Null Protocol || Ramattra x Reader

Chapter Twenty-Nine

(Y/n) held her hands out to him automatically and he gently wrapped the bandages around her fingers, paying extra careful attention to how tight he was pulling them and asking if it hurt every now and then. When her fingers were wound completely in white cloth like a boxer, he finally rose his gaze to her. She foolishly hoped he couldn't see how visibly nervous she was, and she chewed on her bottom lip as her head ducked.

"Thanks." She could barely get it out, only flushing hotter at how difficult saying a single word had become around him. She wrapped her arms around her middle again, shifting her weight on her feet antsily and keenly aware that she was only in her underwear in front of him. The silence seemed to drag on endlessly, and she'd been examining her toes for what felt like several minutes before a cold metal tip tapped against her chin, and her attention shot up to him as he wrapped his hand around her chin to force her evasive gaze to meet his.

He'd made it clear how little he cared to examine her half-naked figure back in the cave, but now, he took his time, studying her with a look she had no hope of placing – especially when she was too busy focusing on not hyperventilating from how close he was. She wondered what he thought – maybe he was disgusted, or trying to figure out how humans found the sight attractive – and her breath froze in her lungs as his other hand gently caressed her shoulder, lightly gripping her bicep as he pulled her closer.

Everything he did was slow, methodical, like he was in no rush, and at all of the attention, she tried to escape it and backed up into the wall. Her eyes shot wide in surprise, but with nowhere else to go, she held herself tightly. "I figure you're trying not to throw up?" The joke fell flat, delivered with trembling lips without the conviction to back it.

"Omincs cannot 'throw up'." His tone was still soft – too soft. This was Ramattra, he was cruel and rough, and he hated humans with every inch of his metal body, but the Ravager in front of her didn't fit that description.

"Then you, uh..." Her breath hitched as he leaned down, tilting his head curiously at her reaction.

"What is it, human?"

She swallowed, eyes darting away as she nibbled on her bottom lip. "You're...mighty close." He hummed thoughtfully, stepping closer so her body was trapped between the wall and him, and she let out a squeak as her hands braced against his metal ribcage. "Ramattra!" His shadow completely engulfed her, his head still cocked like he wasn't sure what he possibly could've done to produce such a reaction from her. Her breaths came in quick, panicked pants and she squirmed against him, eliciting a soft grunt.

"Is that a problem, (Y/n)?" His voice dipped to a deep purr, the sound of her name coming from him like that turning her cheeks bright red. Any reply she could possibly cook up couldn't reach her lips, and he watched her visibly flounder for a long moment before chuckling, the sound reverberating in his chest. "You enjoy being beneath me, do you not?"

Her mouth dried up and she looked downright guilty scrambling for something to say, her silence speaking volumes when words continued to fail her. She tried to melt into the wall, sure he was reveling in her flustered state, when finally, a single word slipped from her lips. "So?"

His hand tugged on her chin, pulling her gaze back to him obediently, then slid up to cup her cheek, thumb brushing over her bottom lip as she stilled. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and he slowly lowered his forehead to rest against hers. It felt intimate – actually, there was no other way to interpret this, but (Y/n)'s head raced with endless confusing thoughts, making her dizzy as they went round and round in her mind until they abruptly cut off with the briefest brush of his face plate against her lips.

For a long moment, she gaped at him, and when her reaction remained frozen in time, he cocked his head. "I believe that was called a kiss?" He sounded genuinely unsure – of whether that could be classified as a kiss or what a human kiss was, she couldn't tell.

"Well, not, um, not technically?" It was closer to bumping lips incidentally, but she struggled to get that partial answer out as is, giving up on the rest of it when he simply tilted his head a couple more degrees.

"Show me how it is done, then."

If she wasn't already stunned before, she was now. This time, the floodgates couldn't close as the words fell out too fast to stop. "But that's a human tradition, and you hate humans, and that's an expression of love – like deep, genuine, real love – and I ain't saying you can't feel that for me, even though I'm a human, but I ain't understanding-" Her breath hitched as he brushed his face against her lips with a low hum.

"And I would like to learn how it is done." It sounded so simple, and it would've been without all the history she knew he harbored, but at his imploring, deep blue eye lights, she forced herself to relax.

"Okay!" Her smile was uneven, her whole body was shaking, nerves buzzing through her skin in every spot she could feel him pressed against her. He waited patiently while she gathered up her courage, then, ever so slowly, she leaned forward to kiss the spot his mouth would be. It sent a jolt of electricity through her like he shocked her, and her face burned so hot she knew he could feel it. It lasted barely a second but it seemed an eternity as she waited for his reaction, left clueless as he processed the sensation completely motionless.

Then he tch'd softly. "You can do better than that, human."