Page 23 of Cyborg's Tether
The last thing Xavier heard before darkness claimed him was Amaya’s voice, desperate and afraid, calling his name.
Chapter 9—Xavier
XAVIER’S SYSTEMS GRADUALLYstabilized as he regained consciousness. The first thing he registered was Amaya’s worried face hovering above him, her dark eyes wide with concern. He attempted to sit up, but his cybernetic limbs responded sluggishly.
“Easy,” said Amaya, placing a hand on his chest to keep him from rising too quickly. “Your systems are still recalibrating after the overload.”
Xavier focused on her touch, noting how the warmth of her hand seemed to spread through his synthetic skin. It was an odd sensation—one his cyborg brain struggled to categorize.
“The quantum core?” he asked, his deep voice slightly distorted by static.
Amaya’s lips curved into a small smile. “Stable, thanks to you. You saved us all, and two cyborg volunteers rushed in to save you when you collapsed.”
Xavier nodded, processing this information. He had acted on instinct, driven by an overwhelming need to protect the facility, the humans, his fellow cyborgs, and most of all, Amaya. The intensity of that impulse had surprised him. “How long was I offline?” he asked.
“About three hours,” she said. “I... I was worried you might not wake up.”
Her voice faltered slightly, and he detected an elevated heart rate and increased perspiration—signs of emotional distress. He reached out to grasp her hand. “I’m functional.”
Her fingers tightened around his, and she ducked her head, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I’m just glad you’re okay. When you collapsed, I thought...”
She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He sat up slowly, still holding her hand. Their faces were close now, and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his skin.
“Amaya,” he said, uncertain of what he wanted to say but compelled to speak nonetheless. “During the crisis, I experienced anomalies in my cognitive processes.”
She tilted her head, curiosity replacing worry in her expression. “What kind of anomalies?”
Xavier frowned, struggling to articulate the unfamiliar sensations. “My primary directive was to stabilize the core, but I found myself equally concerned with your safety. It was distracting.”
Amaya’s eyes widened, and her pulse quickened further. “Oh. That’s not an anomaly. That’s called caring about someone.”
The concept wasn’t entirely foreign to Xavier, but he had never experienced it with such intensity before. “I don’t understand how I can function efficiently if I am compromised by...caring.”
She laughed softly, the sound stirring something within his chest. “It doesn’t compromise you. It makes you stronger. When you have something—or someone—to fight for, you can accomplish incredible things.”
As if to emphasize her point, she reached up with her free hand and traced the line of his jaw. He remained perfectly still, cataloging every sensation—the softness of her fingertips, the slight tremor in her touch, and the way his skin seemed to come alive beneath her caress.
The air between them crackled with energy, reminiscent of the quantum core but infinitely more potent. He leaned closer, drawn by an irresistible force. “I wish to initiate physical contact. Is this acceptable?”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Yes, Xavier. It’s very acceptable.”
He closed the remaining distance between them, pressing his lips to hers. She wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and he deepened the kiss, one hand cupping the back of Amaya’s head while the other splayed across her lower back. Like last time, and the time before, he was awed by the softness of her lips, the taste of her mouth, and the small sounds of pleasure she made as their tongues met.
When they finally parted, both were breathing heavily. Her cheeks were flushed, and her lips slightly swollen. He found the sight captivating.
“That was...” Amaya began, then shook her head, laughing. “I don’t even have words.”
He grinned. “I would like to repeat the experience, if you’re amenable.”
Amaya grinned, her eyes sparkling. “I’m very amenable.”
This time, she initiated the kiss, and he responded eagerly. He pulled her onto his lap, relishing the feel of her body against his. His enhanced senses picked up every detail—the rapid beat of her heart, the warmth of her skin, and the subtle scent of her arousal.
As the kiss deepened, he began to explore, tracing the curves of Amaya’s body through her clothing. She responded in kind, skimming her fingers over the cybernetic enhancements on his arms and chest.
“Is this okay?” she asked breathlessly, breaking the kiss to meet his gaze.
He nodded, his systems humming with a new kind of energy. “More than okay. Your touch awakens something in me I didn’t remember existed.”