Page 8 of Cyborgs' Origins
On one such visit, Tiberius found Simone hunched over a workbench, her brow furrowed in concentration as she tinkered with a complex array of circuitry. Izzy hovered nearby, offering occasional commentary and handing Simone tools as needed.
“What are you working on?” Tiberius asked, his voice cutting through the comfortable silence that had settled over the lab.
Simone glanced up, her eyes brightening as she registered his presence. “Ah, Tiberius,” she greeted warmly. “Come, take a look.”
She beckoned him closer, and Tiberius was drawn to her side, peering over her shoulder at the intricate components laid out before her. Simone launched into an animated explanation, her words tumbling over one another in her excitement.
As she spoke, Tiberius was captivated not only by the complexity of her work but also by the passion that radiated from her every gesture, every inflection. Her hands danced across the circuitry, deftly manipulating the delicate components with a surgeon’s precision.
“...and if we can integrate the biocircuit with our existing cybernetic enhancements, the potential applications are limitless,” Simone concluded, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Tiberius nodded, his mind whirring as he processed the implications of her words. “It’s truly remarkable,” he said, his gaze lingering on her face, taking in the sight of her infectious joy.
Simone’s lips curved into a warm smile, and for a heartbeat, the world seemed to narrow to the two of them, suspended in a moment of shared wonder and possibility.
Izzy cleared her throat, shattering the fragile spell that had enveloped them. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said, a knowing glint in her eyes as she gathered her tools. “I’ll give you two some space to discuss the finer points.”
With a wink and a playful grin, Izzy slipped from the lab, leaving Tiberius and Simone alone in the sudden silence.
Tiberius shifted his weight, acutely aware of the proximity between them. He could feel the warmth of Simone’s body, the subtle scent of her shampoo mingling with the crisp, sterile air of the lab.
“Izzy seems to think we require privacy,” he remarked, his voice dropping to a low rumble.
Simone’s cheeks flushed, but she held his gaze steadily. “Perhaps she’s right,” she said, her tone tinged with a hint of invitation.
The air grew thick with tension, charged with unspoken possibilities. Tiberius was leaning closer, drawn in by the magnetic pull of Simone’s presence.
This time, he didn’t fight the impulse.
His hand rose, calloused fingers grazing the silken curve of Simone’s cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed at his touch, her lips parting ever so slightly in a silent invitation.
Tiberius’s heart thundered in his chest as he closed the final distance between them, his lips capturing Simone’s in a searing kiss. She melted into his embrace, her arms winding around his neck as she returned the kiss with equal fervor.
Time seemed to suspend, the world fading away until only the two of them remained, locked in a passionate embrace that shattered the boundaries between them. In that moment, Tiberius felt more alive than he had in years, his soul ignited by the fire that burned between them.
When they finally broke apart, breathless and flushed, Tiberius cradled Simone’s face in his hands, his thumbs tracing the delicate curves of her cheekbones.
“Simone,” he said, his voice a reverent whisper. “What are we doing?”
She met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with a kaleidoscope of emotions. “Something inevitable,” she breathed, her fingers tangling in the short strands at the nape of his neck.
Tiberius searched her face, his heart swelling with a depth of feeling he hadn’t dared to acknowledge until now. In that moment, he knew there was no turning back, no retreating behind the walls he had so carefully constructed.
Simone had breached his defenses, laying bare the vulnerability he had sworn to never reveal, and in her arms, he found not weakness, but a strength he had never known—the courage to embrace the beating heart that had been dormant for far too long.
With a low growl, he crushed his lips against hers once more, surrendering to the passion that consumed them both.
Chapter 3—Simone
SIMONE’S HEART RACEDas she made her way through the colony’s corridors, searching for Tiberius. The past two days had been a whirlwind of conflicting emotions since their unexpected kiss in the lab. At first, she had been elated, the spark between them finally igniting into something more tangible, but as the initial euphoria faded, doubt and uncertainty crept in, leaving her questioning the wisdom of pursuing a relationship with the commander of their mercenary force.
She had thrown herself into her work, burying her feelings beneath a mountain of research and experiments, but even as she pored over data and tinkered with biocircuits, her thoughts kept drifting back to Tiberius—the warmth of his lips against hers and the strength of his arms as he held her close. No matter how hard she tried to focus, she couldn’t eliminate the memory of that moment.
Now, after two days of avoidance and internal struggle, Simone had come to a decision. She couldn’t let fear and doubt dictate her actions. She needed to confront Tiberius and be honest about her feelings and reservations. It was the only way to move forward, whether that meant exploring their connection further or agreeing to maintain a professional distance.
As she rounded a corner, she spotted Tiberius emerging from the armory, his broad shoulders filling out his combat gear. Her stomach fluttered with nerves, but she squared her shoulders and quickened her pace to catch up with him.
“Tiberius, wait,” she called out, her voice echoing in the empty corridor.