Null Protocol || Ramattra x Reader

☙Chapter Thirty-One❧

Welcome back! Here's what you missed if you skipped the spice: Ram made anatomical modifications to his body specifically to please Y/n, and it's revealed he finds her beautiful despite not admitting so in the cave. He's caught feelings he can't place for her but he's in denial (shocker), and despite trying to keep his duty first, he finds himself staying after their rough engagement to make sure she's okay – and to prove he's capable of doing more than just hurting those he cares about. He contemplates his purpose and whether killing humans is all he's made for, and he pushes the questions regarding what their relationship is now to the back of his mind. But despite his denial, something's changed in him. Do you smell character development? Heh, maybe...

(Y/n)'s lips were going to end up scarred if she kept biting them like she was, but she couldn't help it, nor did she even notice when blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. Her gaze was locked on the monitor following Ramattra's raid of the sweatshop, where hired guns were quick to fire on his Nulltroopers. Her defensive warbot designs stood at the front, blocking the incoming fire as the Nulltroopers with arm cannons behind them picked off the men. The omnics they were rescuing were hunkered down in the center of the room, knowing something big was happening but making no move to jump on the opportunity to escape. Several caught a stray bullet from the humans or were used as shields as their forces fell and they grew more desperate.

"Rama will be fine, wahine." Laylani's voice barely broke through (Y/n)'s concentration, and the girl glanced the omnic's way with a nervous smile.

"I know." She said before that Ramattra was nigh-on impossible to knock down, but that didn't mean her anxiety was founded in reality. Anything could go wrong, yet Laylani was relaxed beside her, tapping away on another screen as she checked for updates on her phone.

"You're in more danger than him." She gestured towards the screen with Ramattra's warbots using her head, and (Y/n) frowned.

"How do you figure?"

"Talon definitely knows where you are now – Darius gave them all the confirmation they needed." She read off her phone and tapped on the monitor attuned to the Talon building holding the hostile omnic. "And as much as Rama likes you, they have his brother."

The human's heart stopped. "You reckon he'll trade me for Zenyatta."

"What?? No, no, no." Laylani let out a light, twinkling laugh. "I meant your safety won't always be his main concern." She noticed the girl relax as she went on, "There's a chance he'll use you as bait to lure them into a trap, but he would never give you up so willingly."

"Because of the knowledge I have." When Laylani didn't so much as twitch her head in what could be a loose description of a nod, (Y/n) shifted her weight on her feet. "I reckon there's something you ain't telling me..."

"Oh you are adorable, (Y/n)!" Laylani rested a hand on her hip as her other one tapped away on the screen where Ramattra's warbots were fighting with brutal efficiency, head tilted teasingly. "You must notice the way he looks at you."

"Like I'm a disgusting human?" There wasn't much conviction behind (Y/n)'s voice, and the remainder of it crumbled to dust as Laylani swept away her words with a lazy bat of her hand in the air.

"You didn't find it odd that I asked about human and omnic relations yesterday? You had to have seen how Rama reacted, it was so obvious." Slow realization dawned on (Y/n)'s face, and after the events of last night – events she had pushed to the back of her mind with her growing fear for the Ravager's safety taking its place – Laylani must not've been the only one thinking about how a human/omnic relationship would work. When she didn't come out and say it, Laylani reached out to tap her nose. "He likes you, pua."