked him to stay awake so he could watch over you because it helps you feel safe, he would do it. Likewise, if you wanted him to hold you and mimic sleep himself, that’s what he would do.
Walter’s first instinct, however, would not be to sleep. While you are far away in dreamland, he would try to find ways to make himself useful and stay productive. This could be doing any chores for the upcoming day in advance, making you more comfortable on the bed, or simply keeping track of your vitals to make sure you are getting good rest.
Unless you tell him otherwise, he would not want to get too close to you during your sleep as to not interrupt it. But if you did invite him closer, he would adjust his body temperature and posture to optimize your comfort.
His preferred sleeping position would be spooning, since it gives you enough space to breathe while still allowing him to warm you and draw your back against his chest. He would find that he enjoys the closeness and develop a quiet fascination with your sleep-softened features.
If he’s awake, he would monitor your sleep in an almost clinical way. If you’re a restless sleeper, he would tuck the blanket back around you whenever you wriggle out of it or kick it off. He would also look for signs that you might be having a bad dream, prepared to wake you up gently if it persists.
When you head to your quarters to prepare for sleep, you will invariably find your bed made and your sleepwear neatly folded close by. Walter has taken care of everything, making your bedtime routine as short as possible so you can quickly slip into bed and get your well-deserved rest after an exhausting day.
David 8 headcanons: taking care of you when you're sick.
Some headcanons of David taking care of a sick Y/n 🩵
Warnings: mentions of vomiting, David being a mother, fluffy teehee
I'm currently taking headcanon requests for David and Walter :)
No question about it. He's taking care of you.
This man was quite literally programmed with the exact abilities and knowledge, and more, of a doctor who graduated from Harvard. So yes, you're in good hands.
He's extremely attentive. Constantly checking in on you, checking your temp, asking if you feel any better or worse, fetching whatever you want or need, etc. And that's if he even leaves you alone in the first place.
Of course, if he knows it would be best for you to get proper rest, he'll leave. Unless you ask him not to.
Nobody is going to bother you. No, no, no, not unless you specifically say that you want to see them.
He may even go a little overboard at times. Say, for example, you have a simple cold. He would likely treat it as though you had the flu. But don't be too hard on him. He can't help his overly precise instincts.
Obviously, he doesn't worry about catching whatever you have because that's literally impossible.
Prepares a bowl for you to keep at your bedside if you even once mention feeling sick to your stomach.
If you do end up getting sick, he's right there to hold your hair back and offer calm, comforting pats on the back. And of course, hugs too if you need it afterward because throwing up is traumatic asf.
Plays your favorite movies and tv shows for you on your holographic television.
If your fever tosses you between being too hot and too cold, he'll turn on the a/c in your quarters and bring you spare blankets, that way you can rotate between taking the blankets on and off.
He takes care of your tasks for you. With how versatile he is, it's very likely that he can handle all your tasks for you while you're down. So you won't have to worry about catching up once you're feeling better.
He doesn't understand the act or why you would particularly enjoy it, but if you asked him to stay overnight and cuddle with you, he'd absolutely do it.
⚠️HE DOESN'T HATE IT. HE'S JUST CONFUSED, OKAY? HE DOESN'T GET IT.⚠️
Although, he appreciates your trust in him all the same ♡
Have a specific meal or snack in mind that actually sounds good for once? He's got you covered. Call him Chef 8.
If it seemed that your sickness was getting worse, he would immediately take you to the infirmary so he could run a few blood tests and keep a closer eye on you.
Gentle touches to your cheeks and forehead that linger longer than intended.
