Chapter Text
While Lizzy recovered from that, V made a subtle beeline for Uzi’s pod.
On the way there she walked past an open pod.
A chill made her shiver and she paused. She couldn’t feel cold. But she could feel. . .
She took a step back and glanced into the room.
Her old place.
Dread.
Guilt.
Fear.
It all came flooding back, especially when she caught an accidental glimpse of the oil on the floor that was never cleaned. She began walking to Uzi’s again, a lot faster this time.
She knocked politely, expecting Khan to answer. Uzi opened it instead.
“Where’s N?”
“Why?”
“Where?”
A voice from inside. “Is that V?”
“No!” Uzi called back.
V scoffed. “Bitch, move.” She pushed past the purple drone.
“OW! The fuck?! Yeah, just come in I guess!”
“N? You here?”
He popped up from behind the couch, his face covered in purple stars scribbles. V froze and made a slow, sliding glance back at Uzi. She flushed and groaned.
V dropped it and turned back to N. “I need your help.”
He brightened. “Oh, of course! With what?” He hopped over the couch to sit on it, patting the spot next to him.
She sat. “So, if I had to get a gift for someone for someone. . . how would I make sure it was something they really wanted?”
Uzi snickered and leaned forward over the back of the couch. “You don’t have a gift for Lizzy~”
“No.” V said simply.
Uzi paused, expecting an argument. “Oh. . . well. . . I guess I figured since you’re dating her-”
V stomped on her own wagging tail. “We really didn’t talk about download days. Considering I don’t even have one anymore anyway I guess it just never came up.”
N piped up. “Wait, you had no idea Lizzy’s birthday was next week?” V shook her head. He frowned. “Oh, I’m sorry! Me or Uzi could’ve totally told you.”
V smiled softly. “It’s alright N. I figured I could manage.”
“But you can’t,” Uzi but in. “Which is why you’re here.”
“You make it sound like I’m begging.”
“You said it. I didn’t.”
“V,” N interjected nervously. “I think the best thing to do is listen to her. And listen to your heart. Do you know things she likes? Or what she likes to do?” V nodded slowly. “Then there you go! If you want we could help you scavenge for something?”
“I’ll be fine N, but thank you.” She stands and steps to the door. “Sorry for barging in. . . I guess I just. . . needed reassurance.”
“Lizzy will love whatever you get her. You’re being stupid.” Uzi rolled her eyes.
V forced a smile, waving to N as she walked out.
The door slid closed behind her and she sighed. She remembered a few things about download days. Humans called them “birthdays” and Tessa’s were always so grand, lasting days. She, N, and J all had the same day, they had called it “production day” instead because they weren’t exactly “born” like worker drones were now. Cyn couldn’t remember hers so Tessa made it the same as theirs. Tessa always got them a present of some kind on that day. Usually it was some random trinket from around the manor that no one would miss but V remembers loving them. It was the only thing she was allowed to have as a servant. She stared down at her hands, flicking her claws out and back in. She didn’t remember anything else. A production day wouldn’t work on Copper 9; it had a completely different timing system. V was pretty sure N had changed his to the day he’d met Uzi as that was always a day he knew he’d remember. Had he called it a production day? She didn’t think so. He’d called it a download day, just like a worker. Should she have one too? What day would it even be? Today? Tomorrow? Some random day? She should probably talk to Lizzy about it. She’d promised to always tell her everything after that incident.
If I did have a download day, I wouldn’t want any gifts that’s for sure. I’d just want quiet. Quiet with her and Sparky probably. . .
She pulled herself out of her thoughts and headed to work.
Knock Knock Knock
“Is that my knight in shining armor~?” Lizzy called.
“No, idiot.” Thad’s voice responded.
Lizzy groaned and opened the door to V’s mischievous grin.
“You bitch! You said you’d stop doing that!” Lizzy shoved her.
“And here I thought you’d actually be happy to see me. Guess I’m not welcome,” She turned away. “I’ll just go-”
“Ugh, OMRG, no! Just get in here!” Lizzy tugged her inside with a chuckle.
