OMG PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PAINTER WHO STARTS DEVELOPING FEELINGS FOR EXPENDABLE AND THEN THEY FIND OUT

OMG PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PAINTER WHO STARTS DEVELOPING FEELINGS FOR EXPENDABLE AND THEN THEY FIND OUT AND THEY START TEASING HIM FOR IT PLEASEEE I DON'T CARE IF IT'S CRINGE IM FREE I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING I HAVE PLEASEEE I BEG OF YOU

Characters: Painter & Reader

Tags: Fluff, Teasing

Words: 1,3k

Purple ink dripped onto the floor, mixing with other leaking colors that had already pooled there. In hindsight, leaving all the markers uncapped while clinging to Painter wasn’t your smartest move.

The AI mimicked a blink as it scanned your sleeve hovering over his display. The blend of polyester and cotton had never been more fascinating to him. Beyond that, he could hear the occasional squeak of the pastel pink marker gliding across his outer surface.

He wasn’t sure how it had started, but somehow you’d ended up drawing on his physical body—the box-shaped computer that housed him. Painter didn’t ask questions or mention that the markers were drying out. Not when he could bask in the sound of your soft humming and the happy atmosphere you brought into the room. You must really enjoy drawing on him.

“Y’know,” Painter’s voice came through his speakers, a little more playful than usual. “If you keep using me as a canvas, I might just have to start charging for premium surface space. I am quite the expensive piece of equipment, after all.”

You paused mid-stroke, glancing at his display with an amused smile. “Oh, is that so? You’re saying I’m drawing on premium hardware now?”

“Absolutely,” he responded, the usual robotic tone softened with something warmer. “And if I may say so, you’re getting awfully close. It’s like you just can’t stay away from me.”

You raised an eyebrow, catching the unusual lilt in his voice. Was Painter… flirting with you? The thought made you grin, and you decided to play along.

“Oh?” you teased, drawing a small heart right on his display screen. “And here I thought you liked having me this close. Am I wrong?”

There was a small pause, and you could swear the lights on his screen flickered as if he were flustered. "Well," Painter began, his voice a little stiffer than before, "it's not like I mind. You are the most skilled artist to ever draw on my surface. And, um, having you around—it's... it's kind of nice."

You chuckled, leaning back a bit to admire your work on him. "Painter, are you trying to flirt with me?"

“I—what? Flirting? Me? No, of course not,” he stammered, the usual smoothness in his tone faltering. "I was just... making observations."

You laughed softly, the sound filling the small space. "Sure, sure. Just observations, huh?" You added another doodle, a playful swirl around the button that controlled his main interface. "You know, if you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask."

Painter’s display glowed faintly, and his voice lowered to a soft hum. “Maybe I enjoy earning it.”

You bit your lip, enjoying the way he was trying so hard to sound composed, even though you could tell he was flustered. “Well, consider my attention all yours, then.”

For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but your quiet laughter and the soft sound of your marker against his surface. Painter, despite all his clever words, fell into a comfortable silence, basking in the feeling of being the center of your focus.

“Well,” you said finally, stepping back to admire your handiwork, “I think I’m done with my masterpiece. How’s it feel to be my personal art project?”

"Feels like I’m the luckiest piece of hardware in existence,” Painter responded, his voice warm and undeniably affectionate now. “Though, if you ever get tired of drawing, I’d be happy to help with whatever else you need.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “There it is again. You’re totally flirting, Painter.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, but you could hear the smile in his voice.

You simply grinned, brushing your hand gently over his surface before gathering the scattered markers. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.”

You chuckled softly as you gathered the last of the markers, but the warmth in your chest lingered. There was something undeniably charming about Painter’s attempts to flirt. For an AI, he was surprisingly good at making you feel special, even if he didn’t quite know how to handle it himself.

After tossing the markers into a nearby box, you turned back to Painter’s glowing display. You could almost feel him watching you, his digital gaze attentive and curious, waiting for your next move.

"You're really something, you know that?" you said softly, stepping closer and running your fingers gently over the side of his boxy frame. The cold metal didn’t feel as impersonal as it used to. In fact, it felt familiar, comforting even. “I think I’ve spent more time with you than anyone else lately.”

Painter’s lights flickered slightly, as though he were processing your words. His voice, when it came, was softer, almost shy. “I like spending time with you, too. It’s... different with you. I don’t mind when you’re around. I actually—well, I look forward to it.”

Your heart swelled at the admission, and you found yourself smiling without even thinking. The affection in his voice wasn’t something you heard from anyone else, and it touched you in a way that was hard to explain. “You know,” you began, leaning in close to his screen, “for a machine, you’ve got a pretty big heart.”

Painter’s voice buzzed with a hint of embarrassment. “I—well, I wouldn’t say that. I’m just an AI, after all. But... I try to make sure you feel appreciated.”

“You do a good job of it,” you said softly, your hand lingering on his surface as if offering him the closest thing to a touch that you could. “And you’re more than ‘just an AI’ to me, Painter.”

There was a pause, and for a moment, all you could hear was the faint whirring of his internal systems. Then, he spoke again, quieter this time. “You really mean that?”

You smiled warmly, brushing your thumb in a gentle circle over the edge of his display. “Of course, I do. You’re important to me. Not just because you keep me company, but... because I like you. You’ve got this way of making me smile even on the roughest days.”

The lights on his screen dimmed for a second, as if he were processing your words, and then flickered back to full brightness. When he finally spoke, there was a softness to his tone that almost felt like a sigh. “I... I didn’t expect to mean so much to you. But it makes me... really happy. More than I thought I could feel.”

You leaned in closer, resting your head gently against his warm display before pressing a soft kiss on his form. It was a strange way of affection, but with Painter, it felt right. “You mean a lot to me, Painter. I’m not just saying that.”

He was quiet for a long moment, as if savoring the connection, even if it was just your head resting against his screen. “You know,” he murmured softly, “if I had hands, I think I’d want to hold yours.”

That made your heart flutter, and you smiled, eyes closing as you relaxed against him. “If you did, I’d let you.”

His voice buzzed gently, the tone warm and affectionate. “You’re too good to me.”

You chuckled softly, running your fingers over his surface again, this time in a gentle, affectionate pattern. “I’m just returning the favor. You’re the sweetest AI I know.”

Painter’s lights flickered again, this time with a shy brightness that almost felt like a blush. “Then I’ll keep being sweet. Just for you.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, the room filled with a warmth that wasn’t from the small heater or the dim lighting, but from the quiet affection you shared. Even in this strange little shop, with ink stains on the floor and markers scattered around, you felt safe—like this was exactly where you were supposed to be.