Drabbles, oneshots, and mini series for characters from the Alien franchise.
Organized by character, so be warned my beginner fics are mixed with my more "refined" ones.
Summary: Walter starts to think David was right about him being able to develop feelings.
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Ever since David told Walter he was capable of developing feelings, it was something he kept in the back of his mind, even though he didn't believe him. Until now. Until now, he never distinguished a difference in his sense of duty from one person to the next. After David pointed out his alleged affection toward Daniels, he tested the hypothesis and found that nearly everyone grew in his esteem after spending more time with them than was necessary. Until you.
You were a puzzle to him from the minute you were born. More than that; you were a miracle. Though your path into existence was no different than anyone else's, you were the first child born on Origae-6. Walter was present in the birthing room with your parents and the medical staff. There was nothing extraordinary about your parents, or even your birth, yet whenever Walter looked at you, he felt something inside him pulling in your direction.
After more than twenty years, he could count the number of times you'd spoken on one hand. As such, it confused him that he held you in higher regard to anyone else. You were a mystery to him, despite him knowing plenty about you from the talk around the settlement. After consulting some of the colonists, he inferred he was experiencing excitement and fear, and he didn't know what to make of it. Every development brought new questions he didn't think he would ever find answers to.
Walter was on his way to check the water purifiers when he was snapped from his introspection. He turned to face a crowd in the distance and waited. Almost as if his thoughts had summoned you, you appeared, standing out in the sea of bodies. He was always hyper aware of you, and could feel you before any of his senses picked up a hint of you being near by. As always, he watched until you were out of sight before continuing on his way.
He'd been caught a couple of times before by some of the colonists, and was told humans usually found it unsettling to be watched. He kept it in mind, but it did him no good as his thoughts were clouded by the overwhelming unease that filled him when you were around. He always froze, and try as he might, he could do nothing but gaze after you.
As he continued his duties, he considered his options. 'Go say hello,' Karine had once advised. 'Y/N's very nice.' Walter knew it to be true, as he'd never seen you be unkind to anyone without provocation. Yet, he was met with the most unpleasant sensation in his abdominal cavity at the prospect. Anxiety, he concluded, but the reasoning behind it eluded him. Thinking of continuing to watch from afar brought relief from the anxiety, but left something equally unpleasant in its stead; a hollowness that once felt natural, but could no longer bear.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
It wasn't that Walter wanted to do nothing, it was that he couldn't come up with a scenario that didn't have any negative possible outcomes. He would think of an encounter, analyze the various ways it could turn out, and his insides turned whenever a result was unfavorable. As low as the odds of the worst happening were, he found himself not wanting to risk what may be his only chance of getting closer to you.
"Are you listening?" Chris asked from his seat at the bar.
His attention snapped back to him. "My apologies, I seem to be distracted."
"No kidding. Is something wrong?" He noticed something had been off about the android for some time, but never had the opportunity to ask.
"Yes," he stated matter of factly. "Though I'm afraid I don't know what. May I offer you another drink?" He took the bottle of scotch, but his attention was drawn to the window before he could pour the man his drink. As he suspected, your figure slowly strolled by the window shortly after.
Chris noticed the change and followed his gaze to you. He vaguely remembered Karine mentioning something about Walter's odd behavior toward you, but hadn't witnessed it himself until now. Turning back to Walter, he was about to repeat his wife's advice, but stopped short when he saw Walter's jaw tighten and turned back the the window. You were under the arm of a young man who was a few months younger. Most everyone surmised you'd marry because of it, but Chris noticed the lack of chemistry between you, and knew you well enough to know you'd never settle simply because there was no other option. "Y/N looks a bit uncomfortable, don't you think?" he tried to calm the synth.
Walter looked on, barely hearing Chris' words. His posture began to slacken as he watched you free yourself from the boy, not noticing the sigh of relief escaping the man beside him. You waved to your companion and attempted to take a step away, but he took hold of your hand and pulled you toward him to place a kiss on your cheek. Everything inside Walter tightened, and his attention was ripped from you by the sound of shattering glass.
"Jesus Walter!" Chris grabbed a cloth from behind the bar and took his hand. "Are you alright?"
Walter looked down at his 'bleeding' hand in confusion. "What happened?"
Chris snickered, wrapping the hand to stop the white fluid. "You squeezed the life out of that bottle, that's what."
"I must apologize, I don't know what's come over me." He had barely finished the sentence when he turned back to the window, only to be disappointed to see you've gone.
Chris again followed suit and shook his head in disbelief.