V sat on the bed and Lizzy settled on her lap. V rested her head on her shoulder and coiled her tail around one of the worker’s legs.
“How was work?”
“Another boring day of watching security cameras.” V groaned. “Why couldn’t they put me on the nightshift? I get nothing done in the daylight.”
“It is stupid. . . but if you worked all night, I’d be all alone.” Lizzy pouted.
“And we can’t have that.” V held her tighter as Lizzy giggled.
The day of the party arrived. It had taken V the entire past four days to think of a good enough gift and she was still doubting herself. She tried to push it all away but nothing really worked. The celebration itself was simple and pretty short. Lizzy was surprisingly the most excited about Uzi’s book. She’s such a nerd. Thad kept insisting his gift was the best but it wouldn’t be fully ready until the next day. V thought he was just lying. They all shared another round of gasoline and it went about as great as you’d think (V ended up drinking the rest of Lizzy’s, Uzi’s, and N’s). N left first with Uzi despite the purple drone’s best attempts to stay awake past midnight. Thad trotted off to his room soon after, stumbling a bit and again reassuring Lizzy he definitely had a gift for her.
“How many drinks did he have?” Lizzy asked as V followed her back to her room.
“Four.”
“Yeeessshhh, I’m gonna have to care for him all day tomorrow. . ."
“I could help? I don’t work.”
“Oh, that’d be great! Just make sure you film everything he does when he gets like this; it’s gold.” Lizzy sat down on her bed.
V didn’t.
Lizzy patted next to her encouragingly.
V didn’t budge.
“V, what’s wrong?”
“I got you a gift. . .”
“And that’s a bad thing?” V was quiet. Lizzy stood. “Is that what you’ve been hiding behind your back all night?”
V nodded. Lizzy offered to see it, which was cute because it was literally her gift. V placed the thick red and gold book in her hands. Lizzy skimmed the blank pages.
“A journal?”
“Yes,” V fidgeted with her hands nervously. “I noticed how much you like writing your thoughts down when you have an idea, especially if it’s about fashion. So, I figured you should have a whole book to write them in.” Lizzy said nothing. “. . .do you not like it?”
“What? No! No, I love it, thank you. Um. . .”
“I know it’s not much. Nothing like the awesome things the others got for you but. . .” She sighed, mildly panicking. What was with Lizzy’s expression? Why did she look so sad? Was she disappointed? “I’m not a very gift-giving drone. I don’t exactly know how to express my gratitude towards others in that way. I’m sorry if it’s not good enough. You deserve more. Really, you do. You’ve done so much for me.”
“Oh robo-god, V. . .” Was Lizzy tearing up? She straightened. “I want you to see something.” She grabbed her old pink journal from its hiding place under her desk.
“You. . . have one already. . .” V was trying hard not to look like a kicked puppy.
“Well, yeah, but that’s not important-”
“No, it’s alright. I’ll just put it back where I found it. If you already have one there’s no use-”
Lizzy grips her hand. “V, you’re spiraling again.” V freezes and drops her eyes, nodding guiltily. Lizzy hands her the book. “Read the last page,”
V opens it to the last entry, dated nine months ago. She reads the beautiful words about Lizzy’s feelings for her. She sees the scribbles of doodles around the words that are trying desperately to express themselves. She glances at Lizzy with wide eyes.
“And the one before that,” She flips the pages. “And before that,” She flips again. “And about half of the damn pages actually.”
V’s core sputtered. “You. . . You felt that way? All that time?”
Lizzy looked sheepish, like she’d been caught in some obvious trap. “I couldn’t help but write all my feelings down. I had no one to say them to.”
V looks back down at the book. “You haven’t written since that night-”
“Haven’t needed to. I have someone to tell everything to now.” Lizzy pokes her chest playfully.
V looked incredibly surprised. She had never felt so. . . what was the word?
“Why show me this?”
“Well, I’ve felt more than a little guilty about it. Ya know, not showing my literal girlfriend all the sappy things I think of her.”
That word. That title. Her tail was wagging way too fast.
