Divine Singularity || Reader x Murder Drones

VII

It was relatively late by the time someone had finally decided to call it night and go into recharge mode. The first was V, finding herself struggling to remain online, and with a goodnight to everyone, she laid slumped against the wall, visor off. Next was N; he had fallen asleep without anyone noticing, till Cyn had pointed it out. He was off, limbs reaching out like a star as he laid on the floor. Then it was J. She had let everyone know she was too tired to continue, then promptly got off the bed, took a seat next to V, and switched off for the night.

That left you, Cyn and Tessa.

Or at least, it would've been. You could see Tessa trying to contain her yawns, secretly rubbing at her eyes when she thought no one was looking. It didn't look like she would remain awake much longer. Hell, she looked like she might just fall asleep sitting up at this rate.

"You're tired," you told the girl, scooting to the edge of the bed. "You should get some rest, Tessa."

"But...but we're having fun," she tried to reason, voice a bit groggy.

"We are, but you need sleep. Your parents are coming back tomorrow, and what will they say if they see you struggling to stay awake tomorrow morning?"

That seemed to work. Tessa's face scrunched up, clearly showing she didn't really want to, but she listened regardless. She knew you made a point, and she knew it was better she listened. The girl was already in her pyjamas, and climbed beneath the blankets, with her head sticking out cutely.

You put on the best smile you could muster, and stood up to leave. Of course, you were actually going to wait outside for her to sleep so you could check the wound afterwards, but Tessa's hand shot forth and gripped your wrist.

"Could you...could you maybe tell a story as well? Everyone else but you and Cyn has," she asked.

"Tessa, its late—"

"Please?"

You held your gaze on the Australian girl as she just looked back at you with pleading eyes. "You should really sleep," you told her, holding your ground.

But Tessa didn't accept it. She beckoned Cyn onto the bed, to which the small drone crawled up, then wormed her way into the sheets with Tessa. She too poked her head out of the covers, and on her visor she showed a pair of sad puppies.

"Sad pleading. Won't you please tell a story?" Cyn said.

"Please?" repeated Tessa.

You glanced from one to the other. A small part of you wanted to say no just to spite Cyn, but another part saw that together beneath the blankets, the two were united in a ridiculous but strangely endearing attempt to coax a story out of you, and it was working. Together, they made for a ridiculous but oddly endearing pair, and despite yourself, you felt your resolve slipping.

"Fine," you relented, sitting back down. "But it will only be a short one. I don't know many stories, after all."

Tessa nodded eagerly, burrowing deeper into the blankets, though her hand twitched again beneath the covers. You noted the movement, a small flicker of unease brushing your mind, but her half-lidded eyes, filled with both anticipation and drowsiness, pulled your focus. Cyn wriggled a bit until she found a position she deemed comfortable, then turned her visor toward you expectantly. If Tessa was the perfect picture of an eager audience, Cyn was the eerie counterpart—a nightlight that stared back.

You cleared your throat, pausing to collect your thoughts. Truthfully, you had no clue about any bedtime stories. You could just look some up right now, but you felt like that would be disingenuous to Tessa. She'd probably heard of those classic stories hundreds of times over. She most likely wanted something new.