The room was bathed in soft, dim light. The tablet screen reflected in your eyes, the lines of reports scrolled by, but your thoughts eluded you. Echoes of recent missions, decisions, and the responsibilities of leadership still echoed in your head.

You were sitting in your chair, leaning slightly forward, when a soft, almost inaudible metallic sound sounded behind you. You didn't turn around immediately—you already knew who it was.

Arachnus.

You could feel his presence on your skin. The air seemed thicker. Spider-like limbs quietly parted behind you, not touching, but creating the feeling of a protected cocoon.

"You work too much," — his voice was low, calm... and unexpectedly vulnerable.

You slowly turned your head. His red optical sensors looked not like a commander's. Not like a warrior's. But like someone who had been alone for too long.

"Someone has to," — you answered softly. — "A team isn't just about fighting."

He took a step closer. So close that you felt the warmth of his body and the quiet vibration of his mechanisms.

"I..." — he paused for a second. A rarity for him.

"I don't remember the last time... I felt like I had someone to lean on."

You put the tablet down. Slowly. Deliberately. And turned to face him fully.

"You're not alone," — you said quietly. — "You haven't been for a long time."

The spider-like limbs shifted slightly, as if instinctively, not threatening, but protective. His hands gently rested on the back of the chair, either side of you, not pinning you down, but creating a feeling of enclosure. Just you and him.

"I need you," — he said, almost a whisper. — "Not as a leader. Not as a strategist. But as you."

There was no command in his voice. Only honesty. Pain. And hope.

You slowly rose from the chair, finding yourself level with him. Only a few centimeters separated you. You could see the reflection of light in his optics.

“Then don’t push me away,” — you replied quietly.

He didn’t touch you right away. He just tilted his head a little lower, as if holding himself back. His palms touched your hands very carefully. Not grabbing. Asking.