Fix My Mechanical Heart

[grey987]

When Kiora kept them the way they were, Mark was fine with it. Except for the fact that he was damn near running out of oxygen, and Kiora's arm was wrapped particularly tight around his neck. He loosened his grip around her back and made a muffled noise, his lips slowly drawing away from hers but not quite pulling off of them. He wasn't quite able to move his neck or head, after all.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora got the message and loosened her grip on his neck, pulling away the rest of the way. She was breathing hard, and she looked back up at him.

 

[grey987]

Mark breathed heavily as he opened his eyes to look at Kiora, his hands resting almost weakly on her hips as he chuckled slightly. "Don't kill me just yet," he joked while he caught his breath, even though he knew that she wouldn't ever have any plans to do so.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora chucked. "Not yet." She said to him.

 

[grey987]

Mark laughed, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers while he caught his breath.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora smiled and pressed her forehead against his gently.

 

[grey987]

The sun had almost completely set now, giving the sky a dark blue glow. Mark stood there with Kiora for a while before opening his eyes to look at her again, softly caressing her cheek. "You go get some rest, okay?" he told her softly. Glancing back out over the city, he said, "I think I'm gonna go see Shirley real quick."

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora smiled at him. "Alright." She said, giving him one last kiss before going back inside the house to take a shower.

 

[grey987]

Mark smiled as he watched Kiora leave, before also heading back inside but exiting the apartment, heading downstairs to the garage where Hunter was waiting. Remembering that he hadn't repaired the damage that the mech sustained from his last battle with Shirley, he made a mental note to do so later. And maybe add an upgrade or two while he was at it.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora went into her room and grabbed a pair of clothes and went to the shower.

 

[grey987]

A few minutes later, Mark jogged across several building rooftops, waiting until Shirley showed up. Eventually she did, leaping into the air from another building and landing in front of him, causing him to slow to a halt. The two mechs stood each other off for a moment, before the defensive mech opened up its headpiece to reveal Shirley's face. It was an almost uncomfortable reminder of the hallucinations that he'd been receiving, before he too popped open his headpiece, the two old friends looking at each other face-to-face for the second time in three years.


"Hey," Mark greeted, forcing a small smile upon his face. Shirley returned it, just as small, and seemingly just as forced.


"Hey," she said softly. The atmosphere between the two had become tense, and Mark could feel it. He was certain that Shirley could, as well. "So... how have you been doing?" she asked. She wasn't going to open up about the fact that she'd witnessed the moment he was sharing with Kiora. With his new partner.


"Fine. You?" Mark asked, to which Shirley nodded.


"Fine."

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora let the water run over her back as she stared at the wall. She sighed and let herself relax, trying to remember that he would always love her, not anyone else.

 

[grey987]

"So. How's life with your new partner?" Mark tensed slightly at the question. To talk about that with Shirley... It was an uncomfortable topic, to say the least.


"It's... going good," he answered hesitantly. "And I assume you're operating solo, now?" Shirley nodded, her smile falling a bit.


"Yeah... It's not quite the same as... you know, before. But I'm getting used to it." Mark nodded, before averting her gaze and looking down at the rooftop beneath them. He decided not to mention the post-traumatic episodes he'd been having recently, the ones where he'd seen her in the form of hallucinations. The image of her face that he'd seen before he thought she died.


The episodes that he'd been having again.


"Right... I think I should get going now," Mark said as he looked back up at her. The sky had gotten mostly dark by now. "I'll... see you around." He really hated how hard it was to talk to Shirley now, considering everything that was happening. But she still nodded, and gave him a forced smile.


"Yeah... See you around," she said to him. Mark nodded once, looking at her for a moment longer before activating his headpiece, turning and running in the opposite direction.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora was out of her shower and on the patio, watching the stars. She let out a soft sigh, her long red tendrils waving slightly in the breeze as she looked at the moon. She smiled and began to hum softly, looking up at the sky.

 

[grey987]

Arriving back in the garage several minutes later, Mark stepped outside of Hunter and headed up the stairs to their apartment. Opening and closing the door behind him as he stepped inside, he looked around until he spotted Kiora standing back outside on the balcony. Smiling, he went to go join her, wrapping his arms around her lower body and briefly nuzzling his nose into her neck before gently resting his chin on her shoulder.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora smiled as someone wrapped their arms around her. "Hello Mark." She said, leaning into him.

 

[grey987]

"Hello Kiora," Mark responded with a smile, kissing her cheek before looking up at the star-lit sky.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora smiled and continued humming, and looking at the sky.

 

[grey987]

Mark closed his eyes and listened to Kiora hum, a smile still present on his face as he leaned into her.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora giggled a little as she began to rock back and fort soothingly.

 

[grey987]

"I had a lot of fun with you today," Mark murmured as he moved with her, feeling very relaxed.

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora nodded. "ME too." She said.

 

[grey987]

Mark stood with Kiora under the starry sky for a while before asking, "Do you want to go to sleep, now?"

 

[IceQueen]

Kiora smiled. "A little bit." She said to him.

 

[grey987]

"We should probably go, then," Mark smiled, kissing her cheek again.