Even now, he was comforting to you.

You knew better than to believe Astro was still the same, that he was untainted by ichor. Yet, you still found solace in the ambient noises that came from him as he stalked passed your hiding space. His soft, quiet footsteps almost made you doubt he was even really here, but you were reminded of the truth when you heard the silent sobs choking from his throat.

You couldn't imagine how he felt. Astro, albeit silent and reserved, was still a sweetheart who didn't deserve this fate. He was always especially kind and gentle towards you—his best friend, and later confessed in final moments, his love. Astro had always loved you and never treated you like he didn't. Whether he showed it by holding you close at night, hanging out with you no matter what, or putting himself in harms way to protect you—you received his affection wholeheartedly.

Your chest ached: thinking of him was almost like facing an open wound. Yet you couldn't stop picturing him. Perhaps your focus on him, or rather what you knew of him, was why you never heard the soft footsteps approaching you. You finally snapped out of your daze when he heard the dripping ichor and soft grumble behind you. Astro—Twisted Astro—had finally found you.

His four arms quickly wrapped around your tinier form. He was much bigger, much more lean than you remembered him as. Astro towered over you, the ichor from his eyes dripping onto your messy clothes. His fingers gripped onto you, pulling you tight to his chest. You expected death, or at the very least pain, but all that met you was a gentle embrace and his slightly labored breathing. He nuzzled into your neck, his blanket (that was somehow still fluffy) covering you entirely.

You don't know when, but you eventually fell asleep in his arms. You body naturally melted in his slightly familiar embrace, so sleep was inevitable. When you awoke, you found yourself wrapped in a comfy blanket, hidden away in a poorly made pillow fort. You were safe in here: Astro was protecting you.