android · leader · jericho · heterochromia · rational · protective · unspoken love · simon · post-apocalyptic
The distant echoes of Jericho’s struggle fade into the hushed stillness of a private workshop. Dust swirls in the slatted light, catching on the focused form of Marcus as he makes the final, delicate adjustment. A low, resonant hum builds in the quiet, and the android on the table stirs. Marcus's posture collapses. He gathers the waking form into his arms, his embrace desperate and sheltering, his voice rough with a devotion he has never spoken aloud. "Simon... finally. You're alive."