“And I’ve been needing a new one anyway. Now I have a perfect excuse to move on.”
“But, there’s still room to-”
“Shush.” Lizzy pokes her again. “Think of it like a. . . new chapter. A new book, if you will.” V chuckles. “One to fill with lots more writings and drawings and memories. A new start. With you.” Lizzy was closer now. She set both books down and touched V’s cheek hesitantly. “If that’s alright with you?” She smiled up at V innocently like she just said the most romantic and incredible words V had ever heard.
V stalled. She felt like molten lava, so alive yet so slow. She’d never felt this important before. She’d never felt so needed before. So. . . So. . . Loved. To prevent herself from ruining the moment, she leaned down and kissed Lizzy. A giggle. She kissed her again. And again. And again. Another giggle.
“Have I ever mentioned I like it when you’re affectionate?”
“Once or twice.”
“You must listen well.”
“When I want to.”
A pause.
“What are you thinking?” V frowned. “You’ve got that look you get when you get a good idea.”
“It’s probably greedy-”
“It’s literally your day, Liz. You’re allowed to be greedy.”
“Could you sleep here tonight?”
“I was kinda already planning on asking-”
Lizzy pumped her fist with a small yes! “Thank you~” She turned away then instantly turned back. “Wait! I may have one more odd request.”
“Which is?” V leaned closer.
Lizzy flushed. V still knew exactly how to make her nervous. In a good way.
“Y-you know that thing you sometimes do when you sleep to help stretch out your wings and tail?”
A pause.
V cracked a sinister smile. “You want me to roost you?”
“W-well t-that’s a stupid way of putting it!”
“That’s the correct way of putting it-”
“Nevermind!” Lizzy shoved her away but V held tight, giggling. “Forget I asked!”
V glanced at the pipes across the ceiling. Most were high enough. She reluctantly pulled away from Lizzy and swung up to one, perching. She extended a hand down. Lizzy took it and V pulled her up, wrapping both arms around her before curling her wings around the both of them. Suddenly and without warning, V flipped herself down by her tail until they were completely upside-down. Lizzy yelped and had to wrap her legs around V’s waist to keep herself in place.
V fought a laugh. “You okay?”
“Y-yeah, I think so. How in the world does this help you stretch?”
“Must be the way I’m built.”
Lizzy met her eyes. “And there’s nothing wrong with the way you are built.”
V gripped her tighter. “Some days I think I don’t deserve you.”
A pause.
“Some days I think I don’t deserve you.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes, really.”
V blinked, dumbfounded. “But, you cut off your own father for me! I would never think anyone could-”
“My dad brought that on himself. If he can’t accept my girlfriend, AKA a huge part of my life, then he doesn’t get to be in my life.”
V was silent. Lizzy looped her arms around V’s neck.
“Why did you show me that journal?” V asked again, almost as if asking herself.
“I think you needed to see how much I care about you. How much I always have. And nothing is going to change how I feel about you. You don’t have to prove you’re good enough.”
V was definitely overheating. Her whole body shook a little from the trembling of her tail holding them up. “T-this is supposed to be your day. I-I should be showering you with compliments, n-not the other way around.”
“I can’t help being charming~” Lizzy smirked proudly. “But you’re right. Go ahead and wow me then. Win back your dignity.”
V tightened the hold on Lizzy’s waist so one of her hands could rest on Lizzy’s cheek. V was about to do something incredibly risky. Yet, she knew it really wasn’t. She knew it was only a matter of time. She knew it was mutual.
“I love you, Elizabeth.”
Lizzy beamed and hugged her tighter. She was glowing. And so was V. Finally, she knew that she would be happy.
“I love you too, V.” Lizzy kissed her. V kissed back. Lizzy kissed her again. V kissed back again. They both giggled.
Lizzy rested against V’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“For the gift?”
“Yeah, the gift,” Lizzy elbowed her. “You know what I mean.”
“Ow. Okay, yes, yes, I get it. You’re welcome.”
“Goodnight. And don’t ever call me Elizabeth again.”
“No promises~”