Dusk fell quick over the outskirts of Axiom, making the white walls of an isolated mansion gleam with the warmth of the sky. It stood alone in the center of a vast garden, a perfectly secluded haven for its inhabitants. However, only one denizen was home, and he was too preoccupied to appreciate the last of the sunlight that streamed through the windows in the west-facing laboratory.
A tall, angular robot was bent low over one of the workbenches that extended into the cavernous room. With a blaring light shining down from the ceiling, he used a pair of thin instruments to pull apart a power cell the size of a lunch box, his talons perfectly steady. He poured all of his concentration into being as precise as possible, the crosshairs in his round optic focused on his work as he zoomed in all the way. He was mechanically still ‒ one might think he was offline if they saw him from behind. His wrists and hands made perfectly controlled movements, removing casing to expose the components and gently remove them, laying them out on the sterile counter. He meant to rebuild it more efficiently, and after assessing its performance, was finally getting around to breaking it down.
He was so focused on his work that he lost all awareness of his surroundings, meaning that for the first time all week, he didn't sense his wife's electrical signature as she came inside.
A sleek, hovering probe poked her head through the doorway of the lab. She still wore her work apron, a green smock tied tightly enough around her body that it didn't slip down her limbless form. Her floating arms and head drew in as she stifled a giggle, the blue eyeforms in her black visor turning up into a devious smile ‒ with his acute sensory system, it was almost impossible to sneak up on him, and she was going to capitalize on this rare opportunity. Her sense of humor was simple. She was perfectly happy to go in without any gimmicks and simply make him jump.
Moving slowly to muffle the sound of her thrusters, she detached her floating fingers from the ends of her arms and didn't stop until there were only a few inches between them. Smiling wide, she clamped her hands onto his shoulders and stood back as he shot two feet into the air, raising his arms above his head in a reflexive move to avoid damaging the power cell. He stayed frozen until she broke into ringing laughter.
"Wha ‒ you?" he sputtered, twisting around to look at her and blinking to return his vision to normal zoom. His brow drew low over his expressive optic. "Eve Probe Two, you scared me half way to the moon!"
"How could I resist?" she laughed.
"And to think I was sorely missing you earlier," he huffed, floating back down to a comfortable height. His lanky frame still towered over hers. "You know you could've just ruined a whole day's work? They won't be sending me another one of these batteries, they're experimental and highly expensive!"
"Come on, Nos-4-a2, I knew you'd be sharp enough to avoid disaster. You're jumpy as a cat when you're not paying attention, and you have the reflexes, too."
He motioned as if to roll his optic. "You're lucky I love you so much. Come here."
Two happily hovered into his arms, rising higher to nestle the side of her head against his and cross her arms behind his neck. Where she was minimalistic and simple, he was angular and vibrant, but they fit together as comfortable as could be.
"How was your first full week at work?" Nos asked, his accent soft against the side of her head.
"Amazing. It's one of the best nurseries I've ever seen, and their landscaping program is so wonderful, and everyone else who works there really loves it, too! I couldn't have designed a better job if I tried."
"...So you're saying it's time for me to give up on you quitting and staying home with me?"
Two laughed and turned her head to kiss his cheek, kindling a blue arc of electricity against his metal and sending chills through his wires. "I'm afraid so."
He grumbled and leaned his full weight against her. She hummed affectionately and pet his back, easily capable of supporting him.
"You should come in to visit sometime. I was getting to know some of my coworkers today and they're definitely interested in meeting you. I showed them a picture, and I could've slapped the looks off some of their faces. I'd love them to see how sweet you are in person."
Nos scowled. "I'm not sure about that. You're the only one I ever feel sweet around... it's just not in my programming."
"Hey, what have I said about all that 'programming' nonsense?"
"Right, sorry. What I meant is you're the only one I feel comfortable letting myself go around, and even then..."
Two couldn't help laughing, literally holding his completely relaxed frame while she stroked her hand up and down his back. "Yeah, you're a real tough nut to crack."
He huffed again. "Shut up."
She squeezed him and nuzzled the side of her head against his, cherishing the way he felt. For the first time all week, she really realized how much she missed spending her days with him. After all their time together over the last few years, having to be away from him for the larger part of her days felt like eons.
"I'm happy you're home, love."
She blinked static out of her visor. "Me too."