A/N: A short fluffy only-the-slightest-bit angsty love story between Shiver and Neo-3, Tres. Written as an excercise in order to help with writing my other story about the pair, The Suckling. I hope you enjoy it.


Neo-3 desperately reached out to her, his outstretched hand mere inches from her own as he steadily drifted away into a vast sea of stars, away from her loving gravity.

"..."

He was screaming, unfettered terror was etched onto his visage as the helmet around his head grew foggy and clouded with each panicked breath taken. His mouth moved but there was no sound to be heard. And yet, she understood full well what he was trying so futilely to say: her name.

"T..."

He continued to silently call out her name, she hurriedly lunged forward, the very tips of her finger brushing his own but she was too late to act. Far too late.

"Tr..."

Paws dripping with virulent fuzzy ooze, unfathomably large and brandishing wicked scythe-like claws, emerged from beyond the inky void of space and latched onto him with a death grip. He struggled and fought against it to no avail, his eyes never leaving her own. The paws began pulling him back into the stars, further and further away until he was swallowed up by the infinite cosmos, never to be seen again...


"Tres!" Shiver screamed at the top of her lungs as she awoke with a fright in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, catapulting up from her futon with such speed she could've sworn part of her color had splattered along part of the wall from the whiplash.

Hot tears streamed from her bloodshot eyes and down her cheeks, shakily she brought up a hand to wipe them away with her palm, sniffling as she did. Her three hearts hammered wildly in her chest like cacophonous drums at an orchestra, it sent a spike of adrenaline coursing through her veins forcing her up from the bed and towards the bathroom with utmost haste. She wasted no time throwing the door open and charging in.

Staring at herself in the mirror she observed how miserable she looked. Her tentacles were bedraggled and unkempt, her sleepless visage twisted into this gnarled fearful expression. Turning on the sink she splashed water onto her face, relishing in the soothing coolness that tickled her skin as reality slowly reasserted itself for her. The sensation was ephemeral however, and her mood quickly soured again, leaving her hunched over the sink fighting with every ounce of her willpower not to descend into sobbing hysterics.

That dream, no, that nightmare, it was beyond haunting. The thought of her precious suffering such a terrible fate and the icy feeling of utter helplessness that came from her inability to aid him during his most dire moment gripped her heart tightly as though strangled with heavy chains. The only solace she could find in the now was that none of it was real, her mind had conjured up the horrific scenario just to torment her... But, the fact that it could've happened kept her wide awake.

Sighing heavily, Shiver grabbed a nearby washcloth and scrubbed her face raw before skulking back into her room, unsure of what to do next. Looking up at the wall clock she saw it was two in the morning. Her frown deepened into a grimace, there was no way she could go back to sleep after being tormented by that horrible nightmare.

No, there was only one thing that came to mind that could assuage her fears and quell the turbulence that swells in her aching heart. She came to a decision, a rash and ill-thought out decision.

She needed to know if he was alright.

She needed to see her precious Neo-3, Tres, if she ever wanted even the hope of embracing sweet slumber tonight.

Without so much as a second thought she ran through her closet and quickly changed into something more suitable for a long night's walk. Slipping into some light gear and a thin cloak Shiver made for the door, locking it behind her with a soft click as she began her brisk trek through the neon city of the Splatsville, the city he helped save along with this spinning blue marble they called home.

With the pale moon watching over her and the breeze on her back she marched with purpose in each and every footstep, intent on meeting her precious lover in the dead of night...